“Cheat?” Fang Chen smiled. “Friend Hua, what do you mean by that? The transaction between Lady Chu Lan and me was conducted openly and honestly. Since Lady Chu Lan hasn’t said anything, on what grounds are you accusing me of being a fraud?”

“My mother is simply concerned and confused! You are taking advantage of her moment of befuddlement!” Qin Xuan fumed.

Fang Chen looked at Qin Xuan. “Miss, one should not make assumptions. Before accusing people, please provide evidence to back up your claims. If you going to say I am deceiving Lady Chu Lan, without evidence, you are merely slandering me.”

Evidence? They didn’t have any, but they were certain that the two in front of them were indeed frauds!

Qin Xuan was rendered speechless by Fang Chen’s words, while Hua Qianchi lightly applauded.

“It seems the Great Thousand Dao Sect is not practicing cultivation, but rather mastering the art of rhetoric,” Hua Qianchi remarked with a hint of amusement.

At the same time, a figure stood with their hands clasped behind their back, quietly observing the scene from a short distance away. The figure was He Baiyan. When he saw Fang Chen and Li Daoye being troubled by Qin Xuan, he made no move to intervene, even though Chu Lan had instructed him to keep an eye on the two and ensure they didn’t encounter any mishaps.

“Apparently, the Nine Yang Dao Sect is not only deficient in their cultivation but also in their manners. No wonder their words are so aggressive,” Fang Chen mused aloud.

The crowd looked at each other with peculiar expressions.

“A cultivator from the Grand Thousand Dao Sect dares to mock the Nine Yang Dao Sect’s Hua Qianchi?”

“I heard that the Grand Thousand Dao Sect has only one Golden Core Realm cultivator and its inheritance is in decline. If the Nine Yang Dao Sect gets angry, they could easily destroy the Grand Thousand Dao Sect with just a casual deployment of an Immortal.”

"He's still too young. It seems he might bring disaster upon the Grand Thousand Dao Sect…."

"Disaster? Not necessarily. Although these sects publicly deny it, the Grand Thousand Dao Sect might indeed be the legitimate successor of the Three Thousand Dao Sect. Some old ancestors from these sects might not want to see the Grand Thousand Dao Sect's inheritance come to an end."

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Hua Qianchi's gaze grew colder. He snorted, “Would you dare to spar with me? Your Grand Thousand Dao Sect prides itself on its orthodox lineage, and I would like to see what is so special about that.”

"Here? I don't think it's appropriate," Fang Chen replied with a smile, shaking his head. "I'm a guest at the Immortal Qin Clan. Fighting on the host's territory would be disrespectful."

"You’re clearly afraid," Qin Xuan said coldly.

"Whether I’m afraid or not makes no difference," replied Fang Chen.

He turned to Li Daoye. "Fellow Cultivator Li, let’s have our stroll elsewhere."

Li Daoye nodded. "Alright."

Looking at Fang Chen leaving and not taking the bait, Hua Qianchi’s eyes flashed with coldness. He was contemplating how to formally take action and teach the other party a lesson. ȓ

Having fished out something good from his Immortal Origin Stone and earned a bit, Qi Fa felt rather good about himself. He smiled and said, "Have you forgotten where you are? This is the Immortal Origin District. Instead of quarreling here, why not have a bet on them? It would be more enjoyable to set some stakes."

"Bet on the Immortal Origin Stone?"

Li Daoye was slightly taken aback. Wasn't this akin to seeking death? He had heard that Fang Chen had been quite successful when opening Immortal Origin Stones in the past. Word spread around that he was even an Immortal Origin Stone Master.

"Young Master Qi Fa makes a point. Since this is the Immortal Origin District, rather than arguing, it would be better to place a bet," Qin Nìe said with a smile.

He then turned to Fang Chen. "Since Friend Fang is here at the Immortal Origin District, you must have some understanding of the Immortal Origin Stone. What do you think of Young Master Qi Fa's suggestion?"

Fang Chen’s expression turned thoughtful.

Looking at his pensive state, people assumed he was hesitating.

Hua Qianchi said indifferently, "Yes, let's have a bet. If you lose, you'll have to hand over the spirit stones you cheated to us, crawl out of here, and admit that the Grand Thousand Dao Sect is inferior to the Nine Yang Dao Sect."

Qin Xuan and the others fell silent, their eyes flickering.

In the distance, He Baiyan's lips curled up slightly, his eyes showing a trace of glee.

"You say the Grand Thousand Dao Sect is inferior to the Nine Yang Dao Sect?" Fang Chen's eyes shifted, and his grayish-white pupils slowly turned toward Hua Qianchi. "Do you know what kind of consequences such words carry?"

Hua Qianchi smiled faintly. "Consequences? What consequences could there be? Just say whether you dare to bet."

Fang Chen smiled. "And if you lose?"

"I will not lose," Hua Qianchi said proudly.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Fang Chen shook his head. "It seems the Nine Yang Dao Sect does not only neglect training their heart and mouth but their brains as well."

Hua Qianchi’s expression darkened instantly. He coldly said, “Let’s hear your bet.”

“My bet is the same as yours. If you lose, you’ll give me a hundred mid-grade spirit stones, crawl out of here, and shout three times that the Nine Yang Dao Sect goes against the teaching of the heavens and that you’re not worthy of being called a cultivator,” Fang Chen said with a smile.

The onlookers sucked in a cold breath. Was the Grand Thousand Dao Sect really going to go up against the Nine Yang Dao Sect?

Although they didn’t believe Hua Qianchi would lose to someone from the Grand Thousand Dao Sect, proposing such a bet meant putting himself in direct opposition to the Nine Yang Dao Sect, which would thoroughly offend them.

Hua Qianchi’s already grim face grew even colder. He nodded slowly. “Fine. We’ll do it your way. With Young Master Qi Fa here to witness, his status as the son of the Azure Dao Prefect should be sufficient?”

“Indeed, as the Prefect’s son, his status is enough to serve as a witness,” Fang Chen confirmed with a nod.

“Haha, then I won’t hold back.”

Qi Fa’s lips curled into a slight smile. Regardless of who lost, he would have a spectacle to enjoy.

Seeing Fang Chen agree to the bet with Hua Qianchi, Qin Xuan and the others displayed expressions of glee, clearly looking forward to the outcome.

“Scammer…. Do you not know that Brother Hua from the Nine Yang Dao Sect has inherited the legacy of an Immortal Origin Stone Master, and he himself is one?” Qin Xuan mocked. “Just wait and see how you crawl out of here.”

“Miss Qin Xuan, I can’t call myself a true Immortal Origin Stone Master. My master says I’m still not quite there yet. However, dealing with a few minor sect charlatans should be quite easy,” Hua Qianchi said with a faint smile.

Though his words seemed modest, they carried an air of extreme confidence.

Turning to Fang Chen, Hua Qianchi continued, “To save time, let’s each select an Immortal Origin Stone here, valued at no more than five hundred low-grade spirit stones. The one who reveals the more valuable item will win. What do you think?”

Fang Chen nodded. “Agreed.”

Without further ado, Hua Qianchi began selecting an Immortal Origin Stone. Fang Chen and Li Daoye started choosing theirs as well. To accommodate their gamble, the other customers in the shop set aside their Immortal Origin Stone and waited to continue after the duel.

Qin Ye glanced at Fang Chen and asked softly, “Brother Hua, are you confident?”

Hua Qianchi showed a smile. “In the clan, when it comes to Immortal Origin Stones, I am only second to my master."

Qin Ye’s lips curled into a slight smile as he nodded. Hua Qianchi’s words were not mere boasting; the Immortal Qin Clan and the Nine Yang Dao Sect had a deeply established cooperation when it came to Immortal Origin Stones. He was well aware of this.