From absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to achieving divine mastery in martial arts

"Good! Old Crane is indeed straightforward!"

The red-faced old man, the Fiery Monster, laughed loudly and slammed his large, fan-like hand on the table: "Since everyone has brought out their real treasures, I, Fiery Monster, cannot be outdone. This 'Earth Fire Pearl' is a treasure I found deep within volcanic lava; it can nourish not only bones and muscles but also the spirit!"

As a blood-red bead, seemingly containing churning magma, rolled onto the table, the elders were all somewhat tempted.

It can nourish the spirit; it truly is a treasure!

The old woman sitting third from the left was named Granny Jin Hua. Her full head of silver hair was tied up, and she had a kind face. She casually tossed a vest as thin as a cicada's wing: "Unlike you who fight and kill, this 'Heavenly Silkworm Soft Armor' is impervious to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire. Even the full force of a master of internal energy can be deflected. It would be best to leave it to the younger generation for self-defense."

Following closely behind Granny Jin Hua, an old monk wearing a dark red kasaya and a huge Buddhist rosary slowly spoke.

His face was kind and benevolent, but a golden light flickered between the opening and closing of his eyes. He was none other than Master Xuanku, one of the ten elders of the National Martial Hall, known as the "Subduing Demon Arhat".

The master clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha. Everyone has brought out their finest treasures. This humble monk is unworthy to offer this as a token of my appreciation."

He untied the storage pouch at his waist and took out a piece of withered wood about half a foot long, crystal clear and exuding a strong medicinal fragrance.

"This is the 'Thunder Heart' part of the lightning-struck wood. I waited for ten years on the summit of Tianshan Mountain before finally intercepting it during a celestial thunderbolt. This material contains the pure Yang energy of heaven and earth's thunder, and can be used to forge divine weapons that can subdue Yin and evil. What's even more precious is that this material is also the best place for an astral soul to reside."

"Hehe, the monk brought me a piece of firewood, and I don't have any rare materials, so I'll just take out a little something I've been saving." The old man in black, Shadow Old, casually tossed out a piece of grayish, inconspicuous bone.

"This is the middle section of the leg bone of the 'Void Beast.' Although this beast has been dead for a thousand years, a trace of spatial power still remains in this bone. Integrating it into a weapon will give the weapon the ability to break through a certain amount of protective aura."

Next to Elder Ying was an old man with a towering figure, named Chongshan.

His voice was deep and thunderous as he pulled a dark earthenware jar from his robes: "I don't have any fancy treasures. This is a jar of 'Indestructible Ointment.' Apply it to your whole body, and it will make your body as hard as steel. It's a holy medicine for physical training."

All eyes turned to the last old man—Shi Jiugao.

He has a very long tenure at the National Martial Arts Hall and is extremely protective of his own. He is the master of "Shang Jue," a favorite to win the Dark Force Group this time.

Shi Jiugao glanced indifferently at the dazzling array of treasures on the table, a disdainful smile playing on his lips: "Although they are all decent items, in my opinion, they are still lacking something."

Having said that, he slowly extended his palm, in which floated a pill emitting a pale purple halo. As the halo swirled, it faintly formed the shape of an infant, radiating a wave that sent shivers down one's spine.

"This is... a Soul Nourishing Pill?!"

Tao Xuanzheng's pupils contracted, and he exclaimed in shock, "Old Monster Jiugao, are you insane? This is a peerless elixir that can directly enhance one's spirit, and you're actually gambling with it?"

Shi Jiugao smiled proudly, his eyes radiating absolute confidence: "It is precisely because it is precious that it deserves the title of champion in this competition. Besides, since I dared to bring it out, I never intended to lose. My disciple, Shang Jue, is a genius beyond compare; in this competition, who can rival him?"

Upon hearing this, the elders present had various expressions, but none of them could deny the value of this pill, which was absolutely the most valuable in the entire room.

At this moment, the center of the huge round table was filled with all sorts of rare and precious materials.

Purple-veined Crimson Gold Iron, Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Deep-Sea Frost Crystal, Lingxu Ferry Manual, Blackwater King Serpent Gallbladder, Earth Fire Pearl, Heavenly Silkworm Soft Armor, Vajra Indestructible Ointment, Lightning-Struck Wood, Void Beast Bone, and the most precious Soul Nourishing Pill.

The table was radiant with light and filled with spiritual energy. Its value was enough to buy half a city, and could even drive countless martial arts masters to fight each other to the death.

"Alright! The bet's set, now it's up to our eyesight!"

The Fiery Old Monster stared intently at the massive jade wall in the center of the hall and proclaimed loudly, "Everything is set up, so let's activate the divine artifact 'Spirit Communication Jade Wall'! Let's see who among this year's youngsters is the most outstanding, and then we can prepare to place our bets!"

As the old monster Liehuo finished speaking.

With a soft "hum", the surface of the huge spiritual jade disc rippled outwards, spreading like waves.

A moment later, the previously cloudy jade surface became crystal clear, and the image split into three, showing the real-time scenes inside three different lounges.

Although separated by a screen, the overwhelming martial arts aura still caused the elders present to narrow their eyes slightly.

The group on the far left is the Danjin group, which has the fewest members, with only four or five people.

They each occupied a corner of the lounge, eyes closed and knees crossed, like several sleeping lions. Although they did not move, their aura was heavy, and even the air seemed to freeze.

The group in the middle consists of about ten people, representing the Transformation Realm.

This group of people were all sharp and aggressive, and sparks flew between their eyes as they exchanged glances; they were clearly competing with each other.

The most eye-catching group is the Dark Force group on the far right.

This place has the largest number of people, a total of thirty, and most of them are young and full of energy.

They either chatted in small groups or polished their weapons alone. Although their skill level was not as high as the previous two groups, their fearless spirit was the strongest.

The Fiery Old Monster stroked his chin, his eyes blazing, and pointed first at a burly man in the Dan Jin group's picture. "There's no suspense in the Dan Jin group. I'm optimistic about 'Invincible' Lei Heng. This kid's external martial arts skills have reached a high level. This time, the champion is definitely his."

"That's not necessarily true." Tao Xuanzheng chuckled. "I think the swordsman has a better chance."

Although the elders held esteemed positions, they now resembled ordinary gamblers, pointing and commenting on the jade disc.

This is not just about gambling on treasures, but also about gambling on one's judgment and one's reputation.

Soon, the top contenders for the Dan Jin and Hua Jin groups were divided up among the elders.

In the end, everyone's attention was focused on the Dark Force Group, which had the largest number of members.

This is where the biggest variables lie, and it's also the highlight of this bet.

The Fiery Old Monster pointed to the image on the jade wall and said with a smile, "The quality of this year's Dark Strength group's youngsters is quite good. Especially Shang Jue, his blood and qi are like a dragon, his divine forehead is full, and there is a faint divine light overflowing from it. It seems that you, 'Old Monster Jiugao,' have taught him well."

Shi Jiugao stroked his beard and smiled proudly: "Shang Jue is a child with extraordinary talent. Not only is his martial arts foundation solid, but he has also awakened talent in that area... I will reserve the first place in the Dark Force group this time without hesitation. I have spent so much effort to cultivate him. If he can't even beat this rabble, he is not worthy to be my disciple, Shi Jiugao."

Seeing this, many people nodded secretly.

They had long heard of Shang Jue's reputation; he was indeed one of the best in his generation. Since this old monster Shi Jiugao dared to take out the Soul Nourishing Pill, it meant he had absolute confidence.

So three more elders followed suit and placed their bets on Shang Jue.

"Hehe, Old Monster Jiugao, don't speak too confidently."

At this moment, Granny Jin Hua lightly tapped the ground with her cane, and a glint of light flashed in her cloudy old eyes as she pointed at another girl with a cold expression in the jade wall.

The girl was dressed in pure white, holding a long, sheathed sword in her arms. Her demeanor was as cold as ice, and strangers were not to be approached.

"I've heard that Yan Shuang is Yan Zhan's younger sister. Both sisters in the Yan family are martial arts fanatics. Back then, Yan Zhan's talent was not much different from 'Goddess of Slaughter' Zhao Xue. With her personal guidance, I think Yan Shuang is also a contender for the Dark Force Group championship," Granny Jin Hua said slowly. "I'm betting my money on her."

"The young lady from the Yan family... she does indeed have some skills." Old Ying's hoarse voice rang out, "Then I'll also learn from Yan Shuang."

For a time, the scene was divided into two factions: most people favored Shang Jue, a few favored Yan Shuang, and a few elders chose other well-known scions of prominent families.

When it was He Baiweng's turn, his gaze fell on the calm-looking young man in the corner, and he smiled slightly: "Since you have all chosen others, then I will choose the one I brought, 'Cang Lian'. I will bet on the gall bladder of the Black Water King Serpent."

"Old Crane, are you giving someone a gift?" Shi Jiugao mocked.

He Baiweng smiled without saying a word, simply gazing quietly at the jade disc.