62: Chapter 62: Placing Bets in the Market, Waiting to Collect Money

While waiting for Zhou Zhiting to register, Bai Yunzhou quickly used the Opportunity Panel to memorize the rankings of everyone on the plaza who could break into the top hundred.

Wang Chuan, first place.

...

Deng Mufeng, fourth place.

Song Xinghe, fifth place.

...

Liu Qingmo, eighth place.

Zhou Zhiting, tenth place.

...

One name after another and their corresponding rankings clearly emerged in his mind.

These rankings were the ultimate heights that each Disciple could achieve without being affected by his own intervention.

"Although my appearance might affect some people's rankings, it generally won't be too far off."

Thinking this, Bai Yunzhou soon saw it was Zhou Zhiting's turn to go up and register.

Compared to Bai Yunzhou, Zhou Zhiting was previously merely a Utility Disciple.

Coupled with the fact that she usually stayed busy cooking or practicing boxing in her Immortal Cave,

almost no one knew her.

Her appearance on stage didn't spark any discussion from anyone either.

But when she threw a punch that achieved a score of three zhang and one chi, the plaza instantly fell into a dead silence, immediately followed by gasps even louder than before!

"Good heavens! Three zhang and one chi! What kind of year is this for prodigies to cluster together?"

"I originally thought it was already Heaven-Defying enough for the Inner Sect to produce two prodigies like Liu Qingmo and Bai Yunzhou, but I never expected someone could still use a Mid Foundation Establishment cultivation level to push their Foundation to a height of over three zhang!"

"Who on earth is this person, and why have I never heard of her before?"

"Well, now things are great. This Inner Sect Grand Competition will be even more worth watching!"

"..."

Gasps rose one after another, and all the Disciples stared fixedly at Zhou Zhiting, their eyes filled with shock and curiosity.

Quite a few Elders even became interested in her; if they knew she had no Revered Master, they would probably take her under their wing immediately.

As for Bai Yunzhou, he had long known that Junior Sister Zhou possessed extraordinary talent, so he wasn't too surprised.

After she successfully registered, the two squeezed out of the crowd and flew on swords toward the Outer Sect Market.

Outer Sect Market.

In the past, although people came and went in the Outer Sect Market, they were mostly Disciples purchasing daily cultivation supplies or exchanging items obtained from missions. Although the atmosphere was lively, it always carried a certain order and restraint unique to the Sect.

However, today, the atmosphere of the market was completely different, resembling a boiling pot of spiritual spring water—clamorous, boiling, and steaming with heat.

The streets were several times more crowded than usual, with Disciples dressed in various attires rubbing shoulders.

There were not only a large number of Outer Sect Disciples, but even many curious Utility Disciples, as well as some Inner Sect Disciples who were obviously here to watch the commotion or look for opportunities.

Business in the shops on both sides was also exceptionally booming, especially those selling healing Medicinal Pills, fast spiritual power-recovery potions, and low-tier defensive or offensive Talismans, which were packed almost airtight.

The air was permeated with excitement, anticipation, and a strong atmosphere of speculation.

The most chaotic waves of sound almost all revolved around a few keywords:

"... Have you heard? The test results just came out from the Inner Gate Plaza: Senior Sister Liu Qingmo reached three zhang and four chi! Senior Brother Bai Yunzhou reached three zhang, four chi, and one cun! Good heavens, and that's at Mid Foundation Establishment!"

"More than that! The latest news just came in, another Senior Sister named Zhou Zhiting popped up, also at Mid Foundation Establishment, with three zhang and one chi! Is everyone going crazy this year?!"

"So the betting odds have changed again! The jade wall over at Jubao Pavilion has refreshed. Senior Brother Bai Yunzhou's odds of entering the top ten have dropped to two times, while Senior Sister Zhou Zhiting entering the top ten still has over four times!"

"I bet on Senior Sister Liu for the top ten long ago. Now it looks secure, but it's a pity the odds aren't high..."

"Fortune favors the bold! I'm going to gamble on an upset and bet on that Zhou Zhiting! What if there's a huge upset?"

"Senior Brother Li Dongjun's odds for winning first place are the lowest, but he can't help being steady. All the Spirit Stones I've saved up for a long time are bet on him..."

"Baibao House has opened precise ranking bets with even higher odds, it's just too hard to guess..."

Sounds of discussion, arguments, and cries of frustration or excitement rose one after another.

Disciples hurried over from the market entrance from time to time, bringing sporadic latest news from the Inner Gate Plaza, causing a new wave of commotion and betting frenzy.

Bai Yunzhou and Zhou Zhiting landed on their swords, restrained their auras, and blended into the crowd as low-key as possible.

It was Zhou Zhiting's first time seeing such a clamorous scene in the market, and especially upon hearing many people mention her name and those astonishing odds, she felt both novel and somewhat expectant.

"Senior Brother, there really are a lot of people in the Outer Sect Market today... everyone is talking about the Grand Competition and betting."

Zhou Zhiting whispered, her gaze curiously sizing up her surroundings.

Bai Yunzhou gave an 'en' sound.

It was also his first time seeing such a lively scene in the Outer Sect Market.

Immediately after, his gaze swept over several shops hanging obvious "Grand Competition Betting" signs.

The largest was naturally "Jubao Pavilion", where the giant spiritual light jade wall in front of the door was the most eye-catching, and the crowd was also the densest.

In addition, in front of larger shops such as "Baibao House", "Wanqi Tower", and "Danxia Pavilion", betting operations were also set up, each with its own characteristics, attracting gamblers with different motives.

Bai Yunzhou had originally wanted to go directly to Jubao Pavilion, but thinking that he was still a distinguished guest of Jubao Pavilion nowadays, he decided not to fleece them of their money.

Thus, he spoke in a low voice.

"Let's go take a look at 'Baibao House' where there are slightly fewer people first."

Having said that, he led Zhou Zhiting and walked toward the direction of Baibao House.

Baibao House was famous for selling all kinds of exotic Materials and sundry goods, and the bets it opened allegedly had even more variety.

Aside from conventional ranking predictions, there were also niche options such as "Popular First to be Eliminated", "Biggest Dark Horse", and "Highest Single-Match Defense Layers Broken", attracting quite a few Disciples who wanted to gamble for high odds.

The two crossed the crowded flow of people and lined up in front of the betting counter specially opened at the side door of Baibao House.

The people waiting in line here were fewer than at Jubao Pavilion, but every single one of them had eager eyes, whispering and discussing various betting strategies.

While waiting in line, the surrounding Disciples mostly wagered a few or dozens of Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and occasionally an Inner Sect Disciple would fish out hundreds or thousands of Low-Grade Spirit Stones, drawing a wave of low-voiced envious discussions.

When it was Bai Yunzhou and his companion's turn, the deacon Disciple behind the counter was casually recording the previous bet slip of "three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones wagered on Li Dongjun for the top ten" without even raising his head.

"What are you betting on? Name, betting item, wager amount."

Bai Yunzhou stepped forward and placed a seemingly ordinary, greyish Storage Pouch on the counter.

Then he recited the top ten rankings he had previously memorized, which naturally included himself.

"All these ten people are wagered on 'final ranking entering the top ten', ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per person, totaling one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

His voice wasn't loud, but in the relatively noisy environment, those words "one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones" were like ice water thrown into boiling oil, instantly causing the area near the counter to fall silent.

"Ho—How much?"

The deacon Disciple's hand recording stiffened abruptly, and the brush tip scratched a crooked mark on the jade board.

He suddenly raised his head, staring blankly at Bai Yunzhou, then looked down at the unassuming Storage Pouch, his voice changing pitch.

"One... one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones? Are you sure it's 'Mid-Grade' Spirit Stones?"

The surrounding Disciples in line also instantly blew up, pairs of shocked, horrified, and incredulous gazes focusing squarely on Bai Yunzhou.

"My ears aren't malfunctioning, right? One hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones? That's ten million Low-Grade Spirit Stones!"

"God! I've never seen so many Spirit Stones in my entire life! He actually brought them to place a bet?!"

"Wait, the people he bet on include himself! Bai Yunzhou! He is Senior Brother Bai Yunzhou?!"

"And Zhou Zhiting! The one who punched out three zhang and one chi during the test just now!"

"..."

Bai Yunzhou's expression remained as usual as he confirmed to the deacon Disciple,

"It is precisely one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, please check and verify."

The deacon Disciple took a deep breath, barely suppressing the turbulent waves in his heart, picked up the Storage Pouch with slightly trembling hands, and probed his Divine Sense into it.

Real... it really is one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!

Genuine and authentic!

"Con—Confirmed correct!"

The deacon Disciple was ecstatic in his heart.

You must know, this was all his performance metric!

Immediately, his movements became incomparably respectful and swift, meticulously issuing ten voucher Jade Slips and offering them up with both hands.

"This is your voucher, please, please keep it well! Wishing Senior Brother Bai... immediate victory!"

Bai Yunzhou took the Jade Slip and nodded slightly.

After Zhou Zhiting also finished placing her bet, the two left.

It was worth mentioning that Zhou Zhiting hadn't thought much when placing her bet; she directly followed Bai Yunzhou's bets.

Only, what surprised Bai Yunzhou was that Zhou Zhiting actually also wagered ten thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

You must know, the reason he could wager one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was because the Cao family had previously compensated him with one million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Even though he had spent quite a few Spirit Stones purchasing Spiritual Artifacts earlier, that only added up to around one hundred-plus thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Right now, he still had over eight hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in his hands.

As for Zhou Zhiting?

She was previously merely a Utility Disciple, and it hadn't been long since she was promoted to the Inner Sect.

How could she have so many Mid-Grade Spirit Stones?

Seeing Bai Yunzhou's confusion,

Zhou Zhiting also explained the reason.

It turned out that the Spirit Stones in her hands were all given by Ye Jinglan.

Thinking of Ye Jinglan's attitude towards Zhou Zhiting, that made complete sense.

Just like that, amidst their conversation, they arrived at the "Wanqi Tower" betting counter.

Bai Yunzhou repeated the same trick once more, wagering another one hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Based on the odds of the first two places, if the people he wagered on all surged into the top ten, then with his principal of two hundred thousand, he could still obtain nearly one million Spirit Stone returns.

And the reason why there were such high odds was mainly because the odds for himself, Liu Qingmo, Deng Mufeng, Song Xinghe, and Zhou Zhiting were excessively high.

After all, although the five of them performed outstandingly in the Foundation testing phase, their Realm was too low after all.

In everyone's view, the hope of the five of them rushing into the top ten was not high.

Therefore, the odds naturally ran high.

Not long after, the two arrived at "Danxia Pavilion".

Compared to the hoarding of rare commodities by "Baibao House" and the sharp brilliance of "Wanqi Tower", "Danxia Pavilion" presented a completely different atmosphere.

Before they even got close, a calming medicinal fragrance mixed with the delicate fragrance of thousands of Spiritual Plants and blended through special techniques lingered around, instantly refreshing one's spirit.

The architecture of Danxia Pavilion was also quite elegant; auspicious cloud and Pill Furnace patterns faintly appeared among the flying eaves and bracket sets, and the three large characters "Danxia Pavilion" on the lintel had flowing light revolving around them, seemingly suffused with the misty aura of Medicinal Pills.

Yet the arrival of Bai Yunzhou and Zhou Zhiting caused a small-scale commotion.

From Baibao House to Wanqi Tower, the news of him tossing down two hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones had long spread far and wide.

At this moment, many Disciples in front of Danxia Pavilion naturally recognized him.

The crowd gazed over with complex eyes, whispering, "He's here again" and "I wonder how much he's going to bet this time".

Bai Yunzhou didn't feel much about this; he just lined up as usual, waiting to place his bet.

"Senior Brother, are we going to buy the same way as before this time?"

Zhou Zhiting asked.

Bai Yunzhou shook his head.

"This time, we'll just buy you, me, Liu Qingmo, Brother Song, and Deng Mufeng. After all, the odds for the few of us are a bit higher."

He hadn't bought like that at Baibao House and Wanqi Tower earlier because he was worried that if he bought too much, the other party wouldn't be able to afford the payout.

Whereas this Danxia Pavilion was a shop opened by the Danxia Sect within the Qingxuan Sect, possessing deep Foundations, and could still afford a payout of several tens of thousands of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.

Zhou Zhiting nodded.

She didn't ask about her Senior Brother's decision, just nodded and noted it down.

Not long after queuing, it was the turn of the two.

The person in charge of reception was a middle-aged deacon with a kind face and slightly frosted temples, dressed in a plain and elegant cyan robe, with silver Pill Furnace patterns embroidered on his cuffs and a peaceful aura.

He had evidently also heard the rumors about Bai Yunzhou's lavish spending at the previous two places. When he raised his eyes to look over, beneath his professional and gentle smile, a trace of imperceptible scrutiny flashed through his eyes.

"So it's Little Friend Bai."

The deacon's tone was peaceful, carrying a hint of just-right curiosity.

"I hear that Little Friend made massive moves at both Baibao House and Wanqi Tower just now. I wonder who and what you intend to wager on by gracing our Danxia Pavilion this time?"

Bai Yunzhou stepped forward and took out a Storage Pouch containing six hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

"Wagering on 'final ranking entering the top ten': Zhou Zhiting, Liu Qingmo, Song Xinghe, Deng Mufeng, and yours truly, Bai Yunzhou. A total of five people."

Hearing these five names, the middle-aged deacon's hand holding the brush paused almost imperceptibly. His facial smile remained unchanged, but in his heart, he was already calculating rapidly.

Aside from Bai Yunzhou before him, he naturally knew all of the other four as well.

They were the few who had the most limelight and were discussed the most by everyone during the pre-competition testing phase this time.

Especially Zhou Zhiting, that dark horse that had come out of nowhere.

But... that was about it.

Foundation testing could certainly reflect a portion of one's strength.

But in the Inner Sect Grand Competition, upon the arena, things changed in a flash. What was being contested was comprehensive combat strength, on-the-spot adaptability, foundational methods, and even luck!

Mid Foundation Establishment versus Peak Foundation Establishment—how could a gap of a major Realm be crossed so easily?

Not to mention that Zhou Zhiting, according to background checks, was merely a Utility Disciple not long ago.

Even if she obtained some Opportunity and leaped to the skies in a single bound, could her combat experience, Cultivation Technique matching, and resource accumulation compare with those Inner Sect elites who had immersed themselves in this path for many years?

The high odds given by the Pavilion to these few people, especially Zhou Zhiting's outrageous fifty-fold odds, were not randomly set.

That was the result after actuaries repeatedly evaluated the risks—the risk was extremely high, almost equivalent to giving away money.

As his thoughts whirled, his smile remained gentle, and he raised his brush to record.

"How much for each?"

"One hundred and twenty thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per person, totaling six hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

The middle-aged deacon's brush had already subconsciously begun to outline the numbers as he casually chimed in,

"One hundred and twenty thousand... hmm?"

The tip of the brush stopped abruptly, and he suddenly raised his head. For the first time, an obvious crack appeared on the perfectly maintained, gentle smile on his face, his eyes filled with disbelief, thinking he had heard wrong.

"Each person... one hundred and twenty thousand?"