Chapter 680: The Shocked Sect Higher-ups, the Xuanzhen Sect's "Treasure

The moment Bai Bing’s words fell, everyone in the great hall froze. All eyes snapped toward the Peak Master of Zhenyue Peak, Qin Gang.

Everyone knew that Bai Bing and Qin Gang had already made two bets before.

The Celestial Derivation Peak Master, Huang Zhen, blinked. Just moments ago, he had been certain that Bai Bing was making a wild boast. ‘How could Yang Jing possibly break through to the Qi Absorption Realm in just a few short days?’

But now, seeing Bai Bing take the initiative to propose a bet, he couldn’t help but waver.

In their previous two bets, Bai Bing had seemed to have slim chances of winning, yet she had won decisively both times. That kind of confidence didn’t come from nowhere.

Qin Gang met Bai Bing’s calm gaze, his brow furrowing slightly.

He felt that something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

From his perspective, Yang Jing’s foundation was still too shallow; it was impossible for him to have broken through the Qi Absorption Realm’s bottleneck in such a hurry.

‘This is a bet I’m clearly guaranteed to win.’

But the more certain it seemed, the more doubtful he became. ‘Bai Bing has always been so composed. Why would she just give away such precious treasures for nothing?’

All eyes were on Qin Gang. His face remained impassive, but inside, his thoughts were in turmoil as he repeatedly weighed the pros and cons.

Seeing him hesitate in silence, Bai Bing spoke lightly, “Since Senior Brother Qin is unwilling to bet, then let’s just forget it.”

Her casual remark, however, made Qin Gang come to a decision.

He had thought it over and over; no matter how he calculated it, there was no way he could lose.

‘Worst case scenario, even if I do lose, it would mean Yang Jing successfully broke through to the Qi Absorption Realm. Though I’d lose a treasure, it would resolve the Xuanzhen Sect’s urgent crisis. For the greater good of the sect, the benefit would far outweigh the cost.’

With that thought, Qin Gang no longer hesitated. He looked up at Bai Bing and said in a deep voice, “Fine, Junior Sister Bai, I’ll take that bet! Tell me, what are the stakes?”

Bai Bing quietly breathed a sigh of relief. A faint smile graced her cool face. “I’ll wager a Bone Jade Pill, a Heart Inquiry Pill, a suit of Top-Grade Treasure Armor, and the Frost Treasure Sword. Senior Brother Qin just needs to offer treasures of equal value.”

The upper echelons of the sect were all watching. Qin Gang had always been concerned with his reputation, so he naturally wouldn’t offer some subpar treasures and earn a name for being stingy.

The Sect Leader, Cao Zhen, sat on the main seat, quietly watching the two make their bet without a word of intervention.

He was also extremely curious. Where did Bai Bing get the confidence to be so certain that Yang Jing could break through to the Qi Absorption Realm before the three prodigies of the Vajra Sect arrived to pay their visit?

Qin Gang stared at Bai Bing for a moment, then spoke solemnly, word by word, “I will wager a Cyan Lake Seal.”

As his voice fell, an uproar suddenly erupted in the great hall. Everyone wore expressions of utter shock.

The Cyan Lake Grotto Heaven was one of the top-tier mystic realms within Jizhou’s borders, filled with countless rare Spirit Grasses, treasure weapons, and other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures rarely seen in the world.

And the Cyan Lake Seal was the one and only key to opening the Cyan Lake Grotto Heaven and entering to seek treasure.

A single Cyan Lake Seal was equivalent to a heaven-sent opportunity, its value far surpassing that of ordinary top-tier treasure pills and weapons.

Celestial Derivation Peak Master Huang Zhen couldn’t help but sigh. “Senior Brother Qin truly lives up to his name as the Duo Bao Daoist of our Xuanzhen Sect. The depth of his wealth is something we can only look up to from afar!”

At his side, Peak Master Qingxu, Li Zhihai, also nodded repeatedly, his face filled with amazement.

Qin Gang’s favorite pastime was collecting rare and exotic treasures. In terms of wealth and resources, he ranked firmly among the top of the Seven Vein Peak Masters.

When Bai Bing heard the three words “Cyan Lake Seal,” her cool eyes couldn’t help but light up.

She had, of course, long heard of the famous Cyan Lake Grotto Heaven and was well aware of how precious this token was.

She had never imagined that Qin Gang would have such a treasure in his possession.

Bai Bing nodded at once. “Good. Since Senior Brother Qin is being so generous, then this bet is set!”

Qin Gang gave a slight nod. Although he had prepared for the worst, he still didn’t believe he would lose.

‘No matter how talented Yang Jing is, the great chasm of the Qi Absorption Realm isn’t something one can cross on a whim.’

At this moment, Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan could no longer hold back. He looked at Bai Bing again and asked in a solemn tone, “Peak Master Lingxi, forgive my boldness in asking again, but how can you be so certain that Yang Jing will be able to break through to the Qi Absorption Realm before the three prodigies of the Vajra Sect arrive to pay their visit?”

Bai Bing smiled lightly, her tone calm and composed as she said, “A few days ago, my disciple had already reached the peak of the Qi Eating Realm. He came to find me, saying he wished to attempt a breakthrough on his own.

“I told him to give it a try. If he failed, he was to come to Lingxi Hall for my guidance. If he succeeded, he was to focus on stabilizing his realm and not bother reporting to me.”

She paused, her gaze steady, and said slowly, “For the past few days, he has not come to see me. Therefore, I surmise that he must have succeeded in his breakthrough.”

After hearing Bai Bing’s reasoning—basing her conclusion that Yang Jing had broken through solely on the fact that he “had not come to report”—the various Peak Masters and Elders in the great hall didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They all felt her judgment was far too frivolous.

The Sect Leader of the Xuanzhen Sect, Cao Zhen, who was seated in the place of honor, also shook his head with a sense of helplessness, inwardly surprised.

‘Peak Master Lingxi has always been calm and meticulous, never one to speak without basis. How could she treat this matter so simplistically today?’

Breaking through from the peak of the Qi Eating Realm to the Qi Absorption Realm was a major hurdle on the path of the Martial Dao. It was fraught with difficulties and extremely challenging. Yang Jing had only made a rushed attempt on his own—how could he possibly have succeeded so easily?

This thought surfaced in almost everyone’s mind.

‘The reason Yang Jing hasn’t sought out Bai Bing these past few days must be that he failed his attempt, feels ashamed, and can’t bear to face his master.’

‘Or perhaps he accidentally sustained internal injuries while trying to break the bottleneck and is now in seclusion, recuperating and unable to come.’

Everyone felt that this time, Bai Bing was simply being too trusting of her disciple and had made a wrong, wishful guess.

After hearing Bai Bing’s explanation, the corner of Qin Gang’s mouth curled into an unconscious smile, and his tense heart finally relaxed.