The news of Nan Feihuang's duel with Yu Tianheng spread like wildfire throughout the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, deliberately propagated by those who wanted to stir things up. The buzz it created was immense.
After all, Yu Tianheng was a renowned genius throughout the academy. Although he was still in the Tianzhi Class, his strength had already reached the level required for the Tiandou Class. Moreover, he was younger than anyone in the Tiandou Class, where the so-called geniuses were all over eighteen. On the other hand, Nan Feihuang, as the son of the Xuan Bing Douluo, was said to have inherited his mother's exceptional talent.
A duel between two such prodigies naturally garnered attention, even from the senior students of the Tiandou Class who planned to watch the showdown.
Nan Feihuang quickly learned that Yu Tianheng's current level was 31. Honestly, he felt a bit disappointed.
No wonder in the original timeline, by the time Yu Tianheng appeared at the age of nineteen or twenty, he was only at rank 39, just two levels higher than the fifteen-year-old Dai Mubai. This cultivation speed, while not slow by any means, wasn't particularly impressive either.
At best, it put him on par with the likes of Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and Hu Yanli from the Five Elemental Academies.
It hardly lived up to the title of inheritor of the world's greatest beast martial soul.
"Place your bets! Yu Tianheng versus Nan Feihuang! Yu Tianheng to win at 2.65 odds, draw at 3.05, and Nan Feihuang to win at 2.80!"
A flamboyant young man had already set up a betting booth. Clearly, he was the mastermind behind spreading the news of the duel, hoping to cash in on the event.
"Osler, you're betting on Tianheng? Aren't you afraid Yan Zi will poison you for that?" Ye Lingling said with a sharp tone.
"Heh, this only shows my faith in our captain. Look, Nan Feihuang's odds are even higher than Tianheng's! Yan Zi should be thrilled," Osler grinned. "Come on, Lingling, why don't you place a bet too? As a support spirit master, your cultivation is tough, and your resource consumption is higher than ours. Why not earn a little extra?"
"I never gamble, and besides, I don't have the money for it," Ye Lingling declined without hesitation. While it was true that her cultivation resources were costly—support-type spirit masters were far more physically fragile than attack-types—she had learned to be frugal.
After every training session, she required extended medicinal baths to restore her body and prevent injuries, leaving her with little spare money. Despite her mother gaining noble status after joining the Heaven Dou Empire, they still couldn't afford such extravagant spending.
Lingling had long since adopted the habit of saving.
"I'll place the bet for Miss Ye. Here's 200,000 gold soul coins, all on my lord's victory. If I lose, I'll bear the cost myself. But if I win, Miss Ye, you'll only need to return the principal to me, and the rest of the winnings will be yours." A golden soul coin card was slapped down in front of Osler.
It was Xun Yu. The 200,000 gold soul coins came from Nantianchen, though it was only a fifth of what Nan Feihuang had, it was more than enough for three years of expenses.
Xun Yu had bet his entire savings on this.
"Two... two hundred thousand gold soul coins?!" Osler gawked at Xun Yu. Before this, others had placed bets, but the amounts were usually a few hundred or thousand coins. The more extravagant nobles might bet tens of thousands.
But betting 200,000 all at once? That was unheard of. Even the wealthiest nobles had lavish lifestyles and spent their incomes just as quickly as they earned them.
Not everyone was part of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, where they could drop millions of gold soul coins without blinking.
Was this guy really so confident in his lord? Wasn't he afraid of losing it all?
Sure, his lord might be talented—after all, reaching level 28 at such a young age was no small feat. But he was still one spirit ring short of Yu Tianheng. Surely, he had focused all his time on cultivating soul power to reach that level at such a young age.
But battles weren't only about soul power. Combat experience and technique were just as crucial in determining victory.
A young spirit master with little battle experience and unrefined techniques going up against Yu Tianheng, who possessed the legendary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon and was a frequent visitor to the Great Spirit Arena? The outcome was clear to anyone with half a brain.
"Why are you doing this?" Ye Lingling asked, puzzled by Xun Yu's actions.
Betting was one thing, but why bet on her behalf? If he lost, she wouldn't bear any responsibility, yet if he won, all the profits would go to her. What was he thinking?
"There's no special reason. You were the first person to correctly pronounce my name, so this is a token of my appreciation," Xun Yu replied calmly.
Ye Lingling shook her head. "There's no need for that. Pronouncing someone's name correctly is basic courtesy. I can't accept this. Please take the gold soul coin card back. If you still wish to bet, do so in your own name."
"Heh, Miss Ye's indifference to wealth is truly admirable," Xun Yu smiled. "If you don't want it, then when I win, I'll donate the earnings in your name to the academy to purchase medicinal herbs for recovery baths. Everyone can benefit from it. The only condition I'll ask of the academy is to give you priority access, though of course, whether you use that privilege is entirely up to you."
Before Ye Lingling could respond, Xun Yu had already turned and left.
"This guy... acting all high and mighty," Ye Lingling sighed. "And why is he so confident? It's as if he's already certain that his lord will win. Tianheng won't be that easy to defeat."
"Who cares? Haha! 200,000 gold soul coins! As long as Tianheng puts in some effort, I'm gonna be rich!" Osler was lost in his dreams of wealth.
Meanwhile, Nan Feihuang had returned to his dormitory to rest, settling into a light meditation.
The door creaked open, and Xun Yu stepped in, bowing respectfully. "My lord, I have a request."
Nan Feihuang opened his eyes. "So formal? Xun Yu, with our relationship, you can speak your mind. There's no need for ceremony."
"My lord, today I met Miss Ye Lingling, and I've fallen for her at first sight. I want to pursue her," Xun Yu said directly.
Hearing this, Nan Feihuang chuckled. "Oh? What does that have to do with me? If you like her, pursue her. I don't interfere in other people's relationships. Whether you succeed or not, it's your business."
"I'm focused on cultivating celestial herbs right now. Your personal affairs are for you to handle. Just don't go after a ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast in human form. Otherwise, I might not be able to resist harvesting her spirit ring and bones."
"My lord, rest assured. Miss Ye is most definitely human. And I'm not asking for your help in the matter. I do, however, have one small request. Although I've enrolled in the Heaven Dou Imperial Academy, I'm still only your personal attendant, not an official noble. I was wondering if you could grant me a noble title from the Gu Lei Kingdom. That way, I could match Miss Ye in status," Xun Yu said. He had never cared much for titles, but for Ye Lingling, he was willing to make an exception.
Nan Feihuang sighed. "Xun Yu, it's not that simple. I'd be more than happy to grant you a title, but what reason could I use? You don't meet the level requirements for ennoblement yet, and while I could grant a title based on merit, you're still only ten and haven't accomplished much for the kingdom. The court wouldn't accept it. I may be the crown prince, but I can't just hand out titles as I please."
"My lord, you needn't worry. I promise to earn my title by contributing to the kingdom. Once I achieve some merit, a simple baron title should suffice. And that way, no one in the court will be able to question it," Xun Yu said confidently.
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