Can a Scholar Be Called a Villain - Book 2: Chapter 6: Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon

Xiao Dong, who was dressed in white, gently lifted the stone in his hand as he turned to ask Zhou Xuan Zi, “Have you already chosen your three stones? I’m already done here.”

There were two more large stones placed at his side as he stared down the individual with a prideful expression before him. The man patted his own three large stones on the ground as well, smiling at Xiao Dong, “Of course! We’ve already agreed, that whoever loses here will have to strip naked and run three rounds around this marketplace, got it?”

He looked at the stone betting master he had invited over with confidence, before turning to look at Xiao Dong provocatively.

The corners of Xiao Dong’s lips raised slightly, “Of course.”

The two of them placed their stones in front of the seller, and after paying the price, they hurriedly had the boss help to crack them open.

The seller also called over a few helpers to help crack open these stones.

The crowd gathered around Xiao Dong and Zhou Xuan Zi, while Luo Miao Miao stood in the centre of the two individuals.

“The first stone has already been split! It’s young sir Zhou’s! The lower Sky grade ‘Dragon Dao Control Crystal’, worth three hundred thousand spiritual stones!”

Zhou Xuan Zi’s lips curled as he looked provocatively at Xiao Dong, “It might be best for you to admit defeat now, lest you lose and lack the courage to run later.”

In the realm of stone betting, a one-grade difference was significant, and most of the treasures found within these stones were typically in the Earth grade. Therefore, Zhou Xuan Zi’s bet on a lower Sky grade spiritual ore was considered an excellent start.

The stone betting master next to him appeared to puff out his chest, exuding a sense of pride. However, his thinning hair did little to inspire reverence in anyone.

Xiao Dong’s expression remained unchanged in response to Zhou Xuan Zi’s provocation. Instead, he glanced behind him, contemplating the contents of the stone he had chosen that he couldn’t quite discern.

“The second one is open! It belongs to young sir Xiao! It’s a lower Sky grade ‘Transformative Marrow Elixir’, valued at seven hundred spiritual stones!”

Seven hundred spiritual stones!

This amount was more than doubled the value of Zhou Xuan Zi’s find.

The crowd was momentarily stunned and then erupted into fervent discussions.

On the other hand, Zhou Xuan Zi’s complexion soured as he regarded Xiao Dong indignantly, saying, “These are only the first stones; don’t get too excited. The outcome is not yet determined!”

Xiao Dong responded with a smile.

Subsequently.

“The third stone is open! It belongs to young sir Zhou! It’s a lower Sky-grade ‘Falcon Origins’, valued at one hundred and fifty thousand spiritual stones!”

“The fourth item! Belongs to young sir Zhou! It’s a higher Sky-grade spiritual fire from the ‘Flame Spirit’, valued at three hundred thousand spiritual stones!”

The crowd erupted in excitement.

A spiritual fire!

The highly sought-after spiritual fire by pill refiners!

No one had anticipated the discovery of a spiritual fire here, and the outcome of this match exceeded their expectations.

The stone betting master continued, “The fifth item! Belongs to young sir Xiao! It’s a higher Sky-grade ‘Soul-Opening Pearl’, valued at five hundred spiritual stones!”

At this point, a smile graced Zhou Xuan Zi’s face as he gazed at Xiao Dong, “It seems that I’ve secured a better overall value. What do you think?”

Xiao Dong made no effort to dispute his words, instead turning to examine the final piece behind him, the one he believed held the highest value.

With a smile, he addressed Zhou Xuan Zi, “You need not worry, sir.”

In response, Zhou Xuan Zi gave a disdainful snort and ceased conversing with Xiao Dong. He turned to Luo Miao Miao, who stood beside him, and commented with a grin, “See, that guy is indeed losing.”

A smirk played across Luo Miao Miao’s face as she remained silent.

Throughout this entire process, Murong Lin closely observed Xiao Dong, meticulously analyzing his personality.

Xiao Dong appeared self-assured and outspoken.

These kinds of protagonists came in two distinct varieties: those who were strong and could dominate with their personal power, and those who relied on luck to assert their dominance.

At this point, the third stone chosen by Xiao Dong was opened. The seller gazed at the item in astonishment, his expression contorted.

“Th-the sixth item belongs to young sir Xiao. ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’, a lower Barren grade…”

The surrounding onlookers were equally stunned when they saw the revealed item and shouted in disbelief.

“The Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet? Is it really the Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet?”

“Oh my heavens! This is the Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet? A lower Barren-grade Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet!”

“Could it be? How could it be the Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet? Wait, what exactly is the Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet?”

Someone turned to the last speaker, who looked bewildered, and started to mock him, “You don’t know about the Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet? Have you at least heard of the ‘Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon’?”

“Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon?!”

The puzzled onlookers immediately recalled.

A millennium ago, a formidable demon known as the ‘Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon’ had emerged in the Great Nanyue continent. He had reached the Tribulation realm and was renowned for his mastery of various Taoist sorceries.

The Soldier Pellet was one of his many creations, resembling a form of sorcery capable of conjuring soldiers from scattering beans.

The ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’ was a creation of the Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon, comprised of elements such as spiritual techniques, spiritual equipment, and spiritual arrays. Injecting dark-attributed spiritual power into this small pellet would summon a puppet with combat abilities at the Abhijñā realm level.

Although the puppet didn’t possess a genuine Abhijñā, its combat capabilities were equivalent to that realm. The Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon had more than a hundred of these ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellets, a testament to his immense strength.

However, the Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon had incurred the enmity of numerous factions and even harmed disciples from the ten great sects. In a united effort led by the ‘Dragon Tiger Hall’ and the ‘Dark Demon Alliance’, they completely obliterated the mountain where the Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon resided.

This battle led to the destruction of the territories of three entire nations, reducing the surrounding thousand li to rubble and resulting in a death toll exceeding one billion.

With that, the Ancient Dao Heavenly Demon disappeared forever, and the remaining ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellets’ were scattered across the continent. The higher Barren-grade ‘Heavenly Demon Dao Classics’ were also divided into nine volumes and scattered throughout the continent.

In recent years, there have been occasional reports of individuals acquiring volumes of the ‘Heavenly Demon Dao Classics’, sparking turmoil in various regions.

Even the ‘Moon Prayer Pagoda’ had managed to obtain one of these volumes.

The crowd was visibly agitated as they gazed at the ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’ before them.

After all, this was an item capable of summoning an Abhijñā realm puppet with the infusion of dark-attributed spiritual power.

The spectators’ eyes reddened as they engaged in frantic discussions. Some even stepped forward and inquired, “Master Xiao, are you selling this ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’? I’ll offer ten spiritual crystals!”

Spiritual crystals held a higher value than spiritual stones, with each spiritual crystal worth ten million spiritual stones. This man had offered a hundred million spiritual stones at once, shocking everyone.

However, this price was still quite reasonable. After all, the ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’ was known to possess the combat power of an Abhijñā expert.

The surrounding people began to raise their bids:

“I’ll pay eleven spiritual crystals!”

“Twelve spiritual crystals!”

“I’ll pay twelve spiritual crystals and a million spiritual stones!”

These were all tournament participants with significant resources, and they couldn’t resist the allure of an item that could significantly enhance their chances of victory.

Xiao Dong didn’t immediately respond to these offers. Instead, he turned to Zhou Xuan Zi with a smug expression and said, “Look at this, it appears you’ve lost, right?”

Xiao Dong raised his chin slightly as he observed Zhou Xuan Zi.

Zhou Xuan Zi’s complexion had turned unsightly, and he glanced around nervously. In a fit of anger, he slapped the stone betting master beside him and shouted, “It’s all because of you! You’ve made me a laughingstock!”

The stone betting master had relatively weak cultivation, and Zhou Xuan Zi’s slap caused the clothes on his body to explode as he was sent tumbling into the crowd. The crowd moved aside as some mocked him, discussed the incident, and ridiculed him. Amidst the chaos, no one noticed Zhou Xuan Zi quietly slipping away into the crowd.

As for Luo Miao Miao, she cast a peculiar gaze at Xiao Dong before departing. Even she couldn’t afford to provoke Zhou Xuan Zi.

Xiao Dong watched Zhou Xuan Zi’s disgruntled departure with a faint smile. After realizing that Luo Miao Miao had also left, he approached the seller in disappointment and retrieved his ‘Heavenly Demon Soldier Pellet’, showing no intention of selling it.

Murong Lin looked at his back, completely indifferent to the fact that something he coveted was just taken away. Instead, he began to strategize.

“What a shame; he’s too engrossed in the opposite sex.”

Translator’s note:

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