The crowd expected Ye Fan to refuse, but to their surprise, he agreed immediately—on one condition: Qian Hong must deposit the ten million gold tael certificate with Beigong Qingtian first.
"Do you think I'd stoop to Donghuang Yu's level of disgrace?" Qian Hong snapped.
Ye Fan rose with a smile. "I never said you were like Donghuang Yu."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the assembled nobles.
"I believe all challengers here are equally trash."
Gasps erupted. Never had they witnessed such audacity!
To Ye Fan, these men had come solely to humiliate him. If they sought to trample him, why show courtesy?
Beigong Xue couldn't suppress a giggle, her radiant beauty momentarily dazzling the onlookers. Noticing their stares, she blushed, then glared at Ye Fan. "Vile scoundrel!"
Ye Fan was baffled. When did I provoke her now?
"Such arrogance!" Qian Hong spat, scribbling the bank draft and handing it to Beigong Qingtian. With a flourish of his folding fan, he declared, "Begin!"
The contrast was stark—Ye Fan in his mother's hand-sewn battle robes facing the opulently dressed noble.
"The rules are simple," Qian Hong announced. "I pose a question about rare knowledge. If you answer correctly, you reciprocate. We continue until one fails."
Fan waving gracefully, he continued: "All know the Eastern Spirit Realm is governed by the Sword Sect, guarded by Four Great Academies and Six Kingdoms. Tell me, Ye Fan—which kingdom possesses the Heavenly Spirit Eye?"
Murmurs spread. Chu Kingdom's capital housed a legendary spiritual vein—was Qian Hong gifting Ye Fan the victory?
"Third Brother, isn't ours the Heavenly Spirit Eye?" Beigong Xue whispered.
"Ours is the Heavenly Yuan Spirit Vein—different entirely," Beigong Qingtian corrected. "Besides Chu, only Han, Zhou, and Jin Kingdoms have comparable spiritual density. But the actual Spirit Eye..."
"You don't know?"
"No."
Beigong Xue clenched her fists, gleeful. If even her scholarly brother was stumped, Ye Fan stood no chance!
Qian Hong smirked. This esoteric fact came from an ancient manuscript—unknown even to royal scholars.
"Tang Kingdom."
Ye Fan's answer dropped like a stone.
Memories flashed—a delicate hand plunging a dagger into his Dantian.
"Only a Great Ascension cultivator's essence blood can awaken the Spirit Eye. Forgive me..."
"Ten years of affection... just for this betrayal, Tang Ling?"
Thunderous laughter snapped him back to reality.
"Tang? Their spiritual energy is the weakest!"
"He's admitting defeat!"
"Know your place, trash!"
Yet Qian Hong's face whitened. "How... how could you know?"
Guessing Tang was insanity—unless...
Ye Fan continued calmly: "No kingdom possesses a functional Heavenly Spirit Eye. Tang's is withered—the anchor point of an ancient seal containing Demon Spirits."
The hall fell silent.
This was forbidden knowledge—legends of celestial arrays and demonic incursions from antiquity.
Beigong Qingtian's eyes narrowed. Such lore existed only in obscure texts, accessible solely to devoted scholars.
Beigong Xue pouted. This villain couldn't possibly be learned! Just luck!
Others shared her disbelief, awaiting Ye Fan's question to confirm his expertise.
"Rather than obscure facts," Ye Fan suddenly declared, "let's discuss alchemy. Ding Chunqiu—join with your ten million. No need to waste time."
The alchemist's face darkened.
"Shangguan Feidu too." Ye Fan pointed. "One chance only. I've no patience for games."
"You court humiliation!" Ding Chunqiu spat, stepping forward with his wager.
"Ding Chunqiu," Ye Fan proclaimed, "as an alchemist, explain these pharmacological principles."
Turning to Shangguan Feidu: "You—martial duel. No restrictions."
The crowd reeled.
Ye Fan's aura might seem imposing, but his Dantian's chaotic energy betrayed his crippled state.
Against Shangguan Feidu—master of two perfected techniques—this was suicide!