I, Thanks To My Unlimited Investment, Am Admired By All Races

Li Xun swept his spiritual sense over the two storage rings.

They contained a good variety of items—spirit stones, pills, weapons, rare materials—everything one might expect. Although the quality wasn’t particularly high, the sheer quantity made up for it.

After all, Zheng Chuan was a prominent figure.

As the leader of the Xuanyin Sect’s delegation, it was evident that his position within the sect wasn’t low.

As for the Cloud Piercer Shuttle and the two high-grade magical treasures from Ning Cheng, Li Xun merely glanced at them before putting them away. While the three items were decent, they were somewhat redundant for him.

He figured he could sell them later or invest them to someone to gain something better.

“Who would’ve thought,” Li Xun sighed, “there’s a method even easier than killing and looting.”

In hindsight, why hadn’t he considered gambling with others before?

“Li Xun—!”

Zheng Chuan’s face darkened, almost dripping with anger.

At this moment, his heart bled. With this single gamble, he had lost his entire fortune. He was now as broke as could be.

Beside him, Ning Cheng’s expression also grew tense.

He held no goodwill toward Li Xun, but his irritation toward Zheng Chuan was even greater.

If not for Zheng Chuan’s encouragement, why would he have sacrificed two high-grade magical treasures?

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you? You knew Ye Han had cultivated a powerful body-refinement technique and deliberately tricked me into this bet, didn’t you?!”

Zheng Chuan’s voice trembled with rage, his tone bordering on hysteria.

After all, during Ye Han’s final attack, the dazzling golden light emanating from him made it clear to everyone that his body-refinement technique was extraordinary.

Not only that, but Ye Han had cultivated the technique to near total completion.

With this hidden trump card, ordinary Spirit Meridian Realm cultivators wouldn’t even be able to break through his defenses!

“Are you trying to go back on your word?”

Li Xun raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, an overwhelming and all-encompassing pressure filled the air, sending waves of fear through everyone present.

This was a peerless power, like an ancient god-king descending, impossible to resist.

Zheng Chuan bore the brunt of it, and it felt as if two mountains were pressing down on his shoulders. With a loud thud, he was forced to the ground.

Centered around Zheng Chuan, cracks spread across the viewing platform, as though it might shatter at any moment.

“Hiss—!”

Gasps erupted among the onlookers.

This was the first time Li Xun revealed his aura in front of the crowd. Even just the tip of the iceberg was enough to utterly suppress Zheng Chuan.

And yet, the two of them were only one minor realm apart.

Li Xun was at the mid-stage of the Profound Elixir Realm, while Zheng Chuan was at the early stage. This small difference seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

Faced with Li Xun, Zheng Chuan appeared as weak as a child, completely incapable of resistance.

And this was just his oppressive aura.

If Li Xun had truly attacked, Zheng Chuan likely wouldn’t even last a single move.

“What incredible power!”

Ning Cheng was deeply shaken. His hand unconsciously touched the spirit beast bag on his waist, his wariness of Li Xun intensifying further.

Previously, he had only regarded Li Xun as a rival.

Now, Li Xun had become a mortal enemy in his eyes. To defeat him, Ning Cheng realized he might have to reveal all his hidden cards.

“Nephew Li, give him a little lesson and let it end there.”

Just as Zheng Chuan was on the verge of collapse under the pressure, a calm and ethereal voice reached Li Xun’s ears.

This voice was very familiar—it was Elder Xie’s voice.

Upon hearing it, Li Xun turned his head and looked toward another viewing platform not far away.

There, a dozen elders sat upright, their attention no longer on the battles below but instead focused on Li Xun’s platform.

Among the elders, seated in the center, was a middle-aged man.

He wore a moon-white robe, untainted by dust. His black hair fluttered lightly, and his deep eyes shone like an ocean, exuding an extraordinary aura. Observing Li Xun’s every move, a faint smile of admiration appeared on his lips.

This man was none other than the Northern King of the Great Zhou Empire!

Feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze, Li Xun gradually withdrew his oppressive aura.

At the same time, Zheng Chuan collapsed onto the ground in a pitiful state, his entire body drenched in sweat.

His eyes were wide, and he panted heavily, the terror in his gaze unmistakable.

“So this is Li Xun’s power?”

He could hardly believe it.

Before Li Xun acted, Zheng Chuan had never imagined the gap between them could be so immense—so vast that it was utterly despairing.

Silently, Zheng Chuan got up from the ground, said nothing, and refrained from any further provocation.

Earlier, his recklessness stemmed from ignorance and Li Xun’s tendency to keep a low profile. With his Xuanyin Sect as his backing, Zheng Chuan had felt emboldened.

But things were different now.

Li Xun had demonstrated his power.

If Zheng Chuan were foolish enough to provoke him again, once they entered the Phoenix Origin Secret Realm, Li Xun’s fate might remain uncertain—but Zheng Chuan’s would be sealed.

As Zheng Chuan slumped back into his seat, defeated, many people glanced at him in astonishment.

Had Zheng Chuan suddenly turned over a new leaf?

Or… was he simply scared out of his wits by Li Xun’s overwhelming might?

To most, the latter seemed far more plausible.

This wasn’t hard to understand.

When Li Xun unleashed his aura earlier, he didn’t just suppress Zheng Chuan—many others felt their hearts tremble as well. They were relieved Li Xun hadn’t targeted them.

Otherwise, their outcomes might not have been much better than Zheng Chuan’s.

After this spectacle, the viewing platform quieted down significantly.

Everyone’s focus shifted back to the battle arena below.

With thousands of competitors fighting simultaneously, many dark horses emerged. But if one had to pick the darkest horse of them all, it would undoubtedly be Ye Han.

Time and again, he shattered everyone’s expectations.

Initially deemed likely to be eliminated in the first round, Ye Han stunned everyone by advancing to the semifinals. Many were left speechless.

By now, no one dared to underestimate him.

Though only at the late stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, Ye Han could unleash power comparable to a mid-to-late-stage Spirit Meridian Realm cultivator. Even those at the peak of the Spirit Meridian Realm faced a real chance of losing to him.

“The Profound Sun Sect has produced two prodigies this year,” murmured the Northern King.

His voice was soft, but the elders from various sects around him all heard it clearly.

Some were deep in thought, others looked grave, and a few couldn’t hide their envy.

The only exception was Elder Xie. His aged face radiated pride and joy, his expression as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum. Since the competition began, his smile hadn’t faded for even a moment.

With another round of battles concluded, the finalists were decided.

In the end, Ye Han and a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect advanced to the finals.

The moment the two stepped onto the stage, they drew countless pairs of eyes.

One was widely considered the favorite to win the championship.

The other was the biggest dark horse of the year.

Their showdown was bound to be a clash of titans.

Adding to the tension was the friction between the Profound Sun Sect and the Beast Taming Sect before the competition, which cast a shadow of intensity over the upcoming battle.

“Daoist Ning,” Li Xun suddenly spoke, seated calmly on the viewing platform. “I happen to have a high-grade flying magical treasure, the Cloud Piercer Shuttle. Care for a gamble?”