Chapter 146: Then Let's Win the Championship!

Abao's poops can be sold for money?
This little fella eats metal, and what it excretes is also metal?
Tang Mubai was both astonished and somewhat speechless.
"Ahem!"
Coughing lightly, Tang Mubai patted his little cousin's head and smiled, "Did you sell them yet?"
"Not yet."
The little girl grinned, clapped her hands, and said happily, "Grandpa Xu said there are too many left, wait until Abao poops a bit more, and then we'll take them to sell!"
"...That's true, accumulate a bit more before selling, to save making multiple trips."
Tang Mubai's mouth twitched, and he asked curiously, "Um, aren't those golden beans smelly?"
"Not smelly at all."
The little cousin shook her head, "Abao's poops don't smell at all. Grandpa Xu said Abao is a spirit beast. Big Brother, what is a spirit beast? Is it more delicious than fiery deer meat?"
The little girl blinked her big, fluttery eyes, full of curiosity.
Tang Mubai, "..."
"Abao's poops can be sold for money now, do you still want to eat it?" Tang Mubai pinched the little girl's chubby cheek with exasperation.
"Hee hee hee..." The little girl covered her face and smiled somewhat shyly, "I was just curious! Brother, tell me quickly, what is a spirit beast?"
"Spirit beasts are similar to fierce beasts, but they are much more docile and rarely harm people. Moreover, virtually every spirit beast possesses its own special ability." Tang Mubai explained.
"Just like Abao, whose poops can be sold for money?" the little girl pursued the question.
"...Right!"
Tang Mubai hesitated for a moment and nodded in agreement.
That Abao was a spirit beast was within expectations.
But its ability was just that its poops could be sold for money?
Tang Mubai didn't believe it!
Not to mention a few days ago, when the half-beasts rioted and the fox-headed man left, he had tightly hugged Abao's outer shell, which looked like a giant silver oval boulder.
Simply the five thousand calories of vital energy that Abao had devoured, along with the two energy crystals Tang Mubai brought back from Restricted Zone No. 9, didn't quite align with this ordinary ability.
After all, Xu Dalong was not a professional; he didn't understand the specific composition of the golden beans Abao produced and must have mistaken them for ordinary gold or alloy.
Tang Mubai felt that if he conducted careful testing and experimentation on the golden beans, he might just make some unexpected discoveries.
Thinking of this, Tang Mubai asked his little cousin for one of the golden beans produced by Abao.
It was round, the size of a mung bean, golden-red throughout, and completely odorless.
Holding the golden bean, he went to the garage and found Yang Kai, asking him to test it.
Yang Kai had his own channels for this sort of thing, so Tang Mubai didn't meddle further.

Upon leaving the garage, he received a phone call from Lin Huafeng.
"Hello, Uncle Lin, are you treating us to dinner tonight?" Tang Mubai answered with a smile.
"Sure, come on over, I'll treat you to grilled fish. As it happens, our team is distributing benefits this time—a box of fish per person." Lin Huafeng laughed heartily.
"Really? Count me in for tonight then. Oh, and the little girl is coming too; if I don't bring her along and she finds out later, she'll definitely pester me to death." Tang Mubai remembered his little cousin and quickly added.
"Haha!"
Lin Huafeng laughed heartily, "No problem, the two of you just come on over, I guarantee you'll eat your fill."
"You shouldn't speak too soon, you know."
Tang Mubai smiled meaningfully, "My appetite right now is quite substantial. Uncle Lin, you'd better prepare a bit more fierce beast meat."
"Uh, alright!"
Lin Huafeng was initially puzzled, but thinking of Tang Mubai's strength, he agreed, "Don't worry, I guarantee I won't let you go hungry."
"The reason I called you this time is to tell you that to boost morale and inspire martial artists, the Martial Arts Association, in conjunction with the Governor's Mansion, is planning to hold a martial arts tournament. The prizes are very generous, and I think you should sign up!"
"What kind of prizes?" Tang Mubai asked curiously.
Holding a martial arts tournament was nothing unusual.
Because the half-beasts had colluded with Yue Shengke to cause chaos, tens of thousands of people had died in Red Leaf City.
Even after several days, the atmosphere in the city remained gloomy and oppressive.
The Governor's Mansion and the Martial Arts Association organizing a tournament was precisely to clear away the gloom and restore vitality to Red Leaf City.
"From what I understand, this tournament is divided into two groups: youth and adult,"
Lin Huafeng replied. "The prizes for the youth group: first place, two million federal dollars, a Grade 3 precious artifact Vajra Ring, and a copy of the Grade 4 martial art Fierce Heart Fist."
"Second place, the same prize money, and the martial art is the Grade 3 Splitting Mountain Palm."
"Third place, the same prize money, and three bottles of Vitality Pills."
"The prizes for the adult group: first place, five million federal dollars, two Grade 3 precious artifact Vajra Rings, and a copy of the Grade 4 martial art Nine Wolf Saber."
"Second place, three million federal dollars in prize money, and the martial art is the Grade 3 Raging Waves Sword."
"Third place, two million federal dollars in prize money, and a bottle of Qi-Bursting Pills."
"In addition, regardless of the youth group or the adult group, anyone who makes it into the top ten will receive a reward of five hundred thousand federal dollars."
"Xiaobai, you just turned eighteen and can participate in the youth group. With your strength, I believe that even if you don't win the youth group championship, getting the runner-up position will be an absolute breeze!"
By the end, Lin Huafeng's voice involuntarily raised a notch.
"If I'm going for it, I'm taking the championship. What's a runner-up worth?" Tang Mubai grinned and laughed.
"Good, then go for the championship!"
Lin Huafeng laughed heartily, "Registration is available online; the martial arts network should have the tournament page up by now. Xiaobai, I'll be waiting for your championship!"
"Don't worry, Uncle Lin, just wait and see," Tang Mubai said confidently.

After hanging up the phone, his fists subconsciously clenched tight.
Lin Huafeng was right; the rewards for this tournament were extremely generous.
The prize money, martial arts manuals, and pills were secondary.
The most important thing was the "Vajra Ring"!
This Grade 3 precious artifact was the most enticing prize of all.
Because when subjected to malicious attacks, it could automatically activate and block three full-strength strikes from a Grandmaster-level martial artist!
If priced at market value, this thing was worth twenty million federal dollars.
Although expensive, its functionality was simply too powerful.
Blocking three full-strength strikes from a Grandmaster-level martial artist—calling it a life-saving talisman was no exaggeration.
Precisely because of this, the online store of the martial arts network was chronically out of stock.
Whenever one occasionally went on sale, it would be bought up within a minute.
Tang Mubai was tempted, not for his own consideration, but for his little cousin, Xu Dalong, and Fang Shuixian!
If he could obtain the Vajra Rings, the safety of his little cousin and the others would be greatly increased.
Tang Mubai's worries would also lessen significantly.
The pity was that the first place in the youth group only came with a single Vajra Ring.
If he could also secure the two from the adult group, then his little cousin and the others could have one each.
Wait...
Could he participate in both groups at the same time?
Tang Mubai's eyes flickered.
With the strength he had displayed publicly—his mastery of both lightness skills and archery—as long as he didn't run into a Grandmaster, taking first place in the adult group was entirely possible.
And in a martial arts tournament of this scale, Grandmasters practically never participated, primarily because they couldn't afford to lose face.
For a dignified Grandmaster-level expert to compete with a group of professional and master-level fighters for first place would completely ruin their reputation.
Neither the Martial Arts Association nor the Governor's Mansion would allow it either!
With Grandmasters staying off the field, Tang Mubai had a ninety percent certainty of capturing first place in the adult group.
The question was, could one participate in both groups simultaneously?