At this moment, Zhai Bairong was exactly where the apothecary owner had imagined: aboard a celestial ship, drifting through the spatial rift between the Upper and Middle Realms.
Since arriving in the Upper Heaven Realm, Zhai Bairong had not ventured far from the town where he had stayed after leaving the Phoenix Clan. He had only heard others describe the wondrous sights of the spatial rift that the celestial ships traversed; seeing it with his own eyes made it feel all the more miraculous. To call it a night sky was not quite right, yet to call it a void of chaos seemed equally inappropriate.
Once the celestial ship reached a stable phase of its journey, the cultivators were permitted to leave their cabins and stroll upon the deck to clear their minds. There were never many cultivators traveling from the Upper Realm to the Middle Realm; the ship was not even half-full, and most passengers were not making the trip for the first time. Thus, Zhai Bairong was granted the rare luxury of enjoying this magnificent vista in solitude.
He gazed into the distance; the scenery of the Upper Realm had long since vanished.
He wondered how Xuan Yang’s cultivation was progressing.
Shen Yan had been staying with Zhai Bairong previously. When Zhai Bairong departed this time, he had some immortal crystals left over. Combined with the extra income Shen Yan had earned by hunting low-level demonic beasts, it wouldn't have been impossible for Shen Yan to scrape together enough for a ticket. Earning a living in the Middle Realm might be easier, and once they reunited with Nie Shiyun, more people would mean more solutions.
However, after much deliberation, Shen Yan decided to stay behind alone.
Zhai Bairong did not know if Shen Yan was simply worried about Xuan Yang—who was still confined within the Phoenix Clan for secluded cultivation, oblivious to the outside world—or if he simply did not wish to continue being indebted to Zhai Bairong’s kindness. Seeing his firm resolve, Zhai Bairong did not press him further.
Once he found Nie Shiyun and informed him of the situation in the Upper Realm, the two of them could discuss their next move together.
Before leaving, Zhai Bairong had spent a significant amount of immortal crystals to purchase two communication crystals. Although the price was astronomical compared to the mortal cultivation world and required an additional injection of spiritual energy for each use, they were at least not single-use items.
Money had to be spent where it mattered most. Each layer of the Heaven Realm was as vast as the entire mortal cultivation world; without such things, reuniting after a separation would be incredibly difficult.
He was low on immortal crystals again. Once he reached the Middle Realm, he certainly couldn't stay in one place just to earn money as he had before; otherwise, how could he even begin to search for someone?
If it were Nie Shiyun, he would surely be able to manage both.
Zhai Bairong sighed softly. His slightly weary expression brightened at the thought of Nie Shiyun. He looked up once more at the boundless, ethereal void, then turned to return to his cabin. Having a rare moment of leisure, he needed to seize the time to cultivate. After all, in this land, one's cultivation level was the ultimate source of confidence.
***
In Pinghe City.
"I win! If you know what's good for you, get off the stage."
"You brat..."
A chorus of boos erupted from below the stage. The refiner facing Nie Shiyun gritted his teeth. Although the outcome of the match had been decided before they even stepped up, Nie Shiyun’s insufferably arrogant attitude was truly infuriating.
This was clearly a result orchestrated by the Lan family! The refiner glanced at the audience, who had been listless earlier but were now exceptionally enthusiastic, and found himself unable to voice his grievances.
The crowd was tired of the same old script where Ao Fan stole the show every year. Instead, they were fascinated by this sudden drama of a "Lower Realm refiner achieving a winning streak against the seniors of the Great Families." No one knew what the Lan family was plotting, but the dealings between the upper echelons of the Great Families had nothing to do with these refiners; they could only follow orders.
Watching the refiner—whose face was ashen as he shot Nie Shiyun a venomous glare before slinking off the stage amidst the jeers of the crowd—Nie Shiyun maintained a fearless smile. Inwardly, however, he could only repeatedly chant, *“My fellow Daoist, I am truly sorry.”*
"Haha, give him a ladder and he really climbs it." Watching the play from a distance, Ao Fan was highly satisfied, nearly clapping his hands in delight.
"Young Master Ao Fan, isn't his attitude a bit much? Although we've already cleared it with his opponents, they are, after all, refiners from various Great Families. To be humiliated by a rogue cultivator like this..."
"When you went to negotiate, did you not mention that this was my wish?" Ao Fan shot a sideways glance at the group.
"Of course we did," the Lan family member replied.
"Then that's that. Shouldn't they be falling over themselves to do me this favor?" Ao Fan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Besides, it's only interesting this way."
"...Yes." Seeing Ao Fan’s persistence, the Lan family members naturally did not dare to raise further objections.
He was too embarrassed to mention that when the other families heard their proposal, their acceptance had been reluctant at best. It was one thing to lose on purpose to a hack like Ao Fan—at least he was of the Dragon Race. Now they were being asked to lose to an obscure rogue cultivator just so Ao Fan could have some fun. Would just anyone be able to ride over their heads in the future?
The Lan family had no idea how many apologies they had made or how many gifts they had sent behind the scenes to smooth this over.
Seeing the group bowing their heads in trepidation with no one to cheer him on, Ao Fan suddenly found it dull. He watched for a moment longer before turning to leave.
Nie Shiyun felt the gaze that had been stuck to him finally vanish, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His arrogant aura diminished significantly. He avoided a group of cultivators trying to crowd forward to congratulate him on his advancement and left alone.
He went straight to the Refiners' Guild to collect the rewards for this victory.
"Refiner Nie, you certainly are in a hurry. From what I see, you have more wins coming! Why not wait and collect them all at once?" The female cultivator at the guild looked up, saw it was Nie Shiyun again, and gave a charming smile.
"I've never received so many rewards before. If I don't tuck them away, I just can't feel at ease..."
The truth was, once trouble broke out on the final day, these things would likely be lost. It was better to collect what he could, bit by bit.
The woman thought that even though Nie Shiyun was currently in the spotlight, he was still quite unsophisticated. She couldn't help but find it amusing, but she remained professional as she took out the immortal crystals and medicinal pills to hand them over.
Nie Shiyun didn't care what others thought; he took the items and left in a hurry.
Although the rewards each time weren't massive, they added up to a considerable fortune after a string of victories. With these rewards from the Lan family, Nie Shiyun spent all his remaining time outside of the competition cultivating within his space. As a result, he reached the threshold of the Integration Stage much faster than expected.
Unfortunately, now was not the right time to break through. Nie Shiyun chose not to rush his advancement, instead condensing the spiritual energy within his body to make his foundation even more solid. Although he still appeared to be a Void Refinement cultivator to outsiders, if he were to actually fight an early-stage Integration cultivator, it was hard to say who would win.
The competition was not yet over, but the items Nie Shiyun had obtained from the Lan family over the past few days had already been mostly consumed. Even if they wanted to demand them back later, they wouldn't be able to.
As the daily discussions among the city's cultivators regarding "who will win between Nie Shiyun and Ao Fan" grew louder, the refiners' competition received unprecedented attention. Finally, the final day arrived.
"Did anyone place a bet yesterday? Who are you all putting your money on?"
"Even though I think Nie Shiyun could win, his opponent is Ao Fan after all. Daring to win against him—is he tired of living?"
"They're two of a kind. Do you really think that Nie Shiyun is some kind of saint?"
"If you ask me, Nie Shiyun’s attitude isn't great either, but at least he's human! For that alone, I support him."
The crowd was bustling, but neither side had yet appeared on the final stage. The cultivators below whispered among themselves.
One person spoke the truth: "I still think his path to victory has been strange. You lot placing bets better be careful, or your immortal crystals will all go down the drain..."
But a competition that had remained unchanged for decades had finally taken a turn. For a moment, the cultivators ignored the various oddities, chatting away with tireless excitement. The words of well-meaning advice were quickly drowned out by the crowd.
Suddenly, the noisy audience fell silent. Cultivators who hadn't realized what was happening looked up to see Nie Shiyun stepping onto the stage. Everyone finally found an object for their opinions; his appearance was met with a burst of cheers mixed with boos, making for a lively scene.
A moment later, when Ao Fan took the stage, they had no choice but to clap and welcome him, regardless of what they truly thought.
Nie Shiyun’s face was as calm as still water. Shedding his previous arrogance, he stood quietly at his station and began preparing his tools.
Having long understood the Lan family's methods, he took the opportunity during his preparations to check his workbench and materials. He was somewhat surprised to find that they hadn't been tampered with. He didn't know if the Lan family trusted him too much, or if Ao Fan was so arrogant that he didn't believe there was any possibility of losing to Nie Shiyun.
Adhering to the principle that "the protagonist always arrives late," Ao Fan didn't show up until the match was about to begin. He had been sitting with the Lan family cultivators in a high-floor private room of a nearby tavern. Estimating that the time was right, he leaped directly out of the window frame, descending gracefully onto the stage from above.
He was dressed ostentatiously today, his lavish robes draped with a mountain of gold and silver jewelry. Had he not appeared at a refining competition, one might have thought he was heading straight to a victory banquet.
In contrast, Nie Shiyun, dressed in the simple, plain clothes of a refiner without a single piece of jewelry, truly looked like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time, just as Ao Fan had said.
"I didn't expect you to actually make it this far. Not bad at all!" Ao Fan offered a backhanded compliment as he stepped onto the stage.
Before Nie Shiyun could respond, he continued with a sneer, "But unfortunately, your dream ends here. Did you think the Lan family took an interest in you because they thought you were some rare talent? How laughable!"
"Is that so? Why don't we have our match first before we decide?" Nie Shiyun smiled.
"You can only afford to smile now." Ao Fan’s grin widened, as if he had already foreseen Nie Shiyun’s defeat.
"I'll return those words to you in full."
Nie Shiyun did not back down an inch in terms of presence. The explosive atmosphere drew cheers from the cultivators below.
Even though he had orchestrated this situation himself, seeing some humans actually rooting for Nie Shiyun made Ao Fan feel petty and annoyed. He swept a furious glare across the crowd, and the previously rowdy audience instantly fell silent.
Soon, to break the frozen atmosphere, a Lan family cultivator stepped onto the stage to announce the topic of the competition.
The topic was the most unoriginal and most commonly used treasure by cultivators: the "Sword."
Hearing such a mundane topic, Nie Shiyun nodded knowingly. He guessed that Ao Fan was likely best at refining swords—or rather, as a refiner, most would be familiar with this object.
"Do you know that your Rank 3 Refiner certification is actually unworthy of its name?" Nie Shiyun remarked casually just before they began.
"What did you say?"
Seeing that Ao Fan had immediately taken the bait, Nie Shiyun stepped forward and smiled. "You say you are a Rank 3 Refiner, while I am still a Rank 2. If you truly lose to me, wouldn't that prove you might not even be at Rank 2?"
Ao Fan seemed stunned by Nie Shiyun’s audacity. After a long pause, he sneered, "A mere human, talking so big. So many Rank 3 Refiners have been defeated by my hand; your human race is only at this level."
"Then how about we make a bet?"
Nie Shiyun pointed to himself and continued, "As you can see, I am just a penniless Rank 2 Refiner. If you lose to me, you must give me one thing of my choosing. Whether it be wealth, or women... in short, whatever I want, you must give it to me."
"Hmph, as you wish. And if I win? I have no use for the junk you carry." Ao Fan chuckled. Wealth and women? He didn't care for such things at all. This bumpkin Nie Shiyun actually treated them like treasures to be gambled for.
Nie Shiyun answered generously, "I have neither money nor women. If you win, my life belongs to you. How about it?"
"Ha! Interesting. I agree." Ao Fan laughed arrogantly, as if he could already see the miserable end where Nie Shiyun bowed to him as a slave.
The two were talking on the inner side of the stage, so the people below couldn't hear them clearly; they only sensed that the two were making some sort of agreement.
"Hey, what are they saying?"
"Who dares to release their divine sense to listen? Do you want to die?"
Not only were the curious citizens of the city in the dark, but even the Lan family members were confused at this point.
"What is Young Master Ao Fan saying to that Nie Shiyun?"
"Why do I feel like they've made some kind of oath? Was this part of the plan when we talked to Nie Shiyun?" someone asked warily.
"No. But when I dealt with Nie Shiyun before, he didn't seem like the type to pull these kinds of tricks. It's probably Young Master Ao Fan’s own idea. He’s always acting recklessly; it’s not like this is your first day knowing him..."
This possibility was highly likely. Having been tormented by Ao Fan’s various whims for decades, the group of Lan family cultivators felt a lingering fear at the thought.
No one knew what new idea Ao Fan had come up with. If they were to step onto the stage and interfere in front of the public now, they might just end up being berated by Ao Fan in return.
Thus, the Lan family members watching from afar remained silent.
On the stage, Nie Shiyun broke into a cold sweat inwardly, only breathing a sigh of relief once he returned to his workbench. Escaping afterward was secondary; his greatest fear was the Lan family noticing something was wrong and stepping in to stop the match before it began. Fortunately, Ao Fan’s head was truly filled with nothing but air, and his stubbornness had provided the perfect opportunity to establish a binding oath that could not be broken.
The Lan family cultivators below were also quite perplexed; for a pre-match exchange, their conversation had been a bit too long. Seeing both sides finally return to their positions, the announcer could finally begin.
"The match begins!"
Nie Shiyun unhurriedly brought out his unremarkable cauldron.
Contrasted against the luxurious, gold-glimmering cauldron on Ao Fan’s side, Nie Shiyun’s featureless, mediocre vessel looked like a piece of scrap metal.
The crowd was somewhat disappointed. Although they had known this, they had still hoped for some new tricks in the final.
"Little Sparrow."
Nie Shiyun called out in his mind.
The Strange Fire that had been nurtured in his dantian was awakened, immediately noticing the lively scene outside. But because Nie Shiyun had been refining every day without letting it participate, it was currently a bit listless, its flames not very bright.
"It's time for you to work," Nie Shiyun sent a mental transmission.
With a *poof*, the Strange Fire surged out. It flew excitedly around Nie Shiyun’s palm, like a small dog about to go for a walk.
"You're overexcited... alright, alright, calm down," Nie Shiyun transmitted with a wry smile.
The crowd below instantly erupted.
"Hey, he has a Strange Fire!"
The cultivators who were also refiners let out cries of envy.
Someone asked in confusion, "Those things are expensive! How many immortal crystals did he earn from his matches these past few days?"
"A Strange Fire that was just obtained can't be mastered without several years of bonding. Trying to win the final in such a rush—I think it's going to backfire!"
Even the Lan family members in the distance were stunned, looking at each other in shock. "Among the rewards we gave him... was there such a thing?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Could it be that he bought it after receiving our immortal crystals? Strange. That amount shouldn't have been enough to pay for a Strange Fire..."
The Lan family members now felt that the situation was becoming very odd. Nie Shiyun was supposed to lose to Ao Fan! While bringing out such a thing for the final match was attractive to the audience, was it not a bit much to take the act this far?
"Go investigate. See if any refining shops or trading houses nearby have sold a Strange Fire recently, what kind it was, and who bought it." The Lan family cultivator frowned, urgently ordering his subordinates to investigate.
Nie Shiyun glanced into the distance, catching sight of the Lan family members in a state of chaos through the tavern window, and couldn't help but smile. He had gambled that the Lan family wouldn't dare stop the match while Ao Fan was still oblivious.
There was enough time.
Ao Fan caught a glimpse of Nie Shiyun’s fluid motions as he started the furnace and prepared his materials, and a faint sense of unease stirred in his heart.
He had been observing Nie Shiyun for the past few days as if watching a play, amusing himself. But at this very moment, Nie Shiyun’s movements and demeanor seemed as if he had become a completely different person...
Snapping back to his senses, Ao Fan realized he hadn't even started yet. The confused looks from the crowd below made him irritable. Glaring at the innocent audience as if to vent his anger, Ao Fan finally began his furnace preparations with hurried movements.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 176 | A Dangerous Wager | Novela.app | Novela.app
