The Power of Money (Second Update)

Soto Fighting Spirit Arena

Huo Yuhao brought Zi Ling to the VIP viewing seats, casually ordered some juice and red wine, then turned his gaze toward the arena stage.

On the stage stood an ordinary young man with short dark-blue hair. He wore half a Bronze Mask over his face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

His opponent was a burly Yellow-Clad Man.

The difference in their builds made the outcome of this match seem obvious.

"Sir, wagers can be placed on every match in this arena according to the odds. Would you like to place a bet?" the beautiful Maid beside him gently reminded him.

Huo Yuhao raised a hand and took a stack of Yellow Crystal Cards from the ring on his finger, placing them onto the Silver Tray held by the Maid.

"A bet."

"Certainly." The Maid bowed respectfully, then began a detailed introduction:

Yellow Wind Kui Wolf

Martial Soul: Gale Wolf

Soul Power Level: 29

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow

One-on-one record: nine wins, three losses.

--

Thousand Hands Asura

Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass

Soul Power Level: 29

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow

One-on-one record: eleven consecutive victories.

"The current payout ratio between Yellow Wind Kui Wolf and Thousand Hands Asura is 2:1.3. May I ask which one you would like to bet on, sir?" the Maid asked respectfully.

"One million on Thousand Hands Asura," Huo Yuhao said calmly.

The Maid's expression shifted slightly, but she quickly put on a professional smile.

"Of course. I'll increase your wager immediately."

--

Soto Fighting Spirit Arena.

The match that was about to begin was suddenly suspended by the organizers.

Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, and the others in the ordinary spectator seats were somewhat surprised.

"What's wrong with the organizers? Did something go wrong halfway through?" Dai Mubai could not help raising a brow.

"Could they be planning to pull some dirty trick?" Xiao Wu immediately became alert.

Yu Xiaogang was holding a copy of the Soul Master Theory Collection in his arms, watching the stage below with an air of calm control.

Tang San, standing below, was also rather confused.

What was going on?

His opponent was equally puzzled and questioned the staff on site.

However, even the staff did not know the exact situation. They only said it was an order from above.

This made the atmosphere at the venue even stranger.

Quite a few spectators began shouting, "I'm about to make trouble!" "I'm going to make trouble!" "I'm already making trouble!"

The audience shouted for the match to begin.

Everyone's emotions seemed to have been ignited. The calls for the match to start rose wave after wave.

The staff hurriedly went to ask for instructions.

At that moment, the manager of the Fighting Spirit Arena stood before Huo Yuhao, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he discussed something with him.

In the end, Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement, and the manager immediately looked as though he had been pardoned.

Then, on the arena display screen before countless watching eyes,

the payout ratio for Yellow Wind Kui Wolf and Thousand Hands Asura changed from:

3.5:1.1

The entire venue erupted.

The discussions among the audience thundered through the arena.

The previously fixed payout ratio had actually changed again.

The side with the lower payout ratio had the better odds of winning.

The Fighting Spirit Arena seemed to favor Thousand Hands Asura, believing he had a high chance of victory.

But if Yellow Wind Kui Wolf won, the big bettors who had wagered on Yellow Wind Kui Wolf would likely drain the prize pool dry.

--

Ordinary spectator seats.

"This is bad. They're rigging the match." Dai Mubai's expression darkened.

"What do you mean, Dai Boss?" Xiao Wu asked anxiously. She did not really understand what these changes in payout ratios meant. In any case, every time, she blindly bet on Little San to win.

"On the surface, it looks like the Fighting Spirit Arena believes Little San's odds of winning are extremely high. But if his opponent wins, the bettors will receive more than three times their return."

"If they dare adjust the payout ratio like this, they'll most likely manipulate things behind the scenes and do everything they can to make Little San lose!" Dai Mubai's gaze turned sharp.

"Then what do we do?" Xiao Wu was nearly in tears from worry.

"Don't worry. With Little San's methods, even if he faces schemes and plots, he may not necessarily lose." Dai Mubai crossed his arms, a cold smile curling at his lips.

"Mm." Xiao Wu immediately took out more than a dozen Gold Soul Coins and placed them all on Thousand Hands Asura.

Yu Xiaogang stared at the details of the exchange between the staff below and Yellow Wind Kui Wolf.

Had the organizers ultimately chosen to play dirty?

Whether Little San could pull through would depend on himself.

The ability to adapt to circumstances was true skill.

--

VIP seats.

Huo Yuhao sat with one leg crossed over the other, swirling the red wine in his hand as he calmly watched the stage below.

Zi Ling sat beside him holding her juice, swinging her two short legs.

The manager of the organizers stood beside Huo Yuhao, waiting on him with a smile. By now, he was drenched in sweat.

What a joke. With such a massive sum of money being wagered, they would be idiots not to adjust the payout ratio.

Thousand Hands Asura's chances of winning were so high that he was highly likely to win steadily.

They wanted Thousand Hands Asura to win so they could recover as much of their losses as possible.

At the same time, they would fool the audience into betting on Yellow Wind Kui Wolf and get those gamblers to follow suit.

The organizers had indeed negotiated with Yellow Wind Kui Wolf, but not to make him win. It was to make him lose.

When the time came, the master's money would be returned in full, along with the winnings from the payout ratio. Meanwhile, the organizers would take the chance to squeeze money out of the poor fools and gamblers.

What? Fairness?

That only meant they deserved it. They dared place reckless bets without seeing the situation clearly.

--

Soto Fighting Spirit Arena, stage.

"Hello, audience! The long-awaited match is about to begin! Yellow Wind Kui Wolf versus Thousand Hands Asura!"

"Yellow Wind Kui Wolf has achieved a record of nine wins and three losses in one-on-one matches at the Fighting Spirit Arena. Even among Soul Grand Masters, he is considered outstanding, and his strength cannot be underestimated."

"Thousand Hands Asura is even more impressive, having achieved a dazzling record of eleven wins in eleven one-on-one matches! Can he create even greater glory today?"

"Now, let us hand the stage over to them and bring you a spectacular peak showdown!" The host's forceful introduction instantly stirred the audience's emotions.

Everything was ready once more, and both sides had placed heavy wagers.

Yellow Wind Kui Wolf looked at Thousand Hands Asura across from him and could not help wondering.

Was this guy someone the Soto Fighting Spirit Arena organizers had been building up? They were actually making him throw the match so the other side could win?

Though he was contemptuous of it, who would turn down money?

"Both sides—Martial Soul Possession!" the Referee loudly commanded.

Yellow Wind Kui Wolf immediately underwent Martial Soul Possession. Behind him appeared a nimble Gale Wolf. His feet curved as he rose onto his toes, his palms transformed into wolf claws with traces of gray fur, and his eyes became eerie green vertical pupils. Two yellow century-old Soul Rings emerged beneath his feet!

Thousand Hands Asura raised his right hand, and slender azure grass emerged from his palm. Fine Blue Silver Grass Thickets spread across the arena around him, while two century-old Soul Rings emerged beneath his feet.

"Big brother, go for it!" the Pink-Clad Girl called out loudly from the spectator stands.

The spectators shouted for the people they had respectively supported and bet on, but the calls for Thousand Hands Asura were clearly louder.

A trace of disdain flashed through Yellow Wind Kui Wolf's eyes.

Tang San crouched low, a faint purple glint appearing in his eyes.

"Begin the match!"