The situation in the arena changed abruptly. At the critical moment, the Blazing Flame Eagle awakened its innate attribute.
Intense flames engulfed the entire arena. The beast tamer could not approach, and the fire grew fiercer.
Having unleashed its attribute power once, the One-Horned Python was in a weakened state. The terrifying flames instantly swallowed it as it slithered over, producing a sizzling sound.
The smell of roasted Demon Beast filled the beast-fighting grounds.
The flames lasted ten minutes. The Blazing Flame Eagle lay weakly in the arena, having barely survived.
Not far from it, the charred One-Horned Python was nothing but a husk, utterly dead. It had been burned alive.
"Impossible!"
Wan Butong let out a shrill cry. How could this have happened? Victory had already been in his grasp. How could the Blazing Flame Eagle have awakened its attribute? The records showed that its chances of awakening were less than one in ten thousand.
A trace of shock crossed Xue Yu's face. One loss might have been a coincidence, but two consecutive losses were unusual. Each time, the outcome had reversed at the very last moment. It was too bizarre.
Wan Rongzhe stood and glared fiercely at the beast tamer, who gave him a helpless look. He did not know why the Blazing Flame Eagle had suddenly awakened its attribute either. It was too much of a coincidence.
Everyone's gaze toward Liu Wuxie changed, gaining a hint of awe as well as confusion.
"Brother, you're my own flesh-and-blood brother! Tell me what to bet on next round, and I'll follow you. The Wan Household is swimming in wealth. Let's make a killing off them this time."
Song Ling hugged Liu Wuxie's arm and pressed close to him as though they were brothers, earning a fierce roll of Xu Lingxue's eyes.
The Wan Household was indeed wealthy. With its beast-fighting grounds, it raked in a fortune every day.
The head of the Song Household suddenly sprayed out the tea he had just sipped. How had he raised such a character, who would say something like that right in front of the Wan Household's head?
"Brother Rongzhe, please don't mind him. My son was only joking."
The head of the Song Household hurried to smooth things over. Although he did not fear the Wan Household, there was no need to tear away all pretense of civility.
"You must find this amusing. Since our Wan Household has opened its doors for business, we aren't afraid of losing our entire fortune."
Wan Rongzhe spoke with a smile that never reached his eyes. In the short span of an incense stick, the Wan Household had lost one and a half million gold coins. Even he felt the sting.
One million gold coins were duly delivered to Liu Wuxie's table in the form of another stack of cards, with the precise amounts recorded on them.
"Liu Wuxie, do you dare gamble another round?"
Wan Butong was somewhat deranged, his appearance frightening. His hair hung loose, and his robes billowed. If he lost another round, he might cough up blood and die of rage.
"What if I say no?"
Liu Wuxie suddenly spoke with a smile. When invited to gamble earlier, he had readily agreed, yet this time he was actually going to say no. Wan Butong sprayed out a mouthful of blood in fury.
"You..."
He toppled backward. Having lost one and a half million gold coins, anger had assailed his heart. Coupled with Liu Wuxie's provoking words, it made him faint outright.
"Brother Wan! Brother Wan!"
Tian Yequan hurried forward and pressed the point beneath Wan Butong's nose, afraid he might actually die. After about a minute, Wan Butong slowly came around. Terrifying killing intent spread like mercury, blanketing everything.
"Carry him away!"
At that moment, a talented young man suddenly stepped forward. Handsome and distinguished, dressed in white and carrying a fan, he approached with graceful steps and stopped before Wan Butong.
"It's... it's Young Master Wan Zhuoran! He actually came too!"
Cries of surprise rose from the crowd. Song Ling shuddered, unwilling to see this man.
"Who is he?"
Anyone who could frighten a character like Song Ling was no ordinary person. Liu Wuxie asked because he truly knew few of Canglan City's favored sons of heaven.
At the sight of this man, Xu Lingxue's delicate brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of worry-not for herself, but for Liu Wuxie.
"Brother, you don't even recognize him?" Song Ling rolled his eyes. "He's Wan Rongzhe's eldest son. The Imperial Academy admitted him last year, and he's been away from Canglan City ever since, so it's understandable that you don't know him. I never expected him to return. You need to be careful. You won over a million gold coins from the Wan Household. He definitely won't let this go."
Joining the Imperial Academy meant possessing an extraordinary standing. Xu Lingxue had yet to formally enter the academy, but even Xue Yu had to show her some respect. It was easy to imagine how prestigious an affiliation with the Imperial Academy was.
Wan Zhuoran's gaze suddenly stabbed toward Liu Wuxie like a pair of sharp blades. The table creaked, unable to withstand the oppressive force of his presence. He was in the late Xiantian realm.
Song Ling shrank his neck and dared not speak. Xu Lingxue released her Innate Spirit to resist. Everyone believed Liu Wuxie was bound to make a fool of himself. He was a notorious good-for-nothing. Even Xu Lingxue could barely resist this powerful Xiantian suppression, much less him.
What happened next left countless people stunned. A hint of disdain appeared at the corner of Liu Wuxie's mouth. When the fierce Xiantian pressure reached him, it vanished without a trace.
He was a mighty Immortal Emperor. Cultivation did not represent everything. His soul stirred silently, and an even stronger rebounding force abruptly burst forth, dissolving Wan Zhuoran's pressure into nothing.
No one else could sense it. Only Wan Zhuoran perceived it with perfect clarity.
"I never expected Brother Liu to conceal such depths. You've truly opened my eyes today. The beast fights are still underway. Why don't we have a wager ourselves? One round to decide the winner, as before, but with somewhat higher stakes."
Wan Zhuoran sat down and nodded to Xue Yu. They were already acquainted. It was Wan Zhuoran who had acted as the intermediary in inviting Xue Yu here this time, seeking the shelter of the great tree that was the Xue Household.
All eyes gathered on Liu Wuxie. Refusing would amount to admitting fear.
Once he agreed, he would have to face Wan Zhuoran's furious wrath. Wan Zhuoran possessed a high-grade Innate Spirit, was the Wan Household's future successor, and studied at the Imperial Academy. Every kind of halo shrouded him. Rumor had it that he had already received the true teachings of the Beast Taming Technique.
Using the Beast Taming Technique, he had tamed Demon Beasts for the sons of powerful households at the Imperial Academy and made many connections.
Although Liu Wuxie had won two rounds in succession, no one favored his chances. Wan Zhuoran's appearance had reversed the situation.
"Let's hear the stakes."
Liu Wuxie folded his arms across his chest, looking like a curious child. He wanted to know what the stakes were and whether they were worth a gamble.
Song Ling nudged Liu Wuxie hard, urging him not to gamble again. Wan Zhuoran was ruthless and vicious, an extremely difficult man to deal with. The chances of losing against him were enormous. Luck could not keep favoring Liu Wuxie forever.
"I'll wager ten million gold coins on the next round. If you win, they're all yours."
He enunciated every word. Ten million gold coins-among the four great lineages, only the Wan Household had the resources to make such a claim. Even if the Xu Household smashed its pots and sold its iron, it could not scrape together that much.
Liu Wuxie did not interrupt him. He had not finished speaking, so Liu Wuxie waited for the rest.
"I know your Xu Household can't produce ten million gold coins. If you lose, I won't take a single gold coin from you. You need only agree to one condition. That's fair enough, isn't it?"
Those were Wan Zhuoran's stakes. If Liu Wuxie won, he would pay him ten million gold coins. If Liu Wuxie lost, he would have to agree to one condition.
"Hiss..."
Sharp intakes of breath came from every direction. Ten million gold coins! Many small lineages could not earn that much in ten years. The Wan Household was actually this wealthy.
Ten million was equivalent to more than a year of their net profits. He truly dared to name such a sum.
There was only one possibility: Wan Zhuoran was certain of victory, which was why he dared propose such enormous stakes. In everyone's eyes, Liu Wuxie was very likely to lose this round.
"It sounds as though I won't be losing out. Tell me the condition."
Liu Wuxie looked unconcerned. He had remained composed throughout, from his arrival to Wan Butong and the others' mockery, and through Xue Yu's threats. Each time, he had been as calm as a light breeze beneath drifting clouds.
Everyone's gaze settled on Wan Zhuoran's face, wanting to know what condition he would propose. Surely he would not force Liu Wuxie to kill himself if he won? That would be far too base.
"If I win, dissolve your marriage agreement with Miss Xu. I'll give you a sum of gold coins, and you'll get out of Canglan City."
His words sent shock through the crowd. That was actually his condition: dissolving the marriage agreement with Xu Lingxue.
Everyone in Canglan City knew that although the two were married, they had never consummated their marriage. On their wedding night, he had even been beaten and thrown out of the Xu Household. Even its servants called him a good-for-nothing.
Liu Wuxie smiled, his smile wickedly alluring. Sharp killing intent shone from his eyes.
Xu Lingxue was furious. This was her private affair. How had it become entangled in a wager? "Wan Zhuoran, please show some respect."
"A favored daughter of heaven like Miss Xu is certain to make her name throughout the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty. Her future path must not be affected by someone irrelevant. I'm doing this out of a sense of justice, without any selfish motives, to restore Miss Xu's freedom."
His righteous declaration drew cheers from countless people. Although those words dealt someone a blow, every word was sincere.
"I heard the Wan Household also proposed a marriage to the Xu Household last year, but Xu Yilin refused. Only Young Master Zhuoran is worthy of a favored daughter of heaven like Miss Xu!"
Some people joined the clamor, supporting Wan Zhuoran and pressuring Liu Wuxie to dissolve the marriage agreement and get out of Canglan City.
"A good-for-nothing like him should get out of Canglan City as soon as possible. He doesn't deserve to sit here."
Many people sided with the Wan Household, and their voices grew louder. If Liu Wuxie refused, he would fall even further into Wan Zhuoran's scheme. They would think he was afraid and did not dare gamble.
Xu Lingxue looked toward Liu Wuxie just as he looked toward her. Their eyes met. In his eyes, she saw composure and disdain. In her beautiful eyes, he saw a trace of pain.
Part of that pain came from Liu Wuxie: she hated his failure to make something of himself. Part came from her anger at Wan Zhuoran.
"Don't agree!"
Xu Lingxue lightly clenched her pearly teeth, urging Liu Wuxie to give up. His life mattered more than his dignity.
"Are you afraid of losing me?"
Liu Wuxie gave a wicked smile, his teasing tone prompting Xu Lingxue to stomp hard on his foot again. This time, the pain made him bare his teeth. At a time like this, he still had the inclination to make such a joke.
"Don't worry. Whenever a clown like this jumps out, I'll crush him."
He gave her a reassuring look. If he truly lost, he would have no face to remain in the Xu Household. He had no reason to refuse this high-stakes gamble. Besides, he could not refuse it. Wan Zhuoran would try every possible means to force him to wager.
"Young Master Liu, have you made up your mind? Do you dare gamble?"
Wan Zhuoran asked with a smile. Two Demon Beasts had already appeared in the arena, waiting only for Liu Wuxie's answer.
"Young Master Wan, you've exhausted every scheme to force me into this wager. If I refused, wouldn't that make you lose a great deal of face?"
Liu Wuxie suddenly delivered this taunt, making Wan Zhuoran's face turn livid. He did not fear losing, but he feared Liu Wuxie's refusal to gamble.
"You don't dare?"
Wan Zhuoran let out a cold laugh.