'Perfect. My mind is still unsettled, so it's not a good time to cultivate the Nine Yang Celestial Skill anyway. Since this kid is so eager to cause trouble, I might as well play along.'
An idea struck Yang Xiao. He looked at the arrogant Qiu Chengjun, a plan already forming in his mind, but his face showed a hint of hesitation. "I've just joined the sect, so I'm technically a disciple of Medicine King Valley now. Is it really appropriate to have a duel so rashly?"
"Appropriate? Of course it's appropriate! We here at Medicine King Valley don't forbid disciples from fighting amongst themselves. Or are you saying that you, the Junior Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, don't have the guts?"
Qiu Chengjun said mockingly.
He felt he had seen right through Yang Xiao. The guy's aura wasn't even as strong as that female disciple, Qin Yan.
He was only at the Peak of Innate Realm Third Layer.
'And he actually managed to become a Junior Sect Leader?'
'How absurd.'
'He must have relied on his elders. But for someone like me, it doesn't matter how powerful this kid's elders are. They're from the Purple Sun Sect.'
'They have no authority over me.'
"Don't have the guts? How could that be! I'm the Junior Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, the number one True Disciple! I..."
Yang Xiao shouted, seeming to lack confidence.
"Then just agree to it."
"Well... I still feel it's not quite right to fight just like this."
"I see. You're just scared. Name your terms. What will it take for you to fight?"
Qiu Chengjun was growing impatient.
Seeing his impatience, Yang Xiao's eyes suddenly darted, and he broke into a grin. "When disciples of my Purple Sun Sect duel, we usually have a wager. Otherwise, who would want to fight for no reason?"
"A wager?"
Qiu Chengjun's expression tightened, and he scrutinized Yang Xiao.
'This guy,' he thought, 'he isn't playing weak to lure me into a trap, is he?'
The thought had barely formed when Yang Xiao spoke again. "As the Junior Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, any duel I participate in should be for a stake of at least a Level 6... no, a Level 7 Spirit Medicine. Anything less would be beneath my station. Oh, right, I don't actually have a Level 7 Spirit Medicine on me right now, but I do have a Seventh-Grade Pill. Do you want to bet on that?"
"Of course, if you can't put up a matching stake, we can just call it off for now."
Yang Xiao said with a look of utter sincerity.
"A Seventh-Grade Pill, is it? Fine, I'll take that bet."
Qiu Chengjun had been hesitant, but upon hearing Yang Xiao's words, he immediately agreed.
He was convinced Yang Xiao was bluffing.
And just as he expected, Yang Xiao's expression changed the moment he agreed.
Yang Xiao pressed, "What are you going to bet against me? This Fire Element Pill of mine is Upper Grade. If you're offering a Spirit Medicine, it has to be at least an Eighth-Level Upper Grade Spirit Medicine for me to accept."
"An Eighth-Level Upper Grade Spirit Medicine? Fine, it's a bet!"
Qiu Chengjun said, gritting his teeth.
As a disciple of Medicine King Valley, even for a True Disciple, Spirit Medicines of Level 7 or higher were rarities. However, he was quite capable and came from an extraordinary background. If he really pushed himself, obtaining an Eighth-Level Upper Grade Spirit Medicine wasn't impossible.
This was especially true when he saw the disappointed look on Yang Xiao's face after he agreed.
It only strengthened his conviction.
'This brat was trying to set me up. Today, I'll make you suffer a double loss!'
A smug look spread across Qiu Chengjun's face.
Yang Xiao, on the other hand, looked dejected, as if he had miscalculated.
In reality, he was laughing his head off inside.
He did, in fact, have a Seventh-Grade Pill.
A Fire Element Pill.
This Seventh-Grade Fire Element Pill was the result of him refining some otherwise useless Spirit Medicines when he had nothing better to do.
He had originally thought that every little bit helps.
Now, it seemed, it would make for an excellent wager.
If he had taken out the few Peak of Ninth Grade Fire Element Pills he possessed, he probably would have scared the guy away immediately.
But now, an Eighth-Level Upper Grade Spirit Medicine was as good as his.
To an ordinary person, a Seventh-Grade Pill and an Eighth-Grade Spirit Medicine were on the same level. In fact, the Pill might even be considered slightly more valuable.
This was because the energy in a Pill was easier to absorb.
For Yang Xiao, however, the opposite was true.
The energy quality of an Eighth-Grade Spirit Medicine was more than ten times that of a Seventh-Grade Pill. If he could get his hands on one, he might be able to refine another Fire Element Pill at the Peak of Eighth Grade, or perhaps even one at the Initial Ninth Grade.
And while a Fire Element Pill of that quality wouldn't be enough for him to break through to the next realm, it could instantly restore him to the absolute limit of the Orange Flame Realm.
It would be dozens of times better than his previous Seventh-Grade Pill.
A single duel.
Not only could he teach this arrogant fool a lesson in humility, but he could also increase the value of his Seventh-Grade Pill by several dozen times.
What was not to like?
Soon, under Qiu Chengjun's arrangements, their duel began without a hitch.
To prevent Yang Xiao from backing out, the guy actually invited an Elder from Medicine King Valley to officiate. Although this Elder wasn't a member of the Elder Council, he was still a person of high status and great authority.
He was a Law Enforcement Elder.
His cultivation was as high as the Martial Grandmaster Peak Sixth Level.
A figure of his caliber could easily go out and establish his own sect. Not counting Yang Xiao, he could annihilate the entire Purple Sun Sect with ease.
Even a True Disciple like Qiu Chengjun wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to him.
After all, his own ranking among the True Disciples was quite low.
Furthermore, news of his battle with Yang Xiao had caused quite a stir in Medicine King Valley, attracting many of their fellow disciples to come and watch.
The weakest among them were Inner Core Disciples.
There were also quite a few True Disciples.
The moment they laid eyes on Yang Xiao, they were amused.
"This kid really is from some backwater place. So ignorant. He's a mere Peak of Innate Realm Third Layer. Does he really think he can be a match for Senior Brother Qiu, who's at the Peak of Innate Ninth Layer?"
"You can't say that. I heard this kid is the Junior Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect. He might have some skills. Besides, he casually put up a Seventh-Grade Pill for his duel with Senior Brother Qiu. That's a lavish stake! We can't compare to that."
"I think he must have offended Senior Brother Qiu and is intentionally offering a Seventh-Grade Pill to lose to him on purpose."
"That's not impossible. But Senior Brother Qiu isn't someone who can be bribed with a single Seventh-Grade Pill. This kid has offended him, so he's in for a rough time."
Most of these people were Inner Core Disciples.
But in terms of strength, they were not the least bit inferior to Qin Yan.
Most of them were at the Innate Fourth Layer or above, and a few of the ones who had spoken were even at the Peak of Innate Sixth Layer, possessing extraordinary strength.
Their appearance gave Yang Xiao a glimpse into the true depth of the Upper Three Sects.
'It seems that for these Upper Three Sects, you probably have to reach the Innate Realm just to become an Inner Sect Disciple, and the Innate Seventh Layer or higher to be a True Disciple. That's a whole different league compared to the Purple Sun Sect.'
Yang Xiao mused to himself.
He thought of Xuan Tianzhan.
And the Profound Celestial Sect behind him.
Medicine King Valley was world-renowned for its alchemy, while the Profound Celestial Sect was famous for its Martial Techniques and Secret Methods. Their combat strength was formidable, and they were even slightly stronger than Medicine King Valley.
And then there was the matter of the Immortal Dao...
'If I want to kill Xuan Tianzhan at the Nine Sects Grand Competition, my current strength is likely far from sufficient.'
'Fortunately, I still have nearly half a year.'
Yang Xiao smiled faintly.
Half a year was enough time to change many things.
"Yang Xiao, come on up! Let's have a fair fight!"
From a high platform in the distance, Qiu Chengjun was already issuing his challenge.
Yang Xiao smiled faintly, then took a step and flew up onto the platform.