Chapter Thirty-Five: Betting on His Victory
On the raised platform above the square, a flash of light heralded the sudden appearance of an elder.
“Today marks our Qingyang Sect’s biennial Outer Sect Grand Tournament. All outer disciples and those serving as labor disciples are eligible to participate…”
“The ten victors shall be promoted to inner disciples, and their cultivation resources will be greatly increased…”
“The top three will each receive five hundred pieces of attribute-free spirit stones, and the champion will be awarded an additional fifty bottles of True Spirit Elixir…”
As the elder’s words echoed, a surge of excitement rippled through the crowd below.
It wasn’t just the allure of status and privileges that came with joining the inner sect. The mere reward of five hundred spirit stones was enough to make their eyes burn with envy. Not to mention the fifty bottles of True Spirit Elixir reserved for the champion—if one could seize such resources, their cultivation was sure to soar.
Fueled by these thoughts, the disciples below brimmed with vigor, all determined to claim the championship for themselves.
“Next, let us invite the heads of the Five Peaks to open the Qingyang Secret Realm for us…”
No sooner had the elder finished speaking than the five mighty leaders of Qingyang Sect appeared in the sky above. Each took up a position in the heavens, forming intricate hand seals, and streams of white light cascaded down. The lights converged and formed a massive radiant portal.
“Beyond this portal lies the secret realm our ancestor, Patriarch Qingyang, established for our disciples’ trials…”
“Within await numerous tests and perils, and you may well encounter savage spirit beasts…”
“In short, you will not only face the dangers within, but also fierce competition from those around you…”
“If you are outmatched or your life is in danger, simply shout ‘I forfeit!’ to the sky— the formation will instantly transport you out of the secret realm.”
“Contestants, enter swiftly…”
“You may form teams of two or three within the secret realm, or you may brave the trials alone. In three days, the first ten to emerge will be promoted to inner disciples…”
“On the fifth day, the ten will face off two by two atop the Martial Arena to determine their final rankings…”
At the elder’s command, many disciples wasted no time and disappeared into the portal.
“Brother Lin Hu, would you like to join our team? It’s always safer to have someone to watch your back…” Bai Lu called out, seeing Ouyang Bo—who had already arranged to team up—waiting at the portal.
She was clearly unaware that Lin Hu was no longer the plump, untalented youth he once was.
Lin Hu appreciated her kindness, but he had no desire to band together with Ouyang Bo, who was the very picture of a honey-tongued, treacherous coward.
“No need for me—this fat man prefers to go it alone…”
“These little tests are nothing. I’ll just take a quick turn inside and be right out…”
Seeing Lin Hu’s confidence, Bai Lu could only fall silent, though she didn’t understand where it came from. After bidding farewell to Lin Cheng and the others, she turned and entered the secret realm with Ouyang Bo.
Only when most of the contestants had entered the portal did Lin Hu flex his fists, swaggering toward the gateway.
“Niu Shisan: ‘Fatty, I’m rooting for you.’”
“Pang Bo: ‘Good luck, Fatty!’”
“Lin Cheng: ‘We’ll drink when you get out…’”
Lin Hu grinned broadly at them before stepping through the portal and vanishing from sight.
“A piece of cake…” he muttered, and with that, he was gone.
——
The portal still stood silently on the square, now surrounded only by scattered onlookers. Some of these disciples sat cross-legged in meditation, others gathered in small groups discussing their cultivation insights, and a few had even started a betting ring in full view of everyone.
“Place your bets, place your bets…”
“Brothers and sisters, come and take a look…”
“Choose your top ten candidates—strike it rich in one go, and the dream of wealth could be yours…”
A man in purple robes waved his hand, and a long table appeared. He leapt onto it, shouting at the top of his lungs with no regard for decorum, drawing a crowd.
Lin Cheng and his friends exchanged glances, curiosity piqued, and walked over.
The purple-robed man greeted the crowd: “Thank you all for supporting this event. I am Zhao Er, an inner disciple of Qingyang Peak. On this grand occasion, I’m hosting a wager…”
“You may write down your chosen candidate. If your pick is among the first ten to emerge within three days, you will win spirit stones according to the odds.”
“If not, you lose your stake.”
“In addition, I have here a list of the most likely top ten contenders…”
“For those ten, the odds are 1:1.5, while all others are at 1:4. That means if you wager ten spirit stones and win, you get forty…”
Once the rules were clear, some began to place their bets after a moment’s thought.
“I’ll put ten spirit stones on Li Long.”
“Twenty on Sun Bao.”
“Zhang Qian for fifty…”
“And me, I’ll bet eighty on Ouyang Bo.”
When a pale-skinned youth tossed his storage pouch onto the table, he drew many curious stares.
“Thirty on Bai Lu…”
In no time, the pile of spirit stones grew rapidly, and the purple-robed bookie beamed with delight. His eyes lit up as he thought of new ways to entice the crowd.
“If you’re craving more excitement, I offer another bet…”
“Now you can wager on the final champion of the Outer Sect Tournament. If your pick wins, the payout is an incredible ten to one—a hundred spirit stones for every ten wagered…”
“Well, brothers and sisters, care to try your luck?”
The prospect was too tempting for many.
“This is great—if I win, I’ll be set for life…”
“I’m going to pick someone carefully, my fortune rides on this…”
“Such excitement—I’m in…”
——
Lin Cheng and his friends exchanged glances and burst out laughing. He gave Niu Shisan a subtle signal.
Niu Shisan got the hint and stepped forward. “So, no matter how much I bet, you can cover the payout?”
The purple-robed man bristled, trying to sound reassuring. “Of course! In fact, the real backer here is none other than Dongfang Zheng, top inner disciple of Qingyang Peak…”
“A mere few thousand spirit stones is nothing. Rest assured, your bets are safe…”
Hearing this, the crowd felt even more confident, and several placed their bets immediately.
Dongfang Zheng—could he be related to Dongfang Yu?
The thought made Lin Cheng’s lips curl in a sly smile.
He glanced around and saw that most people were betting on the ten names provided by the purple-robed man.
With Lin Cheng’s nod, Niu Shisan pulled out his storage pouch and tossed it onto the table, raising five fingers in a bold gesture. “I’ll put five hundred spirit stones on Lin Hu to win the championship.”
A collective gasp swept through the crowd.
Five hundred spirit stones! Was this guy made of money?
All eyes turned in astonishment to Niu Shisan.
The purple-robed bookie jumped in surprise too, swallowing nervously as he asked, “Are you sure you want to wager five hundred?”
As he spoke, he frantically searched his memory for any information on Lin Hu, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall such a name among the outer disciples.
Niu Shisan said, “The five hundred spirit stones are right there on your table. What’s to question? I’m betting on him to win.”
“Just a moment,” the purple-robed man replied, rifling through his lists again and again, until at last, in the section for outer sect labor disciples, he found Lin Hu’s entry.
Lin Hu, a labor disciple from Funiu Peak, incomplete spiritual roots, unable to cultivate, taken on as a nominal disciple by Master Funiu.
With that, the purple-robed man breathed a sigh of relief. He pocketed Niu Shisan’s five hundred spirit stones, weighed them in his hand, and shot a grinning glance back. “Five hundred spirit stones on Lin Hu to take the championship—no problem at all…”
——