Chapter 3392: Heading To The First Tournament
Chapter 3392: Heading To The First Tournament
The morning of Cattaleya’s first tournament arrived with a clear sky and a crisp breeze that carried the scent of dew and faint qi ripples from cultivators already beginning their daily training.
Lin Mu and the group assembled in front of the Coiling Horn Inn just after sunrise, with Cattaleya practically vibrating with anticipation and Meng Bai looking both excited and terrified at the reminder that he would be doing this soon too.
The venue for the tournament was not located within the outpost city itself, but in a nearby city nearly two hundred kilometers away.
Normally this would be at least a few hours journey by carriage or by foot. Even flying would take several hours for the average immortal. But with Little Shrubby’s flight, the group arrived in less than an hour, comfortably standing on the beast’s broad flaming back while the world blurred beneath them in streaks of green, brown, and azure.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the tournament city, the atmosphere was already lively.
Colorful banners flapped in the wind, martial drums echoed from several streets away, and the flow of cultivators heading toward the tournament grounds formed thick crowds. Most appeared to be local to this region.
A few were travelers carrying distinct clan patterns or sect emblems on their robes. The smell of grilled meats and fried spirit grains drifted through the air from food stalls lining the streets. Early bets, gossip, and loud predictions filled the space around them.
The tournament itself was being organized by a coalition of several mid tier clans of the region.
Nothing too grand, but still notable enough to attract quite a crowd. As Lin Mu already knew, this was one of the small scale events meant to warm up the region before the larger tournaments began.
The rewards were decent for most cultivators, though neither Lin Mu nor Cattaleya were particularly moved by them. The top prize was five hundred thousand high grade immortal stones or equivalent treasures. Not bad, but not enough to tempt true elites.
Still, the atmosphere had a certain rustic charm. A good way to enjoy themselves while waiting for the main event.
As the group neared the main entrance of the tournament compound, a row of tall gates came into view, with several lines of cultivators making their way through security and registration. The walls beyond the gate towered like fortress barriers, and Lin Mu could see multiple rings inside, each with its own gathering of contestants and viewers.
Before they could walk through the gate, however, Daoist Chu abruptly stopped mid stride. His head turned slightly to the left. His eyes sharpened. There was a faint glimmer in his gaze. Lin Mu followed his line of sight.
A small wooden building stood on the next street over. It was plain and unimpressive. The paint was fading slightly. But a single sign hung above the entrance. The sign read simply: Betting House.
Daoist Chu’s entire posture changed. His back straightened. His shoulders rose. His steps lengthened. His expression turned into one of barely contained joy.
"Oh no," Meng Bai whispered softly.
"Oh yes," Daoist Chu said proudly.
"There he goes..." Elyon sighed but then patted his own pouch.
Before anyone else could react, he swaggered straight toward the building like a man reunited with a long lost love.
Lin Mu sighed softly but could not help smiling a little. Cattaleya rolled her eyes, but she followed him anyway. Meng Bai hurried after her. Lin Mu kept pace with calm amusement. Little Shrubby and the twins peeked out curiously.
Inside the betting house, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm.
A few cultivators were present, though not many. Most were low level participants or family members coming to support their own. A handful of travelers lounged in the corner. No one looked wealthy enough to place particularly large bets.
This was the warm up season, after all. People were saving their real wagers for the bigger tournaments.
A clerk sat behind a polished desk, his hair tied into a neat top knot. He wore a uniform marked with the insignia of the Betting Guild, a small but widespread organization that provided monitored wagering services affiliated with many other merchant unions and other powers.
He nodded politely as Daoist Chu approached.
"Welcome. How much would you like to bet?" he asked with practiced friendliness. "Please note that this is a small tier event. The upper limit for any single wager is ten thousand high grade immortal stones."
Daoist Chu’s face twitched. "Only ten thousand?"
He sounded genuinely offended, as if someone had insulted his ancestors.
The clerk misread his expression. He likely assumed Daoist Chu was someone with a thin purse who could not afford a large bet. He tried to reassure him. "There is no minimum limit, honored sir. You can bet as little as one low grade stone."
Daoist Chu did not even respond. He simply reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a pouch. He placed it on the desk. The sound produced by the weight of the stones inside made the clerk’s eyebrows shoot up.
"This," Daoist Chu said, tapping the pouch, "is my wager. Ten thousand high grade immortal stones. All on Cattaleya Duskthorn."
A hush fell across the room.
Several people who were about to place bets turned to stare.
One of them whispered quietly, "Did he say ten thousand?"
Another replied, "The biggest bet so far was two thousand high grade stones. And that was placed by the family of a contestant."
A third shook his head in disbelief. "Who is this man? Why bet so much on a small tournament?"
The clerk blinked several times, then leaned forward. "Are you absolutely certain? Once placed, there are no refunds."
Daoist Chu nodded firmly. "I would have bet more, but your limit is too low."
Silence.
Cattaleya stepped forward next. She cracked her knuckles, grinned widely, and pulled out her own pouch. She placed it on the desk with a heavy thump.
"Ten thousand on Cattaleya Duskthorn," she declared confidently. "On myself."