A youth in white robes and a golden sash strode onto the battle stage.
The crowd watching was stunned, and their breathing grew rapid.
Without a doubt, Xu Mu choosing to fight himself had exceeded everyone's expectations, even making Jialan Lou, who had proposed the condition, look bewildered.
But soon, his bewilderment turned to disdain, and then to mockery.
"You dare to make a rash bet without even knowing who your opponent is. I truly don't know whether to praise your bravery or your foolishness."
Xu Mu glanced at the Qiongqi that appeared at the street corner, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He turned and said, "You set the rules, and it can only be a bet on oneself winning. I agree completely."
Xu Mu smiled. "I only hope you will also adhere to this rule later."
Jialan Lou was momentarily taken aback, then laughed somewhat angrily, "Do you doubt that I would bet on you winning?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Mu pondered it with feigned seriousness, then replied earnestly, "If you don't want to lose, you can only bet on me winning."
Jialan Lou was rendered speechless.
Everyone in the crowd was silenced by Xu Mu's audacious words.
Silence did not imply agreement.
They simply thought Xu Mu was an idiot, especially Jialan Lou.
At this moment, Jialan Lou's face was flushed red, suppressing his laughter as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, on the verge of tears.
After a long while, he managed to calm down and said to Xu Mu with a smile, "Boy, if my surname wasn't Jialan, my laughter now would undoubtedly be louder than thunder."
Hearing this analogy, many cultivators around the martial arts stage burst into laughter, as Jialan Lou's words clearly echoed their own thoughts.
Xu Mu smiled, "If that were the case, you should thank me."
"After all, laughing that loud, your body wouldn't be able to bear it, and you would die."
After this statement, no one dared to laugh anymore.
For everyone knew that due to their region, the lifespan of the Jialan people was shorter than that of ordinary people, a fate that even some powerful cultivators couldn't escape.
The word "life" was extremely solemn and sacred among the Jialan clan, and no one dared to joke about such matters with them. But now Xu Mu had said it, and no one knew if he had done it intentionally.
"Whether you meant it or not, you are going to die," Jialan Lou said indifferently, his eyes, which had been full of cheerful laughter moments ago, now held only a cold, chilling darkness.
"Brother Jialan, please allow me to fight him!" From below the stage, Lu Fei, who had just defeated Chen Ming, stepped forward and requested to fight, his gaze fixed fiercely on Xu Mu.
Their Lu family's status was actually not much different from that of the Jialan clan, and his own talent was excellent. However, due to certain external factors, he had to obey Jialan Lou's dispatch.
Those external possessions he normally disdained were now extremely important to him. If the previous battle had gone smoothly, he would have received substantial benefits, but Xu Mu had interfered and taken away the money that rightfully belonged to them. How could this not enrage him?
"That's not advisable," Jialan Lou shook his head, his voice somewhat grave. "This person has extraordinary insight and a meticulous mind, easily deceiving us. Even the old ghost just now was tricked by him. He is definitely not to be trifled with."
"I can sense that his strength may not be weaker than mine, perhaps even stronger."
Jialan Lou gazed at Xu Mu. He couldn't actually perceive any strength from the latter, but based on Xiaoyao Feng's description and his own intuition, he felt that Xu Mu was definitely not an ordinary person.
If they were to be matched head-on and lose, what would become of the Jialan clan's reputation?
"Do you intend to go yourself?" Lu Fei asked, somewhat surprised that Jialan Lou refused his request to fight.
Jialan Lou's strength was a notch above his own. After all, the latter was a direct descendant of the Jialan clan, and even had a fifth-stage Domain Lord accompanying him for protection. His talent and status were evident.
"If it were any other time, I would definitely teach him a lesson myself. However, this concerns the reputation of my Jialan clan, so it is naturally best to be more cautious."
As Jialan Lou spoke, he leaned down and whispered something in Lu Fei's ear. Lu Fei's expression shifted in surprise, and he repeatedly confirmed Jialan Lou's words.
Afterward, Lu Fei gave Xu Mu a deep look and turned, disappearing into the distance, his purpose unknown.
Xu Mu shielded his eyes from the glaring sun, looking at Jialan Lou playfully and asking, "What, afraid you can't win, so you're going to fetch reinforcements?"
"But I'll make it clear beforehand, my time is limited. If he doesn't arrive within the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn, I'll consider you to have forfeited. Who knows if you'll post a notice in the Holy City to find someone to deal with me."
Jialan Lou's eyes turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "You impudent brat, you don't need to boast here. In half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it will be your death day!"
Xu Mu shrugged and directly took a bamboo lounge chair from his spatial ring, placing it in the center of the stage. He then covered his face with a folding fan and lay down openly to rest.
His legs dangled provocatively, a sight that rendered everyone speechless and made Jialan Lou and his companions grit their teeth in anger.
"Too arrogant! If I could defeat him, I'd go up and beat him senseless!" Xiaoyao Feng stood beside the gambling house attendant, saying indignantly.
The two guardians, one large and one small, from the Zhongtian Mo clan also watched Xu Mu with keen interest.
"Alas, who do you think the Jialan clan will find to fight? I'm so curious!" a scholar-like cultivator asked in the crowd.
"Isn't that simple? Even Jialan Lou isn't confident about fighting, so the person they find must be stronger than him. Why don't you think about who the young cultivators stronger than Jialan Lou in the entire Jialan clan are?" a burly man replied calmly.
"There aren't many Jialan clan members stronger than Jialan Lou, but if you include outsiders, there are over a dozen!" The man's eyes suddenly lit up. "I know!"
"Firstly, those direct descendant geniuses of the Jialan clan will definitely not fight, because they are rivals to Jialan Lou. With their status, they wouldn't possibly obey his command."
"Therefore, besides the direct descendant prodigies, there are only those twelve people among the Jialan clan who dare to claim their strength surpasses Jialan Lou!"
The surrounding crowd's expressions tensed, and they simultaneously gasped, "Are you saying that the person Jialan Lou is going to find this time will be one of those twelve?"
"Of course, that's the only possibility. But I wonder who it will be," the cultivator said excitedly.
"If that's the case, it definitely won't be the first three. Those people are too fierce and are all preparing for the Myriad Races Assembly. They wouldn't make an early move for something like this," the burly man mused.
"In my opinion, even the first five are impossible. They are too strong. The eleventh and twelfth are also unlikely, because they are definitely not as good as Jialan Lou."
"So, it should be one of the six to ten. But I don't know who."
"Regardless of who it is, that young man on the stage is doomed. After all, those people are called the trump cards of the Jialan clan's trump cards. They are going to compete for seats at the Myriad Races Assembly, and it's impossible for them to lose to someone fighting at a gambling house."
Listening to the crowd's discussion, the young guardian, referred to as Yun, from the Zhongtian Mo family, couldn't help but become curious.
He had some understanding of Jialan Lou's strength. Even if the latter wasn't as good as him, the difference wasn't significant. However, based on what those people were saying, it sounded like any one of the people they were about to find would be much stronger than Jialan Lou.
"They are the Twelve Earthly Fiends of the Ghost Domain," the middle-aged man, referred to as Shu, the guardian, said.
"Twelve Earthly Fiends?" Guardian Yun clearly lacked understanding of the Jialan clan and didn't know who these twelve were.
"Zhou Jie, the first among the Twelve Earthly Fiends," the middle-aged guardian explained again, mentioning a name.
Upon hearing this name, the young guardian's face flashed with shock, even horror, which finally turned into a sigh of admiration.
"If it's Zhou Jie, then that kid is probably going to die today."
The middle-aged guardian shook his head and said, "He certainly won't come. It will be his junior brothers."
"However, those who are called Twelve Earthly Fiends alongside Zhou Jie, how weak can they be? After all, they represent the peak combat power of an entire generation in the Ghost Domain, just like us guardians."
Hearing this, the young guardian Yun nodded silently. The world knew that the Jialan clan, unlike other hundred clans, managed only a vast domain, named the Ghost Domain, similar to the Xuanyuan clan.
The Ghost Domain was a place of continuous mountains and howling winds.
Legend had it that it was once a battlefield where billions of people had died in a sea of blood. After countless years of change, it had formed into what it was today, a place that harbored Yin souls and made people tremble with fear.
The Jialan clan was born in the Ghost Domain, and thus was naturally affected by the Yin Qi of the Ghost Domain. Infants were prone to early death, and most adult cultivators had short lifespans. Even if a few managed to reach old age, they were certainly plagued by countless illnesses and met an unfortunate end.
It was an inauspicious place, yet the Jialan clan did not abandon it. Instead, they took root there. The reason was that the Yin Qi of the Ghost Domain not only brought harm but also offered many benefits for cultivation.
For example, infants born into the Jialan clan might comprehend a trace of the Great Dao's will at birth, related to combat, and their cultivation of special abilities would be twice as effective with half the effort. Moreover, they were often powerful in combat. Therefore, despite the harsh environment of the Ghost Domain, they still chose to flourish there.
And Zhou Jie, mentioned earlier, was the most talented, strongest, and most bloodthirsty and terrifying prodigy known from the Ghost Domain in recent years. He was also known as the Ghost King, a formidable figure expected to contend for a top-three spot in the upcoming Myriad Races Assembly and even fight against the young Sword Saint.
The other eleven who were listed as Twelve Earthly Fiends alongside such a person could naturally not be weak. They were likely among the strongest prodigies of the younger generation in the Jialan clan.
How strong would one of the strongest prodigies from a clan ranked in the top thirty among the hundred clans be?
The young Guardian Yun began to ponder the answer, as their Zhongtian Mo family also had a similar ranking system, the Sixty-Four Guardians.
He was a genius, capable of commanding the winds and rains in his own domain, crushing countless young talents and reaching the pinnacle. Yet, he was only ranked sixty-third among those sixty-four guardians.
Although more than half of these sixty-four guardians were not of his generation – for instance, Guardian Shu, the fourth, was already a middle-aged Domain Lord – there were still peers ranked ahead of him.
Yun knew how strong those people were.
Therefore, the person the Jialan clan was about to send might be as strong as those individuals.
Thus, Yun became excited.
At this moment, the sky gradually darkened. The sweltering sunlight was obscured, and a chilling wind inexplicably began to blow through the space, causing many to feel cold and get goosebumps.
Xu Mu, who had been lying on the stage listening to everyone's discussions, slowly removed the folding fan covering his face. He calmly stood up from the lounge chair.
His gaze fell upon a young man with short black hair walking slowly about a hundred meters outside the battle stage. The latter's eyes were sharp, and his aura was terrifying, as if countless wronged souls were swirling around him. The sky had turned dark precisely because of his arrival.
"This is the seventh of our Jialan clan's Twelve Earthly Fiends, Jialan Yanliang," Jialan Lou said to Xu Mu with a hint of mockery. "If you surrender now, it's still not too late."
As he spoke, the youth, enveloped by dark clouds and vengeful spirits, walked onto the battle stage expressionlessly, standing opposite Xu Mu.
He made no move, as the battle had not yet begun. More importantly, everyone now wanted to know what the previously arrogant young man would say in this situation.
And so, under the gaze of all, Xu Mu looked at the short-haired youth before him and smiled, saying:
"Eight hundred and ninety-two breaths."
"You are very lucky, because if another eight breaths had passed, you would have been automatically disqualified."
This statement caused the onlookers to frown and gasp. Even Guardian Yun couldn't help but admire Xu Mu's courage.
"If he had begged for mercy nicely, the Jialan family might have spared his life. But now, that's impossible."
Jialan Yanliang stared at Xu Mu, his brow furrowed, and said, "I will not lose, not here, and certainly not to you."
"But you were only eight seconds away from being disqualified," Xu Mu's smile deepened. He then extended his left arm and beckoned to the youth, "But it doesn't matter, come over."
"Next, I will let you know that you will lose, you will lose here, and... you will lose to me."