Chapter 647: Accepting the Challenge
Bing Yang didn't pursue, instead remaining where he stood.
After creating some distance, He Gai Tou halted, a look of astonishment on his face as he stared at the three-meter radius circle of light. “Your Frost Aura actually intertwined with the effects of the [Beautiful Future] potion?”
“That's right. It was an accidental discovery,” Bing Yang replied.
Both He Gai Tou and the Ice Prison Warden fell silent. Their eyes flickered as they stared at the aura, their expressions as if avoiding venomous snakes!
“This time, Long Fu is in serious trouble!”
“It's entirely possible he could lose to Bing Yang.”
He Gai Tou felt a surge of excitement, while the Ice Prison Warden's face clouded with worry.
He Gai Tou voluntarily halted the battle, deeply wary of this mutated Frost Aura.
“Alright, I have a rough idea now. I know what kind of gear suits you.”
“What about your own gear?”
Bing Yang answered honestly: “Most of it's been sold off.”
Tormented by the effects of the magic potion, he sensed his days were numbered. After all attempts to prolong his life failed, he deliberately committed a crime. Using his connections, he arranged to be imprisoned within the Ice Prison.
Though the prison's environment temporarily suppressed the potion's effects, he had already sunk into despair and resignation.
To savor the last beautiful moments of his life, he not only sold off his gold level gear but also gradually liquidated some assets. With the money, he purchased luxury items, like magic delicacies, to indulge in.
He Gai Tou nodded, learned about Bing Yang's battle skills, and then took his leave.
The Ice Prison warden escorted him all the way out. Before parting, a deep look of worry crossed his face: “I'm truly worried.”
“The Frost Aura itself isn't terrifying. What's terrifying is that it mutated due to the [Beautiful Future] potion, gaining the power of time itself.”
“If Long Fu loses, won't our bets go down the drain?”
He Gai Tou thought: “Wouldn't it be best if Bing Yang could eliminate Long Fu outright?”
He desperately wished for that outcome.
But for now, he couldn't be candid with the warden.
So, he reassured him: "No, in my view, Long Fu still holds the greater strength. Even with Bing Yang's trump card, Long Fu has the better odds of winning."
The Ice Prison Warden dismissed this, shaking his head. "I don't believe it! I've seen the magic recordings myself. I know exactly how Long Fu defeated Teng Dong Lang."
He Gai Tou pondered briefly before offering a counterargument, “Then you must not have witnessed how Long Fu repelled Hua Tang.”
The Ice Prison Warden froze. "I've heard rumors about that. But whether a notorious thief like Hua Tang is real or fake, who can say for sure?"
He Gai Tou produced a magic crystal ball, small, no bigger than a baby's fist.
“This contains the footage of Hua Tang and Long Fu clashing.”
“Someone captured it by accident.”
“My Lord, after viewing this, you'll understand my confidence in Long Fu.”
This footage, of course, had been secretly recorded by agents deployed by Mei Lin.
It captured the battle from every angle.
Mei Lin was an exceptional commander who understood the critical importance of military intelligence. Thus, during Hua Tang's operation, she had deliberately begun gathering firsthand intelligence.
The one He Gai Tou presented was merely one of several copies.
The Ice Prison Warden immediately reviewed the magic footage, his expression quickly shifting.
Though the battle was brief, Hua Tang's combat prowess was unmistakably of gold level. Yet “Long Fu” (Zong Ge) performed exceptionally well, nearly matching him blow for blow.
“How is Long Fu so powerful?” the Ice Prison Warden wondered aloud.
He Gai Tou smiled faintly, deliberately lowering his voice as he voiced his conjecture: “You know the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has some deep connections, right?”
“Long Fu's strength isn't that straightforward either.”
“I'm inclined to believe he deliberately feigned weakness, only ‘barely managing’ to defeat Teng Dong Lang.”
“I even doubt whether he's truly silver level.”
“After all, our nation's dueling rules only prohibit outside assistance. If a duelist disguises their level so others can't tell, that's actually a skill in itself, not a violation at all.”
The Ice Prison Warden suddenly understood: “So that's how it is!”
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps is suspected of arms smuggling. To secure a market, they naturally need a reputation.”
“If a gold level fighter pretends to be silver level and duels, creating the stunning feat of a silver defeating a gold level, they'll become famous nationwide in no time!”
“What a brilliant plan... No wonder Teng Dong Lang's defeat in the final blow seemed so abrupt.”
Seeing the warden's reaction, He Gai Tou added, “Rest assured. As the bookmaker controlling the betting pool, do you think I'd want to make a loss?”
The Ice Prison Warden was finally completely convinced.
He Gai Tou also possessed exceptional initiative. Once Bing Yang's participation was confirmed, he immediately ordered the news to be spread while simultaneously leveraging channels like Mei Lin to procure equipment and battle skills for Bing Yang.
With duelists secretly aiding him, the relevant information quickly spread.
"Have you heard? Bing Yang has issued a duel challenge to Long Fu!”
"Who is Bing Yang? Sounds somewhat familiar."
“Lord Long Fu's combat prowess is top tier among silver level fighters. Can Bing Yang stop his winning streak?”
“Bing Yang isn't like other silver level fighters. He was once a gold level fighter who fell in level after overusing the magic potion [Beautiful Future].”
“So that's it!”
"He's also a victim of [Beautiful Future]? How is he still alive after all these years?"
“He was once a gold level, after all. And I heard he deliberately committed a crime, entered the Ice Prison, and discovered a way to counteract the potion's effects!”
"Bing Yang is not ordinary! He was once gold level, and now he can resist the [Beautiful Future] potion. He's even challenging Long Fu now, he must be confident. How much combat power does he have left?"
“Could it be that Bing Yang has recovered and returned to gold level?”
“No, multiple sources confirm he's still silver level.”
"But this isn't ordinary silver level. His combat power must be astonishing. I wonder who'd come out on top in a fight between him and Long Fu?"
"I'm dying to see it too! Their clash could easily be the strongest silver level showdown of this National Ceremony Grand Duel."
“Now it all hinges on Long Fu's response, will they accept or decline?”
"They absolutely have to accept! A challenge of the gold level would be one thing—after all, Long Fu is only silver level. We can understand a refusal in this case. But how can he possibly decline a duel with another silver level?"
"There's no need to speculate on that. I firmly believe Long Fu won't refuse. He dared challenge even the gold level Teng Dong Lang and took him down in public, why would he fear a mere Bing Yang?"
"This battle is definitely happening! Finally, the National Ceremony Grand Duel is starting to feel worthwhile."
“Too bad they're both in the capital. We won't get to see it live.”
"So what? The magic broadcast of this fight will be a huge hit."
"Hmm? Didn't you know Long Fu has been holding duels privately lately, without spectators?"
“Ah, I suppose that's true...”
"Then let's make our voices heard! We demand this duel be public, we want to watch. If they won't show us, we won't buy their dragon rider potions!"
“Hahaha, if the duel goes public, I'll buy ten sets of potions right away to support the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.”
Public sentiment quickly surged like massive waves, swiftly engulfing Zong Ge and Zi Di.
Zong Ge keenly sensed the hostility: "Enemies are spreading and amplifying this public sentiment. Just as we discussed before, they aim to constantly harass me, hinder my recovery, assess my condition, and then strike when the opportunity arises."
Zi Di paced back and forth, her expression troubled. “Based on the intelligence we've gathered so far, Bing Yang was already an elite when he was still at the gold level!”
“Had he not been dragged down by the potion [Beautiful Future], his future would have been bright. He wouldn't have ended up voluntarily locking himself up.”
“Now that he's been chosen by our enemies, they'll definitely arm him properly.”
“This doesn't bode well...”
“Yet in our current predicament, we cannot refuse.”
Zong Ge's rejection of a gold level duel was understandable, but outright rejecting a silver level one would inevitably damage his reputation, making the Ice Sculpture citizens perceive him as weak and cowardly.
This deeply contradicted the values and ethos of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
The best-case scenario would be sales of the dragon rider potion halving, and that was optimistic.
A sharp gleam flashed in Zong Ge's eyes, showing no sign of retreat: “Since we've leveraged our reputation, we'll naturally be bound by it.”
“Forget our business plans, Bing Yang must be eliminated.”
"Yuan Ci orchestrated this behind the scenes; originally, Shi Liu was to represent Ice Prison in battle. Now, Bing Yang has usurped that spot. Once I eliminate him and free that spot, Shi Liu can take his place."
Zi Di sighed and could only nod in agreement.
He Gai Tou remained unaware that his selection of Bing Yang for battle disrupted not only the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' commercial ambitions but also the secret plan to unlock the Wisteria Cache.
Bing Yang must die!
This was the resolve of Zong Ge and Zi Di.
After reaching their decision, Zong Ge prepared for battle.
Zi Di, meanwhile, contacted the Li Jian Clan.
She presented two potion recipes to the Li Jian Clan's alchemist: “One is the potion [Spirit Stimulation], the other is the potion [Smooth Stride]. Both are used to accelerate magic beast mounts.”
“The former accelerates mental processing, while the latter boosts physical movement speed.”
“Once these are brewed and released to the market, they're bound to spark a second wave of sales frenzy.”
Zi Di was confident.
The alchemist lacked her business acumen and couldn't grasp the vast commercial potential, but he could study the two potion formulas.
Soon, the Li Jian Clan member marveled: “Brilliant! The acceleration principle of the [Smooth Stride] potion doesn't just boost the mount's base speed, it also mimics a spell like [Grease Feet], drastically reducing resistance.”
When it reached the hands of the Li Jian Clan steward, who also possessed some business acumen, he saw even more: "The [Spirit Stimulation] potion is exceptional! Its alchemy cost is remarkably low. It accelerates mounts' thinking, making them more agile and preventing them from being overwhelmed by sudden high speeds. In our kingdom, mind-enhancing potions primarily focus on calming thoughts and resisting external distractions. When it comes to accelerating thought, none can compete."
“This potion is bound to be a huge hit!”