The duel was set for the hour of the Monkey that day. The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze stirred the air.
The Jade Dragon Snowfield, where the snow never melted, had finally shed its icy aloofness and burst into vibrant life.
It was not yet noon, but the site of the decisive battle—the Jade Dragon Snowfield's highest peak, Immortal Finger Peak—was already as lively as a marketplace.
Countless cultivators had gathered there, all eager to witness a world-shaking battle unlike any the Chaotic Star Sea had seen in ages.
Of course, even if it had been billed as a battle between a peerless prodigy and a superpowered expert, a fight between opponents whose strengths were completely mismatched would not have caused such a tremendous stir.
The key lay in the unprecedented betting pool Hong Yun Hall had opened.
Setting aside the hype surrounding the battle, the Spirit Stones gathered in the pool alone had already topped thirty million. That terrifying sum had shattered every record for a betting pool Hong Yun Hall had ever held.
Across the entire Chaotic Star Sea, nearly eight out of every ten people had placed a bet.
The unprecedented pool had come about for several reasons. First, Hong Yun Hall had spared no expense in hyping the battle. Second, the betting period had been extended to a full two months. Third, and most importantly, the difference in strength between the two combatants was so vast that it surpassed the bounds of common sense.
The outcome seemed so obvious that countless people had followed the crowd and placed their bets.
Besides them, quite a few had taken the opposite view, convinced Xu Yi must have a secret method for winning. They had wagered heavily in hopes of claiming the enormous odds.
In short, by