Chapter 168: You Want to Duel Me Head-On?

"I'll give you a chance. You can go all out and fight this Frost Force Bear."

"Ten Foundation Consolidation Pills as the wager."

Tong Yi smiled.

"You can also polish my shoes."

Yang Ling sneered, "You Heavenly Wolf Guard really take people for fools."

Tong Yi wasn't offended, he calmly said:

"You've already won one match, you can step down. A spar isn't meant for you to hog all the rewards."

"Chief Constable Yang, step aside and rest."

The Fourth Prince also nodded lightly.

Seeing this, Yang Ling tactfully retreated to stand behind the Fourth Prince.

The Fourth Prince looked at Tong Yi:

"There are several more days of work. If we keep sparring like this, we won't have that many Foundation Consolidation Pills as wagers, and neither will you."

"Does the Fourth Prince have a suggestion?"

Tong Yi smiled faintly.

"I suggest both sides provide their own wagers. Whoever thinks the other's wager is acceptable can issue the challenge."

"Of course, the prerequisite is that each side's wager must be accepted by the other."

The Fourth Prince said.

Once he spoke, both Seventh-Rank martial artists silently considered the feasibility of this proposal.

"The Fourth Prince's suggestion is reasonable. If it were Foundation Consolidation Pills as wagers, he probably couldn't offer many either."

Yang Ling pondered.

He'd already won a pill for free, so it wasn't a loss.

"Your proposal is fine. It's just to pass the time anyway."

Tong Yi smiled and nodded in agreement.

The girl beside him suddenly smiled:

"I can offer my beast-taming technique's servitor beast as a wager. Who wants to fight my tamed beast?"

"You don't need to provide many wagers, one Foundation Consolidation Pill is enough."

As she spoke, she glanced deliberately at Yang Ling.

Yang Ling couldn't help but snort and gave no reply.

He was somewhat interested in that beast-taming technique.

But asking him to fight a Sixth-Rank Frost Force Bear plus dozens of Seventh-Rank Frost Force Bears?

Wasn't that absurd.

No one answered.

Seeing this, the girl said softly:

"You are all cowards."

Zhao State martial artists couldn't be bothered to respond to her.

Seeing these people uninterested, she didn't push further.

A hint of helplessness flashed across her eyes, and she fell silent.

"I have ten flying daggers, each a treasure passed down from the Heavenly Will Sect."

Nangong Yue suddenly spoke, his gaze landing on Yang Ling:

"I'm willing to bet with you!"

Yang Ling's expression flickered, Heavenly Will Sect heirloom flying daggers?

He grew a bit interested.

The Fourth Prince thought for a moment: "If these are heirloom flying daggers from the Heavenly Will Sect, we can first inspect their quality. If the quality is good, they could be useful to you."

Yang Ling looked at Nangong Yue: "Tong Wu, take out the flying daggers so we can see them. Just talking doesn't tell anyone their quality."

Nangong Yue snorted coldly and produced a flying dagger.

This dagger looked special at a glance, its surface covered in scale-like patterns, showing a dark, metallic gold.

"Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing Flying Dagger, Attack Power 500"

A strange light flashed in Yang Ling's eyes.

Although this flying dagger had no attribute bonuses, its attack power reached a terrifying 500 points.

It was the highest attack he'd seen among all weapons.

Armor-piercing, 500 attack.

Yang Ling roughly estimated this dagger's power.

If he had used that dagger against Nangong Yue back then, one slash could have ended him.

Nangong Yue then produced nine more Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing flying daggers:

"Back when the Heavenly Will Sect was at its peak, these Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing flying daggers were extremely rare. Only those above Sixth-Rank had a chance to obtain them."

As he said this, he gave Yang Ling a smile that was half mocking:

"So? Do you dare to bet with me?"

"How do we bet?"

Yang Ling asked.

Nangong Yue suddenly drew a circle about three meters in diameter with the tip of his foot.

Then he took out a hand crossbow.

"Without using Vital Qi, inside this circle, you and I will each take twenty crossbow bolts. Whoever is left with more bolts loses."

"Also, if someone is shot dead, that counts as a loss."

"If anyone leaves this circle, they lose."

"Our distance from each other will be fixed at five zhang."

He smiled: "Do you dare to bet with me?"

Everyone inhaled sharply.

Was this a spar?

This was a bet of life and death!

Don't mention twenty bolts — these hand crossbows hit with immense power. Sometimes a single bolt, if it strikes unexpectedly, can kill a Seventh-Rank martial artist.

Five zhang distance — this is exactly where a hand crossbow can exert maximum power!

Yang Ling hadn't expected such a dangerous wagering method.

"You want to duel me head-on?"

Yang Ling couldn't help laughing.

"A three-meter circle, trying to narrow the agility gap between us."

"He cultivates the Ironclad Divine Armor Sutra, which can give him abilities similar to the Golden Bell Shield."

"So he believes he will surely win."

With that thought, Yang Ling immediately said:

"Fine, I'll bet with you."

"Wait, you haven't put up your wager."

Nangong Yue's eyes narrowed slightly:

"My ten Quenched-Gold Armor-Piercing flying daggers are valuable. You must put up an equivalent wager to bet with me."

"You're just trying to take my life, then act innocent when you profit. I won't be that dumb."

Yang Ling smirked: "If we bet, we bet. If not, forget it. Do you think Zhao State has no talented craftsmen who can make such flying daggers? Ridiculous."

Nangong Yue's face turned a little ugly; he hadn't expected Yang Ling to be so eccentric, completely unorthodox.

"Bet or not? I'll count to three."

Yang Ling: "One two..."

"Bet!"

Nangong Yue snorted coldly.

Yun Ruo's expression changed subtly as she warned quietly:

"Chief Constable Yang, the hand crossbow's power is immense, and within that tiny circle mobility is limited. If you're struck in a fatal spot, death is inevitable."

"Director Yun Ruo, I wouldn't bet unless I had a sure chance to win."

Yang Ling: "Rest assured."

A sure chance to win?

Zhao State martial artists looked on with curiosity.

Nangong Yue wore a sarcastic smile, then drew a second circle before everyone and stood within it.

"Use the blade as the signal. When the blade hits the ground, both may act."

The Fourth Prince suddenly said.

Neither side objected to this rule, choosing to accept it.

Yang Ling took his already-loaded crossbow into the three-meter circle.

Five zhang away, Nangong Yue stood inside the circle, watching him coldly.

"Rong tribe scouts are probably superior to common martial artists in the use of hand crossbows."

"Chief Constable Yang hasn't been in the Ironclad Department for long; he may not have had formal training in this."

"In this match, Chief Constable Yang's chances of victory are actually slim."

Many Zhao State martial artists who caught the key point shook their heads inwardly.

The Fourth Prince came to one side and tossed his blade high into the air.

At that moment, everyone's attention centered on that blade.

Nangong Yue also watched it with peripheral vision.

They would act the instant it hit the ground.

Whoever seized the initiative would win!

Yang Ling, however, stared unflinchingly at Nangong Yue, not shifting his gaze.

His perception, to some degree, could substitute for his eyes.

The moment the long blade struck the ground, Yang Ling acted.

Nangong Yue was a fraction late, slightly surprised, but his speed was still fast.

Their crossbow bolts collided in midair, shattering into pieces!

"Such fast speed!"

"Such precise timing!"

The crowd marveled. The two had impeccable timing!

Nangong Yue, seeing one strike fail, immediately reloaded.

Yang Ling did the same motion. His movement looked a bit unpracticed, but his speed matched Nangong Yue's.

After reloading, Yang Ling pulled the trigger.

This time Nangong Yue did not pull his; a strange smile appeared on his face.

A bolt struck Nangong Yue in the center of his brow, but only half the tip embedded.

Such an injury was nothing for a Seventh-Rank martial artist.

Zhao State martial artists showed a flash of shock.

External skill! That man definitely practiced external techniques!

"Did he practice Iron Head Technique as well?"

Hui Shi was a little stunned.

"Now I have bolts, you don't."

Nangong Yue smiled: "Can you guarantee you'll dodge my bolt when you're reloading?"