Chapter 2566: Playing a Big Game

In a secret room within the Battle Arena, Gong Mao paced back and forth, sweat pouring down his forehead. He wiped it away repeatedly, but it seemed endless. Even his loose clothing was wet, then dry, then wet again. As a Dao Integration expert, he rarely lost his composure like this.

But this time, he had taken an enormous gamble—a Dao Fusion fighting a Dao Integration in a death match. Regardless of how exciting the fight itself would be, the sheer novelty was enough to draw countless gamblers. Ninety-nine percent of them saw it as a golden opportunity to earn "Dao fish," and naturally, they didn't want to miss out. With foresight, he had decided to open all viewing areas within the entire Battle Arena. Aside from spectators in the Emperor's Field who could watch the death match directly, all other viewing areas would simultaneously display a projection of the battle. It could be said that today, the Battle Arena hosted only one fight: the death match between the Nameless Guest and Spirit Eye. As a result, all spectators gathered in the Battle Arena could only place bets on this single death match.

Even after spending so many years in the Battle Arena, the constantly accumulating betting figures made Gong Mao's heart pound. If he messed this up, he would be beyond atonement.

"My lord," a subordinate cultivator hurried over, his face solemn, "The situation isn't good. More and more people are betting on Spirit Eye. Should we temporarily close the betting?"

"We cannot close it!" Although Gong Mao was burning with anxiety, he remained rational. Since the Battle Arena opened its doors, it had never closed its betting market before the designated time. Closing it now would be self-sabotage, ruining their credibility. "Dao fish" could be earned back, but if credibility was lost, the Battle Arena's very foundation would collapse. He knew why more people were betting on Spirit Eye: the Nameless Guest had yet to appear, leading many to believe he was afraid and wouldn't dare to participate in the death match. Therefore, betting on Spirit Eye at this point seemed like a guaranteed profit.

"What are the odds for the Nameless Guest?" Gong Mao asked. The subordinate reported a figure.

Gong Mao nodded gravely. These odds were unprecedented in the Battle Arena's history. Not only had they never appeared before, but Gong Mao was almost certain they never would again, as no future death match could possibly attract such a massive spectacle.

"You may go," Gong Mao waved a hand weakly. As his subordinate left, he quickly took out a communication charm, wailing in his heart, "Fellow Daoist Lu, if you don't show up soon, I, Gong, might have to atone with my life today!"

No sooner had the message been sent than the door was pushed open again. Gong Mao looked up to see a familiar figure in a hooded trench coat stepping in, led by one of his trusted aides. The aide gestured for the newcomer to enter, then retreated. Gong Mao hurried forward, almost in tears. "Fellow Daoist, you've finally appeared!"

Lu Ye raised a hand to push back his hood, a look of apology on his face. "Something delayed me. How are things here?"

"For now, things are alright, but if you hadn't come, I couldn't have stalled any longer."

"Then there's no time to lose?"

"Do you need to make any preparations?" Gong Mao asked with concern. Although Lu Ye had given him great confidence during their last meeting, at this crucial moment, he was still nervous. A Dao Fusion fighting a Dao Integration, and a Dao Fusion at the eighth stage... could he really win?

"No need, I'm in a hurry," Lu Ye shook his head.

Once this death match was over, he still needed to return to Yuanxi City to finish up there. The battlefield there had already begun, and with Yuanxi City and Lingfeng City joining, his side would surely achieve a great victory. He couldn't afford to miss out on those Star Abyss Coins. Gong Mao was stunned. Thinking back to the previous two death matches, Lu Ye had always battled his opponents fiercely, barely winning in the end, always giving the impression that he was at his limit. But from his tone, this time he planned a quick victory? He suddenly felt a surge of anticipation. If Lu Ye won this time, the profits for the Battle Arena would be immense, absolutely unprecedented. The Arena Master had stirred up the conflict in the snowy plains, and this was precisely when a large amount of "Dao fish" was needed. While he couldn't offer much help himself, assisting the Arena Master with logistical supplies would be a worthwhile repayment for years of cultivation and support.

"Then let's go to the arena!" Gong Mao quickly led the way. At this very moment, a clamor filled the various viewing areas within the Battle Arena. Countless cultivators shouted and demanded that the Battle Arena declare the death match over. Since the Nameless Guest had not appeared, it was clearly due to fear, an unwillingness to come. Continuing to wait was pointless. As soon as the Battle Arena announced the death match was over, they could collect their winnings.

In the Void Fragment Battlefield, Spirit Eye stood impatiently on an asteroid, holding a long sword. With his Dao Integration cultivation, he disdained fighting a Dao Fusion. When Gong Mao had approached him earlier, he almost thought it was a joke. What if it was the Nameless Guest? Although he had gained some fame in Dao Fusion death matches, a Dao Fusion was still just a Dao Fusion. How could he be compared to him? With his cultivation, what kind of Dao Fusion could be his opponent? So, he decisively refused.

He didn't expect Gong Mao to offer him a *sub-treasure*! The condition was that he had to participate in this death match and not reveal the sub-treasure's existence to anyone. Spirit Eye found it hard to believe. If it hadn't been Gong Mao discussing this with him, he might have simply walked away.

Only when he saw the *sub-treasure* with his own eyes did he realize Gong Mao wasn't playing a trick. When he held the sub-treasure, named the Spring Radiance Sword, in his hand, his emotions became incredibly complex. At the Dao Integration level, his reputation was not prominent, nor was his cultivation particularly strong. This was because he hadn't received much assistance during his early cultivation, so his foundation wasn't solid. Thus, his advancement to Dao Integration naturally seemed mediocre. During his Dao Fusion days, he had a dream: to obtain a sub-treasure of his own. If he had, upon advancing to Dao Integration, he could have not only compensated for his early deficiencies but also had a much brighter future. But back then, he was without support or background; how easy was it to acquire a sub-treasure? Ultimately, he couldn't delay any longer and had to advance to Dao Integration without one. He never expected that now, a sub-treasure would be delivered right to him, with the condition of merely participating in a death match against a Dao Fusion. This was practically a free gift! He felt a pang of melancholy. If he had obtained this treasure during his Dao Fusion days, would he only have achieved what he had today? Truly, his luck had been poor.

"Hmm?" Just as his thoughts drifted, he suddenly sensed something and looked in a certain direction. A faint vital presence had appeared there. He actually came? Spirit Eye had been waiting here all this time, and the Nameless Guest's prolonged absence had led him, like many spectators, to believe the Nameless Guest was a coward. Who would have thought the Nameless Guest had such courage? With a glint in his eye, he moved swiftly to meet him.

"The Nameless Guest actually showed up!" With the Nameless Guest's sudden appearance, many cultivators in the viewing areas revealed looks of shock, followed by outbursts of curses. "What is this idiot doing coming now? If he had waited a little longer, Spirit Eye would have won without a fight!" According to the Battle Arena's rules, once a death match began, if one party didn't appear within the designated time limit, the other party would win directly. The cultivators who had bet on Spirit Eye had been waiting for a long time; they just needed to wait a little longer for the time limit to expire, and they would have won their bets. The Nameless Guest's sudden arrival undoubtedly ruined their plans, so they certainly didn't give him a kind reception. "He came, he came. He's just a Dao Fusion; what kind of trouble can he cause?" "Exactly, Spirit Eye is a Dao Integration; if he can't even kill a Dao Fusion, he might as well die." "The difference between earlier and later arrival actually makes no difference. It's a pity I'm short on funds now, otherwise, I would have bet more on Spirit Eye." In various viewing areas, countless cultivators discussed animatedly.

In another secret room, Gong Mao stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the illuminated screens before him. The central screen, of course, displayed the projection of the death match arena, clearly showing the Nameless Guest and Spirit Eye flying towards each other. To the left and right of this projection were constantly changing numbers: these numbers represented the entire Battle Arena's betting situation and the changes in odds. The numbers displayed on the left were related to Spirit Eye, while those on the right were related to the Nameless Guest. From this position, Gong Mao could survey the entire situation at a glance.

"My lord, just a moment ago, a massive amount of bets suddenly flowed into the market, and it wasn't from a single person," a subordinate hurried to report.

"How much?" Gong Mao asked. The subordinate reported the figures truthfully.

Gong Mao took a deep breath. "I knew they couldn't hold back!"

Qin Feng had many friends and many enemies. Now that he had stirred up the conflict in the snowy plains, some of his overt and covert enemies had no good way to target him directly, so they could only focus on the Battle Arena. Now that the Battle Arena had shown a vulnerability, those people would naturally not miss the opportunity. Gong Mao had predicted that these individuals had already placed their bets, but they had done so very covertly at first, which was why they hadn't been detected. With little time left, they had suddenly unleashed their full force. The amount of bets flowing into the market this time was not small; it accounted for almost twenty percent of all bets. This was far more than an ordinary Dao Integration expert could produce, and there was more than one such person. So, the Arena Master's enemies had secretly gathered, waiting for this moment.

"My lord, should we accept them?" the subordinate asked with concern.

Gong Mao snorted lightly. "They're already in the market; how can we not accept them?" Those individuals probably wished the Battle Arena would refuse, as that would give them an excuse and reason to cause trouble. Once this issue escalated, the Battle Arena's hard-earned credibility, accumulated over many years, would instantly collapse. Simply put, as long as the betting market was open, the Battle Arena could not refuse those bets.

"Also, the Nameless Guest's odds have started to decline," the subordinate reported.

Gong Mao nodded. "That's normal. Previously, everyone thought the Nameless Guest would flee without a fight, so there was great enthusiasm for betting. Now that the Nameless Guest has appeared, there will naturally be a decline."

Furthermore, by this point, many people had already placed their bets.

"Then, my lord, should we close the betting?" the subordinate asked cautiously. Earlier, when the Nameless Guest hadn't arrived, the Battle Arena couldn't directly close the betting, but now the situation was different. Closing the betting would not be a major problem; at most, it would draw a little criticism, but it wouldn't affect the core business.