The moment the Round of Thirty-Two began, it was no longer a free-for-all. After all, the shady dealings in a battle between a few people would stand out even more than in a melee. What was more, everyone had seen Shao Zi and the others' cunning and their gang-like behavior, so naturally, the dissatisfaction was spreading. All the bookmakers had also begun selectively and covertly probing us, trying to guess who we might choose to win.
Once the competitors had been selected, all that remained was to draw lots and enter the one-on-one matches. These would be head-on battles, and they would also require the sacrifice of pawns. If we simply let all the pawns win, there would be no way to create any new tricks. There had to be winners and losers; when necessary, we might even have to let the enemy win easily.
Everything we did was in service of the betting pool. If we won the matches but lost the bets, it would all be meaningless. New Heavenly Dao powder would never be able to spread, and the plan would be difficult to carry out.
Everyone thought we were only trying to win the matches, so we would certainly choose the competitors most likely to help us claim the championship. But they had forgotten that we had never intended to win the matches. We meant to manipulate them, lose as much New Heavenly Dao powder as possible, and of course, win the bookmakers' money. Getting the Heavenly Dao powder hoarded in their hands circulating again was also a crucial part of this competition.
After two great melees, the Rogue Cultivators had made an absolute killing. In their happiness, they would naturally place even larger bets. The bookmakers, of course, did not see things that way. Although each