Chapter 11: The Battle is Starting
As Bai Feng handed over the ten silver coins, the old man handed him a token. Bai Feng took it and examined the inscription.
[Betting Arena Token: A Grade-1 Token used for participating in the Betting Arena.]
Tokens in the Betting Arena were categorized into ranks, with Grade-7 being the highest. Bai Feng's current badge was a Grade-1. To enter the arena, a person had to reach at least the Bone Refining Stage. To become a Grade-1 fighter, one needed to be at the Bone Refining Stage; to advance to Grade-2, the Viscera Refining Stage was required.
Upgrading from a Grade-1 to a Grade-2 token required more than just cultivation rank; it also required a track record of victories. A fighter needed ten wins to qualify for a Grade-2 badge.
Holding his token, Bai Feng headed to the registration area and signed up for a match.
[Registration for the Betting Arena successful. You are scheduled for the next match.]
Bai Feng nodded and walked toward the contestants' waiting area. Out in the arena...
BOOM!
THWACK!
"Kid, go back and practice some more. You dare to compete here when you can't even handle three of my strikes?"
A hulking man clad in heavy armor loomed over a young man who lay vomiting blood on the ground. The youth, coughing violently, managed to choke out:
"I... I concede... cough, cough."
"Wu Ah is the winner!" the referee announced.
A roar of cheers and taunts erupted from the spectators in the stands.
"Hahaha! I knew it! That brat couldn't even last three moves against Wu Ah!"
"How does someone that weak even have the nerve to show up at a betting match?"
Bai Feng looked at the defeated youth and saw the name Liu Yun hovering above his head. He was a player. Since Liu Yun hadn't hidden his profile in the settings, his basic stats were visible to Bai Feng.
[Name: Liu Yun]
[Cultivation Rank: Bone Refining Stage]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Swordsman]
[Status: HP - 12/300, Qi - 50]
Bai Feng shook his head and murmured in disappointment, "A swordsman coming to a match without a sword? What a fool."
After the fight, both contestants headed to the recovery rooms. These rooms could replenish HP and Qi. While these bars weren't usually visible in daily life, they appeared the moment a combat state was initiated. Bai Feng commanded his own interface:
"Show my combat status."
[Name: Bai Tianyun]
[Title: Spirit Beast Hunter]
[Cultivation Rank: Viscera Refining Stage]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Taoist Master]
[Status: HP - 600, Qi - 120 (Regenerates 1 Qi per minute)]
The reason Bai Feng could use the Nature Taoist Incantation so frequently was that each basic mantra only consumed 1 Qi. This was why many Taoist players coveted this specific skill; it provided massive destructive power for less than 1% of the total Qi pool. Even the Inanimate Sealing Art was relatively efficient, costing only 5 Qi per use. The reason it had taken him some time to practice earlier was simply that Qi regeneration was limited to 1 point per minute.
Bai Feng looked toward the arena as two names flashed on the display board:
Jiu Jiu vs. Bai Tianyun
The crowd roared as the betting opened.
"Bets are now open for the match between Jiu Jiu and Bai Tianyun! All spectators, place your wagers! Will the newcomer Bai Tianyun take the win, or will Jiu Jiu dominate? Let's find out!"
Bai Feng immediately walked to the betting counter and placed ten gold coins on himself.
"Whoa! This guy is loaded!"
"He dared to bet ten gold coins? And on Bai Tianyun?"
"Wait, have we ever heard of this Bai Tianyun? He must be a rookie."
"I've heard of Jiu Jiu, but I don't know this Bai Tianyun at all. Whatever, I'll take a gamble and put fifty silver coins on the newcomer."
"You idiot! I'm sticking with Jiu Jiu."
Bai Feng ignored them and returned to his designated room. The betting would close in ten minutes, and the true battle would begin. Looking at the odds, he saw he was the underdog.
Wagers on Bai Tianyun: 3,719 Silver Coins
Wagers on Jiu Jiu: 7,736 Silver Coins
Bai Feng sighed slightly. "Even if I win, I only get 20% of the total pool. My own bet is worth a thousand silver, so a win will only net me a profit of about 743 silver coins. These people are so narrow-minded."
Ten minutes passed in a flash. The betting closed, and a shout echoed from the center of the arena. By the time the window shut, the wagers on his side had only reached 4,100 silver, while the opposing side had surpassed 10,000.
"Let us summon our heroes for the next round!"
"Jiu Jiu!"
A thin man emerged from the opposite gate. His face was gaunt with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in days, and he wore a drab gray robe. Shortly after, the referee shouted again:
"And now, let us welcome our new challenger! Let's wish him luck in his debut match... Bai Tianyun!"
Upon hearing his name, Bai Feng stepped out of his room and walked directly into the arena. As he appeared, the noise from the crowd dipped slightly into a confused murmur.
"Damn, isn't that the guy who just bet a thousand silver coins?"
"He bet a thousand silver on himself?"
"Hahaha! Let's see if he can back it up."
"Oh! This older brother is so handsome and dignified!"
"Look at that beard and mustache... he's so attractive! He looks like he's actually powerful."
Bai Feng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the thin man across from him. The man stared back. Since his opponent was an NPC, detailed player stats weren't available, but basic NPC info was.
[Name: Jiu Jiu]
[Cultivation Rank: Bone Refining Stage]
To Bai Feng, the man appeared weak. At that moment, the referee struck the bell.
"Battle, start!"
[To be Continued...]