The panel of judges fell into complete silence.

Everyone is currently doing their utmost to collect the five elemental crystals, especially the Fire Element Crystal.

And here you are, actually thinking about selling them?!

Are you crazy?

But it's undeniable that the Fire Element Crystals in Li Pu's hands have indeed exceeded his needs.

Fortunately, their broadcast has a delay to protect the contestants' privacy, and not all footage is shown.

Sometimes they selectively edit or cut out parts.

Originally, Li Pu's situation should have been completely blocked from the broadcast.

But he maintained this state for far too long, forcing the organizers to broadcast it with a mosaic blur.

Otherwise, a contestant disappearing for too long could lead to suspicions of behind-the-scenes interference.

The conversation between Li Pu and the judges, like right now, can be cut out later.

[Please hold on, we need to consult with the chief judge.]

After a long silence, they finally gave a reply.

[After consultation, in principle, no form of transaction is opposed this round.]

A few minutes later, the panel of judges gave Li Pu the answer he wanted to hear.

"O-K."

He nodded in satisfaction and then stood up from behind the rock.

However, after thinking it over, he squatted back down.

A few minutes later, someone from that team caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of their eye.

"Not good, there's a magical creature!"

He quickly alerted his companions.

Everyone turned towards the sound, discovering a magical creature that didn't fit into the Fire Domain approaching them—it was a scarecrow.

[Roar!]

[Howl!]

[Woof woof!]

In an instant, seven or eight summoned creatures entered a state of readiness.

"Hold on, I'm not a magical creature."

The scarecrow, sensing hostility, pulled apart its own head.

Inside was Li Pu's face.

Since the judges asked him to wear clothes, he had to temporarily wear a scarecrow disguise.

"It is a human, and familiar too, a participant from this round."

Someone who saw Li Pu in the first round of the arena matches tried to remember, but it was hard with so many contestants.

"Hey there, young man, you..."

The young man, who was the leader, showed a hint of suspicion, discreetly eyeing his surroundings, wondering if Li Pu had companions lurking nearby.

"Say, do you have spare clean clothes?"

Li Pu could tell the other team was wary, so to show goodwill, he directly sat down where he was.

The scarecrow was smaller than him, making such a movement reveal several parts of his body.

*Ssssss!* x4

The four people on the opposite side simultaneously drew in sharp breaths.

"Here, take it, just take it."

Out of a mix of embarrassment and shame, the young leader quickly flung a new set of clothes over.

"Thanks."

Li Pu received the clothes and stuffed them inside the straw coat.

After some squirming, he stepped out of the scarecrow wearing normal attire.

As it turned out, the young man's height was similar to his, so the clothes fit quite well.

[Phew!]

Scarecrow: Finally, scared even the scarecrow half to death.

"I got separated from my companions, just arrived at the Fire Domain."

"I don't know what you guys are guarding here for?"

Li Pu maintained some distance from the opposite side to show he meant no harm.

"Ah, you're not aware of this."

"We're guarding for fish here, this Fire Domain is absolutely unfair, to get Fire Element Crystal, we have to..."

"Third Bro!"

One person was cut off by the leader before finishing his sentence.

After all, they were rivals in the competition; such important information couldn't be given away.

Correct, the four of them were stationed by the Magma Lake, waiting for the snakefish to appear.

For reasons either of necessity or nature, these snakefish sometimes leap out of the Magma Lake.

That moment is the best opportunity to strike.

They had previously utilized such a method to obtain half a Fire Element Crystal.

Yet, it was too time-consuming; after guarding all night, they only gained half a piece.

"The Fire Element Crystal, you're referring to this?"

Li Pu pulled out a fist-sized round crystal right in front of them.

Contestants can also check the leaderboard, so he knew that the only team to have completed gathering the Fire Element Crystals thus far was his.

This meant that the Fire Element Crystal was attractive to any team.

"Ah this!" x4

Sure enough, the moment the crystal appeared, the opposite team's eyes changed.

"What do you… intend to do?"

The leader felt as if he faintly perceived the other's intentions.

"Want to buy it?"

Just as expected, Li Pu showed a friendly smile.

"…" x4

The four exchanged glances, all showing signs of temptation.

Playing it cautiously, the leader first contacted the panel of judges through his communication orb.

"How do you plan to sell it?"

After getting a positive confirmation from the judging panel, the leader asked Li Pu.

"You guys set a price, but only get one chance."

"If I'm not satisfied, I'll turn around and leave."

Though unsure how much to sell the Fire Element Crystal for, Li Pu knew he had the absolute advantage.

"Hold on, let us discuss it for a moment."

Such an attitude made the leader's face darken.

But indeed, there's no choice; they are the ones in need, and being exploited is justifiable.

The four gathered, whispering among themselves.

"What's everyone's opinion?"

"It's tricky to set the price too high, no? If we don't advance this round, wouldn't it be a waste of money..."

"Are you dense? Fire Element Crystals are valuable!"

"Ah, what do you mean by that?"

"Even if we don't advance, holding onto the five elemental crystals can still fetch a good price!"

"Is that so? So the five elemental crystals have practical value?"

"You've got me tempted; I really want to quit the competition to collect crystals instead."

After a round of whispered discussions, the four finally reached a decision.

"How about 5000 Crystal Coins for a complete Fire Element Crystal."

The leader made an offer.

Conveniently, one person in their team was informed of the details about the five elemental crystals.

This price exceeded the market price of 4000 for Fire Element Crystals.

The extra amount accounted for the added value in this round of competition.

"..."

Li Pu gazed at them without speaking.

Internally, he was ecstatic, but he maintained a composed exterior.

"Tsk! Young brother, this price isn't low."

"The market price outside is only 4000 Crystal Coins, and selling at 5000 doesn't satisfy you?"

Assuming Li Pu was dissatisfied with the price, the leader appeared anxious.

"I have only one to sell."

At this point, Li Pu finally spoke.

He had already planned: one crystal per team was enough.

"Deal!"

The leader eagerly took out 5000 Crystal Coins.

He stepped forward to complete the transaction with Li Pu.

The 5000 Crystal Coins equated to a Dream Silkworm carcass, even pricier than the hair of a Guardian Beast.

The acquisition method was relatively straightforward, just needed some fish hunting.

Li Pu couldn't help but feel thrilled.

If he could sell to ten-odd teams, wouldn't that translate to 50 or 60 thousand in revenue?

Selling to a hundred teams would earn him 500,000—what a haul.

"Hmph, take the 5000 Crystal Coins and start your journey."

Yet, right at this moment, the young man in front of him suddenly showed a change in expression.

Since the transaction was complete, there was no point keeping a competitor around.

Betrayal was due.

…

…

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