Retake *Discontinued*

Chapter Fifty-Three: Nie Tai's Second Round

Blushing, Nie Li turned away from his sister, muttering of evil women all the while.

"Uh, what?" Started Chen Linjian but, after sighing dejectedly, he muttered in a defeated tone, "You know what? I'll figure it out later."

"Probably not. Those two are far too devious," added Yang Xin. Her words caused Nie Hai to nod viciously in agreement while Nie Tai and Nie Li could only chuckle sheepishly.

Turning to her brother, Nie Tai asked, "How much did we win in total?"

"In this round, about one hundred seventy-five million. That is including our hundred million bet; you won about fifty million because of how you won and I won around twenty-five million from mine," informed Nie Li, breaking everything down.

"At this rate, you're never gonna catch up," said Nie Tai cheekily.

Hearing loud and angry steps, Nie Li didn't answer as he faced an irate Shen Ming. The elder quickly tossed the twins the money from the bet and said, "I'll bet one hundred fifty million each for a total of three hundred million. Nie Li is the next to fight."

He then quickly walked away, not waiting for the twins to answer. Hiding his mirth, Nie Li walked down to the arena with confidence in his stride. Nie Li didn't wait at the base of the stairs and entered the arena first; Nie Tai watched with an observant eye as Nie Li's last opponent, Shen Xiao, walked out onto the arena and threw two pills into his mouth after the referee announced the match to start.

"Did he just use Demon-Spirit Strengthening Pills? Will Nie Li be alright?" Asked Chen Linjian in a worried tone. It wasn't that he didn't believe in the twins' strength; rather, Nie Li was only of Two-Star Silver-Rank when Shen Xiao was at One-Star Gold-Rank, the same as Chen Linjian. This wasn't including the two Demon-Spirit Strengthening Pills that could increase a demon-spirit's strength exponentially.

"Don't worry. Soon you'll also be able to jump ranks. Merge with the Tombed Fox and very few within the Gold Rank will be your opponent," remarked Nie Tai. Her nonchalance failed to ease Chen Linjian's amazement; the noble sighed and turned his attention back to the match.

Shen Xiao had merged with the Scarlet Dragon Eagle; he was approaching Nie Li with slow, measured steps as the ground was burned from the flames he was covered in. Rolling his shoulders, Nie Li merged with the Fanged Panda and declared, "If you dare underestimate my power, you are digging your own grave!"

At this declaration Shen Xiao seemed to be weighed down by an invisible force: Nie Li had activated Gravity Field! As Shen Xiao struggled to stay on his feet, he realized why Shen Ning had lost. Grimacing, he forcefully jumped and flew outside of Nie Li's range using the Scarlet Dragon Eagle's wings. Taking a deep breath, Shen Xiu released a column of fire that spiraled down to the ground in a breathtaking fashion.

Growling, Nie Li released a small black and white ball that rotated around each other. Over all, the technique did not look that impressive; however, when it collided with the fire pillar, there was a huge explosion. With disbelief, Chen Linjian glanced at Nie Tai's face to see a large, knowing smile. He turned back to match as the audience fell silent after the explosion.

Ignoring the cheers, Nie Li readied himself for the next attack; what the twins didn't realize was how much people would support a genius, especially a young one. For now, it did not matter whether they lost money or not, all that mattered was that a new genius had taken to the stage.

With a mad roar that spoke of his refusal to quit, Shen Xiao screamed, "Sacred Dragon Pillar!"

Several columns of fire appeared and spiraled downward, representing an angry dragon all the while. With surprising speed, Nie Li launched himself in the air, dodging Shen Xiao's attacks with ease. Before Shen Xiao could register what had happened, Nie Li was behind him. The Fanged Panda struck the Scarlet Demon Eagle from the sky as a booming sound echoed from the hit. Nie Li had used Thunder Strike!

Shen Xiao rocketed down to the earth and fell to the ground in a magnificent ball of fire; the arena shook from the force of collision. Shen Xiao was unwilling to accept his defeat; however, he was unable to win the fight to stay conscious, much less beat Nie Li.

Waving at the crowd, Nie Li returned to him human form and only encouraged their cheering as he left the arena with the entire crowd chanting his name. This was an unprecedented event as the thirteen year-old genius beat his senior of ten years! Nie Li happily jaunted up the stairs and swung an arm around Chen Linjian in a show of friendship.

"Now! I expect no less from you, Sister!" Ordered Nie Li cheerfully while wagging a finger at the female, "You need create an even bigger upset."

As Nie Tai was about to answer, she shifted her attention to a stunned Shen Ming. The elder walked up to the group slowly, handed Nie Li his winnings, turned to Nie Tai, and pitifully asked, "Are you still interested in fighting?"

Obviously, the man was asking for mercy. He was to uphold the Sacred Family's honor and reputation; losing such a large amount of money in such a short duration of time would not only harm the Sacred Family but would also cost Shen Ming his life. The Sacred Family's Patriarch was not known for his kindness or forgiveness. The man was heartless and would sacrifice any to further the family.

Without an ounce of compassion, Nie Tai smiled with a hint of ruthlessness as she said, "Now, if I didn't, how could the Heavenly Marks Family keep their word to the illustrious Sacred Family? I am no coward, Main Affairs Elder of the Sacred Family. Don't worry, the bet amount will also remain the same; after all," her grin turned completely ruthless, "with so many witnesses, how could I change it?"

The man seemed to burn with rage coating his face; with a promise of severe consequences dancing in his tone, he said, "So be it. Get ready for your match."

Shaking from fury, he spun around and started to stalk away. Before he could get too far, Nie Tai called out, "Oh, Elder, do you want to make it more interesting?" Drawing his attention, he spared a glance behind him but did not turn around, "If I lose, I'll pay you a total of five hundred million demon-spirit coins. If I win, however, you will pay me two hundred million demon-spirit coins. What do you say?"

Shen Ming turned to fully face Nie Tai as he weighed the consequences. Even if Nie Tai would lose this round, Shen Ming was likely to lose his head. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "Very well. If you manage to win against the opponent that I've set up for you, I'll will pay you two hundred million demon-spirit coins. If you lose, you will pay me five hundred million."

As he repeated the terms, he walked away while barely clinging to this last shred of hope. Laughing nervously, Nie Li said, "Sister, this is why I refuse to play any sort of game with you: you are far too frightening."

"Nie Tai," Nie Hai said, calling the girl over, "Be careful. Shen Ming is a cornered animal. He will not hesitate to send someone extremely powerful."

"Yes, Patriarch, I will be careful. Not to worry," Nie Tai smiled, "I will lose today."

Nodding, Nie Hai replied, "Okay. Just remember that you have a family that supports you. If you back out in the fight, none will blame you."

"Patriarch, with all due respect," Her eyes flashed with a dangerous light, "I'm not the one you should be worried for."

Leaving her promise hanging confidently in the air, Nie Tai marched down the stairs as she prepared for her next fight.