Although Li Rou deeply sympathized with Fifth Elder Li Ting's current plight, she was powerless to help him.
Over the years, almost all the silver she managed to get her hands on had been spent buying herbs to strengthen her son's constitution. With the recent purchase of medicinal ingredients for the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid, her remaining savings had dwindled to just over a hundred taels of silver.
"What is it, Fifth Elder? Don't tell me you don't dare to take the bet with Seventh Elder and me?"
Sixth Elder Li Xin laughed, sporting the smug expression of a petty villain who had gotten his way.
Just as Li Ting was considering borrowing money from another elder, a voice rang out from afar.
"Seventh Elder, I'll take that bet of five hundred taels with you!"
Following the voice came a pair of youths—a young man and a young woman—who looked like a match made in heaven as they walked side by side, holding hands. The one who had just spoken was the young man.
He possessed sword-like brows, starry eyes, and striking good looks. His demeanor was exceptionally graceful and dashing.
It was none other than Li Danfeng's son, Duan Lingtian!
"Ninth Elder, you've spent quite a fortune on this son of yours over the years. Do you really think you still have five hundred taels of silver to spare?"
Seventh Elder Li Kun offered a mocking chuckle, casting a deeply meaningful glance at Li Rou.
Li Rou's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she sighed inwardly.
Could her boy Tian'er really believe she still had five hundred taels of silver left?
"Greetings, Patriarch, Great Elder, and honored elders."
Holding Kecier's hand, Duan Lingtian stepped onto the high platform and bowed slightly to the upper echelons of the Li Family.
Patriarch Li Nanfeng looked at Duan Lingtian in surprise. The last time he had seen Duan Lingtian was a little over a month ago. Back then, Ninth Elder Li Rou had flown into a rage and punished Seventh Elder Li Kun's son, Li Xin. At that time, Duan Lingtian was nothing more than a sickly invalid.
Yet compared to his past self, the Duan Lingtian before them now seemed like a completely different person!
"Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm... Duan Lingtian, you've actually broken through to the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm!"
When Li Nanfeng subconsciously probed Duan Lingtian's cultivation level, his pupils constricted and sheer disbelief washed over his face.
Li Nanfeng's exclamation stirred up a storm. In an instant, the gaze of everyone on the high platform locked onto Duan Lingtian.
Soon, apart from Li Rou and Li Ting, everyone else wore looks of absolute astonishment.
"If I remember correctly, a month ago when Li Xin beat him to the verge of death, he wasn't even a martial artist!"
"This Duan Lingtian went from an ordinary person to completing body tempering, and then all the way to the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm in just a single month... Surely my eyes aren't playing tricks on me?"
"You're not seeing things; he really is at the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm. It seems he must have stumbled upon some incredible fortune!"
...
Most of the elders, including Seventh Elder Li Kun, were dumbfounded. The scene before them left them completely unable to react for quite some time.
Great Elder Li Huo watched Duan Lingtian with a newfound sense of interest, uncharacteristically pausing his meditation.
Li Kun drew in a sharp breath.
Duan Lingtian's breakthrough to the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm completely caught him off guard. However, thinking of the massive chasm between the Third and Fourth Levels of the Body Tempering Realm, he quickly calmed down. In his eyes, whether Duan Lingtian was at the Second Level or the Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm made no difference whatsoever to his son, Li Jie.
"Duan Lingtian, did you just say you want to bet five hundred taels of silver with me?" Li Kun looked at Duan Lingtian and asked.
"Yes." Duan Lingtian nodded.
"As far as I know, Ninth Elder has spent quite a bit of silver on you over the years. Your family's savings probably can't scrape together five hundred taels, can they?" Li Kun retorted, a trace of complacency in his expression as he waited to see Duan Lingtian make a fool of himself.
"You're right, my family can't scrape together five hundred taels." Duan Lingtian nodded. He was well aware of his family's financial situation. Precisely because of this, he intended to fleece Li Kun out of his five hundred taels.
"Duan Lingtian, the wager between the Fifth Elder, the Sixth Elder, and myself involves hard cash. The stakes have to be handed over to the Patriarch to hold as a witness... If you were planning to get something for nothing without putting up any capital, you've got another thing coming." Li Kun sneered derisively.
"Who said I wanted to get something for nothing? Do you take me for someone like you?"
Glancing at Li Kun with undisguised contempt and ignoring Li Kun's blazing glare, Duan Lingtian let go of the young woman's hand and softly instructed, "Kecier, go stand with my mother."
The young girl nodded obediently and stepped over to Li Rou's side.
"Ninth Elder, you truly are blessed!" Several Li Family elders glanced at the young girl and hastened to congratulate Li Rou. They could all tell that given the girl's looks, as she grew older she would undoubtedly blossom into a breathtaking beauty, entirely a match for Li Rou herself.
Li Rou responded with a smile to the elders' well-wishes, while the young girl standing beside her blushed furiously, her face burning red.
*What on earth is Tian'er trying to do?*
Watching her son go toe-to-toe with Seventh Elder Li Kun, a trace of confusion flickered in Li Rou's eyes. She found herself understanding this son of hers less and less.
"Then today, I'd love to see just how you, Duan Lingtian, plan to produce five hundred taels of silver. If I'm not mistaken, even the Fifth Elder might not be able to pull out another five hundred taels right now." Li Kun looked at Duan Lingtian with utter disdain.
Just as Li Ting was about to take out his remaining three hundred taels of silver, Duan Lingtian's next words cut him off and left him looking utterly bewildered.
"Rest assured, Seventh Elder, I have no intention of borrowing from the Fifth Elder..."
As he spoke, amid the incredulous gazes of the gathered Li Family higher-ups, Duan Lingtian walked right up to Great Elder Li Huo.
"Great Elder, I notice that between your cultivation and your alchemy, you probably carry quite a few hidden injuries... How about this? I'll give you a massage for a while, and you can pay me five hundred taels of silver as remuneration. What do you say?" Duan Lingtian looked at Li Huo and smiled faintly.
"Tian'er, don't make a scene!" Li Rou's expression shifted drastically. Within the Li Family, the Great Elder's status was even higher than the Patriarch's. Watching her son grandstand clumsily in front of the Great Elder made her both anxious and exasperated.
Hidden injuries? The Great Elder himself was a Grade Nine Alchemist; if he really had any hidden ailments, he would have cured himself long ago.
Just as all the Li Family higher-ups, including Patriarch Li Nanfeng, expected Great Elder Li Huo to fly into a rage—
"Just to give me a massage for a little while, and you want five hundred taels of silver? You little fellow certainly know how to open your mouth wide." Li Huo looked at Duan Lingtian with amused interest and chuckled faintly.
"Great Elder, how about this? I'll give you the massage first... When it's done, you can pay me whatever you think it's worth. How does that sound?" Duan Lingtian remained unfazed by Li Huo's remark.
One had to admit, upon hearing these words, Li Huo actually found himself growing curious.
"Very well. I'm quite curious to see what tricks a little fellow like you has up his sleeve."
The reason he agreed was largely due to the drastic changes that had occurred in Duan Lingtian over the past month. Going from an ordinary person to a Third Level Body Tempering Realm martial artist in a single month defied all logic! As a Grade Nine Alchemist, he knew better than anyone that even with endless supplies of precious Body Tempering Pills, an ordinary person could never transform into a Third Level Body Tempering martial artist in just one month.
The current Duan Lingtian was shrouded in all sorts of mysteries. Furthermore, he really did harbor a hidden injury that had plagued him for years, and he was tempted to give it a try.
Watching Duan Lingtian step behind Li Huo and press his hands down onto the Great Elder's shoulders, most of the Li Family elders wore bizarre expressions. They all felt that the Ninth Elder's son was indulging in wild fantasies. If a simple massage could net someone five hundred taels of silver, they might as well quit being elders and go into the massage business full-time.
Seeing this, Li Kun's mouth curled into a sneer. Showing no regard for status and toying with the Great Elder—forget about the Great Elder flying into a rage, even by Li Family standards, this was no minor offense! In his view, Duan Lingtian was about to meet his doom.
Down on the arena grounds, Li Jie and the surrounding Li Family youths couldn't hear what was being said on the high platform and had no idea what was happening. Seeing Duan Lingtian walk behind the Great Elder to massage his back, they nearly rolled their eyes and passed out on the spot. What on earth was Duan Lingtian playing at? Did he really think that by massaging the Great Elder and sucking up to him, the Great Elder would grant him the power to defeat Li Jie?
"Damn it! What is this Duan Lingtian playing at?"
"The match is here, and instead of stepping into the ring, he's busy kissing up to the Great Elder. Is he worried he'll get beaten too badly by Li Jie and wants the Great Elder to step in and stop Li Jie from hurting him?"
"That's got to be the only explanation."
...
Duan Lingtian's behavior had provoked public outrage.
"Great Elder, while I am giving you this massage, please do not circulate your Origin Force." Duan Lingtian instructed Li Huo, then applied strength with both hands, kneading the Great Elder's shoulders...
At that moment, a sequence of memories flashed through his mind.
These memories belonged to the Samsara Martial Emperor—a miraculous massage technique used to treat a common sequela suffered by low-grade alchemists. The moment he laid eyes on Great Elder Li Huo earlier, Duan Lingtian had noticed the slightly blackened area between his brows and recognized that he suffered from this very aftermath.
This condition typically only afflicted low-grade alchemists who relied on self-exploration in their craft. Under normal circumstances, it caused no discomfort, but the moment the alchemist circulated their Origin Force, they would experience varying degrees of sharp agony, at times feeling as though their hearts were being wrung by knives—a torment worse than death.
All of this was knowledge Duan Lingtian retrieved from the memories of the Samsara Martial Emperor, who had been a formidable alchemist himself, having researched the Dao of Alchemy to its absolute, omnipotent peak.
Suddenly, the hands with which Duan Lingtian kneaded Li Huo's shoulders moved faster and faster!
Li Huo's expression also transitioned from initial calm to slight trembling. Before long, he clenched his teeth, his expression twisting ferociously as if enduring unimaginably agonizing pain.
The Li Family higher-ups on the platform could not help but shudder in horror... Just how excruciating must it be to force the powerful Great Elder to make such a face?
A quarter of an hour later, Duan Lingtian finally withdrew his hands, drenched in sweat.
"Hah!"
At that moment, Li Huo exhaled a mouthful of stale air and slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was as brilliant as the stars, and he looked as though he had suddenly grown ten years younger.
The smooth, unimpeded circulation of Origin Force throughout his body brought him an unprecedented sense of comfort! The hidden ailment that had previously flared up the moment he circulated his Origin Force felt as though it had completely vanished at that very instant.
"Great Elder, I will need to give you two more massages in the future to completely eradicate the hidden injuries in your body. Now, how does the Great Elder feel? How much silver do you think is appropriate to give me as remuneration?" Duan Lingtian smiled.
Li Huo laughed heartily and smoothly pulled a stack of silver notes from his chest pocket.
"Take these one thousand taels of silver for now. Come and give me two more massages later, just like this one—one thousand taels each time... How about that?"