Volume One: The Ethereal Cloud Immortal Palace Chapter Forty-Six: The Wager

Chapter Forty-Six: The Gamble

Palm Thunder versus Radiant Buddha Light!

On the Ascendant Platform, many eyes turned toward Zhou Hao and San Yi. Their performances were nothing short of astonishing.

“Palm Thunder? It’s Palm Thunder! How could a disciple of the Immortal Hall know such a high-level celestial technique?” After a moment of surprise, a Hall Master exclaimed.

“Radiant Buddha Light? That’s a technique from the Buddha’s True Sutra, a supreme Buddhist art! How is this possible? Both Yunmiao Immortal Hall and Weituo Immortal Hall have produced disciples of such extraordinary talent?” Another Hall Master voiced his doubts.

“San Yi is understandable—his strength has been known for some time. But Zhou Hao? Wasn’t he just a mortal who ascended from the lower realms thirty years ago? He’s defying all expectations!” The Hall Master of Muqi Hall commented.

Though the disciples of the various Immortal Halls were unaware of Zhou Hao's origins, the Hall Masters knew well. From the moment Zhou Hao entered the Celestial Domain Monument thirty years ago, every Hall Master had immediately dispatched elders to the Ascendant Platform to recruit him. Thus, witnessing Zhou Hao's astonishing prowess now left them all in awe.

“Inconceivable! What kind of cultivation talent is this? To forge such a powerful disciple in just thirty years!”

“Hall Master of Yunmiao, you have truly found a priceless treasure!”

“Indeed, such fine quality is rare. Yunmiao Immortal Hall is assured of its legacy, and this one is a dragon among men!”

The Hall Masters all praised Yunmiao through Zhou Hao's achievements. Yunmiao Immortal gave a polite nod in return, his face full of satisfied delight.

On the Ascendant Platform.

Thunder surged and crackled in Zhou Hao’s right palm, arcs of blue-violet lightning snapping as if a river of thunder were rushing skyward toward the illusory Buddha figure above.

San Yi, too, was exerting all his strength! Clad in pure white, his form seemed ethereal, enveloped in golden radiance. Above his head hovered a string of sandalwood prayer beads, each glowing like a miniature sun. From these beads emanated a dazzling brilliance, constructing a massive Buddha shadow, seated cross-legged with hands joined—a visage of the Buddha's founder. Compassion radiated from its face, but within its gentle eyes lay a supreme, awe-inspiring majesty.

“These Buddhist celestial arts are indeed formidable! Palm Thunder, renowned for its unparalleled offense, still struggles to breach the defense of Radiant Buddha Light!”

“I disagree. I think Zhou Hao’s exposure to Palm Thunder is too brief; naturally, he cannot compare to San Yi, who has cultivated Buddhist arts for years.”

“Exactly. From Zhou Hao’s execution of Palm Thunder, it’s clear his practice is shallow; he shouldn’t have used this move so soon!” The Sixteenth Hall Master observed Zhou Hao’s slightly tense stance and unskilled technique, instantly understanding—he had yet to master Palm Thunder fully.

“Zhou Hao, your teacher believes in you. You will win!” Yun Fang stood behind Yunmiao Immortal, his gaze never leaving the slender youth on the platform.

At that moment, Zhou Hao himself felt some regret. Palm Thunder was immensely powerful, but he had only learned it overnight and could not possibly master it so quickly. Though he could wield it outwardly, against San Yi’s Radiant Buddha Light, he could not secure victory. San Yi had studied this celestial martial art for decades, refining it to perfection, while Zhou Hao had only a single night—even with extraordinary talent, the gap was impossible to close…

“In that case… let’s try this instead!” Suddenly, Zhou Hao moved. He withdrew Palm Thunder; the storm of lightning vanished, replaced by blazing heat. Everyone saw Zhou Hao thrust both palms forward.

“Great Solar Palm!”

Without reservation, Zhou Hao channeled his celestial power into his hands. In a blink, his palms turned golden, radiating intense heat, evaporating the surrounding clouds and causing rain to fall on the Ascendant Platform.

“What is this…?” San Yi’s eyes widened in terror. He was closest to Zhou Hao and felt an unprecedented fear. Even though Radiant Buddha Light was, in his mind, absolute defense—even though he believed firmly in his own strength—none of it could stop the dread that flooded his body as Zhou Hao unleashed the Great Solar Palm!

Buzz!

The entire space thrummed. All present witnessed the spectacular scene: Zhou Hao’s body was encircled by ten suns, like a solar deity descending. As he pushed his palms forward, two golden hands, vast as mountains, surged toward San Yi and the Buddha shadow that protected him.

Boom!

Where the golden palms passed, devastation followed. The blazing golden flames were blinding. The layered clouds and rainbow bridges evaporated into steam. Yet San Yi suffered most—his Buddha shadow collapsed instantly upon contact with the golden hands, and his one hundred and eight prayer beads disintegrated into dust! He himself was hurled a hundred miles into the clouds, his white robes entirely burned away.

On San Yi’s chest, two black handprints were embedded deep into flesh, bleeding and charred!

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Coughing violently, San Yi lay on the clouds, unable even to move.

“Zhou Hao wins!”

An elder serving as referee called for two disciples to carry the severely wounded, unconscious San Yi back, and then solemnly announced the result.

“Next!”

After unleashing the Great Solar Palm, Zhou Hao’s face was visibly pale, but his celestial body recovered quickly. Soon his cheeks were flushed once more. This was the effect of the Nine-Petal Heart Lotus; consuming a single petal could revive the dying, and Zhou Hao had undergone the forging of his body with the lotus’s heart flame—his constitution now rivaled that of a Golden Immortal! Thus, when compared to Longbow Mao of Lieshan Hall, Zhou Hao could match him body to body.

“I’ll go!”

With a whoosh, a burly figure appeared opposite Zhou Hao. This man was as robust as Longbow Mao, and belonged to the bold type, his chest bare, covered only with a black cloak, and wore a Vajra circlet on his head.

“I am San Yi’s junior, Bang Le! You wounded my senior brother, so I must settle the score!” The man bellowed at Zhou Hao.

“Come then!” Zhou Hao blinked, taunting Bang Le with a provocative gesture.

“Ha!”

Bang Le let out another roar and punched forward. His fist grew larger with the wind, swelling to the size of a stone roller in just two breaths, the wind around it whistling sharply.

What would happen if this punch landed?

The answer was soon revealed. Zhou Hao dashed forward with an arrow-like step, fearless. The onlookers were stunned by his speed—it was the ethereal step technique, Lingxu Immortal Traces, taught by Yun Fang.

His steps drifted like shifting stars, ghostly and elusive. Bang Le’s powerful fist could shatter mountains and seas, yet he was dumbfounded. A golden sword plunged into his right arm, blood gushed, and his punch halted abruptly!

“You… you… you…” Bang Le stared wide-eyed at Zhou Hao, only able to stammer “you”—clearly bewildered by how easily he had been defeated.

“You have a strong body, but… your speed is too slow!” Zhou Hao shook his head at Bang Le.

“What did you say?!” Bang Le raged, unwilling to accept defeat.

Bang!

Despite his injured right arm, Bang Le had strength left. He swung his left fist at Zhou Hao’s head.

The air hummed, his fist again growing enormous. This time, Zhou Hao did not use Lingxu Immortal Traces but met him fist to fist.

A large and small fist collided, the crash echoing across the platform, the shockwave scattering clouds. The sound was not that of fists but of mountains collapsing!

Step step step…

Zhou Hao retreated ten steps; Bang Le retreated seven. Both faces showed astonishment, marveling at each other's physical power.

“So strong! This is the indestructible Vajra body of Buddhist cultivation—a true treasure!” Zhou Hao praised freely.

“How could a disciple of Yunmiao Hall possess such formidable physical strength? You only retreated ten steps, and forced me back seven!” Bang Le was even more astonished.

Bang Le’s speed might be lacking, but his body was terrifying, even more so than Longbow Mao! Among the sixteen halls, the two best at body cultivation were Lieshan Hall and Weituo Hall; the latter was stronger, as it belonged to the Buddhist tradition, whose focus was on the body. The indestructible Vajra body was famous for its might.

Zhou Hao had not realized how powerful the Vajra body could be; his chest surged with blood, his arms numb from the impact.

“I swear, I must work tirelessly to strengthen my body!” After that punch, Zhou Hao’s desire to enhance his physique only grew.

“It’s not over yet—I will win!” Zhou Hao suddenly smiled, revealing neat white teeth.

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The two clashed again. Bang Le’s physical strength was extraordinary, but his speed was his undoing. Zhou Hao, relying on Lingxu Immortal Traces, defeated him!

Thus, Bang Le followed his senior San Yi, carried back to Weituo Hall by two disciples.

“San Yi and Bang Le both lost—heavens, who is this Zhou Hao? His cultivation time and power are both genius-level!” A disciple exclaimed, referring to his years of cultivation.

“A dark horse! A true dark horse! Incredible!” Another disciple howled.

“What’s the rush? It’s too soon to say. There are six more to go—I don’t believe Zhou Hao will achieve nine consecutive wins!” A disciple seemed unimpressed.

“Nine consecutive wins? Speaking of that, I recall someone did it at the last Sixteen Immortal Halls Gathering!” A disciple remembered.

“Yu Yang!” Another disciple chimed in. “The strongest genius of Yunmiao Immortal Hall, and the most talented among the sixteen halls!”

“Unbelievable! Could it be that Yunmiao will claim the crown again?” A disciple exclaimed.

“Next…”

The ensuing battles became dull. Many assumed that the later challengers would be stronger, but that was not the case. After Bang Le, Zhou Hao’s next five opponents all suffered complete defeat, with the outcome decided within ten moves. The crowd fell speechless—couldn’t the matches be as exciting as before?

Just as the audience lost interest in Zhou Hao’s group, a figure appeared that revitalized everyone!

“Roland of Muqi Hall, please grant me your guidance!”

A slender girl, about fifteen or sixteen, approached Zhou Hao. She wore aqua-green robes and had a delicate, beautiful face. Her figure was graceful and light, with a narrow waist that took one’s breath away.

“Wow, it’s Roland! Zhou Hao is facing her—I bet the goddess wins! Zhou Hao’s streak ends here.” A male disciple shouted, staring at Roland’s enchanting form on stage.

“Hmph, I’ll bet on Zhou Hao!” Beside him, a female disciple protested. She was his fellow sectmate and had always been annoyed by his foolishness around pretty girls.

“Count me in—I bet on Roland! The six beauties of the Immortal Halls all possess both skill and beauty; Zhou Hao can’t possibly win against Roland!” Another male disciple called out.

“Bah, is the goddess meant for gambling? You two idiots, you disgrace her!” Another disciple, angry at the betting, shouted.

“Exactly! How dare you wager on the goddess without even placing a proper bet? Here, I’ll put down three thousand spirit crystals for Roland! Place your bets, hurry…” A disciple dressed as a noble fanned himself disdainfully at the others and then pulled out a patterned sachet from his sleeve.

He opened the sachet, blue light shimmering—inside were countless diamond-shaped blue crystals containing deep azure liquid.

“My goodness! Nethersea spirit crystals—top-grade, three thousand of them! Brother, that’s solid!” Another male disciple gave him a thumbs-up.

“Alright, I’ll match you—three thousand silver-veined spirit crystals!” Another slapped down a bulging bag, which, when opened, revealed sparkling diamond-shaped crystals.

“Unbelievable, all top-grade! You guys are real big spenders!” Another disciple laughed bitterly.

“I don’t have spirit crystals, but I’ll bet this purple spirit mushroom!” Suddenly, a charming, childlike voice chimed in.

“My… a purple spirit mushroom! That’s worth at least five thousand top-grade spirit crystals—such extravagance! But for the goddess, it’s understandable.” The disciple who had laughed earlier did so again.

“No, I’m betting on Zhou Hao!” Xiao Shanshan held a purple mushroom about a foot long.

“What? You’re betting on Zhou Hao? Are you out of your mind? That’s a sure loss!” Someone mocked.

“Not necessarily—I’m betting on Zhou Hao too! I believe he’ll be the final victor!” Another female disciple stepped forward, and the crowd went wild, their gazes—heated, reverent, even devout—fixed upon her.

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