Chapter 406: The God of Gamblers Appears

Just at this moment, a chaotic clamor of fighting drifted in from outside; Long Xuan's expression shifted instantly. He swiftly gathered all the Spirit Medicine and, without hesitation, placed the Straw Gu Hut on the ground.

Recent times had been unsettled; fierce sounds of battle erupted outside from time to time, and within the city, several Gu Kings would mysteriously vanish periodically.

However, since this bout of fighting sounded closer to the inn than ever before, Long Xuan immediately grew alert, preparing to flee through the Straw Gu Hut the moment anything seemed amiss.

Before long, the fighting noises outside ceased; Long Xuan finally exhaled a long sigh of relief, pushed open the room door, and stepped out.

"What's going on? What happened?"

As soon as he stepped out of the inn, Long Xuan asked the people outside.

"What else could it be? That damned Fen Tian Old Ancestor scattered the Demon Pill Formula everywhere; now everyone has learned it, and no small number are killing kings to refine pills. No one knows how many Gu Kings have already mysteriously vanished from the city."

"This fighting was likely another Gu King assassinated by some vicious villain."

Someone nearby shook their head and said gravely, "I don't think so; over there, several Feng Clan Gu Kings were killed, yet their corpses were not taken away, which doesn't look like someone killing kings for alchemy."

"Perhaps the Feng Clan is making some major move, but whoever struck killed with such speed—how could a group of Gu Kings be finished in the blink of an eye?"

"Who knows? Recently, the city is rife with murders; not only Gu Kings have mysteriously vanished, but also vast numbers of Spirit Sea Stage Gu Cultivators. Many have already begun capturing Spirit Sea Stage Gu Cultivators to refine them into pills."

"The Feng Clan members are overwhelmed dealing with these matters; they probably came here to investigate some case."

"Alas! These are troubled times; with the Gu King Pill Formula flooding everywhere, endless slaughter is bound to erupt across the regions. The Western Regions are about to change."

"Ai! Fen Tian Old Ancestor has truly committed a grave sin!"

Hearing the crowd's discussion, Long Xuan furrowed his brows.

The dead were actually Feng Clan Gu Kings, appearing so close to his location; what was their purpose in coming here? Could it be...

Long Xuan's hair instantly stood on end; he hurriedly rushed back into the inn, slipped into the Straw Gu Hut, and vanished without a trace...

At the same time, inside a certain Secret Chamber.

A man with disheveled clothes pushed the door open and entered; gazing at the old man inside the room, he lowered his head and respectfully reported, "My lord, the operation failed; of those we sent, five died and only five returned alive."

Feng Tiancheng's face gradually darkened; finally unable to restrain the fury in his heart, he slammed the table heavily and roared aloud, "A bunch of good-for-nothings! Five instantly killed the moment they arrived! They went fast and returned even faster!"

"After Fen Tian Old Ancestor eliminated ten Long Clan Gu Kings, there aren't many left; are you all pigs? Can't you even handle such a trivial matter!"

Facing Feng Tiancheng's furious outburst, the man dared not even breathe loudly; after Feng Tiancheng had vented his rage, the man finally spoke in a low, hesitant voice:

"Those who attacked us do not seem to be Long Clan Gu Kings; they should not possess such combat power."

"This person attacked us from a distance with flames; although I did not see their figure, I strongly suspect it was Fen Tian Old Ancestor. Only someone like Fen Tian Old Ancestor could instantly kill five of our Feng Clan Gu Kings."

The man lifted his head and cautiously watched Feng Tiancheng.

Upon hearing this, Feng Tiancheng finally calmed down; frowning slightly, he fell silent for a moment before saying, "Why would he do such a thing?"

The man paused in silence, then hesitated, "Perhaps he wishes to defeat his opponent fairly and squarely in the arena?"

Feng Tiancheng's face instantly became exceedingly ferocious; in a rage, he swept everything off the table onto the floor, and the sound of shattering porcelain echoed across the ground.

"Damn it! Born with rebellious bones! This Fen Tian Old Ancestor is going to ruin our tribe's great undertaking!"

At this moment, in another Secret Chamber, after the Fourth Round concluded today, Qin Shang immediately dragged his exhausted body into this chamber and eagerly retrieved a mirror from his Storage Ring.

Before long, the image of a heroic man appeared in the mirror; before this man could speak, Qin Shang eagerly asked:

"Qin Emperor! You must tell me: is that Qin Dan actually Qi Tian Lao Zu? Are you hiding something from me!"

Qin Shang's voice was urgent, his expression filled with anxiety.

Hearing this, the Qin Emperor paused in surprise.

"Qin Dan is Qi Tian Lao Zu? Where did you get such news?"

"I do not know this person Qin Dan; Qin Wei has investigated for a long time yet remains unable to uncover his background."

"I do not know Qin Dan's identity, but since rumors claim he is Qi Tian Lao Zu, it is surely not baseless." The Qin Emperor gradually revealed a grave expression; the name Qi Tian Lao Zu compelled him to seriousness.

Seeing that the Qin Emperor's puzzled expression did not seem feigned, Qin Shang also froze; the Qin Emperor was actually completely unaware of this matter. If even the Qin Emperor did not know, then this affair could not be an arrangement by the Qin Imperial Family.

Wait, could this matter be Qin Manyuan acting on his own initiative? After all, he participated in the mission to besiege Qi Tian Lao Zu, and only he would have had the opportunity to contact Qi Tian Lao Zu.

Could the two of them have truly struck some unspeakable deal? Qin Shang's heart jolted in alarm, and his expression changed instantly.

"Damn it! This Qin Manyuan is playing with fire! His actions could very well drag the Yan Ting Empire into an endless abyss! He is simply mad!"

Qin Shang's face turned iron-green; suddenly clenching his fists, he hurriedly shouted aloud, "Qin Emperor! Quickly contact Qin Manyuan; I suspect he has indeed unauthorizedly colluded with Qi Tian Lao Zu."

At this moment, the Qin Emperor frowned deeply, already realizing the gravity of the situation.

Regardless of whether Qin Manyuan acted under his orders, once his collusion with Qi Tian Lao Zu is confirmed, the Yan Ting Empire will inevitably be implicated, risking nothing less than total collapse.

"Alas! There is no need to ask; after returning from the mission to besiege Qi Tian Lao Zu, his behavior was highly abnormal, and he gave unclear accounts regarding certain aspects of the mission. This matter is most likely true."

"But in any case, since he has already done this, there is no turning back; the arrow is on the string and must be released. We can only follow him all the way to the bitter end, covering up this matter at any cost."

"You should understand what severe consequences exposure of this matter would bring to our tribe."

The Qin Emperor gazed deeply at him; without pondering long, he immediately made his decision.

Qin Shang frowned deeply; after a long while, he finally sighed and helplessly said, "Very well; matters have come to this, and we can no longer remedy them. Regardless, let us first ensure Qi Tian Lao Zu wins this competition."

"Qi Tian Lao Zu is a Fourth Grade Alchemist; with him present, our tribe is certain to win this gamble against the Huiyue Empire." Qin Shang clenched his fists, his gaze becoming resolute.

The next day, at dawn, the few scattered pedestrians on the streets quickly multiplied until the roads were packed; Phoenix City became lively once again.

This day marked the Finals of the Western Region Alchemy Competition, so the streets were exceptionally crowded.

Especially around the Central Square, crowds had gathered early; a hubbub of voices rose from the throng, and as far as the eye could see, there were heads everywhere.

The venue for the Finals was precisely the Central Square, allowing everyone to watch.

The Finals were undoubtedly the most thrilling; no one would miss them. Many rose early, skipping even breakfast, just to secure a spot near the front.

Within the crowd, an old man whose robes were embroidered with the character 'Gamble' stroked his beard and smiled, "There are truly so many people; the more, the better—the more people, the more I earn."

He turned his head to look at another old man beside him, whose robes were likewise embroidered with the character 'Gamble', and asked with a smile, "How has the matter I entrusted to you proceeded?"

The elder said respectfully, "Lord Gambling God, as per your instructions, we have spread the news that Feng Jiu is Fen Tian Old Ancestor and Qin Dan is Qi Tian Lao Zu."

"As expected, upon hearing that two contestants are Fourth Grade Alchemists, no one believes Long Xuan, a Third Grade Alchemist, can win; almost everyone has bet on Fen Tian Old Ancestor or Qi Tian Lao Zu to win."

"Those who bet on Long Xuan to win are few and far between!"

"There are about ten Merchant Associations running the betting pools, and I have also followed your instructions to bet all the Spirit Stones on Long Xuan, wagering approximately five hundred billion; if Long Xuan truly wins, we will make a fortune."

The elder frowned deeply; even he felt certain that Long Xuan would lose, for the rule of the Finals was to compare who refined the Pill of highest value, and how could the value of a Third Grade Pill possibly exceed that of a Fourth Grade Pill?

It was true that Long Xuan led by four points, but as a Third Grade Alchemist, he could only refine Third Grade Pills, and this four-point gap could easily be caught up by Fourth Grade Pills.

Unless Long Xuan could refine a Fourth Grade Pill during the Finals, he would certainly lose.

He truly could not understand why the Gambling God wanted to bet all the Spirit Stones on someone with no chance of winning.

Finally, unable to suppress the doubt in his heart, he frowned and asked:

"Lord Gambling God, Fen Tian Old Ancestor and Qi Tian Lao Zu possess alchemy talents unparalleled in ancient times; once the competition rules impose no restrictions, these two might even refine Pills capable of summoning a Thunder Tribulation."

"What does Long Xuan, this Third Grade Alchemist, have to win with? He is bound to lose; unless he advances to become a Fourth Grade Alchemist, there is no hope of victory, otherwise, whatever Third Grade Pill he refines, he will certainly lose."

"Isn't betting so many Spirit Stones on him alone too risky?"

The Gambling God shook his head, smiling, "I am the Gambling God, best at gambling; when have you ever seen the Gambling God lose a bet? Rest assured, I win every bet I make."

"Now almost everyone is betting on those two Fourth Grade Alchemists to win, while only I have bet on Long Xuan; betting on the underdog yields the most profit, and as long as Long Xuan can win, I will become overnight rich."

A smile curved the Gambling God's lips; having accumulated wealth rivaling a hundred nations over countless millennia, even winning more Spirit Stones would not stir waves in his heart.

The reason he chose to gamble was not to earn more Spirit Stones, but simply to enjoy the thrill brought by gambling.

Only then did the elder remember that this person was the Gambling God who won every bet; if the Gambling God gambled, he could not possibly lose, so his doubts greatly diminished, yet he still frowned deeply and hesitated, saying:

"The Gambling God wins every bet; I trust the Gambling God's words, but why is the Gambling God so confident in Long Xuan? Forgive my poor eyesight, but I truly cannot see where his possibility of winning lies."

The Gambling God looked toward the square, his smile fading, and sighed, "Saying I win every bet is somewhat exaggerated; having dominated the gambling world for countless years, I have still lost three times."

"Twice among those losses were to the same person."

"Do you think a person who can defeat even me, the Gambling God, would lose to someone else?"

The Gambling God's gaze became profound.

"Could that person be..."

"Is this Long Xuan the one who defeated the Gambling God twice in a row?"

The elder immediately revealed a look of shock.

"Let us go; I am becoming increasingly expectant of the upcoming matches; the coming competitions will surely be magnificent."

"To be honest, what he has to win with, I am also very eager to know now."

A smile curved the Gambling God's lips as he stepped forward. (End of Chapter)