Chapter 83: Drawing the Reward

With a low shout from Ke Bei, the lottery finally began. A silver light on the golden disk started flashing rapidly. The silver spot moved so quickly that in the blink of an eye, it had already jumped dozens of times across the golden disk. Ke Bei didn't dare to blink; his eyes were wide open, bloodshot, and fixed unwaveringly on the constantly flickering silver spot.

Though he was holding his breath, Ke Bei could still hear the wild thumping of his own heart.

"Dragon Elephant Prajna, Diamond Body, Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—any one of them would do!"

Ke Bei stared at the darting silver spot, praying silently in his heart.

This time, the system had offered three top-tier martial arts. Statistically, with a fifty percent chance, it was far better than his previous draws, but Ke Bei simply couldn't keep calm.

The allure of these martial arts was simply too great. Any one of the three would elevate his strength to a new level!

Gradually, the silver spot began to slow.

As the spot’s speed decreased, Ke Bei’s breathing grew heavier. His eyes stayed glued to the silver light; his heart pounded so hard it felt as if it might leap from his chest.

Dragon Elephant Prajna!

As the silver spot slid onto the golden square marked "Dragon Elephant Prajna, Intermediate Scroll," Ke Bei’s heart gave a violent jolt.

Stop! Stop now!

Ke Bei clenched his fists tight, screaming inwardly with all his might.

But the silver spot kept moving forward at a crawl, oblivious to Ke Bei’s desperate, silent pleas. Inch by inch, it was about to leave the Dragon Elephant Prajna square behind!

"Stop, damn it!"

Seeing the silver spot about to slip past his cherished prize and drift toward the "Arhat Fist" square, Ke Bei finally lost control. He roared furiously, slamming his fist into the dark, cold body of the Qitian Pagoda.

Bang!

"Shit, that hurts!"

A dull thud resounded. A surge of searing pain shot through Ke Bei, making him clutch his fist and grimace in agony.

The intense pain left him stunned for a moment. By the time he regained his senses, the silver spot had already left the Dragon Elephant Prajna square and slipped into the Arhat Fist square.

Dragon Elephant Prajna was gone!

Staring at the spot, Ke Bei was frozen. He knew he’d just missed his chance at the Dragon Elephant Prajna in this draw…

"Go on! Go, don’t you dare stop!"

"System, please, for the love of everything, don’t stop here!"

Ke Bei watched the silver spot, now lingering in the Arhat Fist square, slowing even more. He cried out in panic, his eyes blazing with desperation.

Missing Dragon Elephant Prajna was bad enough, but if the draw landed on Arhat Fist, Ke Bei would be left speechless with grief. Among the six martial arts, Arhat Fist was the weakest—how could he possibly accept this outcome?

It felt as if a beggar had stumbled upon a mountain of gold, only to leave with empty hands.

"No! No! Don’t stop!"

Suddenly, Ke Bei glanced at the golden square right next to Arhat Fist, where a hazy golden light shimmered—Diamond Body, Upper Scroll. Instantly, a surge of hope flared in his heart, like a drowning man grabbing at a final straw. All of his hopes now rested on Diamond Body.

Diamond Body was right next to Arhat Fist—maybe there was still a chance. As for Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, it was still two squares away, hopelessly out of reach this time.

"Go, keep moving!"

Ke Bei stared fiercely at the silver spot, now creeping even slower than a snail. He longed to reach out and drag it into the Diamond Body square himself.

His heart was in his throat; he was tense to the extreme.

The silver spot seemed oblivious to Ke Bei’s burning gaze and continued its agonizingly slow crawl forward.

"Ten centimeters left!"

Ke Bei bit down hard on his lip, his bloodshot eyes narrowing.

"Eight centimeters!"

"Five centimeters!"

"Three centimeters!"

The silver spot slowed even more, as if it might stop at any moment.

"One centimeter!"

At last, the silver spot slid forward again, stopping right at the border between Arhat Fist and Diamond Body—just one centimeter away!

Yet, with only a centimeter left, the silver spot seemed to have exhausted all its energy. For a long moment, it didn’t move at all.

"It’s over…"

Ke Bei’s heart went cold. His face was full of dejection as he looked away from the golden disk. A fifty percent chance, and he hadn’t managed to get a single advanced martial art.

With luck like this… Ke Bei could only smile bitterly.

"Wait, something’s not right! Why hasn’t the system announced that I’ve received Arhat Fist?"

A sudden flash of insight hit Ke Bei. With a sliver of hope, he fixed his gaze back on the golden disk.

He stared hard for a moment—and suddenly, the silver spot quivered once more! In the next instant, it jumped across the dividing line between the two squares and landed squarely on Diamond Body, Upper Scroll.

"Congratulations, Host. You have obtained Diamond Body, Upper Scroll. Would you like to begin studying immediately?"

As the silver spot settled on the Diamond Body square, the system’s crisp notification chimed.

"Ahh…"

Hearing the system’s announcement, Ke Bei’s heart finally settled. The tension in his nerves eased. He took a deep breath, gazing in a daze at the silver spot resting on Diamond Body, and after a long silence, his excitement gradually subsided into calm.

"Learn!"

Although he hadn’t drawn the Intermediate Scroll of Dragon Elephant Prajna, obtaining Diamond Body was still an immense satisfaction. Ever since he had witnessed Xiao Jiu’s monstrous defensive ability with Diamond Body in Wushan City, Ke Bei had yearned for a martial art that would grant him similar protection. Now, having drawn Diamond Body, his wish was fulfilled.

As Ke Bei willed it, a beam of golden light descended and enveloped him.

The golden light slowly merged into his body. As it poured down, Ke Bei’s skin, muscles, and bones all began to shimmer with a faint golden radiance. His sinewy muscles, taut as steel wires, were infused with a golden glow, gradually acquiring a lustrous sheen.

Moments later, the hazy golden light faded. The inner layer of Ke Bei’s skin was now gleaming gold, his rock-hard muscles bore a faint lustre, and even his bones and internal organs radiated a subtle golden hue.

Bang!

Clenching his fist, now glowing with a subtle golden sheen, Ke Bei suddenly punched the dark body of the Qitian Pagoda. With a thunderous boom, he raised his fist before his eyes in amazement.

"Diamond Body! Hahaha… What a Diamond Body! Truly formidable!"

That fierce punch had struck the dark tower, yet Ke Bei hadn’t felt the slightest pain!

P.S.: Thanks to Sword Saint Su Bing for the reward. Ahem, Brother Dou Ling, your urging ticket—I really can’t swallow it; such a waste, what a pity… Brothers, don’t forget to cast your recommendation votes. Your humble author has been writing since finishing classes this morning and hasn’t eaten yet. I’ll get some food first… See you tonight.