Hearing Jiang Jichen's words, they naturally recalled the message Han Qing had delivered on his behalf.
"If you wish to challenge me, first prepare two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills!"
For prominent young masters like Lü Yinghao, two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills was an amount they could just barely afford without impacting their own cultivation.
However, this was an impossible sum for Lü Yinghao's three cronies.
"You... Jiang Jichen, you're going to lose for sure anyway. What difference does it make if we put up the Spirit Pills or not?"
one of the cronies said with a sinister tone, while the other two prepared to attack again.
Jiang Jichen stood in the center of the field with his hands behind his back. "Are you going to violate the rules of the Cultivation World?" he asked calmly.
As Cultivators, they were naturally aware of certain rules in the Spirit Cultivation Realm.
In a battle between peers, if one party could not meet the reasonable conditions set by the other, the latter could refuse the challenge. If the former attacked anyway, it would be considered murder.
Of course, this rule was only effective between people of equal status. If young masters like them wanted to kill a commoner, they could just do it. No one would care. Even the Law Enforcers of the Cultivation World would turn a blind eye.
Otherwise, with noble young masters killing commoner Cultivators almost every day, the Cultivation World's Law Enforcers would be far too busy.
But Jiang Jichen was different. Even if he was a Spirit Cultivation Wastrel, he held a Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card, was ranked first among the youth of Cyan Moon City, and was the Young Master of the Jiang Family's Fifth Mansion. On top of that, he was famous, and many people were watching. The Law Enforcers of the Cultivation World would have to intervene, if only to maintain their image of impartiality. Anyone who broke the rules to attack him would likely pay with their life.
Jiang Jichen was completely unafraid. The three cronies ultimately didn't dare to violate the rules of the Cultivation World. If they attracted the Law Enforcers, their fate would be no better.
"Does that mean the three of us need to come up with six thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills? Jiang Jichen, why don't you just go rob someone?"
one of the cronies sneered.
Jiang Jichen smiled faintly and sighed. "It really isn't much different from robbery. But what can you do to me?"
It was brazen, it was arrogant—the very attitude they usually took when facing lowly commoners.
This left them feeling utterly aggrieved, but just as Jiang Jichen said, what could they do to him?
But then Jiang Jichen's tone shifted. "However, seeing as the three of you are all trash, if you can scrape together two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills, I'll let you fight me three-on-one!"
A three-on-one fight. It was another devastating blow. The three young cronies' faces turned incredibly ugly.
Facing Jiang Jichen, they were confident they could kill him if they worked together, but now their hands were tied.
"Here are two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills. Now what are you going to wager? I refuse to believe a wastrel like you can produce two thousand of them. I heard you couldn't even come up with five and had to use your Five-Star Bronze Cultivation Card as collateral. How pathetic!"
Just then, Lü Yinghao took a large bag of Spirit Pills from his Storage Bag and tossed it in front of Jiang Jichen, his voice filled with mockery.
The three cronies stared with envy at the Storage Bag on Lü Yinghao's waist.
A Storage Bag, as its name implied, contained a spatial dimension within it, making it far larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside.
For instance, the palm-sized bag on Lü Yinghao's waist might contain half a cubic meter of space, capable of holding many items. It was an essential piece of equipment for long journeys and training expeditions.
In all of Cyan Moon City, only a few dozen members of the younger generation could afford a Storage Bag.
As the Young Master of the Jiang Family's Fifth Mansion and the former number one young genius of Cyan Moon City, Jiang Jichen naturally owned a Storage Bag as well. His was a Mid-Level Storage Bag with two to three cubic meters of space, whereas Lü Yinghao's was merely a Basic Level one.
This Mid-Level Storage Bag was the only thing his father had left him. However, the bag was always empty, containing nothing.
He happened to have the Mid-Level Storage Bag with him when he went out this time.
So, he casually collected the two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills Lü Yinghao had thrown and stored them in his Mid-Level Storage Bag. "I don't have any First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills, it's true," he said, "but I do have plenty of treasures. If you win, this Mid-Level Storage Bag is yours!"
"I just don't know if this Mid-Level Storage Bag is worth two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills?"
At this, everyone's gaze fell upon the bag in Jiang Jichen's hand. Several more groups of people had arrived, including some of those Jiang Jichen had declared he would challenge, as well as other young Cultivators at the Eighth-level Mortal Realm.
Someone had sent word that Jiang Jichen had finally shown up, so they had all rushed over.
They arrived just in time to see Jiang Jichen take out the Mid-Level Storage Bag, and their hearts burned with greed.
Was it only worth two thousand First-Grade Spirit Condensing Pills? Anyone with a bit of common sense knew that even a Low-Level Storage Bag like the one on Lü Yinghao's waist was worth more than that.
A Mid-Level Storage Bag was a Treasure Artifact that generally only experts at the Innate Sixth Layer could afford. Its value was difficult to estimate; it was the kind of priceless treasure that had a market but no set price. Whenever one appeared, experts from all the major powers would fight over it at auction.
Seeing this, Granny Liu, who was standing to the side, was also incredibly tempted. She wished she could snatch it right then and there.
Even a powerful expert at the Innate Fourth Realm like her could only afford a Low-Level Storage Bag, yet Jiang Jichen, a mere Spirit Cultivation Wastrel, had a Mid-Level one. She felt incredibly resentful.
But this was a battle among the younger generation. She couldn't interfere, so she could only watch from the side.
Lü Yinghao hadn't expected Jiang Jichen to actually put up such a stake, using a Mid-Level Storage Bag as collateral. 'Does he have absolute confidence in victory, or is he just insane?'
'Who cares what he's thinking? He's just a Spirit Cultivation Wasted Body. Humiliating him will be as easy as flipping my hand.'
'That Mid-Level Storage Bag must be mine. I was in the first group to arrive, so no one can compete with me!'
These thoughts flashed through Lü Yinghao's mind in an instant. He quickly spoke up, "If you're willing to part with it, then of course it's worth it! You three, attack now! Defeat him and bring me that bag!"
Although the three cronies were also burning with desire for the Storage Bag in Jiang Jichen's hands, they knew it would never be theirs. They could only do their best to seize it, assuming Lü Yinghao wouldn't treat them poorly afterward. Perhaps he'd let the three of them split the two thousand Condensing Spirit Pills!
"Lü Yinghao, are you planning to hog such a good thing for yourself?"
Some of Cyan Moon City's young geniuses had arrived, among them Murong Hee and Shen Yuqing. They were all at the Eighth-level Mortal Great Perfection Realm, with combat power even greater than Lü Yinghao's.
However, with the Grand Chancellor backing him, Lü Yinghao was naturally unafraid of them.
"Heh, when it comes to battles, you have to respect the principle of first come, first served. Since I was here before you, it's natural that I get the first shot."
"You all can just watch from the sidelines and wait. But I doubt you'll get a chance. Just sit back and watch how we slaughter this wastrel, Jiang Jichen!"
Lü Yinghao's words were arrogant and incredibly rude.
Murong Hee, Shen Yuqing, and the others looked furious, but they knew that what Lü Yinghao said was true.
They had arrived too late. With Lü Yinghao getting the first shot, Jiang Jichen was sure to be defeated, and they would miss their chance.
Soon, a large crowd had gathered at the gates of the Jiang Family's Fifth Mansion, consisting mostly of the younger generation of Cultivators from Cyan Moon City.
Inside the Fifth Mansion, the old butler, Xing'Er, and others heard the commotion. They came out to see their Young Master surrounded.
They wanted to help but were powerless, so they could only watch anxiously.
Jiang Jichen naturally saw them as well. He gave them a reassuring look before hanging the Mid-Level Storage Bag on his waist and saying to the crowd, "Don't worry, you'll all get your chance, as long as you have enough Spirit Pills on hand."
"Such arrogant words! Get on your knees, brat!"
Seeing how arrogant Jiang Jichen was, completely ignoring their presence, Lü Yinghao's three cronies grew furious. With a unified shout, each of them lashed out with a kick aimed at Jiang Jichen's knees. They intended to cripple his legs from the start and force him to kneel.
The three of them together were indeed far stronger than Murong Qingshu. Gray-green Spiritual Power Lines coiled around their feet, brimming with immense power.
Their movements were incredibly fast, like a gale sweeping away fallen leaves. In a single instant, they launched dozens of kicks.
This Martial Technique was called the Gale Leg. Although it was one of the lowest-level Martial Techniques, with three people using it simultaneously from three different directions, the overlapping afterimages of their legs instantly submerged Jiang Jichen, creating a spectacular and powerful display.
Standing amidst the barrage of kicks, Jiang Jichen's body remained as motionless as a mountain. But he raised his fists and threw out dozens of punches, his speed also reaching an extreme.
He wasn't using any Martial Techniques at all, just punching casually, yet his movements had a feeling of natural perfection.
Moreover, his soul was so powerful that he could clearly perceive the trajectory of every single kick, as if his opponents' attacks were moving in slow motion.
BAM! BAM!...
The incessant sound of fists meeting flesh rang out, making the onlookers cringe.
"Jiang Jichen is being attacked by three people at once. He's probably going to be kicked to a pulp this time!"
"A Spirit Cultivation Wastrel acting so arrogantly... he deserves to have his legs broken and be forced to his knees."
"A Mid-Level Storage Bag... It's a shame that we who arrived later won't get a chance at it!"
...
The crowd's chatter rose in a din. None of them held out any hope for Jiang Jichen.
However, no sooner had the words left their mouths than they saw Lü Yinghao's three cronies fly backward, landing three meters away. They clutched their legs, rolling on the ground and screaming incessantly.
The scene was both shocking and utterly unbelievable.
One didn't need to think twice to know their legs were ruined. Judging by their agonizing screams, their bones and tendons were likely shattered. It was doubtful if they would ever be able to stand again, let alone channel Spiritual Power through their legs.
They had intended to break Jiang Jichen's legs, but now the tables had turned completely.
The crowd's gazes toward Jiang Jichen began to turn solemn. They no longer dared to look down on him, much less make any more sarcastic remarks.
This was the deterrent power of formidable martial strength!
Jiang Jichen stood calmly in his original spot, seemingly not having moved an inch. With his hands behind his back, he tilted his head up toward the sky, giving off the profound air of a lonely, unmatched master.
Then, his voice rang out. "Next!"