We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 214 Martial Arts Arena, Top Three Rankings, Zhao Siblings (10,000 words)
The speaker was a young man in purple robes who lived in the same courtyard, but today he was dressed in black and still exuded an imposing aura.

Upon seeing the young man in purple robes, Qian Song trembled and said with displeasure, "What does it have to do with you that I'm borrowing money from Brother Yang Guo? Why are you meddling in my business!"

"I don't care who you borrow money from, but don't bring your bad luck into this courtyard." The purple-robed youth snorted coldly upon hearing this.

After hearing this, Qian Song smiled at Su Chen and said, "Brother Yang Guo, let's leave this courtyard and talk about it."

Su Chen shook his head without hesitation: "No need, Brother Qian, I don't have any money on me."

He had seen what had just happened; this wasn't borrowing money, it was blatant robbery.

"Good, good, good, Shang Shuo, Yang Guo, you've done well!" Qian Song's face turned ugly, and he turned and left.

The purple-robed youth, Shang Shuo, relaxed slightly upon seeing Qian Song leave.

He looked at Su Chen and said, "We live in the same courtyard, so here's a piece of advice: don't lend money to this guy."

"Thank you for informing me." Su Chen nodded, somewhat curious. "Brother Shang Shuo, do you know why Qian Song has become like this?"

Shang Shuo explained, "If you gambled for three days and three nights in the martial arts arena, you would become exactly like him."

Su Chen suddenly understood upon hearing this.

The martial arts arena is a place where martial artists compete, and every day a large number of martial artists go there to fight.

Over time, this led to the development of martial arts gambling, similar to underground boxing matches in the previous life.

Su Chen fell into deep thought, and in his mind, a phantom image of a road paved with elixirs seemed to emerge from the thick fog.

Martial arts arena, martial arts gambling...

Seeing Su Chen's appearance, Shang Shuo didn't say much, but gave a curt farewell and turned to go inside.

Su Chen stood there for a long time, calming his thoughts.

"I might go and see for myself when I have the chance."

The martial arts arena not only allows participants to watch or participate in martial arts competitions, but also to place bets to earn elixirs.

The latter is what Su Chen values.

After returning to his residence, Su Chen buried himself in rigorous training.

Su Chen continued cultivating until nightfall before stopping. He then took all the Spirit Essence Pills he had earned and set off for the Night Wall Market.

The night market was still bustling tonight, but his stall remained deserted.

Last night, that skilled Yuan Yin master made a name for himself, and tonight even more people are lining up to seek his guidance.

As a result, an hour had passed and Su Chen had only served fewer than ten customers, making business dismal.

As the clock struck midnight, Su Chen packed up his stall early, not intending to waste any more time in the market.

He did not go back, but went directly to the Myriad Wonders Cave.

Every time I visit Wanmiao Cave, I am amazed by its countless cave entrances, and I also feel sorry for the fifty spirit pills I consume.

The way to avoid feeling bad is simple: train like crazy.

Su Chen first cultivated the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Spark Technique, while also learning the corresponding power generation techniques.

Then comes the cultivation of the Purple Origin Technique's Yuan Power Form chapter. Based on the Spark type, the speed of condensing Yuan Power Form is also much faster.

And so, five days passed, with Su Chen spending most of his time in the Myriad Wonders Cave.

The effect was remarkable after consuming 250 Spirit Essence Pills.

Regarding the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Style, Su Chen completely condensed ten thousand sparks and learned three thousand six hundred power-generating techniques.

In the Purple Origin Technique: Forms of Yuan Power, Su Chen mastered the first five thousand forms of Yuan Power.

In addition, Su Chen's Purple Origin Technique is also about to be upgraded.

With half an hour left to cultivate, Su Chen quickly communicated with the control panel: "Activate Easy Mode".

[Easy Mode Activated: Sunbathing for twenty minutes will allow you to reach the first level of the Purple Origin Technique.]

Su Chen tried it, but the fireball he created with sparks could not elicit a response from the panel.

So he had no choice but to finish the remaining half hour of cultivation before leaving the Myriad Wonders Cave.

The long-awaited sunshine fell on his shoulders, bringing a sense of warmth that seeped into Su Chen's heart as the panel pulsed.

Twenty minutes passed quickly, and with a sudden change in the panel, the Purple Source Technique instantly advanced to the first level.

"The speed at which Yuan Power circulates has indeed doubled!"

Su Chen closed his eyes and briefly experienced the speed of Yuan Qi circulation. He found that, as described in the Purple Origin Technique, the speed of Yuan Qi circulation had doubled.

"If we add the double boost from the golden needles, it means my current Yuan Qi circulation speed is twice as fast as before, but my strength..."

Su Chen didn't know how strong he was now, and he planned to find a place to test himself.

Within the Ziyang Sect, there are three rankings for martial artists who have reached the Meridian Opening stage: the Myriad Forms Ranking, the Pride of the Sun Ranking, and the Crimson Sun Ranking.

Each of the three lists corresponds to a test location.

The Myriad Forms Ranking corresponds to the Myriad Forms Cliff, and it tests the number of forms of Yuan Power.

The Pride Ranking corresponds to the Pride Array, and it tests the purity of Yuan Power.

The Crimson Sun Ranking corresponds to the Crimson Corridor and tests overall strength.

The Myriad Forms Cliff is not far from the Myriad Wonders Cave, and Su Chen plans to first check how his Yuan Power Form ranks.

There are three locations, and each test requires a payment of fifty Spirit Essence Pills.

Su Chen reluctantly paid fifty Spirit Essence Pills and entered the Myriad Forms Cliff.

Similar to the Myriad Wonders Cave, there are caves and formations on the cliff face. Su Chen entered a certain formation and followed the guidance to condense the form of Yuan Power one by one.

One thousand, two thousand, three thousand... until the five thousandth, Su Chen stopped condensing.

He had reached his limit, but instead of leaving, he paused for a moment to wait for his ranking to be revealed.

"Name: Su Chen. Number of Yuan Power Forms: Five thousand, outside the top ten thousand."

A brutal ranking was presented to Su Chen: out of five thousand Yuan Power Forms, none of them even made it into the top ten thousand.

Although this ranking included the older batch of students, Su Chen was still slightly surprised.

Looking at the more than 100,000 inner city disciples of the Ziyang Sect, he didn't even make it into the top 10,000.

"Very well, the beautiful reality has poured a bucket of cold water on me!"

Su Chen comforted himself, but he was still unwilling to give up and planned to test in two other places.

Next is the Scorching Sun Formation, a place to test the purity of Yuan energy.

After paying fifty Spirit Essence Pills, Su Chen learned that he could take the test twice.

One is the purity of the Yuan Power of a martial artist at the Fifth Meridian Realm, which is a comparison among those at the same Meridian Realm.

One is the purity of the Yuan Qi of a martial artist who has opened the Meridians, which is a comparison of the entire Meridian Opening realm.

"Name: Su Chen. Five-pulse martial artist, ranked 399th in this interval, and 9003rd in all intervals."

What surprised Su Chen was not the ranking of all intervals, but the ranking of this interval.

It's not too high, it's too low.

Based on his stats, he believed that his Yuan Power purity was far ahead of other martial artists of the same level, but reality gave him a harsh slap in the face.

"Although the test of Yuan Power purity not only tests purity but also the strength of Yuan Power, it also means that there are more than three hundred martial artists who are better than me in terms of Yuan Power!"

Su Chen stared at the rankings, slightly lost in thought.

He knew that even with the help of the panel, he couldn't underestimate anyone.

Undeterred, Su Chen quickly composed himself and headed to the next testing location.

He wanted to see just how far he was from those top geniuses.

Knowing the gap isn't scary; what he needs to do is narrow the gap, or even widen it.

The final test location was the Red Corridor.

The corridor is set up with an illusion array. Anyone who enters the crimson corridor will enter an illusion, imagining themselves fighting against a martial artist of the same level.

The more people you defeat, the stronger you become. If you can defeat martial artists of a higher realm than yourself, your ranking will naturally be higher.

Su Chen held nothing back, even unleashing the Annihilation Sword Drawing Technique.

He was only defeated when fifty martial artists at the peak of the fifth meridian attacked him simultaneously.

"Name: Su Chen. Five-Pulse Martial Artist, ranked 3003rd in overall strength."

It's not a comparison with martial artists at the Five Meridians Realm, but a comparison with all martial artists at the Meridian Opening Realm.

Although he didn't make it into the top 1,000, this ranking of strength still made Su Chen feel somewhat gratified.

At least in terms of overall strength, he is no weaker than most newcomers.

But it's still not enough!
"I want to become stronger!"

Su Chen's conviction grew stronger.

Especially when he saw the three prominent names on the list, the flame in his eyes almost boiled.

Each of these three lists displays its own ranking, as well as information on the top three martial artists.

"If I remember correctly, the top three martial artists were all Chang Yuan, Teng Gui, and Zhu Qingyou, and all three of them were at the peak of the Eight Meridians Realm!"

Chang Yuan stands out the most among the three lists, ranking first on all three.

Next are Teng Gui and Zhu Qingyou; they are either second or third.

Su Chen had no information about the three people in his mind, but he had witnessed their terrifying power from the rankings on the three lists.

Especially Chang Yuan, who ranked first on all three lists.

After personally experiencing the rankings on various lists, I felt even more that Chang Yuan was unfathomable.

Occupying the top spot in one category can be considered outstanding in one aspect, but occupying three is enough to show that this person is almost perfect in the Eight Meridians Realm.

It was only at this moment that he understood what Bi Zhou had said.

For a newly recruited disciple, breaking into the top 1,000 across the three rankings presents an astonishing challenge.

"No, given time, it's not impossible to achieve, but my goal isn't to break into the top 1,000, it's to go even higher!"

Su Chen glanced at the rankings of Chang Yuan and the other two, his eyes gleaming.

He then left the red corridor. Any grand pronouncements without down-to-earth perseverance are like castles in the air, unable to last.

What he needs to do is not to hold firm to his beliefs, but to put them into action.

Su Chen originally planned to go to the martial arts arena after a while, but now it seems he has to go and see it sooner.

Since the Night Wall Market isn't generating enough Spirit Essence Pills for the time being, it might be better to go to the Martial Arena and see if we can devise a way to earn pills.

The martial arts arena is located on the edge of the inner city, near the Zijiang River, where there is an exceptionally vast open space.

The arenas, of the same size, stood side by side, and almost every arena was filled with martial artists competing against each other.

Before even entering the martial arts arena, one could see an endless crowd and hear deafening shouts.

The intensity on stage contrasted sharply with the frenzy off stage, creating a series of scenes of joy and sorrow.

The method of gambling in martial arts is very simple. It is actually about betting on who will win or lose. Su Chen glanced at it a few times and got a basic understanding of the rules.

The real challenge is figuring out how to win money.

There is no fixed range of strength in martial arts arena competitions, so the previous arena may be a competition between martial artists at the Qi Gathering Realm, while the next arena may be a competition between martial artists at the Meridian Opening Realm.

Su Chen circled around roughly halfway and found that most of the matches were between martial artists who had opened their meridians, and there weren't many arenas for martial artists who had gathered their vital energy.

He didn't pay much attention, and after watching a few matches, he turned his attention to the matches between martial artists below the sixth meridian.

Based on his perception, he was about 70-80% confident in discerning who was stronger and who was weaker.

Even if the martial artists deliberately concealed their strength before the duel, he could still sense the slight difference between them.

However, there are restrictions on betting on martial arts among these types of martial artists, and the odds for both sides are not high.

Su Chen didn't care about this, as long as he could earn Spirit Essence Pills. Earning two or three pills per session was easier than setting up a stall himself.

Moreover, you're not limited to betting on just one arena; you can bet on multiple arenas whenever you want.

Since all this information is recorded on the identity token, you can still claim your prize long after the competition ends, as long as you place your bet.

And so, Su Chen continued gambling until evening.

"I bet on a total of fifty games, winning thirty-three and losing seventeen, earning a total of two hundred and twelve spirit pills."

This is what I've accomplished today.

No wonder Qian Song is so engrossed in gambling. If he could maintain this winning probability, he probably wouldn't want to leave.

"If my senses were a little sharper, I might have earned even more."

Of the seventeen bets he lost, half were due to his perception not playing a significant role.

Some of the games he thought he could win ended up being defeated by the opponent due to a small mistake.

Some opponents he thought he was doomed to lose turned out to be opponents with hidden tricks, allowing him to turn the tables and defeat them.

It can only be said that anything can happen on the martial arts stage.

After leaving the martial arts arena, Su Chen had a hearty meal and returned to his residence. As soon as he got back to his room, he sensed that something was wrong.

"My room has been disturbed!"

Others might not have noticed such a disguise, but Su Chen had taken precautions in this regard, so he noticed it quickly.

"Is it Qian Song?"

After a moment's thought, Su Chen guessed who it was.

It must be because he refused to lend money to the other party that this person sneaked into his house while he was away and searched for the pills.

Unfortunately, Su Chen had taken precautions and always carried his valuables with him when he went out.

"This guy……"

Su Chen frowned slightly, walked to the window and glanced out. There was no one in Qian Song's room; the other party was not home.

After observing for a while, Su Chen decided to rest.

Having been busy earning pills and cultivating lately, Su Chen hadn't had a break in a long time.

Su Chen slept soundly until dawn, then stretched comfortably. He went to the window and looked out; Qian Song hadn't come back last night.

"Forget it, ignore him for now."

Having waited all night without seeing Qian Song, Su Chen decided not to waste his time on him.

He carried the elixirs and divine weapons with him, then left the room, preparing to go to the Myriad Wonders Cave to cultivate.

……

In fact, not all martial artists who have opened their meridians live in courtyard houses like Su Chen and others.

Some wealthy and influential disciples would choose to rent or buy a mansion to live in.

In the western part of the inner city, there is a small residence called "Zhou Mansion".

In the yard.

A long-armed man channeled his Yuan energy to condense its form, and a sun rose slowly from his arms, revealing countless shapes.

As the sun rose, a faint pressure emanated from the man.

In his hands, the sun was like a sphere being manipulated at will.

Sometimes it becomes dazzlingly bright, sometimes it becomes gentle and heartwarming, sometimes it becomes unbearably hot, and sometimes it becomes dim and lifeless...

It transformed into thousands of completely different forms in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, the long-armed man froze, as a family-specific carrier pigeon drifted into the sky above the courtyard.

The carrier pigeon sensed the scorching heat and circled overhead. Had the long-armed man not intentionally controlled it, it would likely have been burned to ashes.

"It's a letter from my great-uncle."

The long-armed man withdrew his energy, and all the strange phenomena disappeared. He reached out and grabbed the carrier pigeon, recognizing the writer by the mark on the note.

"Huh? That old guy Song Yang actually broke through to the Gathering Yuan stage..."

Upon opening the envelope, the long-armed man showed some surprise, but then patiently continued reading.

When he saw Su Chen join the Ziyang Sect, his brows furrowed slightly.

After reading it, the long-armed man snorted coldly, and the paper in his hand turned to ashes.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "I thought this conquest of Daqian was foolproof, but I didn't expect a greenhorn to suddenly appear halfway through."

Song Yang wanted to do Su Chen a favor and make him the ambassador of Daqian, but that depended on whether Su Chen agreed.

"Someone is coming."

"Young master." A man ran into the courtyard and bowed as he asked.

The long-armed man said, "Help me investigate someone named Su Chen. Tell me immediately once you find him."

"Yes!" The man left.

He was determined to win over the Great Qian Dynasty and would not allow anyone else to have a piece of it.

As for Su Chen, he's just a five-meridian martial artist; he's easy for Su Chen to manipulate.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in the long-armed man's eyes.

……

Five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Through Su Chen's relentless practice, he has mastered 7,200 different techniques for generating power in the spark category.

Furthermore, the Purple Origin Technique's Yuan Power Form Chapter has already cultivated to the eight thousandth form of Yuan Power.

These weren't what made Su Chen happiest. What made him happiest was that the Purple Origin Technique could continue to improve.

After spending some time, Su Chen activated the easy mode and upgraded the first level of Purple Origin Technique to the second level.

Both the Vajra Iron Shirt and Purple Origin Technique require four hundred Spirit Origin Pills to improve.

The reason for choosing to improve the latter is that the Purple Origin Technique promotes the cultivation of both the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Style and the Form of Yuan Power.

Increasing the number of Yuanli Forms will help him earn money more quickly.

The arduous training during this period yielded many benefits, but it also consumed a great deal of spiritual energy pills.

Even though he went to the martial arts arena every day to bet and earn pills, he still used up most of his spiritual essence pills.

Fortunately, he had condensed eight thousand forms of Yuan Power, which was enough for him to gain a foothold in the Night Wall Market.

Otherwise, relying solely on martial arts arenas to earn pills is too limited. Moreover, there's still some time before my Yuan Power reaches its limit; using this time to earn more pills will be enough to upgrade my Vajra Iron Shirt technique.

After leaving the Myriad Wonders Cave, Su Chen planned to go back and rest for a day.

However, before he could even step into the courtyard, he heard a burst of angry shouts coming from inside: "Get out! If I ever see you again, I'll beat you every time I see you!"

He recognized the voice; it belonged to Shang Shuo. And the person who could provoke such anger in him—when Su Chen went inside, he saw it was Qian Song.

At this moment, Qian Song was slumped on the ground, his face bruised and swollen from the beating. Shang Shuo stood not far away, glaring angrily.

The woman in yellow standing to the side also looked at Qian Song with disdain.

All three saw Su Chen appear, but remained silent.

Qian Song wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, groaned, and then walked straight out without even glancing at Shang Shuo and the other two.

Before leaving, his gaze lingered on Su Chen for a moment before quickly looking away.

"What happened?" Su Chen looked at the two of them and asked curiously.

"He stole something," the woman in yellow said.

Shang Shuo glanced at Su Chen and said, "You should check if you've had anything stolen from you."

Su Chen nodded upon hearing this: "Thank you, but I have all my things with me."

The three of them exchanged only a few words before returning to their respective rooms.

The night sky illuminates the earth, and the silver moon hangs like a hook.

A sense of gloom settled over Qian Song's heart.

"Damn Shang Shuo, if you weren't stronger than me, I would have killed you sooner or later!"

The throbbing pain in his body made Qian Song grimace incessantly, and the thought of Shang Shuo made his already gloomy face even more ferocious.

"And Yang Guo and Zhang Youyou, they have so many elixirs on them, yet they refuse to lend them to me. They deserve to die too!"

After nearly a month of dedicated study of martial arts competitions, he has discovered a sure-fire winning formula.

Now all he needs are enough Spirit Essence Pills. If either of them is willing to lend him a pill, he will surely be able to turn his fortunes around and become incredibly wealthy.

To his dissatisfaction, neither Su Chen nor the woman in yellow would lend him the pill.

His smile was wasted!
"Hmph, do you think I have no choice but to lend you the pills?"

Qian Song's eyes were cold; after much investigation, he was confident in his abilities.

"There's no mistake, the sword Yang Guo carries is a demigod weapon. It just so happens that Senior Brother Zhao Heng has been inquiring about demigod weapons recently. If I tell him this, maybe we can raise enough Spirit Essence Pills!"

Thinking of this, Qian Song changed direction, and a smile appeared on his face as he thought about how he would soon be able to earn Spirit Essence Pills.

The pain in his body seemed to lessen, but the cursing never stopped.

Zhao Mansion.

“I have received your letter, Uncle. Since you are new here, please stay at my house for the time being.”

In the lobby, a man with a straight nose and sharp eyebrows calmly put away the letter and spoke to Zhao Qing and her two siblings.

"Thank you very much, Brother Heng," Zhao Qing and her two siblings said.

Zhao Heng gave a soft "hmm" and warned, "The Ziyang Sect is not like our Great Zhao Dynasty. They are far more powerful than you, so you must be careful in everything you do. Here are three hundred Spirit Yuan Pills. Consider them a gift from your brother."

As soon as he finished speaking, three pouches filled with pills flew out from Zhao Heng's sleeves and landed in front of Zhao Qing and the other two.

The three accepted the pills and thanked Zhao Heng again.

Zhao Heng waved his hand, and suddenly saw a carrier pigeon flying over from not far away. His eyes fixed on it, and then he flashed and flew to the courtyard in the blink of an eye.

"what?!"

After reading the contents of the letter, Zhao Heng's face darkened, he cursed under his breath, and his eyes revealed a hint of anger.

"Brother Heng, what's wrong?" Zhao Qing walked out of the lobby and asked softly when he saw Zhao Heng's appearance.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head, saying, "It's nothing. Someone was working against me and stole my things."

"Brother Zhao Heng, what is that?" The handsome man Zhao Bai asked, frowning, feeling angry on Zhao Heng's behalf.

Zhao Heng glanced at the three of them and said, "It's alright to tell you. I recently found out about a semi-divine weapon, but the people from the Great Li Dynasty beat me to it."

"It's that Great Li Dynasty again!" the Zhao brothers cursed angrily.

The Great Zhao Dynasty and the Great Li Dynasty have always been at odds, and now they have actually seized Zhao Heng's semi-divine weapon, which is truly despicable.

Just then, Zhao Qing's pretty face slightly furrowed, and she said thoughtfully, "Brother Heng, I do know something about a semi-divine weapon."

"Oh?" Zhao Heng looked at Zhao Qing upon hearing this.

Zhao Bai, who was standing to the side, seemed to have thought of something and clapped his hands, saying, "Big sister, you're talking about that kid, right?"

Zhao Qing nodded, and seeing Zhao Heng's puzzled expression, he recounted what had happened.

Upon learning that Su Chen had joined the Ziyang Sect, Zhao Heng's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Do you know this person's name?"

All three shook their heads.

"In the meantime, you can try to find out about this person for me."

Seeing that he couldn't get any information, Zhao Heng was somewhat discouraged, but he still gave a word of advice.

“Young master, a disciple of the Ziyang Sect is requesting an audience outside the manor. His name is Qian Song, and he claims to know about the semi-divine weapon.”

Suddenly, the voice of a servant came from outside the door.

"Qian Song?"

Upon hearing this name, Zhao Qing and the other two exclaimed in surprise.

Zhao Heng once spread the word that anyone who had information about a semi-divine weapon could pass it on to him, and he would reward them handsomely.

Just as he was about to go see Qian Song, he heard the three voices and asked in confusion, "You know this person?"

“Brother Heng, this person is notorious among our new disciples. He ridiculed us during the sect assessment, his mouth is extremely foul, and he is greedy, lecherous, and addicted to gambling. In just a few days, he has offended a lot of people and is very unpopular,” Zhao Bai replied.

Zhao Qing chimed in, "Yes, Brother Heng, this guy often cheats and swindles people; he might be trying to trick you."

"It's alright. If he dares to lie to me, I have my own ways to make him wish he were dead." Zhao Heng waved his hand, his eyes flashing coldly.

Since he released the news, countless people have come looking for him, and some have been deceived, but none of them have fared well.

He wasn't afraid that Qian Song was deceiving him; as long as the news was true, spending a little more Spirit Essence Pills was nothing.

The day when the three rankings are refreshed is fast approaching. He must take advantage of this time to increase his strength as soon as possible and strive to obtain a better ranking, at least not to be surpassed by those guys from the Great Li Dynasty.

Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and his attempt to forcefully open his Xuan Meridian failed. This not only severely injured him but also destroyed one of his Xuan Meridians, significantly reducing his strength.

The physical injuries can still heal, but the meridians cannot.

Left with no other choice, he had to find another way to enhance his strength, such as through divine weapon martial arts.

However, the cost of forging a divine weapon is too high. Not to mention him, even if the entire clan were to use all their resources, they could not afford to forge one.

Therefore, he could only focus his attention on demigod weapons.

Qian Song staggered in, supported by his servants. Upon seeing Zhao Heng, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Zhao Heng."

"You said you have information about a demigod weapon, is that true?" Zhao Heng frowned slightly as he looked at the person in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Qian Song quickly nodded: "That is indeed the case."

"Where?" Zhao Heng asked.

Qian Song chuckled and asked, "Senior brother, may I ask how much this information is worth?"

"How many do you want?" Zhao Heng raised an eyebrow.

The more the better, of course.

Qian Song cried out in his heart, but said softly, "Senior brother, a thousand spirit pills are enough."

"Ok?"

Zhao Heng frowned. This Qian Song was really asking for an exorbitant price, daring to sell him a thousand spirit pills for just a piece of information.

Before Zhao Heng could get angry, Qian Song said, "Junior brother dares to say that no one else knows this news except you, and if senior brother gets the news and takes action, he will surely succeed immediately."

"Brother Heng, don't believe him. I think he's just talking nonsense to fool you," Zhao Qing sneered and rebuked.

Upon hearing this, Qian Song's expression turned anxious: "Don't talk nonsense, everything I said is true."

"Really? You can actually get the truth out of your mouth?" Zhao Qing nodded subtly at Zhao Heng.

Seeing Qian Song becoming increasingly anxious, he then sneered, "Then tell me, where is the demigod weapon?"

"Of course it is..." Qian Song stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking and looked at Zhao Heng.

Zhao Heng didn't care and gave a number: "Two hundred Spirit Essence Pills".

"No, that's too few, eight hundred." Qian Song shook his head like a rattle-drum.

The two parties eventually agreed on a price of 500 Spirit Essence Pills. Zhao Heng took out 200 Spirit Essence Pills and said, "I will give you the rest after I confirm the price."

Qian Song happily accepted the pills and revealed the news: "Among the guys living in the same courtyard as me, there is a kid named Yang Guo, and the knife he carries is a demigod weapon."

As he spoke, Qian Song used his limited Yuan Power to sketch Su Chen's appearance.

"This person..." Zhao Qing and her two siblings were taken aback upon seeing this.

Zhao Heng noticed the strange behavior of the three of them and said to Qian Song, "Alright, you can go back now. Come back tomorrow."

"Yes." Qian Song put away the pills and took his leave with a smile.

After Qian Song left, Zhao Heng looked at the three of them and asked the question that had been bothering him: "Do you know this person?"

Zhao Qing nodded: "That's right, he's the person we mentioned to you."

"Heh, that's truly a case of searching high and low without finding it." Zhao Heng chuckled.

He paused, then asked, "Do you know his strength?"

Zhao Bai looked at Zhao Qing, who said, "Brother Heng, he's a little stronger than me."

Zhao Qing was at the peak of the fourth meridian, but this person was slightly stronger, possibly at the fifth meridian or higher.

According to Zhao Qing and the other two, this person did not obtain the semi-divine weapon for long and should not be able to unleash much of its power.

Although his meridians were damaged, once his strength is restored, he will have the strength of a perfect six meridians.

As long as Su Chen does not exceed the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm, there is nothing to fear from this person.

My only concern is whether the other party has any connections or influence.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Heng said, "Qing'er, I need your help."

……

After a night's rest, Su Chen recovered and resumed his routine of earning pills and cultivating.

Three days passed in a row, and Su Chen had earned enough Spirit Essence Pills to advance to the Vajra Iron Shirt level. Next, he would start using pills and spending money on in-game purchases.

On this day, just as he was about to go out, he suddenly saw three figures walking towards him. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the three people.

It was Zhao Qing and her two siblings, whom they had met once before.

"You're Su Chen?" Zhao Bai spoke first, a strange light flashing in his eyes, his heart filled with disdain.

This guy is really good at talking nonsense. His name is clearly Su Chen, but he calls himself Yang Guo. It's utterly ridiculous.

"Zhao Bai!" Zhao Qing glared at Zhao Bai, signaling him to shut up.

Zhao Bai shrugged and stopped talking, but his eyes were fixed on the Heaven-Slaying Blade at Su Chen's waist, gleaming with a sharp light.

Zhao Qing also noticed the Heaven-Severing Blade on Su Chen's body. His gaze sharpened, and he said, "We've come to you this time because we want to do some business with you."

Su Chen had already noticed Zhao Bai's gaze and understood what was going on, so he directly refused, saying, "Sorry, I don't need it."

He turned to leave, but Zhao Qing blocked his way.

Su Chen stopped, staring intently at Zhao Qing and the other two.

Zhao Qing stared directly at Su Chen and said in a deep voice, "We want to buy the demigod weapon you possess. Our asking price is five thousand spirit pills."

Her gaze was piercing, carrying a somewhat aggressive air.

Before Su Chen could refuse, she continued, "The Great Qian Dynasty can't offer you any support. These five thousand Spirit Essence Pills may not be a huge sum for you, but they're enough to help you live a better life, whether for your cultivation or... to move to a new house."

In the past few days, they have found out about Su Chen's background: he comes from the Great Qian Dynasty and has opened up five Xuan Meridians.

The former meant they had no background, and the latter meant they had no talent, so the three of them, at Zhao Heng's suggestion, came boldly and without worry.

Su Chen shook his head and refused again: "Sorry, I don't need it."

However, Zhao Qing still refused to let him leave, raising the price to "eight thousand spirit pills".

Seeing that Su Chen was still moving forward, Zhao Qing frowned slightly and continued to raise the price: "Ten thousand spirit pills, this price is no lower than those semi-divine weapons on the market."

Su Chen stopped, sneering inwardly. Did this woman really think he didn't know the market? You couldn't even dream of getting your hands on a semi-divine weapon without spending at least 100,000 spirit essence pills.

He said indifferently, "No need."

"Hey, giving you ten thousand Spirit Essence Pills is already a huge act of kindness from my brother Heng, don't be ungrateful!" Zhao Bai couldn't help but say angrily.

"What, if I don't sell, does he think he can just steal it?" Su Chen retorted.

"You..." Zhao Bai was speechless. He hoped that Zhao Heng would just take it directly, but he insisted on being polite first and then resorting to force.

"If you refuse to agree, then we'll have to settle this in the martial arts arena," Zhao Qing said coldly.

Su Chen's reaction was expected, but that didn't mean she had no solution.

If Su Chen does not agree, Zhao Heng will challenge him.

Although Su Chen had the right to refuse, Zhao Heng had plenty of ways to get Su Chen to agree.

Even with the protection of the Ziyang Sect's rules, a martial artist like Su Chen, who has no background or talent, is much easier to deal with than one might imagine.

Upon hearing this, Su Chen paused, a chill running through his eyes.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Bai sneered, "My brother Zhao Heng is a seventh-level martial artist. Once he's on the stage, his life or death won't be up to you."

Five meridians versus seven meridians, he knew the outcome without even thinking.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense, and Zhao Qing's eyes shone with a captivating light.

Su Chen's eyes flickered, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Okay."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Bai's tense anger dissipated, and he let out a soft snort: "Heh."

He thought Su Chen would persevere to the end, but he didn't expect him to back down so quickly.

A smile appeared on Zhao Qing's face. She was very satisfied with Su Chen's pragmatism. In this way, she could help Zhao Heng solve the problem as soon as possible.

Just as she was about to take out the Spirit Essence Pill to trade with Su Chen, she heard his mocking voice: "You've misunderstood. When I said 'can,' I meant you can challenge me at will. Anyway, I would never agree to it."

“You…” Zhao Qing’s smile vanished, and she stared at Su Chen with an icy expression.

Ignoring the three men's liver-colored faces, Su Chen continued, "It's not impossible for me to agree to the martial arts arena."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing blurted out, "What do you mean?"

"I'll agree to your martial arts challenge for 10,000 spirit pills, but I'll set the time," Su Chen said, pursing his lips.

"Are you crazy!" Zhao Bai exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock.

Agreeing to this challenge requires 10,000 Spirit Essence Pills, why don't you just rob it?
Although Zhao Qing was surprised, he quickly calmed down and considered the feasibility of this method.

Su Chen must have heard of Zhao Heng and learned that he was injured, which is why he dared to say those words.

Otherwise, she really wouldn't know where Su Chen got the confidence to challenge a seventh-level martial artist.

However, he was still too arrogant.

Even though Zhao Heng is injured now, his strength is still beyond Su Chen's ability to contend with.

She guessed that Su Chen's reliance was a demigod weapon, but how long had he obtained a demigod weapon, and how much power could he unleash even if it was perfectly suited to him?
With this in mind, Zhao Qing had a vague idea in mind.

Before she could speak, Su Chen sighed softly, "It doesn't matter if you disagree, anyway, you're not the only ones who want a semi-divine weapon."

His expression was one of grief and indignation, carrying three parts resentment, three parts anger, and four parts determination, perfectly portraying the mentality of an oppressed ordinary person.

After hearing this, Zhao Qing said, "Ten thousand is too many, five thousand is better."

Su Chen remained silent and blinked.

Seeing this, Zhao Qing gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, ten thousand it is, but you can't use demigod weapons, and the time can't exceed five days."

Using a demigod weapon?
You underestimate my dear panel.

With these ten thousand Spirit Essence Pills, his strength would be at least at the peak of the Five Meridians.

In addition, it can help him cultivate the Purple Origin Skill to at least the fifth level.

The fifth level of the Purple Origin Technique has a five-fold increase, and when combined with the Myriad Wonders of the Profound Heart Style, it becomes seven times.

If he has any Spirit Essence Pills left over, he can use them to improve his Annihilation Draw Sword Technique.

At that time, even without using a semi-divine weapon, he might still be able to unleash the power of a divine weapon.

With all these safeguards in place, he might be able to deal with a seventh-level martial artist.

"Five days is too short, let's do half a month." Even so, just to be on the safe side, Su Chen still extended the time.

"Ten days," Zhao Qing replied expressionlessly.

Su Chen gave the other person a deep look, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Okay!"

He immediately stretched out his hand: "Give me the pills first."

"Big sister!" Zhao Bai was somewhat reluctant. Ten thousand spirit pills, just like that, to Su Chen?
Zhao Qing didn't speak, but instead took out a pill ticket, which could be exchanged for 10,000 spirit essence pills at the bank.

"Take out your identity token." After handing over the pill ticket, Zhao Qing urged.

Su Chen took out his identity token, and Zhao Qing issued a challenge. The two agreed on a time, set for half a month later, with the stake being the demigod weapon in Su Chen's possession.

Once the challenge is launched, it will be subject to the sect's supervision, and Su Chen will not be able to back out if he wants to.

After doing all this, Zhao Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

Without even glancing at Su Chen, he led Zhao Bai and the other man away.

Su Chen originally planned to go to the martial arts arena to earn pills, but now that he has obtained 10,000 spirit essence pills, he hurriedly went to the bank to collect them.

After extracting the pills, Su Chen inquired about Zhao Heng within the inner city.

Although Zhao Bai revealed Zhao Heng's strength, just in case, it was still necessary to investigate in person.

After spending over a hundred Spirit Essence Pills, Su Chen obtained detailed information about Zhao Heng.

The moment he saw Zhao Heng's strength, his expression froze for a moment, then he showed joy.

(End of this chapter)