Betting on First Place

"It's Di Lang's turn!" One of the girls exclaimed.

"Oh, then there will be a spectacle. Di Lang is the only gold grade talent from our village in three years, after all." The crowd casted their eyes over to the field.

Di Lang could feel the pressure among the gazes shot at her, and this made her feel even more nervous. Standing on the stage, her delicate fingers were trembling slightly.

She threw out her first moonblade, originally intending to aim at the grass puppet's chest. But because he was tense, he missed – in the end the moonblade imprinted onto the grass puppet's neck area.

The young teens instantly let out a sound of slight surprise.

They thought that Di Lang deliberately did it. Instead of aiming for the easiest spot which was the chest of the puppet, she went for the neck instead – this was a showcase of huge self-confidence towards her own attacking skill.

They could not help but look forward to Di Lang's next move. Mu Mo Chen and Mu Shi Cheng however had their complexions cast down.

Only those among the field who could see Di Lang's error was the academy elder.

"How dangerous!" Looking at the fangblade, Di Lang exclaimed in her heart while secretly feeling lucky. She took in a few deep breaths, trying her best to calm down. Then she threw out two blades. This time, she did not make any mistakes, and the two blades hit accurately on the grass puppet's chest.

This result made the academy elder nod his head, and Mo Chen and Shi Cheng calmed down as well. Di Lang's result was different from theirs, so it would all come down to how the academy elder decided to grade them.

The other students let out sounds of sighing. Di Lang's later performance was not interesting, making them feel slightly disappointed.

The next few groups were not interesting either. No one was able to perform better than Mo Chen, Shi Cheng and Di Lang. The youngsters started to whisper around.

"At this rate, the top scorer in today's assessment should be among the three of them."

"All three of them managed to hit the grass puppet, I wonder who the academy elder will deem better."

"Hold on, it's the last group. Di Lan's going up."

"Oh, that 'genius' mortal grade talent? Heh heh."

Right when it was the last group, Di Lan finally went up stage.

"It's that Di Lan…." Mu Mo Chen lifted his head and looked at Di Lan for a moment, then he lowered his eyes uncaringly.

"Last time you got really lucky, choosing a weak-willed Moonfang Spirit by accident and getting number one. Let's see how you perform this time!" Mu Shi Cheng hugged his arms, waiting to see Di Lan make a fool of himself.

"Big brother… This time will not be like the last. I have practiced so hard for so long, I can definitely surpass you." Among the crowd, Mu Di Lang subconsciously clenching her fists tightly as she uttered these words.

Previously in the assessment to refine the vital Spirit, she as someone with a Gold grade talent actually got second position. Naturally, she was not happy with this. Especially after she understood that Di Lan was able to win and get number one because of sheer luck, this made him even more unsatisfied. To Mu Di Lang, being victorious over her own older brother Di Lan had a special and great significance.

"Oh?" Mu Di Lan chuckled. "Is that so..?"

Di Lan looked at the three top students, mockingly said, "How about we make a bet then? Two spirit stones each for you, silver grade talents, and as for you, the special gold grade talent, that would be three spirit stones."

Many gazes were gathered on Di Lan, and the academy elder's sight was fixed on him as well. Di Lan was only nonchalantly smiling; his expression was unfettered.

"You dare mock us, you trash?" Mu Mo Chen and Mo Shi Cheng with their noble pride and their young age was easily instigated with Di Lan's scheme.

As for Di Lang, hearing her brother referring her as a gold grade talent has a resounding pain to her. Deep in her heart, there was like a string that was plucked and cut off. Her brother have really abandoned her.

"Mu Di Lang, are you just gonna stand by and be mocked by your own brother?" Mu Shi Cheng eyed Di Lan's twin sister.

"Hmph! What does that girl know, she might be a gold grade talent but she still lives in her brother's shadow." Mu Mo Chen contemptuously riling up Di Lang.

After a few breathes, Di Lang was not able to take insults anymore. 'I am a gold grade after all, and I should act like one.'

Di Lan looked at Mu Mo Chen first with authoritative and threatening gaze as she took a deep breath to calm down her chaotic mind. "What will the bet be all about, Mu Di Lan?"

When Di Lan heard all of these, he only let soft chuckle and shook his head in disappointment as he said, "If I'll come out first place in this assessment, you two will have to pay me 2 spirit stones each. And you Di Lang, will pay me 3 spirit stones. Of course, if I lose, I will be the one paying with the total of 7 spirit stones."

"Haha! Do you think you can earn profits by using the stones that you've received from being the first to refine a weak-willed Moonfang Spirit?" Mu Mo Chen mocked back. "Dream on! Let's make it 5 spirit stones each for the three of us. We'll take back spirit stones that you've gained."

Mu Shi Cheng smiled in approval as Di Lang also nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, it made Di Lan smile even more as he dismissively said, "That's the deal then, no taking back now."

Di Lan faced towards the academy elder, slightly bowing his head with his fist and palm held together in salutation, "Elder sir, I implore you to be the witness and the judge of this bet."

With this, the elder only solemnly nod. "Begin."

With the bet have been settled, Di Lan faced the grass puppet. He stood still, spiritual essence pouring into the Moonfang Spirit in the back of his palm. With a cut in the air, he struck out the first fangblade.

This moonblade flew very high. It not only went over the grass puppet's head, but flew over the bamboo wall as well. It went on for almost fifteen meters before the light turned dim and vanished into thin air.

"Pfffft…" Someone couldn't help but laugh out.

"This is way too outrageous, isn't it." Someone sneered.

"He's indeed a genius. No wonder he managed to get number one in refining the Spirit." Another spoke sarcastically.

In the earlier years when Di Lan wrote books and showed early wisdom, it had already caused discontented emotions among these people. Later on, when he relied on 'luck' and got number one in refining his vital Spirit, this made them feel a layer of jealousy among their dissatisfaction.

Many of them were waiting to see a 'good show'. They waited to see the 'genius' Di Lan reveal an embarrassing action, and this moonblade of his did not let them down.

Waves of laughter swept across the crowd.

The academy elder shook his head slightly, secretly laughing at himself. Why did he have to be so concerned with Di Lan for no reason? He was just a mortal grade and merely a boy who got number one in refining Spirit because of sheer luck.

In his heart he had already made up his mind. Although Mo Chen, Shi Cheng and Di Lang's results were the same, he would still pick Di Lang as number one.

The war between Mu Mo Chen and Mu Shi Cheng was the epitome of the political struggle between the two most powerful elders in the clan. The academy elder had always remained in the center and had no intention to enter the middle of the political vortex.

The academy elder was more inclined towards the clan head Mu Jin Bu, and Di Lang was a set with the clan leader. Add in the fact that he had gold grade talent, choosing him as number one would mean showing biased care for him, and it was something the clan's upper authorities could accept.

A warm spring breeze blew over, the smell of flowers drifting into the training grounds. The sunlight shone down on Di Lan's body, sending a lonely black shadow onto the ground.

His expression was still cold as he quietly gazed at the grass puppet ten meters away. The fangblade in his fingers was giving out a faint blue light.

Of course, he had deliberately thrown the first fangblade off course. Right now he only had two chances left to act. Taking into account the academy elder's position, to acquire number one he would have to create an outcome that exceeded everyone's expectations in the next two attacks.

"With only two chances left to attack, it's impossible. Big brother, I have finally won over you." Mu Di Lang's eyes did not flicker as she stared at Di Lan. From young till old, the life shadow that his older brother had brought onto him finally faded away slowly at this moment.

Di Lang could feel victory so nearby. Her two delicate hands were subconsciously clenched tight, her entire body so full of excitement that she trembled slightly.

"Big brother, my victory this time is just a beginning. Next, I will keep on winning over you again and again until I banish away all the shadows in my heart. I will prove to the clan, the excellence of a gold grade talent genius!" Di Lang told herself in her heart.

But just at this moment, Di Lan acted. His right hand was like a knife, splitting the void.

With a sharp tearing sound, the blue light with orange sparkles shrouded in his palm was thrown out. It flew in the air, turning into a curved blue fangblade, shooting towards the grass puppet.

In just the next second, Di Lan's left hand lit up again in a coat of blue light. He turned his palm and shot out the third fangblads. These two attacks connected smoothly like flowing water; it was a seamless combination.

The two fangblades flew out in quick succession, the distance between the two blades less than half a meter apart in the air. Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, the two moonblades accurately hit onto the grass puppet's neck.

"This…" Di Lang's pupils shrank, a bad feeling emerging from her heart. In the next moment, the students slowly opened their mouths wide as they wore astonished expressions.

They saw that the grass puppet's head slowly tilted to one side, then it fell off the neck and dropped onto the ground. With a bounce, it rolled two to three meters away.

Di Lan had beheaded the puppet!

This outcome had gone beyond the expectations of everyone on field.

"Is this luck or skill?" The academy elder frowned. This doubt hovered in the hearts of the rest of the students. For a time, the entire training ground lapsed into silence.

"How could this be…" Di Lang murmured. He stared at Di Lan blankly, the surged emotions in his heart dropping instantly, falling deep into the lowest point.

Di Lan nodded in satisfaction, acting as if he was oblivious to the gazes that fell onto him from the crowd.

Cluck, cluck…

Under the blue skies and white clouds, a group of tropical birds suddenly flapped their wings and flew in mid-air. They dragged their magnificent, long and slender peacock tails, clucking in the air as they flew about playfully.

Di Lan stood in the center of the training field, looking up. Under the bright sunlight, the colorful feathers of the birds dazzled even greater and gorgeous. His expression could only be described as pure, as if the person who just cut off the grass puppet's head was not him.

"Ah, the light of spring is really enchanting.." He sighed in his heart. "It's a good day to collect 15 spirit stones."