Chapter 561: Gambling Contract

Chapter 561: The Wager Contract

After Zhang Yu sent the message stating his own intent to compete, Bei Wufeng hesitated for a moment before replying.

Bei Wufeng: Junior, you aren't joking with me, are you?

Bei Wufeng: If you feel the price is insufficient, we can continue to negotiate.

Bei Wufeng: I am very sincere about this.

Zhang Yu: My apologies, Senior.

Zhang Yu: I truly wish to participate in the Top Ten League.

Bei Wufeng: The military division of the Top Ten League?

Zhang Yu: The military division of the Top Ten League.

Seeming to sense a genuine resolve in Zhang Yu's words, Bei Wufeng's tone shifted.

Bei Wufeng: The school team has selected ten members so far, three of whom are from the Artifact Refining Department: Yan Qianji, myself, and Ye Xingli.

Bei Wufeng: If you want to join the team, it seems you intend to replace either Ye Xingli or me?

Bei Wufeng: According to the rules, that would mean challenging Ye Xingli or challenging me, and if you win, you squeeze them out.

Seeing this, Zhang Yu did not know how to respond for a moment.

Bei Wufeng: Have you not considered this? To represent the school in the Top Ten League's military division, you must at least reach our level.

Bei Wufeng: Although the official competition is in September, the registration deadline is in July. It is currently February, which means you have about five months to catch up to us.

Bei Wufeng: Do you think it is possible for you to reach our level in five months?

Zhang Yu knew that Bei Wufeng’s argument was sound, and he believed most students would be persuaded by such logic.

Even Zhang Yu himself, had it not been for the "Immortal Sect Technique Selection" opportunity, would likely not have been in such a rush for this year's Top Ten League.

But to increase his chances of being accepted into a sect, Zhang Yu was willing to try his absolute best.

Furthermore, he understood that it was not entirely impossible.

Through years of accumulation on the path of immortality—various techniques, artifact diagrams, Dao seeds, wealth, and connections—his cultivation efficiency was constantly increasing, and his speed of growth had reached an explosive phase.

Thus, facing Bei Wufeng's interrogation, Zhang Yu replied: I want to try.

Watching Zhang Yu's response, Bei Wufeng could not help but laugh.

"There seems to be no need to lie, and it's too easy to see through."

"In other words... this guy actually thinks this way?"

Looking at the message, Bei Wufeng felt only arrogance and absurdity.

"Ye Xingli and I... seem to have been underestimated."

"Does this guy think our achievements are so easily surpassed?"

Shaking his head, Zhang Yu's standing in Bei Wufeng's mind plummeted.

However, since his previous words failed to persuade the other party, he did not want to waste any more time entangled in this issue.

Yet Bei Wufeng did not give up; after all, the Tianri Huangshen was a military-grade puppet he had long intended to lease.

As early as last year, when Jin Jun prepared to refine the Tianri Huangshen, Bei Wufeng had made an agreement with his junior brother to rent it for the Top Ten League to perfect his own system.

During the development of the prototype, Bei Wufeng had provided significant help—funds, connections, strategies to suppress Zhang Yu, and even the news of Zhang Yu's registration review.

After all, as his junior brother, Bei Wufeng naturally hoped Jin Jun would defeat Zhang Yu to strengthen their faction.

But such help had its limits; now that Jin Jun had failed, Bei Wufeng could not possibly help him suppress Zhang Yu, so he shifted his target to Zhang Yu to establish a cooperative relationship.

Facing Zhang Yu's baffling choice, Bei Wufeng decided to try a different approach.

Bei Wufeng: Then, if you fail to make the school team by July, you will lease the Tianri Huangshen to me for the Top Ten League, how about that?

Bei Wufeng: If you are dissatisfied with the price, we can discuss it then.

Zhang Yu: Agreed.

Bei Wufeng: I hope to sign a contract to ensure you give me priority in leasing it.

Just as Zhang Yu was about to agree, Fu Ji reminded him: "Zhang Yu, since you are signing a contract, why don't we add some requirements of our own?"

Zhang Yu asked: "What requirements?"

Fu Ji said: "Since you have to lend your military-grade artifact to him if you can't participate, if he ends up unable to participate in the Top Ten, can he also lend his artifact to you?"

Zhang Yu's eyes flashed; he was quite tempted by Fu Ji's suggestion.

He hadn't thought of this before, but knowing that students like Bei Wufeng had ways to borrow artifacts, he could naturally apply the same logic. If he could borrow the other party's military-grade artifact, it would be a massive help for his own participation.

He still hesitated, saying to Fu Ji: "Bei Wufeng just helped me suppress the Heavenly Demon incident. If I say this to him... is it not very good? Will it offend him?"

Fu Ji replied: "What is good or bad? On the path of immortality, either you step on others, or they step on you. Do you think this is child's play? That everyone can just break through realms happily and harmoniously?"

"As long as it increases your odds of winning, what does it matter if you offend someone?"

"Besides, he was right about one thing: if you want to join the school team, the most likely outcome is that you will squeeze him or Ye Xingli out."

"After all, Yan Qianji is the strongest in the Artifact Refining Department, and the hardest to challenge. The second and third, Bei Wufeng and Ye Xingli, are similar in strength, making them the most logical targets."

Fu Ji continued: "And what he said matches the information we gathered: you will have to compete against one of them, and if you win, you take their spot."

"Do you want to squeeze him out? Or Ye Xingli? Given your personality, you would definitely challenge the less familiar Bei Wufeng, so won't you offend him anyway?"

"Since you'll offend him regardless, you might as well make things clear now, secure his military-grade artifact in advance, and take advantage of his current contempt to set a contract more favorable to us."

"This avoids the situation where, after you beat him, he might not be willing to lend you his artifact."

Fu Ji concluded: "Zhang Yu, this isn't you offending him; the conflict between you is inevitable. The reason is simple: he is blocking your path."

Zhang Yu had to admit that Fu Ji's reasoning was sound, leaving him no room to refuse.

"To increase my chances of entering the sect, I'll have to wrong you, Senior."

However, Zhang Yu did not reply immediately, turning instead to ask Magnetic Pole True Monarch and Ye Xingli about the Top Ten League and the school team, especially regarding the leasing of military-grade artifacts.

Only by understanding the situation clearly could he continue his negotiations with Bei Wufeng.

Magnetic Pole True Monarch: Bei Wufeng wants to borrow a military-grade artifact from you?

Magnetic Pole True Monarch: You can ask your senior sister if she wants to borrow one too.

Magnetic Pole True Monarch: Why must you lend it to your senior sister? Naturally, you lend it to whoever pays more and offers better conditions.

Ye Xingli: Junior, I have already gathered enough military-grade artifacts for the Top Ten League.

Ye Xingli: Borrowing more would exceed my control limit. Besides, your Tianri Huangshen doesn't quite fit the system I'm building.

Ye Xingli (Poor Person Simulator): Thanks for your concern, Junior [Flowers]. If you want to lease the Tianri Huangshen, don't consider me.

Through his inquiries with his master and senior sister, Zhang Yu felt more confident about the matter.

"Indeed, even with the assistance of soul cultivation, there is a limit to how many artifacts one can control."

"And military-grade artifacts are harder to control; the number one can use simultaneously is even fewer."

"Once the number exceeds the operational limit, it becomes difficult to handle, let alone unleash the full potential of the artifacts. In the end, it's better to focus on mastering a few military-grade artifacts."

Zhang Yu mused to himself, "If I were to rent... the military-grade artifacts belonging to the professors have long since surpassed level 20; not only are they difficult to command, but the costs are prohibitively expensive."

"Furthermore, students who earned their military certifications in previous years have all gone on to pursue graduate studies on the third level of Kunxu. Not only are their items hard to borrow, but many have likely attained their Golden Core licenses, meaning their artifacts have evolved beyond level 20 alongside their own cultivation."

"As for military-grade artifacts through official army channels, those are even further beyond my reach."

"In comparison, it seems the military-grade artifacts crafted by current university students are the most suitable for renting to use in the tournament..."

After gathering this information, Zhang Yu had a much clearer grasp of the situation and replied to Bei Wufeng: Senior, if I were to participate in the Top Ten League and you were to lose your eligibility, could I borrow your military-grade artifact for the competition?

Seeing Zhang Yu’s reply, Bei Wufeng could not help but laugh aloud.

"This kid... has he truly set his heart on challenging me?"

Yet, Bei Wufeng felt no anger; instead, he saw an opportunity for profit.

"This Zhang Yu is even more arrogant than I had originally anticipated."

"That works perfectly... I shall see if I can turn his arrogance to my advantage."

"Yes, I might even try to provoke him a little further."

Thus, Bei Wufeng replied: Very well.

Bei Wufeng: If you can challenge me and force me out of the university team, you may borrow my military-grade artifact free of charge.

Bei Wufeng: But conversely, if you fail and do not make it to the Top Ten League, you must lend me your Sun-Radiance God-Blade for free as well.

Bei Wufeng: Do you dare?

Upon reading the reply, Zhang Yu hesitated for a fleeting moment, thinking, "If I want to triumph in the Top Ten League and defeat the prodigies of every school, how can I succeed without taking a risk?"

"I'll do it."

Zhang Yu replied: Agreed, let us sign the contract.

Having signed the contract, Bei Wufeng smiled with satisfaction, thinking, "Heh, I never expected a result better than my initial projections. Waiving the rental fee frees up a portion of my budget, which I can now invest elsewhere to bolster my chances of winning the Top Ten League."

Zhang Yu stared at the contract, his fighting spirit ignited: "I must win! If I lose, that would be a loss of fifty spirit coins in rental fees every single day!"

(End of chapter)