Chapter 65: The Casino Match

Chapter 65: The Casino Match

On my way up to the ring, I glanced at the betting board.

Less than ten percent had backed me, while ninety percent were on Gao Haipeng. The odds were just as wildly lopsided. After all, Gao Haipeng had beaten Shi Youcheng, a rank-eight fighter from the Ziyun Sect, in their last clash.

Besides, to everyone else, my jump from guard to rank-eight Grandmaster looked suspiciously fast. In the tournament, I’d only beaten a rank-seven before it was called off. Sure, the Ziyun Sect promoted me to rank eight—but outsiders saw that as a merit badge, nothing more.

Most gamblers didn’t buy my actual strength.

What caught my attention: a few Jianghai Gang disciples had bet on me. I didn’t see anyone from the Ziyun Sect in the crowd.

Then I noticed a fat boss delivering wine. He wasn’t carrying any wine himself; instead, he trailed leisurely behind a beautiful woman pushing a flying wine jar. When he spotted me, he winked.

Another Du Xiaoran shell?

As Gao Haipeng and I approached the ring, the casino owner hurried over and murmured to Gao Haipeng, “Grandmaster Gao, you know the drill. Three rounds. After that, do what you want.”

Clear enough. Make it last three rounds before knocking me out. End it too fast and the show falls flat—fewer bets, less excitement.

After his chat with Gao Haipeng, the owner slipped me a cyan-patterned pill and said quietly, “Grandmaster Song, you’re new, so I don’t know you well. Honestly? I don’t favor you. But for this pill’s sake, give me three rounds. I believe you’ve got that much in you.”

I glanced back at the wagering scene. Lively enough. I was the wild card—unknown quantity, high odds. Gamblers with nerve loved that kind of bet.

I held the extra cyan-patterned pill he had given me and figured there was no reason to turn down something free.

That said—were these pills useful or not? Immortal pills could be exchanged for achievement points, and a cyan-patterned pill was worth ten points, which was no small amount. Still, I wanted to taste it. I still had plenty of gold-patterned pills I hadn’t cashed in, and I had never tried those either, so I had no idea what their effects were.

So I popped the cyan-patterned pill in my mouth. The instant it hit my stomach, something jolted my consciousness body.

Huh.

These pills weren’t for improving physical function. They were for improving consciousness cultivation.

No wonder Du Xiaoran had said these pills came from data distilled out of the Mundane World’s Treading the Wind, Seeking the Dao. These so-called immortal pills were nothing more than wisdom packs gathered from hundreds of millions of people.

But the cyan-patterned pill didn’t seem to affect me. One jolt, then nothing. No strengthening at all.

Did I just waste it?

I ate a gold-patterned pill next. A hundred points’ worth—stupidly expensive. Ought to do something for my force of consciousness.

Same result. One jolt. Nothing more.

Damn it. Shouldn’t have bothered.

This stuff was useless on me. Why? I had no idea.

By all logic, something this expensive—consumed by Great Grandmasters and fighters worldwide—couldn’t be worthless. But when I checked my consciousness body, genuinely nothing had changed. No increase, no enhancement.

What the hell?

The gamblers saw me take a gold-patterned pill before entering the ring. Chatter erupted. A few holdouts started placing last-minute bets.

Some backed me—I’d taken a pill, I should be stronger. Others bet against me—taking a pill meant I was scared.

I watched the betting screen flicker and shift, smiled, and stepped into the ring.

Referee, fighters, all in position.

Referee read the rules. A round-card girl walked the ring with a placard. Everything followed the same rules as in the Mundane World.

I figured I’d hold back my finisher, play around with Gao Haipeng, give the owner his show. The man had thrown in an extra pill, after all.

Gao Haipeng opened big—sweeping, dramatic attacks with obvious restraint…