Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048

by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k

  And now that she heard Long Chen actually wanted to bet, she smiled mockingly. “What can a remote and desolate place like this possibly have to gamble? If it’s just a bunch of rotting clothes, then just forget about it. We wouldn’t be able to find any trash like that in our monastery!”

  The disciples behind her also began to laugh.

  “A bunch of poor ghosts. I guess you’ve been driven crazy by how poor you are! You want to bet?”

  “Just a month of our resources is greater than a year of your resources. What can you possibly take out to bet?”

  “What are you talking about? Elder Luo has already said that they’re a bunch of wasteful pigs. They can just take out some pork to bet.”

  Hearing that ridicule, Gu Yang and the others were completely infuriated. Luo Bing’s ridicule was one thing. After all, she was a Xiantian expert, someone on the same level as a sect leader. They could only endure it if she were to ridicule them. In front of a Xiantian expert, they were less than ants.

  But being ridiculed by disciples in the same realm as them was definitely unacceptable. They were grinding their teeth in anger.

  Long Chen smiled slightly. He didn’t get angry. This kind of little trick was not worth him getting angry about. If he did get angry, wouldn’t they have succeeded in their goal?

  Long Chen could sum up his experiences in a single sentence: if an enemy wanted you to become angry, you absolutely could not get angry. At the very least, you couldn’t show that expression outside, or you would have fallen into your enemy’s trap.

  The calmer and more indifferent he was, the more his opponents would feel like their fists had only hit air. The ones to feel unwell would be them.

  “You’re right, in a remote and desolate place like this, we really don’t have anything good. I guess let’s just bet with these little things.”

  Long Chen took out a jade bottle from his spatial ring. Pouring out a medicinal pill, with a flick of a finger, he sent it flying at Luo Bing.

  Receiving that medicinal pill, Luo Bing was filled with ridicule. Medicinal pills were nothing to her thirty-sixth monastery. Apparently, she thought that they were treated as treasures here.

  Glancing disdainfully at the medicinal pill, Luo Bing’s expression suddenly changed. Thinking she had seen wrongly, she even smelled it and carefully examined it again.

  “Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill?” she exclaimed with disbelief.

  This pill was extremely precious amongst medicinal pills. Its main ingredient, the Three Connecting Flowers, was exceptionally rare.

  Even in the supermonastery, that kind of medicinal ingredient was extremely precious.

  That kind of mysterious plant would have three flowers on a single branch. When those three flowers finally joined together, their colors would all be different from each other. It was something that only grew within frigid ice lands.

  Furthermore, the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills required the Three Connecting Flowers to be at least a hundred years of age.

  But the thing that made this pill so precious was that refining it was extremely time-consuming and the difficulty was extremely high. Even for Long Chen, refining a single furnace of Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills required twelve hours.

  There was no way around it. This pill required four different intervals and five different kinds of flame control changes. The odds of failure were extremely high.

  And so ordinary Pill Masters hated refining the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill the most. For most Pill Masters, refining a single furnace of them would require at least three days.

  And the failure rate was shockingly high, almost reaching eighty percent. After bitterly working for three full days, only to have the furnace of pills be trashed at the end, many Pill Masters would almost have an urge to kill themselves.

  That made this pill extremely rare. Long Chen had only refined a couple furnaces of them before stopping, as it was just too exhausting.

  But although it was exhausting, at least its value was shockingly high. It possessed an extremely powerful nourishment effect for the tendons.

  Tendon Transformation was all about strengthening a person’s tendons. Tendons were what linked the bones to the muscles. If you only had strong muscles but weak tendons, you would probably end up tearing yourself apart the instant you applied any force.

  The first realm of cultivation was Qi Condensation, and the second was Blood Condensation. These two used qi to nourish the blood, using the blood to nourish the muscles such that their strength could reach the peak.

  But if just the muscles were strong, that was useless. Muscles could only release as much strength as the tendons could bear.

  Without tendons, powerful muscles were just dead muscles. And so Tendon Transformation was the third cultivation realm, a heavenly chasm that blocked people’s cultivation paths.

  Tendon Transformation was an extremely important juncture for cultivators. Only through strengthening the tendons could you release the full potential of your muscles.

  As for the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill, it wasn’t used to raise the cultivation base, but to nourish the tendons. It was practically a divine medicine to Tendon Transformation experts.

  However, it was extremely rare. Even in the thirty-sixth monastery, a core disciple could only receive ten of them a month. Inner disciples would only get one a month.

  As for outer disciples, they were essentially unable to obtain such a good medicinal pill. They could only substitute it with other medicinal pills.

  This kind of rare medicinal pill was something that only monasteries in the top fifty should be able to possess. In fact, Long Chen should have never even heard of it.

  Let alone Luo Bing, even Tu Fang and the other Elders felt this was inconceivable. Although Tu Fang had seen Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills before, he had no idea where Long Chen could have obtained one.

  Although he had heard Long Chen could refine pills, he didn't believe that this Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill was refined by him. Even experienced Pill Masters would find it difficult to refine high grade Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills.

  “Yes, it’s the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill. In this remote and desolate place, there really is nothing good. I can only bring out this little snack to bet.”

  Long Chen then took out a couple more of Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills and threw them all into his mouth.

  Long Chen ate them like they were candy. His act was so good that even Tu Fang’s face twitched.

  Those Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills required other medicinal pills to be swallowed with them in order to draw out their full effect.

  By eating them like this, Long Chen wouldn’t even be able to absorb half of their medicinal strength. And so Tu Fang and the other Elders immediately felt some pain.

  In truth, even Long Chen felt some pain at this. He had exhausted himself just to refine these pills. Most importantly, he had yet to even reach Tendon Transformation.

  Eating these Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills like they were candy had no effect. Well, it had one effect at the moment: showing off.

  “Well? Are we betting or not? Isn’t it just betting some snacks? You don’t need to look so aggrieved, like your man has just died and you’ve become a widow or something. If you don’t want to bet, then scram!” At this time, Guo Ran stood up by Long Chen and snuck in some words.

  To ridicule a Xiantian expert like this… that was a huge opportunity for him.

  In the future, he would be able to tell his companions a story: Back when I was in Tendon Transformation, I cursed and scolded right at the face of a Xiantian expert, and she didn’t dare say a word back to me!

  Luo Bing mocked, “Hmph, the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill might be a treasure in your monastery, but in my monastery, it’s absolutely nothing. How do you want to bet?”

  Long Chen shook his head. “Hmm? What do you mean it’s a treasure? I’ve already said we
’re just betting snacks.” He then took out three jade bottles over a foot long. Once the cork was unplugged, a dense pill scent wafted out, causing everyone’s expression to change.

  That scent was clearly the scent of the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill. Long Chen rattled the bottle, showing that it was completely full. He then poured a couple of pills from inside to show everyone that they were all Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills that had pill halos, marking them as high grade.

  In reality, even before Luo Bing had brought up her challenge, Long Chen had already expected it. He had split up his Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills into different bottles.

  But in truth, those bottles were actually mostly packed with other medicinal pills that only had similar effects and scents as the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill. It was just that the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills were put in at the top. It would have been possible to tell the truth from seeing through a few small clues.

  However, everyone had already been misled by Long Chen’s previous show-off display of using real Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills as snacks. That caused them to fall for this easier.

  After showing off the proof, Long Chen put the medicinal pills away. To the stunned Luo Bing, he said, “In truth, I was just showing off just now. I hope you don’t mind. Unfortunately, I only have eight hundred Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills.”

  Eight hundred pills!

  Even Luo Bing, a Xiantian expert, had her heart jump at that. She looked at Long Chen in disbelief.

  “Since we’re having ten rounds, then I’d say we should do eighty pills a round. How’s that?” said Long Chen grandly.

  “Uh…” Luo Bing hesitated.

  Long Chen frowned and sneered, “Who was it just now who said something about being remote and desolate, something about the trash you couldn’t possibly have? My memory isn’t so good, so I’ve forgotten just who it was who said that. I’d like to trouble senior to remind me.”

  Chapter 289 Undaunted, Unafraid of Death

  Luo Bing’s expression was extremely ugly now. She was still stunned. The fact that Long Chen could take out so many of those incredibly precious Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills made her head completely blank.

  Now her previous ridicule had become a slap in her face. But she also couldn’t appear weaker. She couldn’t stop midway.

  “I don’t have that many Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills on me. Switch it to something else.” Luo Bing felt like her face was burning hot. Inside, she cursed Long Chen to death.

  “Ah, that makes sense. You’re all such amazing figures, you probably wouldn’t keep such trash on you. Then Elder Tu Fang, what can the Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill be exchanged for in the supermonastery?” Long Chen turned to Tu Fang.

  Tu Fang had no idea what kind of crazy drug Long Chen had taken. He could only reply, “This Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill is rare and only the top fifty monasteries have a limited distribution of it.

  “The monastery ranked under fifty are not distributed any. As for exchanging for them, you can. But they are not open to disciples. Only Elders can buy them.

  “I’ve heard one high grade Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pill requires one thousand merit points. If it was switched to the disciple points, that would be equivalent to one million points.”

  Tang Wan-er and the others were all given a fright. A single pill was one million points? Then most of them wouldn’t be able to buy a single pill even with all their savings.

  They all looked at Long Chen. Long Chen really had to be a god. Everything he did was outside their expectations. Just where did he obtain these Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills from?

  Long Chen naturally wouldn’t say. The medicinal ingredients for these had all been given to him by a very nice person. That secret would stay hidden forever.

  “Ok then.” Long Chen sank into thought for a moment before continuing, “That’s fine. Then eighty Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills can count for eighty thousand merit points. Elder Tu Fang, those merit points can be easily traded, correct?”

  Tu Fang nodded. “They can be traded. It’s common within the entire supermonastery.”

  “Then good. So then, do you want to compete or not? If you win a round, I’ll give you eighty Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills, and if you lose, you give us eighty thousand merit points.” Long Chen looked at Luo Bing.

  “No problem. We’ll bet with you,” sneered Luo Bing.

  In truth, she really did not have that many Three Connecting Flower Tendon Pills. Even in her entire monastery, they probably did not have that many. Each time they would have to exchange for them.

  She was actually quite happy to accept Long Chen’s suggestion. She was fully confident in her people.

  “Good, then let’s start. For the first round, you can choose what level. Although you aren’t guests, we won’t bully you. We’ll give you the initiative.” Long Chen lazily sat on a chair.

  “No need to pick. We’ll go from the lowest level to the highest level. The first round will be on the outer disciple level. Who wants to go?” Luo Bing shouted to her disciples.

  “This disciple wishes to go!” A thin and tall man jumped onto the martial stage. People were startled to see that this disciple had reached the fifth Heavenstage of Tendon Transformation.

  As for their monastery’s outer disciples, they were all only at the third Heavenstage. Not one of them had reached the mid stage.

  That thin, tall man disdainfully swept his gaze over them and sneered, “Which person wants to send themselves to their death?”

  “What should we do Long Chen? Who should go?” Tang Wan-er was a bit nervous.

  These thirty-sixth monastery disciples were all elites amongst elites, their auras incomparably strong. Their monastery was clearly weaker than them in that aspect.

  Most importantly, outer disciples were their weakest members, because the amount of resources that were given to them was extremely low.

  “No need to be afraid. Anyone can go up. The result will be the same,” said Long Chen indifferently.

  “What, are you all afraid? Hahaha, as expected, you really are a group of cowardly pigs!” That thin, tall man raised his head and laughed.

  “You’re asking for it!” Suddenly, an angry roar rang out and a figure flew onto the martial stage. Long Chen recognized that person as one of Gu Yang’s subordinates.

  “Let me, Zhao Ping, exchange some pointers!”

  The tall, thin man disdainfully said, “A small early Tendon Transformation weakling does not have the qualifications to exchange pointers with me! Scram!”

  Even as he sneered, he charged forward at Zhao Ping. This duel had no need for someone to yell start. As soon as you stepped onto the stage, the battle began.

  This thin, tall man was extremely powerful. As soon as he took action, his aura exploded out.

  “How powerful!” Tang Wan-er’s expression changed. The thirty-sixth monastery really was too powerful. It was no wonder they were so arrogant. They had the skills to be arrogant.

  Their auras were incredibly stable. The pressure coming from them made it hard to breathe. That definitely had to do with the cultivation technique they used.

  As he rushed over, he unsheathed his sword, and a cold light slashed down on Zhao Ping.

  “Scram, you pig!”

  When Zhao Ping had jumped onto the martial stage, he had been feeling nervous. He knew this battle was extremely important, but he just hadn’t been able to endure their opponents’ ridicule.

  However, the instant his opponent charged at him, his worry and sullenness completely disappeared. His blood seemed to react to his opponent’s mannerism and instantly heated up. It was like he had returned to the Righteous and Corrupt battle from before.

  Seeing Zhao Ping’s new expression, Long Chen smiled. Good! That’s the right expression, that’s the right feeling!

  “KILL!”

  Suddenly, Zhao Ping roared, and
an incomparably savage aura immediately locked that tall, thin man in place stiffly. Zhao Ping charged forward like an angry beast.

  With a huge collision, sparks flew everywhere. The instant Zhao Ping’s saber collided with that man’s sword, a huge explosion erupted.

  What surprised almost everyone was that the tall, thin man, who had seemed much stronger, was only on an equal level with Zhao Ping. The two of them were both knocked back several steps.

  But Tu Fang and the other Elders had sharp vision, and they immediately saw through what had happened.

  When it came to true strength, the tall, thin man was definitely a level higher than Zhao Ping. But as soon as Zhao Ping had attacked, his indomitable will immediately suppressed his opponent.

  That kind of will was something that came from deep within him. It was something that could only be formed through being tempered by walking the line beneath life and death. That kind of will was like formless blades.

  The instant Zhao Ping released his will, his opponent felt as if he was being stared at by some ancient monster. An intense threat of death filled his heart.

  In that instant, he felt as if he weren’t fighting a person but some merciless beast.

  In terms of imposingness, that tall man had been completely suppressed by Zhao Ping. That terror in his heart made it so that despite being clearly stronger than his opponent, he was only barely able to force a tie in their exchange.

  “Die!” Zhao Ping’s saber once more slashed out mercilessly.

  Tang Wan-er and the others were startled. At first, all they felt was that his posture was a bit familiar. But then they realized Zhao Ping was also using a saber, and that he was using it in the same manner as Long Chen.

  His strength was far too lacking in comparison, but that ruthlessness inside him allowed him to copy Long Chen’s form slightly, and it was filled with an indomitable will, one that would either win or die trying.

  “Bastard, you’re crazy! This is just a competition!” The tall, thin man felt a murderous aura completely lock him in place. Zhao Ping was clearly trying to kill him!