The Path of Immortality: Starts With Creating Water Bear Gu-Chapter 406: The God of Gambling Appears

At this moment, the sound of chaotic fighting erupted outside. Long Xuan's expression changed, and he quickly put away all the spiritual herbs. Without hesitation, he placed the Sou Gu Hut on the ground, preparing for an emergency escape.

Lately, the city had been far from peaceful. Violent battles frequently broke out, and mysterious disappearances of several Gu Kings had been reported.

However, this time, the fight was happening much closer to the inn than usual. Long Xuan became instantly alert, ready to flee through the Sou Gu Hut if anything seemed amiss.

Before long, the battle noises ceased, and Long Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed open the door and stepped outside.

"What happened? What’s going on?"

As soon as he exited the inn, he questioned the people outside.

"What else could it be? That damned Ancestor Burning Heaven spread the alchemical recipe for the Demonic Pill everywhere. Now, everyone has learned it, and the number of Gu Kings being hunted for pill refinement has skyrocketed. No one even knows how many Gu Kings have mysteriously vanished in the city."

"This fight was probably another Gu King getting assassinated by some ruthless lunatic."

Someone nearby shook his head solemnly. "No, this seems different. Several Gu Kings of the Feng Clan were killed, but their corpses were left behind. It doesn’t look like someone was hunting them for pill refinement."

"Perhaps the Feng Clan is making a big move. But who could have done this? The killings happened so quickly—how could someone wipe out a group of Gu Kings in an instant?"

"No idea. Recently, murders have been rampant in the city. It’s not just Gu Kings disappearing—countless Spiritual Sea-stage Gu Cultivators have gone missing too. Many people are already capturing Spiritual Sea-stage Gu Cultivators for alchemy."

"The Feng Clan is overwhelmed dealing with these incidents. Maybe they came here to investigate something."

"Sigh… turbulent times indeed. With the Gu King Pill recipe spreading like wildfire, endless slaughter is inevitable. The Western Region is about to change dramatically."

"Damn it! Burning Heaven has truly brought disaster upon us!"

Hearing the discussion, Long Xuan frowned.

The ones killed were Feng Clan’s Gu Kings, and it happened so close to him. What was their purpose for being here? Could it be…?

A chill ran down Long Xuan’s spine. Without hesitation, he hurried back into the inn, entered the Sou Gu Hut, and vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, in a secret chamber…

A disheveled man pushed open the door and stepped inside. Facing an elder in the room, he lowered his head respectfully and reported:

"My lord, the mission failed. Five of our men were killed, and only five returned alive."

Feng Tiancheng’s expression darkened. He could no longer suppress his rage—he slammed the table and roared:

"Useless fools! You lost five men in an instant?! You left quickly, but you came back even faster!"

"After Ancestor Burning Heaven wiped out ten Gu Kings of the Long Clan, they don’t have many left. Are you all idiots? You can’t even handle such a simple task!"

The man before him didn’t dare to breathe too loudly under Feng Tiancheng’s fury. After waiting for him to vent, the man finally hesitated before speaking in a low voice:

"It didn’t seem like a Long Clan Gu King attacked us. They shouldn’t have that kind of combat power."

"The assailant used fire-based attacks from a long range. Although I didn’t see them, I strongly suspect it was the Ancestor Burning Heaven. If someone could instantly kill five of our Feng Clan’s Gu Kings, it could only be him."

He cautiously glanced at Feng Tiancheng.

Hearing this, Feng Tiancheng finally calmed down. He frowned deeply and, after a moment of silence, asked:

"Why would he do this?"

The man hesitated, then said:

"Perhaps… he wants to defeat his opponents openly in the tournament?"

Feng Tiancheng’s expression twisted into a furious grimace. He swept everything off the table in rage, and the sound of shattered porcelain filled the room.

"Damn it! That traitorous Ancestor Burning Heaven is sabotaging my clan’s grand plans!"

Elsewhere, in another secret chamber…

After the fourth round of the tournament ended that day, Qin Shang dragged his exhausted body into the chamber. Without delay, he retrieved a mirror from his storage ring.

Moments later, the reflection of a heroic-looking man appeared in the mirror. Before the man could speak, Qin Shang impatiently blurted out:

"Qin Emperor! You must tell me—is Qin Dan actually the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven? Are you hiding something from me?!"

His voice was urgent, and his expression was filled with anxiety.

Hearing this, the Qin Emperor was briefly stunned.

"Qin Dan is the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven? Where did you hear this?"

"I don’t know anyone named Qin Dan. Qin Wei has been investigating for a long time but hasn’t been able to find any information on him."

"I don’t know his true identity. However, if there are rumors that he is the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven, then there must be some truth to it." The Qin Emperor’s expression grew serious. The name Ancestor Deceitful Heaven was not to be taken lightly.

Seeing the Qin Emperor’s confusion, Qin Shang froze.

If even the Qin Emperor knew nothing about this, then it likely wasn’t orchestrated by the Qin Imperial Clan.

Wait… could this have been a scheme devised by Qin Manyuan?

After all, Qin Manyuan participated in the siege against the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven. Only he would have had the opportunity to make contact with him.

Could they have secretly made some kind of deal?

Qin Shang’s heart trembled, and his expression darkened.

"Damn it! Qin Manyuan is playing with fire! If he continues like this, he could drag the Phoenix Heaven Empire into an abyss of destruction! He’s insane!"

His face was ashen as he clenched his fists and urgently commanded:

"Qin Emperor! Contact Qin Manyuan immediately! I suspect he secretly made a deal with the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven!"

The Qin Emperor’s frown deepened. He had already realized the gravity of the situation.

Regardless of whether Qin Manyuan acted under his orders, if his collusion with the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven was confirmed, then the Phoenix Heaven Empire would be implicated. In the worst case, the empire could face complete destruction.

"Sigh… there’s no need to ask. Ever since he returned from the siege, Qin Manyuan’s behavior has been strange. He was also vague about certain details of the mission. This is very likely true."

"But regardless, what’s done is done. There’s no turning back now. The arrow has already left the bow, and we have no choice but to follow through. We must do whatever it takes to cover this up."

"You understand how disastrous it would be if this were exposed."

The Qin Emperor stared deeply at Qin Shang. He didn’t need much time to make his decision.

Qin Shang furrowed his brows, and after a long silence, he finally sighed. "So be it. There’s nothing we can do to fix this now. No matter what, we must ensure that the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven wins this tournament first."

"Ancestor Deceitful Heaven is a fourth-grade alchemist. With him on our side, our Phoenix Heaven Empire is guaranteed to win this bet against the Radiant Moon Empire."

Qin Shang clenched his fists, his gaze turning resolute.

The next day, at the break of dawn, the streets, which had only a few scattered pedestrians, quickly became crowded, and Pheonix Heaven City was once again bustling with activity.

This day marked the finals of the Western Region Alchemy Competition, so the streets were exceptionally packed.

Especially around the central plaza, where the crowd had gathered early, creating a sea of people. The noise of chattering voices filled the air, and as far as the eye could see, it was a dense mass of heads.

The finals were held in the central plaza, allowing everyone to watch.

The finals were undoubtedly the most thrilling part of the competition—no one wanted to miss it. Many people got up early, skipping breakfast just to secure a front-row spot.

In the crowd, an elderly man with the word "Bet" embroidered on his clothes stroked his beard and smiled. "So many people… The more, the better. The more people there are, the more money I make."

He turned to another elderly man beside him, who was also wearing clothes embroidered with the word "Bet," and asked with a smile, "How did the task I assigned to you go?"

The old man responded respectfully, "Lord God of Gambling, as per your instructions, we spread the word that Feng Jiu is the Ancestor Burning Heaven and Qin Dan is the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven."

"Indeed, after hearing that two of the contestants are Rank Fourth-grade Alchemists, no one believes that Long Xuan, a mere Third-grade Alchemist, can win. Almost everyone has bet on either the Ancestor Burning Heaven or the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven to win."

"Hardly anyone has placed their bets on Long Xuan!"

"There are around ten major gambling houses running betting pools. As per your instructions, I have placed all our spirit stones on Long Xuan—about 500 billion in total. If Long Xuan actually wins, we will make a fortune."

The elderly man furrowed his brows deeply. Even he believed that Long Xuan had no chance of winning. The competition's final rule was simple: the winner would be determined by whose pill held the highest value. It was impossible for a third-grade pill to surpass a fourth-grade pill in value.

Long Xuan indeed had a four-point lead, but as a third-grade Alchemist, he could only refine third-grade pills. A four-point advantage could easily be overturned by a fourth-grade pill.

Unless Long Xuan could refine a fourth-grade pill in the finals, he was doomed to lose.

He couldn't comprehend why the God of Gambling would bet everything on someone with no chance of winning.

In the end, he couldn’t suppress his doubts any longer. He frowned and asked,

"Lord God of Gambling, the alchemy talent of the Ancestor Heaven Patriarch and the Ancestor Deceitful Heaven is legendary. If the competition has no restrictions, these two might even refine pills powerful enough to attract a tribulation."

"What does Long Xuan, a mere third-grade Alchemist, have to win? He is bound to lose—unless he advances to fourth-grade. Otherwise, no matter what third-grade pill he refines, he will undoubtedly be defeated."

"Isn’t it too risky to place so many spirit stones on him alone?"

The God of Gambling shook his head and smiled. "I am the God of Gambling—the ultimate master of wagers. Have you ever seen me lose a bet? Don’t worry, I never lose."

"Right now, almost everyone is betting on the two Fourth-grade Alchemists to win, but I am the only one betting on Long Xuan. Betting on the underdog yields the highest returns. As long as Long Xuan wins, I will become unimaginably rich overnight."

The God of Gambling's lips curled into a smile. Over countless millennia, he had amassed wealth that could rival entire nations. Winning more spirit stones wouldn’t stir his heart in the slightest.

The reason he gambled wasn’t to get richer—it was purely to enjoy the thrill of the gamble itself.

The elderly man then remembered that this was the legendary God of Gambling—someone who never lost a bet. If the God of Gambling placed his wager, it was never wrong. His doubts lessened significantly, but he still frowned and hesitated.

"The God of Gambling never loses, and I trust your judgment, but… why are you so confident in Long Xuan? Forgive me, but I truly don’t see how he has any chance of winning."

The God of Gambling looked toward the plaza. His smile faded slightly, and he sighed. "Saying I never lose is an exaggeration. I have dominated the gambling world for countless years, yet I have lost three times."

"Two of those losses were to the same person."

"Do you think someone who can beat me, the God of Gambling, would lose to anyone else?"

His gaze deepened.

"Could it be…"

"This Long Xuan is the person who defeated you twice?"

The elderly man was instantly shocked.

"Let’s go. I’m looking forward to the competition more and more. This is bound to be spectacular."

"To be honest, I’m also curious about how exactly he’s going to win."

The God of Gambling smirked and stepped forward.