Amidst the uproar, a clear voice pierced the noise: "I bet on Princess Qingping; she wins."
Everyone turned around at the sound and saw the Third Prince standing behind the crowd in a moon-white brocade robe.
His every move exuded the air of imperial nobility. With a flick of his slender fingers, dozens of high-grade spirit stones were instantly tossed onto the gambling table.
The crisp sound of the spirit stone hitting the table instantly silenced the entire casino.
The surface of those spirit stones shimmered with iridescent light, and the rich spiritual energy was almost tangible, causing the mortals around to hold their breath involuntarily.
Some knowledgeable cultivators secretly clicked their tongues in amazement—these high-grade spirit stones were extremely pure, considered treasures even in the cultivation world, and enough to exchange for a small city in the mortal realm!
Xia Yuwei's carefully crafted smile froze instantly.
Her nails dug deep into her palms, a raging fire surging within her: That damned Third Prince! Knowing full well that Xia Qingdai was doomed to lose, he still squandered his resources to support her!
Then he thought again and sneered inwardly: It's just to repay a debt of gratitude. When that bastard shows his true colors on the stage, let's see how you get out of this mess!
The jade-framed fan in the Fourth Prince's hand snapped in two with a "crack." His sinister gaze swept back and forth between the Third Prince and the gambling table. He was filled with suspicion and uncertainty: What was the Third Prince up to? Could it be that Xia Qingdai truly possessed some extraordinary talent? Was she worth him spending so lavishly on?
Just as everyone was filled with doubt and surprise, a voice rang out again: "Your Highness has excellent taste. I, Wei, will also join in the fun."
Immortal Wei Ji then approached, and with a flick of his sleeve, ten high-grade spirit stones of the same quality landed steadily on the gambling table. Even more astonishingly, the surface of those spirit stones faintly revealed Dao patterns that only Nascent Soul cultivators could condense!
"This...this..." The bookmaker was clearly shocked. Spirit stones of this quality were rare even in the cultivation world, yet they had appeared one after another today!
A stir immediately broke out in the arena. The onlookers craned their necks, eager to witness this rare spectacle. Some of the older folks murmured to themselves, "I've seen many competitions like this, but this is the first time I've witnessed such a lavish affair..."
However, these people did not expect that it was not over yet.
Several more cultivators from the Xuantian Sect have arrived.
“Uncle Wei’s judgment is always accurate. Since he’s betting against this Miss Xia, then I’ll take over.”
Count me in!
"Me too!"
Several cultivators from the Xuantian Sect arrived one after another, and in the blink of an eye, the bets under Xia Qingdai's name piled up into a dazzling little mountain.
The dazzling spiritual light was so bright that people couldn't open their eyes, and its sheer quantity rivaled that of several well-known Nascent Soul experts!
The fourth prince's face was ashen. He stared intently at the pile of spirit stones, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Have these cultivators all gone mad? How could they be so extravagant for a mere mortal woman?
In a corner of the casino, an old man wearing a bamboo hat suddenly let out a soft "Eh."
His cloudy eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping across the seemingly ordinary jade pendant at Bai Ying's waist like lightning. Wisps of blue spiritual light flowed across the surface of the pendant, easily obscured by the brilliance of the spirit stone if not examined closely.
"Interesting..." the old man murmured, a playful smile appearing on his wrinkled face. "This little girl actually carries the aura of the 'Ice Jade Pendant'..."
Xia Yuwei suppressed the surging jealousy in her heart and forced a sweet smile: "Third Prince, you've placed such a heavy bet, what if my sister... loses?" She blinked her eyes with feigned concern, "These high-grade spirit stones are rare commodities in our Great Zhou."
These words, ostensibly concerned, were actually a veiled mockery of the Third Prince for acting impulsively.
Many of the powerful and influential people present nodded in agreement, clearly believing that even if the Third Prince's actions were a way of repaying a debt of gratitude, they were far too extravagant and such waste was truly inappropriate.
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince merely smiled indifferently, his gaze remaining fixed on Bai Ying: "Mere spirit stones are nothing to worry about. As long as Princess Qingping is having fun."
His tone was gentle, yet it conveyed an undeniable firmness.
Upon seeing this, Wei Ji clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Your Highness is mistaken! How could Miss Xia's abilities disappoint?"
However, the Third Prince did not take his words to heart.
He was indeed willing to spend a lot of money to repay Bai Ying for saving his life.
As for the outcome? He never even considered that Xia Qingdai could win. After all, this was a competition between cultivators; how could a mortal, no matter how powerful, possibly contend with a cultivator who had cultivated for many years?
The Third Prince dismissed Wei Ji's hint as mere politeness and didn't take it to heart.
Inside the casino, the atmosphere suddenly became both eerie and lively.
The onlookers, high-ranking officials and nobles, exchanged bewildered glances, a greedy glint gradually appearing in their eyes. Someone placed their bet on Bai Ying's opponent, and the crowd surged towards the gambling table like a tidal wave.
"I'm betting three hundred low-grade spirit stones on Princess Qingping's opponent in the first round!"
"I'll offer five mid-grade spirit stones!"
"Make way! Make way! I'll bet a thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
Shouts rose and fell, and the gambling table was soon piled high with spirit stones of various grades.
The fourth prince watched coldly, a mocking smile curving his lips.
He waved his hand elegantly, and his attendant immediately produced a brocade pouch. "I'll add ten more high-grade spirit stones to my bet on Princess Qingping losing." He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze provocatively fixed on the Third Prince.
Seeing this, Xia Yuwei hurriedly took out a mid-grade spirit stone: "I want to bet too! I'll bet on you, sister... Oh dear, I'm so embarrassed to say it." She covered her mouth and chuckled, a wicked glint in her eyes, "Sister, I just want to win, don't blame me for betting you'll lose."
The casino dealer was sweating profusely, and his hands were trembling as he kept the accounts.
In his thirty years in the business, he had never seen such a one-sided betting game. Although the bets placed under Princess Qingping's name were valuable, they were all placed by the Third Prince and people from the Xuantian Sect; while the bets on the other side were not only astonishing in quantity, but also varied widely in type.
"This...this is really..." The dealer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and stole a glance at Bai Ying, who remained silent. The girl still stood quietly in place, as if this crazy betting game that she had started had nothing to do with her.
Wei Jixian stroked his long beard, smiling without saying a word.
The Xuantian Sect disciples behind him exchanged meaningful glances.
Princess Qingping is already at the mid-Nascent Soul stage. Even if she ultimately cannot defeat that traitor from the Xuantian Sect, she will surely win the first few matches.
Today's bet is destined to shock all mortals.
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