Chapter 0898: Two Choices

On the next day, the fully recovered Li Luo headed back up onto Dragon's Fang Mountain.

That was where he met up with Ox Biaobiao. There was a hint of anxiety beneath the middle-aged man’s usually fierce and stern face. Although he rarely mentioned his injury, it had been a source of worry for him for many years.

This was especially true after he had returned to the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent. His rivals had all progressed tremendously during this period of time. On the other hand, he had weakened. Without a doubt, he was filled with complex feelings.

"Uncle Biao, you'll be able to regain your strength after today. The renowned Ox Biaobiao from the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent will be back!" Li Luo said with a laugh.

Hearing this, Ox Biaobiao replied with a bitter smile. "How could I have such a reputation?"

In the past, he could win against first-grade or second-grade Dukes back in the Xia Kingdom. However, the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent was different. Filled with all kinds of talents, he might be able to hold his ground once he regained his original strength, but he was nowhere near being almighty.

"There's no need to be humble, Uncle Biao. I can see the makings of a potential King," Li Luo replied seriously.

"Let's hope your kind words come true, then." Ox Biaobiao could not help but laugh in response. In the next moment, he noticed Li Jingzhe walking towards them from afar. The space twisted momentarily, then he appeared right in front of them in a few steps.

"Let's go," Li Jingzhe said. He did not say more before he walked down another mountain path.

The two of them followed behind him closely.

A few minutes later, the three of them entered a grand hall constructed next to the mountain. Inside the hall was a huge cauldron furnace that was about a hundred meters long. It was engraved with multiple mysterious patterns. The worldly natural energy around it was stimulated and poured into it endlessly.

As Li Jingzhe stared at the cauldron, he stood with his hands behind his back and asked, "Ox Biaobiao, I have two methods to repair your Duke Bergfrieds. Which one will you choose?"

Ox Biaobiao looked back at him strangely and asked, "What's the difference between these two methods?"

With a slight smile, Li Jingzhe replied, "The first method is to rebuild your foundation normally. This is a relatively safe method and the chance of success is approximately ninety percent. However, you have not cultivated in recent years, so you'll likely be weaker by one to two grades after all is said and done."

Ox Biaobiao's expression did not change at all after hearing this. Clearly, this was within his expectations as well. He used to be a sixth-grade Duke, so falling by one or two grades would make him a fourth-grade or fifth-grade. This was an acceptable result for him. After all, it was much better than having his Duke Bergfrieds destroyed and his actual strength being below that of a first-grade Duke. This seemed like a minor cost.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"In that case, what is the second method, Lineage Chief?" Ox Biaobiao asked. He did not make his decision immediately. Given Li Jingzhe's status, offering a second choice meant that there was something really special in store.

At this point, Li Jingzhe slowly explained, "The second method is an extremely dangerous one. The chance of success is under fifty percent. We'll go for a complete destruction and reconstruction of your Duke Bergfrieds. I will not repair your Duke Bergfrieds at all. Instead, I will completely destroy them and then reconstruct them using a secret art. If it's successful, you'll not only regain your original full strength but also have a chance to break through as a seventh-grade Duke."

Ox Biaobiao was moved by this immediately. The second choice was truly mind-boggling. Not only would he not experience a drop in power, but he could even experience a breakthrough?

At the same moment, Li Luo asked, "Grandpa, what if the second method fails?"

Li Jingzhe calmly responded, "What else could possibly be the result? His original Duke Bergfrieds would be gone, so he would lose his foundation and fall out of the Duke Stage if we're unable to reconstruct them. And it would probably be impossible to break through ever again."

Li Luo gasped when he heard this. This seemed a little too cruel. It was like making an all-in bet with one's own future.

Although the fruits of success were really tempting, the failure... was truly terrifying. This was simply a gamble.

And it was such a high stake that Li Luo did not even comment any further. He simply looked at Ox Biaobiao.

At this moment, Ox Biaobiao's face had turned solemn. This was the first time that signs of hesitation had appeared on his face. It was inevitable. After all, the trade-off was too great.

The first choice was safe. He could likely get his Duke Bergfrieds repaired, although there would be a decline in his power. However, he would still be a Duke. He also understood that his injuries were really dire, resulting in his cultivation remaining stagnant for years. It would be extremely challenging for him to become a sixth-grade Duke again, even if the operation was successful, and progressing further would essentially be impossible.

On the other hand, the second choice was extremely risky. The price to pay for failure was extremely large. However, if it was successful, his foundation would not only be restored, but he would even have a chance to make up for all the years that he had lost.

Although it was just a sixth-grade Duke moving to the seventh-grade, he understood that many Dukes could be stuck in a grade for what seemed like forever. An extremely large amount of cultivation resources was required in order for a Duke to move up just one grade.

Ox Biaobiao understood that Li Jingzhe had given him these two choices for him to decide his future. Would he want to play it safe here or would he want to take a gamble for a chance to pursue even greater heights in the future? For a moment, the grand hall fell into extreme silence. Li Luo and Li Jingzhe did not speak any further. There was only Ox Biaobiao’s heavy breathing.

However, the silence was short-lived. Ox Biaobiao took a deep breath and he answered Li Jingzhe politely, "Lineage Chief, I would like to proceed with the second choice."

Li Luo's breathing nearly stopped at this point. His heart was trembling, but he was not too surprised. Based on his understanding of Ox Biaobiao, he was an aggressive person and not the type who would live a life of mediocrity. If he had no hope to improve in the future, that life would be worse than death for someone like Ox Biaobiao.

As such, he would definitely take the gamble rather than live on as just a fourth-grade Duke for his remaining life.

"Uncle Biao..." Li Luo sighed. As expected from a friend of his parents, it was clear that Ox Biaobiao had exceptional mental fortitude.

On the other hand, Li Jingzhe simply smiled as he looked at Ox Biaobiao with some admiration in his eyes. "You are a courageous man. Not everyone would dare to go for such a gamble when faced with these two choices.”

"Thank you, Lineage Chief… However, the second method... isn't so simple, right?" Ox Biaobiao asked.

Ultimately, Ox Biaobiao was someone who had seen a lot in this world too. He had already learned of the first method previously. However, he had never heard of the second method that Li Jingzhe had just shared. Not only was it risky, the difficulty of the second method was surely many times greater than the first method. In other words, it was out of kindness that Li Jingzhe had offered him this second choice.

"The second method would require a King's personal assistance. Moreover, it requires multiple secret treasures. There aren't many powers in this Heavenly Origin Divine Continent that can do this," Li Jingzhe told him honestly. He did not hide any details as it was best for the both of them to know the price that would have to be paid for this choice.

Furthermore, he knew that Li Luo wanted Ox Biaobiao to stay in the Green Nether Hall. With such a great debt of gratitude from him, Ox Biaobiao would surely stay around even after his injuries had fully recovered.

Ox Biaobiao nodded before he put his hands together to thank Li Jingzhe politely again.

"Let's get started, then."

Li Jingzhe did not waste any more time with words. He pointed towards the huge cauldron furnace, saying, "You just need to get inside, I'll handle the rest."

Ox Biaobiao nodded in response. He gave Li Luo a smile before he turned around and flew straight into the cauldron furnace through a tiny opening. He sat down in the lotus position in the center of it.

Seeing this, Li Jingzhe opened his mouth slightly, and a dark-golden spark flew out. It soared directly into the cauldron, then it expanded and transformed into a raging fire storm, burning the cauldron ferociously. At the same time, he waved his sleeve, and hundreds of light rays flew out from the pocket sphere on his wrist. They hovered in mid-air and glowed brightly with a majestic aura.

With just one look, Li Luo could tell that these light rays were all extraordinarily rare materials. He knew in his heart that Li Jingzhe had spared no expense to help Ox Biaobiao repair his foundation.

"This will take quite a while. There is no need for you to hang around here and wait, you may go and do whatever you need to," Li Jingzhe said to Li Luo.

"Alright. Thank you, Grandpa," Li Luo said with a nod.

After taking another glance at the cauldron furnace, he turned around and left.

Now that Ox Biaobiao's matter had been settled, it was time for him to make a trip down to the four banners. The head of the Dragon's Fang Lineage's four banners had to be decided before the Dragon's Head competition.