Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Spirit Stone Acquired

"Who do you think will win?"
"I think it's going to be Lin Hu..."
"He defeated Ouyang Bo with a single strike, after all."
"I’m not so sure. Although Lin Hu has been hiding his true strength, he’s only been in the sect for a few months. I’d bet on Bai Ju..."
"I agree, Bai Ju seems to have a better chance. He’s breezed through every fight so far. If Lin Hu faces him, he’ll probably lose."
"We'll see soon enough..."
...
Time passed as swiftly as a single incense stick burning down.
The buzz of conversation gradually faded, and all eyes focused on the dueling platform.
"Go for it, Fatty..."
At those words, Fatty Lin turned his head.
He held up three fingers to Lin Cheng and the others, then leapt onto the martial stage.
With a flourish, he shook out his hair and even ran a hand through it for effect.
Niu Shisan muttered, "Wait... what’s with those three fingers Fatty just showed? What does that mean?"
The group shrugged, none of them knowing either.
On the platform, Bai Ju looked at Lin Hu with a grave expression, clearly sensing the power of his opponent.
First to greet him, Bai Ju cupped his fists and said, "Bai Ju."
Lin Hu grinned. "Lin Hu."
Facing this seemingly simple-minded, chubby fellow, Bai Ju could no longer maintain his former calm.
Danger!
He could truly feel a dangerous aura emanating from Lin Hu!
"Please advise me..."
A flash of light danced in his hand, and a small battle flag appeared in his grip.
The Apricot-Yellow Banner!
Without hesitation, Bai Ju unleashed his trump card. As he formed hand seals with his right hand, divine light burst forth from the banner.
It grew under the wind, swelling in an instant to become a massive cloth that shrouded the entire martial platform.
Among the five elders seated above as judges,
One stroked his beard and nodded with a smile. "This one is promising. His control over the banner is already at a fine level. If his cultivation were higher, none but he would claim the first place..."
Another elder in a yellow robe also nodded in approval. "Indeed, quite impressive. I want this one for my own disciple. You brothers won’t contest him, will you?"
The others only shook their heads with wry smiles.
On the stage, seeing Bai Ju's overwhelming display, Lin Hu’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
He thought, At last, I can show what I’m really capable of.
Without hesitation, he gripped his staff with one hand and began to spin it. As it whirled faster and faster, the afterimages of the staff formed a moving wind wheel, which he swung toward the flag.
The staff struck the banner, nearly causing Bai Ju to lose his hold on the Apricot-Yellow Banner.

Steadying his mind, Bai Ju made seals again.
"Full Hall Momentum!"
"Black Curtain Over the Sky!"
Seeing his opponent unleash his killing techniques, Lin Hu halted, then switched to a two-handed grip, held his staff tight, and leapt into the air with a thunderous shout.
"Threefold Summer Staff—Earth-Splitting Strike!"
Bang!
With one blow, Bai Ju’s technique was instantly shattered. He was about to summon the Apricot-Yellow Banner to counterattack.
But Lin Hu stomped the ground and soared up again.
"Threefold Summer Staff—Heaven-Cleaving Strike!"
Above, the sky filled with overlapping staff shadows, one after another, merging into a single massive staff dozens of feet in length. Witnessing Lin Hu unleash this move, the onlookers could only stare in awe!
Could Bai Ju withstand this?
No, he could not!
That was the thought in everyone’s hearts—Bai Ju would never withstand that blow!
"I concede!"
As the staff was about to crash down, Bai Ju, already shaken to his core, cried out.
But Lin Hu, already in the midst of his strike, could not stop!
At that critical moment, the yellow-robed elder flashed onto the scene, waved his hand, dispelled Lin Hu’s force, and caught the falling tungsten-iron staff single-handedly.
Lin Hu was victorious!
At that same instant, among the crowd below, a man in purple trembled so violently he nearly fainted.
While everyone was still stunned by the confrontation, the yellow-robed elder turned to Lin Hu, nodded in praise, and smiled warmly. "You are quite remarkable!"
He then turned to Bai Ju and said, "I am Wu Jin, an inner elder of Yuyang Peak. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"
Overjoyed, Bai Ju promptly bowed low and said, "Disciple Bai Ju greets Master!"
Wu Jin stroked his beard in satisfaction and announced, "This year’s outer sect tournament champion is Lin Hu; second place, Bai Ju; third, Zhang Qian. The top three may claim their rewards from the Lingbao Pavilion on Qingyang Peak..."
"The outer sect tournament is now complete. I hope all disciples will cultivate diligently. One day, you may earn a place among the inner disciples..."
"Also, in a year’s time, the once-in-a-decade Tri-Sect Tournament will be held... At that time, ten disciples will be chosen to represent our sect at Ziyang Sect..."
"Make the most of this year, and seize the chance to win honor for the sect."
As the yellow-robed elder finished, the crowd reluctantly began to disperse.
But one man found himself tightly surrounded by a crowd, layer upon layer.
It was the man in purple who had organized the betting.
"Pay up in spirit stones..."
"I bet on Zhang Bao to make the top ten, and I won..."

"I put fifty spirit stones on Zhang Qian making the top ten—pay up."
"And me, I put eighty stones on Ouyang Bo..."
...
"Pay, pay, pay... Of course I’ll pay, don’t worry. One at a time, please..."
The man in purple wiped sweat from his brow.
Truth be told, these were small sums.
What truly made him break out in a cold sweat was the five hundred spirit stones wagered on Lin Hu winning the championship. Just thinking about it nearly made him faint again.
He could only wait for Senior Brother Dongfang Zheng to arrive.
Otherwise, he really wouldn’t make it out of this bluestone square alive tonight.
Watching the crowd happily exchange their winning wagers and leave, the man in purple was about to breathe a sigh of relief.
But as he looked up, he was greeted by several smiling, seemingly amiable faces.
Yet at this moment, to him, they looked more like demons from the underworld, sending shivers down his spine.
Niu Shisan grinned, "Hehehe... Senior Brother, we’ve come to collect our winnings."
"How much do you owe for five hundred spirit stones?" Pang Bo, grinning foolishly, began counting on his fingers.
The group all smiled at the man in purple.
"Um... brothers, please wait a moment. Senior Brother Dongfang Zheng will be here soon. You’ll get your spirit stones, I promise..." The man in purple wiped the sweat from his face again and cupped his fists politely.
Lin Cheng and the others folded their arms and waited patiently. They weren’t worried about not being paid; after all, compared to the reputation of an inner disciple of an entire peak, five thousand spirit stones was a small matter.
Before long, several people approached at a brisk pace from the distance. Leading them was a man in red, presumably Dongfang Zheng, the inner disciple of Qingyang Peak whom the man in purple had mentioned.
Upon seeing him, the man in purple was overjoyed and finally relaxed. He hurried forward, bowed low, and said, "Senior Brother Dongfang..."
Dongfang Zheng waved his hand dismissively. "I know."
He strode up to Lin Cheng and his group, scanning them.
His gaze lingered briefly on Wang Shan and Han Meng before turning to Lin Cheng. "The one in black... you must be Lin Cheng, the new direct disciple taken in by Uncle-Master Cang Feng."
"That’s me," Lin Cheng replied.
Dongfang Zheng said, "You’ve surprised me. You’ve only just joined, yet you’re already strong enough to defeat Zhang Yan and the others... Most importantly, you dared to kill them..."
"But don’t worry. Though I am of the same clan as Dongfang Yu, I take no interest in their affairs. Here are your five thousand spirit stones. Farewell..."
He glanced again at Wang Shan and Han Meng, cupped his fists to Lin Cheng, and turned away.
Seeing how straightforward Dongfang Zheng was in handing over the spirit stones, Lin Cheng was momentarily at a loss—he’d been bracing himself for a fight.
"Dongfang Zheng is really straightforward..."
"Yes, he’s much better than Dongfang Yu in that regard..."
"He does have the bearing of a gentleman..."
Weighing the spirit stones in their hands, the group exchanged glances, then burst out laughing as they departed!