Chapter 131: Bet

Tang Wu's seemingly intricate deployments, which appeared baffling, were in fact presenting Han Zheyue with two distinct choices.

The first choice was for Qingyu Mountain to cede a peak to the Tailuo Sect, bringing the Dragon Spring Gathering to an immediate close.

If Han Zheyue accepted this, it would naturally lead to a mutually beneficial outcome. However, if she chose not to accept this gesture, then the second option would come into play.

The assembled Qingyu Mountain disciples would immediately launch an assault on the Tailuo Sect's peaks. With that victorious hunting team involved, even if they couldn't capture the peak, they would undoubtedly inflict significant losses on the Tailuo Sect.

With over ten days remaining until the Dragon Spring Gathering concluded, Qingyu Mountain would maintain the initiative as long as that invincible hunting team was active.

With both options presented, Han Zheyue, if she possessed any shred of rationality, would know which to choose.

Ultimately, Han Zheyue did not stubbornly resist, instead dispatching several cultivators to occupy the unclaimed peak.

This seemingly insignificant peak was not to be underestimated; one more or one less made a crucial difference. With this additional peak, Qingyu Mountain would independently control fifty percent; without it, their share would fall to just over forty percent.

When these results were publicized, the Tailuo Sect would at least save some face.

It was only at this moment that Qin Wanli finally grasped the intricate machinations at play, causing him to shiver slightly. He realized that these two cunning old strategists had been locked in a battle of wits, and that he himself was indeed far too naive.

With a consensus reached, there was no need to waste further time. Soon after, the three announced the conclusion of the Dragon Spring Gathering.

As the news spread, disciples from all three factions experienced a mix of joy and sorrow. For Qingyu Mountain, this Dragon Spring Gathering had been a roller coaster of events. Initially, they were outmatched, losing forty peaks in quick succession. However, under the various deployments and arrangements orchestrated by Senior Brother Tang Wu, they made a miraculous comeback. Not only did they suppress both the Tailuo Sect and the Qin clan in battle, but the final achievements far exceeded those of any previous gathering.

With this accomplishment to his name, Tang Wu's standing within Qingyu Mountain was bound to rise dramatically in the future. As long as he avoided any major missteps, it was only a matter of time before he gained significant trust and responsibility from the higher echelons.

Lu Ye, meditating in his tent, also received the news from Xie Jin and secretly marveled at Qingyu Mountain's impressive efficiency. Xie Jin had only mentioned that morning that the Dragon Spring Gathering was expected to end soon, yet by the afternoon, the news was already confirmed.

Although the Dragon Spring Gathering had concluded, there would be a one-day wait before they could enter the Dragon Spring for body tempering. This was because Qingyu Mountain needed time to finalize the list of entrants, and disciples from other factions, who had been waiting at Qingyu Mountain's outpost, also needed time to travel there.

Lu Ye paid no heed to the bustling activity outside, focusing solely on his meditation and cultivation within the tent.

Other people's excitement was, ultimately, their own; only one's cultivation truly belonged to oneself.

At dawn the next day, Xie Jin came to find Lu Ye, informing him that the list of individuals permitted to enter the Dragon Spring had been finalized. Their entire team was on the list, and they were to immediately proceed to Central Peak to gather and await entry into the Dragon Spring.

Moments later, five individuals on five mounts, led by Xie Jin, hastened towards Central Peak, traversing mountains and crossing ridges along the way.

Unlike their previous mission-focused demeanor, the team was now filled with laughter and joyful chatter. Tao Tiangang, whose severe injuries had not fully healed, laughed so loudly that it aggravated his wounds, causing him to grimace for a good while.

With their mounts, their speed was considerable. In just over half a day, the five arrived at Central Peak. As they ascended to the summit, an ancient, majestic hall immediately came into view.

The hall must have stood for a considerable time, as the Dragon Spring Gathering itself had commenced a century ago.

Numerous Qingyu Mountain disciples were already waiting outside the hall. Upon seeing Xie Jin and his companions arrive, they all offered warm greetings, which Xie Jin acknowledged with a nod to each.

Upon reaching the front of the hall, the five dismounted from their mounts.

Xie Jin led the group to the front of the hall, where he clasped his hands and announced, "Senior Brother, I've brought them."

"Come in!" a deep voice echoed from within.

Xie Jin then led Lu Ye and the others into the hall.

Upon entering the hall, Lu Ye immediately spotted the Shadow Moon Plate situated in the center. However, before he could observe it closely, he felt an intensely sharp gaze fixated on him.

Lu Ye looked up, meeting the eyes of a woman. She was exceptionally alluring; even as she glared at him with murderous intent, she still exuded a strange sense of temptation.

*This must be the Ninth-Layer Realm cultivator from the Tailuo Sect!* Lu Ye thought to himself, immediately becoming vigilant and discreetly activating the spiritual power throughout his body.

Although he knew he was no match for a Ninth-Layer Realm cultivator, he wouldn't sit idly by if the other party were to attack him.

*What did Tang Wu mean by summoning them here? Was he trying to provoke them?* Lu Ye frowned slightly. Quite a few Tailuo Sect cultivators had died by his hand in recent days, and in the final battle, his hunting team had disrupted all of Han Zheyue's plans. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the woman wished to slice Lu Ye and his companions into a thousand pieces.

Qingyu Mountain had already secured a great victory; at this point, drawing them out to provoke their opponents seemed truly unwise.

"Don't stare so wide-eyed; you might scare the children," Tang Wu said indifferently, outwardly unfazed but inwardly gloating. He then looked at Lu Ye and instructed, "Show your battle insignia."

Lu Ye didn't know what Tang Wu intended, but he raised his hand and activated his battle insignia. A faint blue glow immediately appeared on the back of his hand.

"That's enough," Tang Wu nodded.

Xie Jin then led the group out.

Inside the hall, Tang Wu said, "Now you've seen it with your own eyes, haven't you?"

"What?" Han Zheyue glared at Lu Ye's retreating back, momentarily stunned. Then, suddenly realizing, she gritted her teeth and cursed, "You bastard!"

Tang Wu had repeatedly sought to collect the bet from her, but she had always refused, claiming she hadn't witnessed it herself. Now that Lu Ye had revealed the glow of his battle insignia right before her eyes, she had no room left for unreasonable arguments.

"Heaven's will bears witness; accept your loss!" Tang Wu declared, extending his hand toward her.

Han Zheyue was seething with anger. Yet, under the surge of Heaven's will, even unwillingly, she could only sweep her hand over her battle insignia. A speck of red light flew towards Tang Wu as she gritted her teeth and cursed, "Careful you don't choke to death!"

Two hundred merit points! Han Zheyue's heart ached so intensely she almost convulsed.

"Heh..." Tang Wu collected the red light with a look of disdain, then turned to Qin Wanli and added, "And you!"

Qin Wanli was startled. "Me?" he questioned. "What does this have to do with me? I was just watching the show."

"Less nonsense! Twenty merit points, and if it's even a bit short, I'll wring your neck!" Tang Wu snapped fiercely, showing far less politeness towards Qin Wanli.

Qin Wanli didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He then recalled that when Han Zheyue had initially wanted to bet on which faction the young man belonged to, he had indeed placed a wager of twenty merit points. However, that bet was with Han Zheyue, entirely unrelated to Tang Wu. For Tang Wu to suddenly jump in and demand payment from him now was completely unreasonable.

With a sigh, Qin Wanli also swept his hand over his battle insignia, and a speck of red light flew towards Tang Wu. He figured it was best to simply pay up and avoid further trouble; although all three were Ninth-Layer Realm cultivators, he genuinely couldn't afford to provoke the two beside him.

The Qingyu Mountain contingent had already assembled. They were, after all, already gathered at Hundred Peaks Mountain, and once the allocation of spots was finalized, they could be quickly mobilized.

After waiting for less than an hour, another large group of cultivators came rumbling up from the foot of the mountain.

This group of cultivators each possessed a mount, and every single one of these beasts appeared remarkably majestic and extraordinary. Moreover, the cultivators themselves were undoubtedly dressed more splendidly.

Upon seeing this, Lu Ye immediately understood that these were cultivators from sects allied with Qingyu Mountain. They had been waiting at Qingyu Mountain's outpost since the Dragon Spring Gathering began, and now that the gathering had concluded and the Dragon Spring was about to open, they had converged here.

The group was quite numerous, numbering around thirty or forty individuals.

Mounts rumbled past them, one after another, their imposing presence astonishing and drawing extreme envy from many Qingyu Mountain disciples. The disparity in resources between outer-circle sects and those of the inner or even core circles was immense, a fact clearly evident from the comparison of these lower-level cultivators.

Upon reaching the hall, the cultivators dismounted and gathered in small groups of three to five, chatting amongst themselves. It appeared many of them were already acquainted.

Lu Ye noticed a very strange phenomenon. "Senior Brother Xie," he asked, "why are there no cultivators above the Fifth-Layer Realm here?"

This was true not only for the Qingyu Mountain cultivators but also for those from the visiting sects; not a single cultivator above the Fifth-Layer Realm was visible.

Xie Jin explained, "The Dragon Spring doesn't have much effect on cultivators above the Fifth-Layer Realm. This is one reason why participation in the Dragon Spring Gathering is limited to cultivators at or below the Fifth-Layer Realm. As for why that is, I'm not entirely sure, but it has been proven in the past."

Lu Ye then understood.

Qiao Qiaor also grew somewhat worried. "What will happen to our mounts after we go inside?" she asked.

With so many spirit beasts gathered together, chaos could easily erupt if their masters weren't there to restrain them. It wouldn't look good if a few mounts accidentally died.

Xie Jin smiled. "There's no need to worry about that," he said. "Later, someone will lead all your mounts to the beast cages and look after them properly."

This wasn't the first or second time the Dragon Spring Gathering had been held. Each time, numerous cultivators from other regions arrived on their mounts, and Qingyu Mountain naturally made proper arrangements for them.

Before long, the attendants responsible for the mounts approached. Accompanied by Lu Ye, Amber was placed in one of the beast cages. There were nearly a hundred such cages on site, more than sufficient to accommodate all the cultivators' mounts.

With all preparations complete, as night was about to fall, a rumbling sound suddenly arose from below the peak, followed by a tremor that shook the ground and mountains.

Just as everyone was confused about what was happening, Tang Wu emerged from the hall. He surveyed the crowd and announced loudly, "The Dragon Spring has opened. Junior Brothers and Sisters, you may enter sequentially shortly. This time, the Dragon Spring will be accessible for nine days, with each of the three factions allocated three days. All of you must act according to your capabilities; absolutely do not push yourselves. Let me be clear upfront: if any accident occurs during the tempering process, our Qingyu Mountain will not be held responsible."

After this brief address, and at Tang Wu's signal, the cultivators from the visiting sects entered the hall one by one.

Only after they had entered did it become the turn of the Qingyu Mountain cultivators.

In the previous Dragon Spring Gathering, Qingyu Mountain had secured forty-nine peaks, which meant they were entitled to ninety-eight entry slots this time. However, after distributing over thirty of these slots, they were left with only around sixty for their own disciples.

While this number wasn't small, it was still far from sufficient for the entire sect's Spirit Stream Realm cultivators.

Consequently, Qingyu Mountain had always allocated very few spots to recruited rogue cultivators. The fact that three spots were available this time was truly due to the significant contributions of Lu Ye's team.