A Demon for a Friend – The Gambling Challenge

After venting their frustrations over the treasure competition, Beishan Baiwei, Hun Wuqi, and Ji Ning chatted and laughed, all in excellent spirits.

Time slowly crept toward midnight.

"When it strikes midnight, that will be the time for the gambling battles." From outside the window, the voice of Purple-Robed Zi Yi could be heard. Ji Ning peered through the window and saw that the main hall below had been cleared, empty save for two crystalline pillars in the corners. Zi Yi stood by the wall, speaking.

"Gambling battles are the most insane," Beishan Baiwei said, looking down. "Most of the people here are Wanxiang Adepts—scorching talents. They also have Zifu Disciple followers or retainers. When a gambling battle is declared, those Zifu cultivators and Zifu great demons fight to the death, while their masters wager on the outcome."

Ji Ning sighed inwardly.

How tragic.

"The cultivators and demons who take part in these battles are either fighting for survival or for treasures," Beishan Baiwei continued. "But the battles are always matched at the same level. You'll never see a Wanxiang Adept fighting a Zifu Disciple."

...

Ji Ning looked down at the hall.

A sword-bearing cultivator strode into the arena. A red-robed, red-haired man entered as well. They faced each other from a distance, killing intent blazing in their eyes.

One after another, they walked to the two crystalline pillars, channeling their Yuan power into them. The pillars flared with light.

"Cultivator under Master Qu—Zifu Disciple, perfect stage."

"Great demon under Lady Leshan—also Zifu Disciple, perfect stage."

Zi Yi announced loudly, "Activate the sealing formation!"

Boom!

A water-like translucent barrier, nearly a kilometer in diameter, appeared in the hall, trapping both the cultivator and the red-robed red-haired man.

"Qu Yixing, I suggest you surrender. Otherwise, you'll lose both your money and your man!"

"Hmph. We'll see."

Voices came from two distant private rooms.

The battle below began instantly. The red-robed red-haired demon transformed into a four-hooved flame-wreathed beast, clad in armor, charging straight at the cultivator while spitting a stream of fire.

"Die, beast!"

The sword-bearing cultivator snorted.

Swish!

A flying sword shot out from his back, leaving a trail of colorful miasma in the air...

...

Ji Ning watched the slaughter below and nodded to himself. "The cultivator should win." After a brief struggle, the great demon let out a mournful cry and collapsed. The cultivator was pale-faced; he had only won by using a forbidden art. But a win was a win. His master, Qu Yixing, had promised him inner sect membership if he succeeded.

"I made it." Excitement filled the cultivator's eyes.

Though he had used a forbidden art, the duration was short; he would recover within a year or two.

"Ha ha ha..." Master Qu laughed loudly.

On the other side, Meng Leshan's face was dark.

...

In the private room, Beishan Baiwei smiled. "Meng Leshan and Qu Yixing are both extraordinary talents and members of the Yinglong Guard. Rumor has it they formed a deep grudge while carrying out Yinglong Guard missions. Outside Anchan City, they'd plot each other's deaths. Inside the city, they go all out to humiliate one another."

"Just like you and Beishan Hu," Hun Wuqi remarked.

"Ha ha, exactly like me and Beishan Hu." Beishan Baiwei laughed heartily.

Hun Wuqi turned to Ji Ning. "Brother Ji Ning, this gambling battle may seem casual, but it's actually quite intricate. You must choose a Zifu-level combatant with extraordinary battle prowess... but how many truly talented cultivators are willing to risk their lives? So it's not easy. Both sides have to find people. If you lose, you lose both men and money, and you lose face. Sometimes, when driven to desperation, people even step into the arena themselves."

"Step in themselves?" Ji Ning was surprised.

These noble scions would personally fight?

"What's so strange about that? These geniuses rose through bloodshed. If enraged enough, they'll fight. Every year or two, there are Wanxiang-level geniuses who kill each other in the Wuyou Caverns. Whoever dies—no one to blame!" Beishan Baiwei said. "Of course, besides those with personal grudges, some make money by betting on their retainers."

"Like me," Hun Wuqi said with a smile. "I have quite a few retainers. I send them down for gambling battles. Each bout earns at least a hundred liang of Primordial Liquid. I've made a good amount from it."

Ji Ning nodded.

He understood. Though Hun Wuqi and Beishan Baiwei were among the more affable noble scions, they were still from a higher echelon. Their eyes were set high. Only because they valued Ji Ning did they treat him as an equal. Ordinary Zifu Disciples were merely retainers to them—they didn't care about their lives.

A moment later.

More than ten gambling battles had already been fought below. The atmosphere in the hall had grown feverish and savage. Now standing in the arena was a burly, towering Fiendgod Body Refining cultivator. As a Zifu-level Fiendgod Body Refiner with divine abilities, his combat prowess was naturally terrifying.

"Ha ha, everyone, I've won six in a row now. Looks like tonight's prize of spirit-fruit wine is mine for the taking!" A fat-faced youth laughed from one of the upper private rooms. "Anyone else want to challenge my man? Three hundred liang of Primordial Liquid for the taking!"

"Su Su! You've won enough. It's time to pull your man back." A deep voice rang out.

Ji Ning turned his head. It was Beishan Hu.

Beishan Hu swept his gaze over Ji Ning's group with a fierce glare, staring at Ji Ning for a long moment before grinning—an ill-intentioned smile.

Ji Ning smiled back.

He had heard enough to know that these young masters were not the true powers of Anchan City. The real powers were people like Beishan Blacktiger. Beishan Hu? Ji Ning didn't fear him.

Boom!

The hall shook.

A towering, two-zhang-tall green-skinned horned man strode into the arena. His steps made the hall tremble, and his eyes glowed with green light. Seeing his appearance, everyone knew—this was a great demon! Few normal humans were two zhang tall, let alone with a horn.

The horned great demon walked directly to the two crystalline pillars, sending both Yuan power and divine power into them.

"Fiendgod Body Refining and Ki Refining—both trained simultaneously," Zi Yi announced from the corner. "Both at the Zifu Disciple, perfect stage. He is under Master Hu."

Boom.

The sealing formation lit up again.

The great demon and the Fiendgod Body Refining cultivator faced off.

"Die." The green-skinned horned great demon roared, transforming into a ten-zhang-tall horned rhinoceros. Then his body blazed with light, swelling further until he was twenty zhang tall. Such a colossal horned rhinoceros looked down upon his opponent as if he were an ant.

Boom!

The rhinoceros was fast as lightning, stamping directly down on his foe.

Crack! Crack! Crack!...

After only three exchanges, the Fiendgod Body Refining cultivator had half his body crushed. He shouted, "I surrender!"

The green-skinned horned great demon stopped.

Either death or a verbal surrender ended the battle. If the victor killed the loser after surrender, he would be fined ten times the wager.

"Roar~~" The rhinoceros great demon threw back his head and bellowed, then turned into mist and condensed back into the two-zhang-tall green-skinned horned man.

"Beishan Baiwei! Three hundred liang of Primordial Liquid—do you dare to bet?" Beishan Hu stood at his window, pointing directly at them. "I know you're a coward who wouldn't dare. Ha ha ha! Coward!"

His laughter grated on the ears.

Ji Ning finally understood why some people would personally step into the arena.

"I didn't expect Beishan Hu to be here today. If I'd known, I wouldn't have let him act so arrogantly." Beishan Baiwei gritted his teeth. He was a proud man—how could he not be angered by such provocation?

"Brother Wuqi, do you have any powerful retainers?" Beishan Baiwei looked at Hun Wuqi.

Hun Wuqi was known as the Little Money God, often making money through gambling battles, so he certainly had strong retainers. He nodded. "I do have one fierce retainer with me today, but I'm not confident. That great demon under Beishan Hu is a Fiendgod Body Refiner with divine abilities—truly formidable."

Ji Ning nodded.

Demons were already naturally powerful. When they walked the Fiendgod Body Refining path, they became even more troublesome. With divine abilities on top of that, this demon's combat power was even greater than Tongyu's. Normally, someone of this level would disdain becoming a retainer for gambling battles, but since it was a great demon, it must have been captured and forced to obey.

"Let's give it a try anyway," Beishan Baiwei said.

"Alright." Hun Wuqi nodded.

"Someone!" Beishan Baiwei called out to the attendant outside, then flipped his hand and took out a token for three hundred liang of Primordial Liquid, tossing it over. "Bet."

The attendant nodded.

...

Soon, a black-robed cultivator entered the hall. He stared at his opponent with a sinister look. After verification, he too was a Zifu Disciple at the perfect stage.

"Kill him!" Beishan Hu shouted from his private room.

The two-zhang-tall green-skinned horned man stared at the black-robed cultivator, growling, "You're dead!" He transformed once more into a massive horned rhinoceros, then activated the Heavenly Transformation divine ability, swelling to twenty zhang tall. Waves of savage might radiated from him, causing even the black-robed cultivator's eyes to twitch.

"Stupid ox," the black-robed cultivator sneered.

Whoosh!

Black mist spread around them, enveloping the horned rhinoceros. Within the mist, a massive, colorful serpent phantom coiled.

"Die, die, die!" The giant rhinoceros stamped wildly.

The black mist churned, and the serpent phantom wrapped around the rhinoceros, causing its body to sizzle and rot. Soon, bone was visible.

"Boom, boom, boom~~" The rhinoceros's charge seemed to shake heaven and earth.

"No—I—"

Suddenly, a scream rang out.

Boom!

An explosion. The black mist dissipated completely, and the serpent phantom vanished. The giant rhinoceros stood in the hall, its hooves stained with bloody pulp. Its body was rotting, with white bone visible across its back. But within a few breaths, it had healed completely.

"Beishan Baiwei, is that all you've got?" Beishan Hu openly taunted from his window. "Sorry, but your three hundred liang is mine. Now I'm putting up six hundred liang of Primordial Liquid. Do you dare to bet?"

Silence.

The hall went quiet. No one stepped forward. Though they were not afraid of Beishan Hu, finding a Zifu-level combatant who could match that rhinoceros demon was no easy task. Everyone waited for Beishan Baiwei's reaction.

...

In the private room, Beishan Baiwei stared outside, his pupils contracted.

"Nine hundred liang. I'll put up nine hundred liang. Do you dare to bet?" Beishan Hu continued his provocation. He wanted to seize this chance to crush Beishan Baiwei. His father, Beishan Yin, also encouraged him to push Beishan Baiwei down.

Silence.

Hun Wuqi said nothing. He had no stronger retainers. The veins on Beishan Baiwei's forehead bulged as he muttered to himself, "Endure. Endure. Endure."

"I'll go." Ji Ning suddenly stood up. "I'll kill that rhinoceros demon."

"You?" Hun Wuqi and Beishan Baiwei both stared at him in shock.

"Impossible! Ji Ning, with a few more years of training, killing him would be easy. But you've only been cultivating for a dozen years." Beishan Baiwei shook his head vigorously. "Don't take this risk." A rare flicker of warmth stirred in Beishan Baiwei's heart. He could see that Ji Ning was stepping up for him.

Ji Ning glanced outside.

Nine hundred liang of Primordial Liquid?

He was sorely lacking in Primordial Liquid right now. Killing that rhinoceros demon would net him a good amount.

"Don't worry. Killing him," Ji Ning said with a smile, "will be as easy as killing a chicken."

Hun Wuqi and Beishan Baiwei were stunned.

Those were bold words.

"Fine, let's bet with him. All the Primordial Liquid from the win goes to Brother Ji Ning," Beishan Baiwei said, his voice filled with emotion.