As we walked back through the inner sect, my mind wandered to something that had been nagging at me since the tournament was announced. This was a major event, with hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators from across the sect and beyond. And in my experience, no matter the world, whenever you had that many people gathered around a competition, there was always one constant.

Gambling.

I'd never been much of a gambler back on Earth. Too cautious, too analytical, always thinking about the odds and risk management rather than getting caught up in the excitement. But this situation was different.

I'd spent months preparing for this tournament, accumulated techniques and abilities that most cultivators couldn't even dream of, and frankly, I had what could only be described as unfair advantages.

If there was ever a time to put money where my mouth was, this was it.

"Liu Chang," I said, interrupting whatever Su Yue had been saying about fire cultivation theory. "This might sound like an odd question, but where would someone go to place a bet on the tournament?"

Liu Chang stopped walking and turned to look at me, one eyebrow raised. A slow grin spread across his face as understanding dawned.

"Now that's the kind of confidence I like to hear," he said, clapping me on the shoulder with enough force to make me stumble slightly. "You're thinking like a true cultivator. If you don't believe in yourself, who will?"

Su Yue looked between us with amusement. "Half the fun of these events is watching people lose their spirit stones on bad predictions."

"So, you know where the betting is happening?" I asked.

"Oh, absolutely," Liu Chang nodded enthusiastically. "There's a whole pavilion set up near the outer sect markets specifically for tournament betting. They've got odds on everything: individual winners, team performances, specific matchups, even side bets on how many rounds certain people will last."

The more he talked, the more intrigued I became. This wasn't just casual wagering between friends; it sounded like a full-scale operation.

"Want to take a look?" Su Yue suggested. "I was planning to place a small bet myself, nothing too serious."

"Lead the way," I said, feeling a familiar rush of anticipation that I remembered from my college poker games. Except this time, instead of betting on cards, I was betting on my own abilities.

The betting pavilion was located in a bustling area between the outer sect markets and the main administrative buildings. As we approached, I could see it was actually a series of connected tents and temporary structures, all centered around a large wooden board covered in what looked like constantly changing numbers and names.

The crowd was impressive. Outer disciples clustered around smaller betting stations, pooling their limited spirit stones together for group bets. Inner disciples moved with more confidence, some placing substantial individual wagers. I even spotted a few people in elder robes observing the proceedings.

"The whole operation is sanctioned by the sect administration," Liu Chang explained as we got closer. "They take a small percentage of all bets, but it's considered part of the tournament festivities. Keeps people engaged and provides additional funding for sect resources."

As we pushed through the crowd toward the main betting board, I started picking up fragments of conversation from the disciples around us.

"…Yuan Zhen's odds dropped again. Someone must know something we don't…"

"…putting a hundred spirit stones on that Wu Kangming kid. Did you see what he did to that golem in the Fallen Realm?"

"…Chen Feng for the semifinals. Shadow techniques always perform well in single elimination…"

"…waste of money betting against the favorites. Stick with the sure things…"

The main betting board was a marvel of formation work. Names appeared and disappeared as odds shifted in real time, probably connected to some kind of sect-wide information network that tracked betting patterns and adjusted probabilities accordingly.

At the top of the board, in large, bold characters, were the tournament favorites:

INDIVIDUAL WINNER ODDS

Wu Kangming: 2:1

Ke Yin: 4:1

Wei Lin: 5:1

Yuan Zhen: 6:1

Luo Yichen: 7:1

Chen Feng: 8:1

Ming Yue: 10:1

Earth Fist Liu: 12:1

I stared at my own name for a moment, processing what I was seeing. Second overall favorite wasn't bad, but Wu Kangming's position as the clear betting favorite was interesting. The clash between us in the Fallen Realm had apparently made quite an impression on the spectators.

Honestly, I preferred it this way. Being underestimated had served me well throughout my time in this world, and if people wanted to bet against me, I was more than happy to take their spirit stones.

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"Looks like your appearance has caused quite a stir," Su Yue said with amusement.

I followed her gaze and noticed that our arrival had started attracting attention from the other disciples. Whispered conversations began spreading through the crowd as people recognized me.

"That's Ke Yin, isn't it? One of the tournament participants?"

"What's he doing here? Shouldn't he be training?"

"Bold of him to show up at the betting pavilion. Most participants are too nervous to think about gambling."

"Is that Liu Chang with him? The number one ranked Qi Condensation cultivator?"

The attention was a bit uncomfortable, but Liu Chang seemed completely unfazed by the murmurs and stares. I supposed when you held the top ranking in the entire sect, you got used to people talking about you wherever you went.

"Don't mind them," Liu Chang said quietly. "It's not unusual for participants to bet on themselves, though they're right that most are too focused on preparation to think about it. The fact that you're here suggests either tremendous confidence or complete recklessness."

"Let's hope it's confidence," I replied.

We made our way to one of the betting stations where a harried-looking inner disciple was managing a constant stream of wagers. When he looked up and saw me, his eyes widened slightly.

"Ke Yin, correct? One of the tournament participants?" At my nod, he continued. "It's always exciting when the competitors themselves place bets. What can I do for you?"

I reached into my storage ring and withdrew my entire collection of spirit stones. Ten thousand stones, gleaming in neat stacks that I placed on the counter. The betting clerk's eyes widened further, and I heard several gasps from disciples who'd been close enough to see.

"I want to bet on myself to win the entire tournament," I said clearly.

The clerk consulted his formation board quickly. "At current odds of four to one, a ten thousand spirit stone bet will return forty thousand spirit stones if you win plus your original stake, for a total of fifty thousand spirit stones. That's... quite a substantial wager."

Ten thousand spirit stones might seem like an enormous amount to most Qi Condensation cultivators, but in the grand scheme of cultivation resources, it was honestly pretty modest.

An Elemental Realm cultivator could probably earn that much hunting an Elemental Realm beast or two. And for someone with my abilities, replacing the money wouldn't be that difficult if I did happen to lose it all.

More importantly, I rarely used spirit stones for purchases anyway. Most of my inner world development came from direct resource gathering or trading rather than monetary transactions. The stones were useful to have, but not critical to my cultivation progress.

"Confirmed," I said. "All ten thousand on myself to win."

The clerk began processing the bet, his formation tools glowing as they recorded the transaction. Around us, the crowd had grown noticeably larger as word spread that one of the tournament participants was making a massive bet on himself.

"Confident, isn't he?"

"Ten thousand stones on himself? That's either brilliant or insane."

"Must know something we don't if he's willing to risk that much."

"Liu Chang's with him though. Maybe he knows Ke Yin's true capabilities."

As the betting receipt materialized and was handed to me, I felt a familiar presence approaching through the crowd. Turning, I spotted a familiar head of dark hair moving toward us.

"Wei Lin," I called out with a grin. "I should have known I'd find you here."

My friend emerged from the crowd, looking completely at home in the chaotic betting environment. Wherever there was money to be made, Wei Lin had an uncanny ability to appear.

"Ke Yin!" Wei Lin approached with a smile. "Liu Chang, Su Yue, good to see you all. Though I have to admit, I'm surprised to find you here, Ke Yin. I never took you for the betting type."

"First time, actually," I admitted. "But with all the preparation I've put into this tournament, it seemed like a missed opportunity not to put some money behind my confidence."

Wei Lin's expression shifted to one of approval as he clapped me on the shoulder. "Now that's what I like to hear! It's about time you started believing in yourself properly. A cultivator who won't bet on his own success is a cultivator who lacks conviction."

"I take it you're here for the same reason?" I asked.

Wei Lin's grin became slightly more mysterious. "Well, a cultivator should always bet on themselves, absolutely. But a good merchant also bets on probability, not sentiment."

"That sounds suspiciously like you didn't bet on yourself…"

"I bet on the most likely outcomes based on available information," Wei Lin said with a slight smile. "Sometimes that aligns with personal preference, sometimes it doesn't. The market doesn't care about our feelings, only about results."

Before I could ask for clarification about what exactly he'd wagered on, Wei Lin was already stepping back and offering another bow to our group.

"I need to get back to my final preparations," he said. "Good luck with your bet, brother. See you all soon!"

And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the crowd with the same easy confidence he brought to everything else.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Su Yue asked, echoing my own confusion.

Liu Chang just shook his head with amusement. "With Wei Lin, it could mean anything. The man thinks three moves ahead in every situation. He probably has bets placed on outcomes we haven't even considered."

As we left the betting pavilion and began the walk back to the outer sect, I found myself thinking about the strange dynamic that had developed among the tournament participants. Here we were, all preparing to face each other in single elimination combat, yet still maintaining friendships and alliances that went beyond the competition.

It was a uniquely cultivation world phenomenon, I supposed. In a society where personal power was everything, there was a certain respect for skilled opponents that transcended simple rivalry. Wu Kangming and I could acknowledge each other as worthy adversaries while still maintaining our agreement for a proper duel. Wei Lin could offer genuine encouragement for my success while clearly having his own plans in motion.

"Master," Azure commented as we walked, "the betting culture here is quite sophisticated. Much more organized than what you'd typically see in smaller sects or cities."

He was right. The entire operation had felt professional, almost corporate in its efficiency. Formation-powered odds calculations, real-time probability adjustments, systematic record keeping. Azure Peak Sect clearly took its tournament gambling seriously.

"It makes sense," I replied internally. "Major events like this bring in visitors from across the region. The sect probably earns significant revenue from the betting operations, and it keeps everyone engaged in the outcomes."

By the time we reached my quarters, the afternoon was beginning to fade into evening. Tomorrow would be my final day of preparation before the individual tournament stage began, and I was starting to feel the familiar pre-competition excitement building in my chest.

If everything went according to plan, I'd not only earn access to the Elemental Chamber and achieve breakthrough to the Elemental Realm, but I'd also be forty thousand spirit stones richer in the process.

Not a bad potential outcome for a day's work.

I bid farewell to Liu Chang and Su Yue, thanking them again for the sparring session and the trip to the betting pavilion. As I settled into my quarters for the evening, I couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of the situation.

A few months ago, I'd been a desperate outer disciple just trying to survive sect training. Now I was considered one of the tournament favorites, ranked fifth among all Qi Condensation cultivators in the sect, and confident enough to bet my entire savings on my own success.

The cultivation world certainly had a way of accelerating personal growth, in more ways than one.

Tomorrow would be my last day of preparation. Then, assuming all went well, it would be time to put all of my training, techniques, and unfair advantages to the ultimate test.

I was looking forward to it.

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