Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ran Qi stared at Jing Yan.
“Is he trying to get my attention?” Ran Qi thought to herself.
She was unable to think of any other reason he would be making such ridiculous claims. If he really was just trying to catch her attention, it would be a rather silly waste of her time. Furthermore, Ran Qi wouldn’t have any interest in someone like that.
Ran Qi smirked deep down.
“Yeah, Jing Yan, you’re at the Seventh Heaven, so you’re a high-ranking warrior alright. You could doubtlessly compete in High-ranking arenas,” Ran Qi thought.
“Even if you were to say that all other Seventh Heaven contestants were too weak, that would have been within reason. I could accept that you have what it takes to fight above your ranking. There are warriors who can win fights above their level, after all. Those people are few and far between, but they have existed down through history.”
“But what do you mean by saying that even Eighth Heaven contestants are still too weak to fight you? Are you trying to say that you, a Seventh Heaven warrior, have what it takes to challenge someone at the Ninth Heaven?”
“This is utterly ridiculous. A bad joke, I’d say,” Ran Qi thought in exasperation.
“Manager, could I have a look at the information of the Ninth Heaven contestants?” Jing Yan knew what Ran Qi was thinking just from her expression. However, that didn’t matter to him.
He was prepared to place a hefty bet of 5000 Spiritual Stones in that battle he was about to fight.
There was no way he would have prepared 5000 Spiritual Stones just to play a joke.
“Alright then.” Ran Qi took out two more profiles.
“Mr. Yan, we of the Extreme Combat Association only have two in-house Ninth Heaven contestants right now. Feel free to look at their information.” Ran Qi had grown tired of trying to talk him out of it, as his decision would have little to do with her anyway.
According to the rules set by the association, Ninth Heaven warriors were forbidden from challenging Seventh Heaven ones, but Seventh Heaven warriors were free to challenge the Ninth Heaven ones.
“Long San.” Jing Yan took the first profile and began reading it carefully.
“Ninth Heaven cultivation, three consecutive wins. A contestant with decent combat prowess.” Jing Yan narrowed his gaze.
He put the first profile down and picked up the second one.
“Li Tianfu, Ninth Heaven cultivation, eight consecutive wins!” Jing Yan’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Hell, Li Tianfu is actually from Dong Lin City.” Jing Yan knew of him.
Jing Yan had heard of a formidable contestant by the name of Li Tianfu before he enrolled in the Wind God Institute. That warrior was very famous in Dong Lin City.
Every single battle he fought attracted countless warriors and commoners to place bets. In the years since Jing Yan’s fall, Li Tianfu’s name had gained even more renown than before.
Some people idolized Li Tianfu feverishly. In their eyes, Li Tianfu was invincible.
“I’ll take him on then,” Jing Yan thought with a decisive nod.
“Manager, I’m challenging Li Tianfu,” Jing Yan said to Ran Qi.
“Are you sure, Mr. Yan?” Ran Qi asked, shuddering slightly.
She knew more about Li Tianfu than anyone else.
That man was the trump card of the Extreme Combat Association, after all.
Not only did Li Tianfu participate in fights held in High-ranking arenas of the Extreme Combat Association in Dong Lin City, he fought in associations in other cities as well. Furthermore, his record had always been impressive.
Li Tianfu had scored eight consecutive wins in Dong Lin City alone.
The contestants from other cities who fought Li Tianfu were all Ninth Heaven Warriors, yet it had been extremely difficult for them to defeat Li Tianfu.
Now Jing Yan, a Seventh Heaven warrior, was standing in front of her and expressing his intention to fight Li Tianfu. He seemed to have a death wish.
It was worth knowing that warriors were responsible for their own life and death in the ring. The association wasn’t held accountable for any fatalities that occurred during the fights, as those deaths technically had nothing to do with the association itself.
The Extreme Combat Association had no fear of getting into any trouble with such a policy, though. The association was a behemoth of an organization, on par with the three major institutes. No one in Lan Qu would have dared to start trouble with the association.
If Jing Yan were to die in the ring, there was absolutely no way the Jing Clan could ask for compensation or even an explanation from the association. Even if the Jing Clan were to do so, there was absolutely no way the association would back down.
“Is this guy getting tired of living?” Ran Qi thought. She had gotten hesitant.
Once the match was set, bets would begin pouring in. Ran Qi knew just how rowdy the gambling scene could get without even having to think about it. Most, if not all, would place their wagers on Li Tianfu.
That was what made Ran Qi so hesitant. If no one were to bet on Jing Yan, then the association would suffer losses, regardless of how low Li Tianfu’s odds were.
“If you’re worried that no one is going to bet on me, Manager, you can rest assured. I will wager 5000 Spiritual Stones on myself. You’re also free to use floating odds,” Jing Yan said with a grin. He had seen through Ran Qi’s hesitation.
“What?” Ran Qi’s eyes opened wide.
Right then and there, Ran Qi knew that Jing Yan wasn’t just playing around.
Jing Yan truly intended to challenge Li Tianfu.
“You’re a godd*mn lunatic,” she thought.
“In that case, I shall arrange for the match to be set up. Would you mind telling me when you’d like to get the fight going?” Ran Qi asked.
There were two types of odds available in the battles fought in the association—fixed odds and floating odds.
Floating odds meant that the odds constantly changed until right before the fight, letting the market itself decide what the odds would be. There was no doubt that the association would notify all betters that the battle would have floating odds before they were allowed to place their bets.
Any who thought floating odds were a bad idea were welcome to not place a bet. However, once a bet was placed, it would be subject to the floating odds, no exceptions.
“The sooner the better. I’m in a hurry,” Jing Yan said, narrowing his gaze.
Ran Qi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.
From her perspective, Jing Yan seemed really eager to die.
“In that case, how about two hours from now? I’ll get the match set up in the High-ranking arena. Please sign the contract, Mr. Yan.” Ran Qi slid a contract over to Jing Yan.
“You will be given 200 Spiritual Stones when the battle is over as a reward, Mr. Yan,” Ran Qi added.
In Low, Middle, and High-ranking arenas, warriors who participated in the battles were given rewards. Rewards given in High-ranking arenas were the highest—200 Spiritual Stones.
Jing Yan took the contract, read over it quickly, then signed his name on it.
…
On the first floor of the Extreme Combat Association.
“What? Li Tianfu is about to fight?”
“Hurry up and get the stones ready. It’s not every day that we get to see Li Tianfu fight, after all. Hell, his fights are actually pretty rare. This is something we absolutely can’t afford to miss.”
“I’m gonna bet all my Spiritual Stones on Li Tianfu this time. I only wagered 100 Spiritual Stones on his last battle, and man, what a loss indeed.”
“I’m in no hurry. Before we place any bets, let’s just see who’s going to be fighting Li Tianfu and what city he’s from.”
When the people in the hall saw the huge banner that the association put up to announce the battle, a commotion swept over the crowd. They all began to chatter to each other in excitement.