Only a select few were exceptions, Qi Feifei among them. She was currently the one with the most nuanced understanding of Lei Dong's true strength; she herself had once stated that with his superb spirit artifacts and numerous terrifying single-use consumables, he might accidentally fell a Golden Core cultivator. To say nothing of Huangfu Ce. She was also an exceptionally sharp individual, her mind always active, keenly aware that Lei Dong favored the tactic of playing the pig to eat the tiger. His current posturing clearly served two purposes: first, to lull Huangfu Ce into complacency, and second, it likely tied into the current betting pool.

Dongfang Fu frowned slightly. While she didn't claim to understand Lei Dong completely, she certainly knew the sort of person he was. Things like being utterly devastated by grief or unable to withstand provocation were exceedingly unlikely to ever manifest in him. If he truly lacked the confidence to fight, he would have certainly devised other plans long ago; there was no way he would expose himself to provocation by playing a self-destructive game. While the two of them remained somewhat puzzled, Ding Wanyan felt as if she were about to sway precariously, inwardly thinking that her Junior Brother Lei and her Master were truly cut from the same cloth. The moment they met, they were already starting their old tricks. Especially given Lei Dong’s current expression, which Ding Wanyan was intimately familiar with—it clearly signaled he was trying to trick someone. However, this realization suddenly settled the unease that had been fluttering in Ding Wanyan’s heart. For the Master and disciple to be colluding in a scheme, they must possess a distinct confidence regarding this match. Although Ding Wanyan didn't know the source of her Junior Brother Lei’s confidence, she knew he never undertook anything he wasn't mostly certain of. Others might attempt tasks with a fifty or sixty percent chance of success, but he insisted on seventy or eighty percent. Especially when life was on the line, her Junior Brother Lei was always exceedingly cautious.

Besides them, two others knew Lei Dong quite well: Chen Ge and Wei Hua. To avoid disrupting Lei Dong’s fight or being cornered and interrogated, the two of them, along with Zuo Chao, donned cloaks that concealed their faces. After exchanging a glance, they knew Lei Dong was inherently cunning—if he dared to appear here and accept a life-and-death duel, there was no reason for him to lose.

Chen Ge and Wei Hua were also formidable figures. Firstly, thanks to favors from Lei Dong’s friends, they had managed to align themselves with Ding Wanyan, making their operations within the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave increasingly smooth alongside several Foundation Establishment cultivators. Secondly, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor had recently struck it rich through his two disciples’ continuous successes, leaving him quite flush with cash. Out of fondness for the master, he had also rewarded Lei Dong’s two good brothers several times. Of course, Zuo Chao, as a direct disciple, received the most substantial rewards.

Coupled with the considerable gains the pair reaped from robbing the Li family alongside Lei Dong, they had accumulated significant seed capital, allowing them to initially equip themselves. Afterward, they partnered with Zuo Chao, beginning to operate stealthily around the fringes of the Yin Sha Sect, specializing in petty trading and the occasional robbery. Gradually, they managed to carve out a reputation, gathering a small contingent of rogue cultivators under their banner.

Relying on their increasingly abundant resources, the three of them subsequently broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage respectively. Zuo Chao was currently the strongest at the second layer of Foundation Establishment, while Chen Ge and Wei Hua were at the first. For Chen and Wei, the goal of their lifetime had been achieved ahead of schedule. But like Lei Dong, after completing the first step, they began contemplating the second—their ambitions grew wilder.

The trio scraped together funds, borrowing from various sources, even pawning items such as mid-grade spirit artifacts and high-grade magic tools. Together, they managed to amass 700,000 spirit stones, preparing to win big this time.

When Zuo Chao heard that Yan Mo had raised Lei Dong’s odds, his eyes lit up. “Junior Brother Chen, Junior Brother Wei, shouldn't we make our move now?…”

“What’s the rush? I suspect Lord Yan Mo will continue to adjust the odds,” Chen Ge, who hailed from a wealthy family since childhood, replied. While their family’s wealth in the mortal world was negligible in the cultivation world, the business arena was just as ruthless and demanding of human life. In fact, in terms of mental maneuvering, it was often more treacherous than the cultivation world. After all, in the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme; if all else fails, one can resort to fists.

Chen Ge held a philosophy learned from Lei Dong: once you choose a side, you must stand by it to the end; wavering is unacceptable. This time wasn't just about winning or losing money on a bet. If Lei Dong truly lost, everything would be off the table; Chen Ge would simply return to his hometown to manage his family estate. If Lei Dong won, it would be far more than just monetary gain. At such a crucial juncture, betting on Lei Dong to win symbolized trust in his brother—a trust no amount of spirit stones could buy. Chen Ge was already convinced that Lei Dong was destined for meteoric success sooner or later, and with just a little lifting from him, Chen Ge could become a prominent figure himself.

Indeed, just as Chen Ge finished speaking, Yan Mo’s voice boomed again from the platform: “Huangfu Ce odds are 1.2; Lei Dong is now 2.7! Two-point-seven! A massive, massive gain!”

Humans possess an inherent tendency to chase rising trends and flee falling ones. The more Yan Mo acted this way, the fewer people dared to bet on Lei Dong winning. Lei Dong’s own Master and disciple, and even Yan Mo herself, did not look favorably upon his chances. Betting on him to win felt like throwing money into the abyss. It was much more sensible to bet on Huangfu Ce; although betting ten thousand now would only yield two thousand in profit, it was secured by the word "guaranteed win!" Yan Mo continually lowered Huangfu Ce’s odds, which only made people rush to back him.

“Senior Brother Zuo, we can make our move now. It’s a pity though; Yan Mo is unwilling to aggressively raise Lei Senior Brother’s odds. She’s likely genuinely afraid many people would bet on him otherwise. Otherwise, we could have won even more,” Chen Ge transmitted via sound transmission with a smile. Zuo Chao nervously stepped forward with the 700,000 spirit stones the trio had painfully pooled together, secretly placing a bet on Lei Dong to win. If they lost, the 700,000 would vanish. But if Lei Dong won, they stood to gain over a million!

As expected, Yan Mo then slumped onto her chair like a wilted eggplant, remaining silent as more and more people placed their bets. It wasn't until dusk, when the sky was darkening, and under the constant urging of the various Ancestors, that Lei Dong lazily rose and began walking towards the center of the plaza. Yan Mo seized the opportunity to announce that the match was about to begin and betting was closed.

It was a somewhat crazed gamble. Those betting on Huangfu Ce to win had already exceeded twelve thousand wagers. More than half of these came from the crowds below, whether they were Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators; those short on funds pooled their money together. The Foundation Establishment cultivators with more spirit stones had seized the opportunity, placing heavy bets directly. The wagers for Lei Dong to win, in total, did not exceed one hundred bets.

If Huangfu Ce won, Yan Mo estimated she would ultimately lose twenty million spirit stones. If Lei Dong won, however, Yan Mo stood to make a fortune. Because of this, many Ancestors watched Yan Mo intently, fearful that she might resort to tricks during the fight.

Yan Mo herself, despite being informed by the Myriad Ghost Ancestor that the odds of winning were extremely high this time, felt a knot of fear in her stomach now. Even splitting the potential payout half-and-half with the Myriad Ghost Ancestor meant a loss of ten million spirit stones.

Lei Dong did not use any movement technique; instead, he strolled leisurely until he stopped twenty zhang in front of Huangfu Ce, looking at him with an expression of feigned panic.

Huangfu Ce, having waited for an agonizingly long time, was already boiling over with impatience. He had managed to avoid his vital energy surging wildly before the fight only by following Lei Dong's example and meditating for a long while. Now, seeing Lei Dong approaching, a surge of rage he could barely suppress erupted, his mind filled only with the desire to kill him and let the Blood God Blade drain his essence dry.

The referee for this bout was an elder of the Yin Sha Sect at the Golden Core stage. Seeing both combatants on the field, he drifted forward, hovering in mid-air, and coldly inquired, “Are you both ready?”

“Ready,” Huangfu Ce nodded impatiently.

“Replying to the Elder, this disciple is ready,” Lei Dong respectfully bowed to the Elder.

The Elder was quite satisfied with Lei Dong’s courtesy, twitching his stiff lips in what passed for a smile. Then, with extreme solemnity, he announced, “This Elder declares: Huangfu Ce of the Heavenly Demon Palace versus Lei Dong of the Myriad Ghost Cave—a Life-and-Death Duel!”

The entire arena fell into profound silence, everyone holding their breath, preparing to witness this long-anticipated life-and-death confrontation.

“Begin!”

As the word “Begin” exploded outward, Huangfu Ce moved first, raising his hand to summon a blood-red long saber exuding an incredibly dense scent of gore. He sneered repeatedly, “Lei Dong, allow me to send you on your way now. To die beneath my Blood God Blade shall be your honor.”

Seeing his posture, Lei Dong realized Huangfu Ce intended to finish the fight quickly. He inwardly sneered—he wouldn't grant him that opportunity. Netherworld ghostly energy continuously surged out from around his body, and simultaneously, he drew forth the Myriad Ghost Banner. With a flick of a hand seal, over three hundred Soul Trooper-level and eighteen Soul Guard-level fierce ghosts poured out from the banner, happily sucking in the Netherworld ghostly energy, their forms growing larger, their claws sharp and ferocious, each one utterly savage.

The Ancestors on the platform swept their divine senses over the spectacle, their expressions changing drastically. Especially the Ghost Fiend Ancestor, who exclaimed in shock, “This Myriad Ghost Banner seems a bit off, doesn't it?” With their vast experience, they could roughly gauge the scale and power of the Myriad Ghost Banner based on the cultivator’s stage. These several hundred fierce ghosts contained not a single low-tier, miscellaneous ghost.

The Myriad Ghost Ancestor was momentarily stunned; indeed, this Myriad Ghost Banner seemed excessively formidable.

But there was no time for them to ponder further, as Huangfu Ce was already preparing to end the battle right at the start. His face looked somewhat contorted, and blood-colored energy billowed around him. With a quick hand seal, the blood-colored long saber transformed into a streak of crimson light, expanding rapidly until it became a colossal blade spanning seven or eight zhang, descending upon Lei Dong with ferocious momentum and a tide of blood energy.

Lei Dong, however, remained unhurried. He commanded the horde of fierce ghosts to split apart to the sides, forming two torrents that surged mightily toward Huangfu Ce. Simultaneously, he tossed out a golden talisman, which instantly manifested into a massive, dazzling golden shield blocking the path before him. Buddhist runes continuously flowed and rotated across the surface of the light shield.

“Vajra Indestructible Shield?” Several knowledgeable Ancestors exclaimed in unison.

… and.