Chapter 2439: Win or Lose

“550,000 Godstones.”

“560,000 Godstones.”

The former was the bet placed by the black-veiled cultivator.

Noqoilpi placed the latter. He would always place his bet of ten thousand Godstones higher than his opponent.

The Wheel of the Nether Sun, owned by Zhang Ruochen, could fetch a sky-high price of three hundred thousand Godstones because it could be refined into a Supreme Artifact. Other top-tier Regal Artifacts could not fetch such a high price.

It could be said that the bet between the Seven-Armed Elder and the black-veiled cultivator was the greatest gambling match in the entire mundane realm. It was destined to shake Heaven and Hell and become a legend.

Cang Jie was scared witless. Despite being a Taotie, his breath became heavy, and his heart had almost stopped beating.

Yan Huangtu had been looking at the black-veiled cultivator with curiosity.

It was not surprising that the Seven-Armed Elder could take out 560,000 Godstones. After all, the old man had lived for more than ten thousand years and won more than ten thousand games.

‘But who is this black-veiled cultivator? How can he afford 550,000 Godstones?’ Yan Huangtu wondered.

Zhang Ruochen said, “The winner is about to be decided!”

“How do you know?”Yan Huangtu asked with a smile.

Zhang Ruochen said, “The Rainbow Viburnum is undoubtedly a dead tree. Even if it is refined into a Supreme Artifact, it can’t be called a Supreme Artifact now because it doesn’t have a vessel spirit. A Supreme Artifact without a vessel spirit is worth only about 500,000 Godstones.”

Yan Zhexian looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, “What if the vessel spirit is just asleep? or the Rainbow Viburnum isn’t completely dead?”

Zhang Ruochen shook his head and did not answer her.

Yan Huangtu sighed lightly. His niece was brilliant and had potential that millions of cultivators could not rival. Unfortunately, she was protected too well and ended up being too ignorant and inexperienced.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Yan Zhexian asked unyieldingly.

Yan Huangtu finally couldn’t help but speak up. “Those two possibilities of yours are too slim, and the amount of wealth required is something that even the Seven-Armed Elder couldn’t bear.”

“Just now, the Seven-Armed Elder had already said that he was going all out, betting on that ten to twenty percent winning chance. More than five hundred thousand Godstones, betting on a ten to twenty percent winning chance is already a huge risk.”

“Gambling in the two situations you mentioned would cost a million or even a few million Godstones to bet on a one percent chance of winning. The price was too high. Even a deity wouldn’t do such a thing. Didn’t the deities of the Deathwraith Fane and the Enchanteur Chamber withdraw?”

It was Yan Zhexian’s first time taking part in a gamble. After hearing the explanation of Yan Huangtu, she suddenly understood. She stole a glance at Zhang Ruochen. Her pretty face covered in runes was embarrassed and red.

The black-veiled cultivator hesitated for a long time. He again put down the black chip card and said, “I don’t want to raise the bet!”

The Seven-Armed Elder stood up and laughed. “Since the bet is fixed, let’s open the last seal and see what color the Rainbow Viburnum is.”

Zhang Ruochen had been observing the Seven-Armed Elder’s eyes. ‘He didn’t seem to be betting on a ten to twenty percent chance of winning. He was very confident. Or am I wrong?’

Zhang Ruochen used the Heart of Truth to sense again, but the subtle feeling told him that the Rainbow Viburnum wasn’t worth betting on.

The atmosphere in the hall was pushed to the climax.

The result of a betting involving millions of Godstones was about to be unveiled. Who would be the final winner?

“Noqoilpi! Noqoilpi! Noqoilpi…”

Many cultivators in the Citadel Casino were shouting these two words.

It was the title the Seven-Armed Elder had earned for his zero-defeat record. It was instilled in the hearts of every gambler.

Everyone in the gambling hall was of high status. They all held their breath and were nervous.

Even an experienced gambler like Ye Xiao was trembling in fear during the opening of the seal.

Boom!

The last seal was removed.

The Rainbow Viburnum shot out a dazzling rainbow light, accompanied by the tremendous energy of Dimension and Time rushing toward all directions. Even though everyone in the gambling hall was prepared, there were still a dozen people who were swept away by the spatial turbulence and were thrown hundreds of feet away.

Although the Marks of Time in the form of light spots were dense, they did not form a harmful attack.

“Such a powerful energy storm. Who dares to say that the Rainbow Viburnum has been corroded?” Cang Baizi was excited. He stared at Zhang Ruochen with a mocking look.

Yan Huangtu frowned and sighed. “It seems that the Seven-Armed Elder has won the bet again!”

“Too beautiful. Too exquisite!”

“What powerful active energy of space and time. Could it be that the Rainbow Viburnum isn’t dead but a living tree?”

“Impossible! A living Rainbow Viburnum… this, this will alarm all the deities in Infernal Court…”

“I missed such a divine item. If I had known it earlier, I would have risked everything and made a bet.” A cultivator sighed.

Yan Zhexian regretted it. She felt she should have stuck to her own idea. A treasure like the Rainbow Viburnum was worth gambling, no matter how high the stake was.

Almost everyone present exclaimed in their mind, ‘Noqoilpi was discerning.’

‘Tu Tian, the so-called Emperor who slaughtered the Heavens and Earth hundreds, had misjudged!’

While everyone was immersed in the beautiful halo of the Rainbow Viburnum, only three people remained silent. These three people were Zhang Ruochen, the Seven-Armed Elder, and the black-veiled cultivator.

The Seven-Armed Elder only let out a loud laugh at the beginning.

As the seal was broken, the smile on his face disappeared. His eyes became more and more serious. In the end, his face turned pale. It was clear that something unexpected had happened.

“How could this happen?” Someone shouted in fear.

On the gambling platform, the light of the Rainbow Viburnum in a stone cauldron quickly disappeared.

The tree gradually turned into sand and slid down.

The cultivators who had been excited and amazed just now were all dumbfounded. They could not believe what they were seeing.

Yan Huangtu was stunned for a moment. He then burst into laughter. “It turns out that the energy fluctuation just now was the last essence of the Rainbow Viburnum. The seal was broken and exposed to the air. It dissipated in an instant. Haha, even Noqoilpi would misjudge.”

Thinking of this, Yan Huangtu couldn’t help but look at Zhang Ruochen. He thought to himself, “He is even more perceptive than Noqoilpi. He’ll become someone outstanding one day.”

“Impossible! I saw the active living signs. How could it be a dead tree?! Impossible!”

A powerful spiritual power storm unleashed by Noqoilpi. It sent the people closest to him flying. Their hair was disheveled. They landed on the stone cauldron and reached out to hug the Rainbow Viburnum.

When they touched it, the colorful sand fell even faster.

The eyes of the six cultivators who had bet one thousand Godstones were all shining with excitement.

Three of them were extremely happy. Their laughter seemed to be able to shatter the entire castle.

Although the other three were also laughing, Zhang Ruochen was keenly aware that they were all glancing at the black-veiled cultivator.

The glance was quick and obscure. In addition, everyone was attracted by the Rainbow Viburnum. Other than Zhang Ruochen, no other cultivator had noticed it.

Zhang Ruochen was suddenly enlightened. He could not help but smile and sigh. “Amazing!”

No one knew who he was praising.

BANG!

Noqoilpi’s face was ferocious. He reached out his eagle-claw-like hand and pierced through the Rainbow Viburnum.

With a bang, the three-meter-tall tree completely exploded.

Noqoilpi’s tightly clenched hand slowly opened. A ball of seven-colored light flickered in his palm. Inside the light was a worm the size of an earthworm with a seven-colored ring.

“So it was you who emitted that weak aura of life. It was you…” Noqoilpi’s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets, and he was trembling in rage.

It was apparent that Noqoilpi had sensed the living signs on the Rainbow Viburnum. He thought it was not a dead tree, so he had bet everything.

Who would have thought that a worm had grown in the Rainbow Viburnum?

Zhang Ruochen had a new doubt. ‘Even with my Heart of Truth, I couldn’t sense any living signs on the Rainbow Viburnum. How did Noqoilpi sense it?

‘It seemed that Noqoilpi was powerful in certain aspects. He must have a big secret.’

An Immortal Vampire in a blood robe with ten wings on his back looked at Ye Xiao and smiled proudly. “Is it the time to announce the result?”

Ye Xiao looked at Noqoilpi, who was still standing on the stone cauldron. He cupped his hands and said, “Senior, are you okay?”

“It’s okay… It’s okay… I accept the result.”

Noqoilpi closed his eyes. He couldn’t calm down for a long time.

This was the first time he had lost after so many years. And he had lost so badly.

“Noqoilpi has suffered a great loss. Even if he has a lot of wealth, I’m afraid it’s a terrible setback for him this time,” Cang Baizi said in a low voice with a smile.

Yan Zhexian was a little scared. If Zhang Ruochen and Yan Huangtu hadn’t stopped her, she might have bet more than five hundred thousand Godstones. She would have faced consequences she could not imagine.

Losing 150,000 Godstones was the best outcome.

Staring at the tall and thin man who claimed himself as the “the emperor who slaughtered Heaven and Earth,” she felt grateful and curious.

Ye Xiao calmed himself down. He announced, “Everyone can see that the Rainbow Viburnum has lost all of its essences and turned into dust.

“Although the seven-colored sand has some value, it’ll only fetch a price far less than a thousand Godstones.

“Therefore, the winner of this bet is— ”

“Hold on.”

A voice interrupted Ye Xiao’s announcement.

The joy of the six winners was about to reach climax, but they were suddenly interrupted. Hence, they got annoyed. Their eyes were frosty as they stared at the person who had spoken.

The one who interrupted Ye Xiao was Zhang Ruochen.

Zhang Ruochen walked up to Yan Zhexian and smiled. “Miss, would you like me to buy the worm in the hands of Noqoilpi at the price of a thousand Godstones?”

Yan Zhexian was stunned and could not react in time. ‘Is he crazy? A thousand Godstones for a worm…

‘That’s not the point! Why does he want to buy it from me?

‘I’m not the owner.’

Some cultivators in the hall reacted quickly and understood Zhang Ruochen’s intention.

Cang Baizi laughed loudly. “Do you think everyone is an idiot? Who would spend a thousand Godstones for that worm?! Are you trying to make her a winner by claiming the worm is worth a thousand Godstones? Haha!”

If that worm could fetch that price, coupled with the seven-colored sand’s value, the total value would exceed a thousand Godstones.

When the total value exceeded a thousand Godstones, the six gamblers who had only bet on the value of a thousand Godstones were the first to be eliminated.

The gamblers who had bet on the value of more than a thousand Godstones were only Yan Zhexian, the Seven-Armed Elder, and the black-veiled cultivator.

According to the rules, the one placing their bet on the value closest to the price would be the winner.

If that were the case, Yan Zhexian would win.

Ye Xiao scolded Zhang Ruochen. “Mister, you’d better not break the rules set by the House of Enchanteurs. An item’s value can’t be determined by you alone.”

Seeing that Zhang Ruochen dared to play tricks openly, the six “winners” were the most furious.

The Immortal Vampire Supreme Saint with ten wings on his back said in a low voice, “Tsk, a fool is trying to act smart.”

“Chase him out. He should be banned from entering the House of Enchanteurs in the future.”

“Just how badly he wants to win!”

…

Cang Jie was embarrassed. He felt that this must be the first time his senior had visited Citadel Casino and did not know the rules. That was why he made a joke of himself. Cang Jie wanted to explain on his senior’s behalf, but he was suppressed by the intimidating aura from all directions.

He was just a Ninth-Step Saint King. There was no place for him to speak in front of many Supreme Saints.

Zhang Ruochen was still calm, “Haven’t you ever thought that a worm that can grow in a Rainbow Viburnum is not something ordinary?

“As long as this lady agrees to sell it to me at the price of a thousand Godstones, I have a way to prove that it’s worth more than a thousand Godstones. You’ll be convinced.”

Cang Baizi laughed loudly as if he had heard the funniest thing in the world. He said, “Even if it’s a rare species, it won’t even be worth a hundred Godstones.”

“Everyone here is an experienced cultivator. Even if it were a valuable species we hadn’t seen before, we would’ve heard about it. So, this worm isn’t a valuable species.”

However, the six “winners” were already worried. They talked to each other telepathically with the fear that something might go wrong.

Then, they all took a tough stance.

“Throw him out.”

“If the House of Enchanteurs doesn’t take action, I’ll do it.”

“How dare you raise a ruckus in front of me?! Are you looking for death?! You would have died if this wasn’t the House of Enchanteurs.”

…

Those who dared to participate in this game had powerful cultivation and prominent backgrounds.

Instead of arguing with Zhang Ruochen, they unleashed an intimidating aura and dashed toward Zhang Ruochen.

However, there was no slightest change in Zhang Ruochen’s facial expression. Instead, he smiled.

“I dare you!” said Yan Huangtu with a thunderous voice. Then, the four powerful elites behind him unleashed their aura, revealing themselves. Their aura was more imposing than the six “winners.”

One of them was at the middle stage of the Thousand-Koan Realm, while two were at the peak of the Thousand-Koan Realm. The last one had reached the Banshi Isshou Realm.

Some cultivators were shocked as they had recognized the identities of those four elites. They exclaimed, “They’re Terra Demons: Xuanwu Ji, Xuanwu Tian, Xuanwu Ying, and their elder, Kun Yunhuang.”

Despite being a small clan, Terra Demons were a clan dominating the borders of the Infernal Court.

Who could make the four great powerful Terra Demons become their followers?!’

Among the four elites, there was even one elder who had reached the Banshi Isshou Realm.

Everyone looked at Yan Huangtu, feeling shocked and nervous as they wondered about his identity, ‘Who is he?’

The six “winners” were all stunned.

Yan Huangtu found a chair and sat on it. He said, “What I mean is let him finish his words. Any objections?”