Chapter 2559: Bet What, Lose What

Early morning. Before the warm sunlight could fully illuminate Tian Jie, a piece of news spread like wildfire: In three days, Ye Chen would duel Dan Jun in alchemy.

Once the news was released, it immediately caused a massive uproar.

"The future master of Dan Shen Hall, and the future leader of Hua Shan, they're dueling in alchemy. This is truly entertaining."

"Ye Chen is being too arrogant. Dan Jun is the true disciple of Dan Shen, so where does he get the confidence to challenge him?"

"Don't underestimate that stone spirit. Back on Hua Shan, he once produced eight pills in a single furnace, each with dan thunder. Even the Hua Shan fairy was defeated. This shows how formidable he is. In terms of alchemy skill, he's still a match for Dan Jun."

"We'll see who's stronger in three days."

Whispers of astonishment echoed everywhere, whether in Shang Xian Jie or San Xian Jie. Wherever people gathered, they were discussing this matter. No one knew which big mouth had leaked the news, but it had become a whirlwind sweeping across Tian Jie.

The one spreading the news was none other than Yin Ming, determined to make the event as sensational as possible.

There was no denying that this news was highly appealing. Many from San Xian Jie had already headed to Shang Xian Jie, including powerful demons and devils, and even more alchemists, all eager to witness this peak showdown in the alchemy realm firsthand.

Among them was inevitably the Kun Lun old daoist, who had little regard for the Heavenly Court but made the journey to the Nine Heavens for this event. He knew Ye Chen was a prodigy but had never seen him demonstrate his alchemy skills in person.

Since he was going, the Hua Shan fairy wouldn't miss it either. As fellow alchemists, such a grand occasion was not to be overlooked. Dan Jun's alchemy prowess surpassed hers, and Ye Chen's skills towered over her as well. The outcome of their duel was anyone's guess.

For a time, Shang Xian Jie was extraordinarily lively, rivaling the chaos of the Five Peaks Duel.

The most bustling place of all was the gambling hall.

That's right—Shang Xian Jie had gambling halls, run by various immortal lords. The bets had no upper limit, and each operator was bold and eager, aiming to make a fortune through this alchemy duel.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, as one of the duelists, was completely relaxed. After returning from the heavenly prison, he had secluded himself in the Purple Bamboo Forest, quietly carving wood sculptures.

He was utterly calm about the alchemy duel. Defeating Dan Jun would be effortless for him.

In the entire Tian Jie, within the alchemy spirit domain, the only one who made him slightly wary was Dan Shen, who had yet to appear. Rumors said he had once refined a nine-pattern pill, though its truth was unknown.

Soon, visitors arrived: Si Ming Xing Jun, Tai Yi Zhen Ren, and Tai Bai Jin Xing.

"Grandpa may favor you, but I bet on Dan Jun to win." Tai Bai patted Ye Chen on the shoulder. "Do your best."

"How much did you bet?" Ye Chen asked casually, still focused on his carving.

"Everything except my life-bound weapon."

"What about you two?" Ye Chen glanced at Tai Yi and Si Ming.

"Pretty much the same." The two stroked their beards in unison. "It's free money, so why not take it? If we win, we'll split half with you."

Ye Chen paused his work for a moment, slowly stood up, brushed off the wood shavings, and pulled out a small bag. He handed each of them a handful of pills.

"These are heart-settling pills. Take one if you get too shocked."

Ye Chen spoke earnestly. After all, they were old friends, so he wanted to prepare in advance, just in case they couldn't handle the outcome and suffered from agitation.

The three looked puzzled, not understanding his meaning.

Ye Chen sat back down and continued carving. It didn't matter if they didn't get it—just keep the pills handy. When they lost everything, popping one would work better than any immortal pill.

The three left, looking bewildered.

Night fell quietly, and Ye Chen finally set down his carving knife. He donned a black robe and slipped out of his residence stealthily.

A vast open area in Shang Xian Jie was alive with excitement.

From afar, it looked like a bustling market, packed with people. Vendors hawked stalls of goods, magical artifacts, and pills, with calls ringing out constantly.

The loudest shouts came from the gambling operators, not just one but a whole row. Each had set up a long jade table with a white cloth banner hanging above, bearing the character for "bet."

Ye Chen arrived, concealing his aura, and merged into the crowd. He wandered, observing mostly residents of Shang Xian Jie, many of whom were acquaintances—high officials in the court who had become gamblers here. There were also powerful demons and devils from San Xian Jie.

He spotted the Hua Shan fairy and the Hua Shan true man, both disguised, here for the excitement.

There was also the Kun Lun old daoist, disguised as a young man, strolling with his hands behind his back, leisurely browsing.

Seeing him, Ye Chen felt delighted. It had been tough waiting for him to leave the Feng Shan immortal land and come to Shang Xian Jie. He decided to leave him with something—like the materials for refining the Nine Turns Soul-Returning Pill. For Mu Liuqing, he was ready to rob this old fellow.

If demons could risk their lives for it, he could certainly set aside his pride.

As he walked, he encountered another pair: the Hua Shan goddess and the Kun Lun godson, also in Shang Xian Jie for the fun. They weren't in their true forms and were holding hands while strolling.

As they passed, Ye Chen didn't reveal his identity.

It wasn't until they had walked far that the Kun Lun godson and Hua Shan goddess both turned back, feeling that Ye Chen's silhouette looked familiar.

They weren't the only couple; the godchildren and goddesses of the Five Peaks had come too, in pairs, browsing the stalls one by one, hoping to find some treasures.

"Daoist friend, fresh pills just out of the furnace—want some?"

"Authentic great sage weapons—look at these divine patterns, absolutely powerful."

"Buy in bulk, and I'll give you a discount."

The market was noisy, with various old charlatans hustling the young browsers, and elderly immortal lords shouting their sales pitches endlessly. Each one was quite the character.

In the thick of the crowd, Ye Chen stopped at a gambling table.

It was surrounded by layers of people, inside and out, all placing bets from both Shang Xian Jie and San Xian Jie.

Ye Chen scanned it and raised an eyebrow. It seemed no one in Tian Jie favored him much. Bets on Dan Jun winning paid one to two, while bets on him winning paid one to two hundred. The odds were so high because far more people were betting on Dan Jun, creating a severe imbalance. At this rate, it could go up to one to five hundred.

Once the crowd thinned, he stepped forward.

"Whatever you bet, you get paid that—bet big, win big; bet small, win small."

The operator was an old immortal lord, someone Ye Chen had seen in court, a genuine first-rank official. He was round and plump, with a kind face and a prosperous look—like a wealthy landowner in the mortal world.

"One hundred thousand on Ye Chen to win."

Ye Chen handed over his storage bag, his voice disguised to sound elderly.

This statement made the old immortal lord raise an eyebrow. Among all the bets, Ye Chen's was the most generous, and it was on Ye Chen to win, prompting him to take a closer look.

However, no matter how he examined him, he couldn't discern Ye Chen's true appearance. His old eyes grew deeper—he was a quasi-emperor at his peak, yet he couldn't see through this black-robed figure.

Clearly, the person before him was a great master, possibly an acquaintance or even a powerful being from San Xian Jie.

"Are you sure on Ye Chen?"

"Not allowed?"

"Allowed, of course. Whatever you bet, you get paid that."

The old immortal lord's words made Ye Chen chuckle. What a great deal—he should bring Chu Xuan and the others over.

Whatever you bet, you get paid that—bet on a wife, and win a wife!

The old immortal lord engraved a jade token and handed it to Ye Chen. It would be used to claim the winnings after the duel.

Ye Chen took it and left. He only bet one hundred thousand, not because he lacked funds, but to avoid bankrupting the old lord or having him flee with the money. There were plenty of tables, so he didn't want to put all his eggs in one basket. He'd scatter some bait around and collect from each after the duel.

After that, wherever there was a gambling setup, he stopped by, placing bets of tens or hundreds of thousands without hesitation. He was confident in beating Dan Jun, so why not take the free money?

Thus, he became a unique presence in the market—the only one, aside from a few others, betting on Ye Chen to win, and with such boldness.

"Bet big, win big; bet small, win small."

At the market's end, the calls were particularly loud, with another gambling table.

Its operators were two old acquaintances of Ye Chen: Jiao Long Wang and Niu Mo Wang, both disguised, standing one on each side—one handling the money, the other the records, looking quite professional.

They had impressive voices that drew a crowd, including some big spenders.

Ye Chen tucked his hands away and gave a pitying look to those betting with them. Handing money to those two was as good as losing it—no need to verify; they'd run off with it.

In fact, that's exactly what Jiao Long Wang and Niu Mo Wang were planning. People in Shang Xian Jie had money, so swindle one, swindle all.

Their behavior perfectly illustrated: For money, you can throw away your face.

"Zi Wei Xing Jun, so leisurely?" Ye Chen heard a voice—it was a woman's, clear and ethereal. Turning, he saw Bi Xia Xian Zi, graceful and disguised, without the Third Prince.

Ye Chen glanced at her, a flower of the Heavenly Court that had finally blossomed. After that victory celebration, scenes of her and the Third Prince must have been quite romantic. A few days later, she exuded even more feminine charm.

"I bet on you to win." Bi Xia Xian Zi smiled brightly, wrapping herself in a layer of immortal light, probably because Ye Chen's gaze had turned a bit odd.

"Betting on me is smart—guaranteed profit." Ye Chen lowered his head and rubbed his eyes hard; the immortal light from Bi Xia was making his vision spark with stars.

When he looked up, Bi Xia Xian Zi had vanished.

Ye Chen shook his dizzy head and headed straight back to his residence. He'd visited all the tables here; next time, he'd need a larger storage bag.

"Immortal, do you have time tonight to admire the moon together?"

"Don't follow me anymore."

At a corner, Ye Chen raised an eyebrow—it was Yue Xin, with a silver-haired young man trailing her, handsome but annoyingly persistent. He seemed to be her suitor, with real tenacity.

Ye Chen stepped in, not caring if the young man agreed, and dragged him away. Shura Tian Zun had ordered him to watch over Yue Xin, so he had to do his duty. Regardless of who the guy was, drag him off for a chat first.

Ah!

Soon, a miserable scream echoed from a remote corner, full of dominance.