Chapter 2662: Chapter 2662
Without hesitation, An Tianxin strode outside the tent and released a massive scarlet-headed python. This serpent had reached the Second Heaven of the Celestial Realm, its body pitch-black except for a crimson patch on its head.
Not only was this python formidable in cultivation, but it was also highly venomous. Its colossal frame stretched over sixty zhang in length, as thick as an ancient tree. The moment it emerged, its cold, predatory gaze locked onto Ye Liuyun.
After a brief glance, Ye Liuyun merely smiled and casually tossed a Interspatial Ring onto the ground. With a playful tone, he asked An Tianxin, "Care to check how much is inside?"
An Tianxin waved his hand with feigned nonchalance. "No need. If you can make this scarlet-headed python obey you, you win."
Just as Ye Liuyun rose to leave, the princess suddenly interjected, "Both beastmasters seem quite spirited. Would you mind if we joined in the betting?"
Hearing this, Ye Liuyun chuckled and settled back into his seat.
"No objections here!" He had nothing to lose—after all, it wasn’t his money on the line.
"Neither do I!" An Tianxin, unwilling to back down, agreed as well.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
Seeing their approval, the princess smiled and gestured to her veiled maid, who stepped forward and produced another Interspatial Ring.
Holding it aloft, the maid announced, "Inside are one hundred million top-grade divine crystals. Her Highness wagers on Master Ye’s victory. Both beastmasters may inspect it if you wish."
"Whoa!"
Gasps rippled through the onlookers—no one had expected the princess to stake such an astronomical sum, let alone bet on Ye Liuyun.
Ye Liuyun noticed the subtle twitch at the corner of An Tianxin’s eye. Clearly, even he was taken aback by the princess’s staggering wager—and her confidence in Ye Liuyun.
If Ye Liuyun lost, that fortune would belong to An Tianxin. But if he won, An Tianxin would owe an additional hundred million top-grade divine crystals.
"The stakes are ridiculously high!" The crowd murmured among themselves.
Ye Liuyun glanced at the maid, then at the princess, surprised by her unwavering confidence in his victory. His opinion of the princess rose considerably.
Yet he merely nodded without bothering to verify. "If Her Highness says a hundred million, then it’s a hundred million. No need for me to check."
An Tianxin chimed in, "I won’t check either. Master Ye, the floor is yours."
Ye Liuyun leisurely rose to his feet once more and scanned the crowd. "No one else placing bets?"
At that moment, Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward. "I’ll wager ten million top-grade divine crystals—also on Master Ye’s victory!"
For Lin Xiaoxiao, this sum represented every last resource at her disposal. She was staking it all to show her support for Ye Liuyun, unwilling to let the princess monopolize the spotlight. But a hundred million? That was beyond her means.
The crowd buzzed with fresh murmurs.
"What’s gotten into everyone today? The bets are insane! Normally, it’s just tens or hundreds of thousands!"
With the stakes so high, the others hesitated. Too much to risk without knowing Ye Liuyun’s true strength, too little to be worth mentioning—so they settled for watching the spectacle unfold.
When no one else stepped forward, Ye Liuyun finally strode out of the tent. The onlookers extended their divine senses, eager to observe.
The giant serpent immediately raised its head, its gaze locking onto Ye Liuyun.
Unfazed, Ye Liuyun approached the beast at a measured pace. With a single flick of his divine soul, he branded the serpent with a slave seal. He even rifled through its memories, uncovering An Tianxin’s abilities and the other vicious beasts under his command.
Then, with a sudden leap, Ye Liuyun soared toward the serpent’s massive head.
"A mere Heaven-tier beast dares to challenge me?"
Ye Liuyun uttered a command and even gave the giant serpent a light slap. Of course, he didn’t channel any true essence into the strike—it was merely a symbolic gesture to discipline the beast and put on a show for An Tianxin.
The serpent’s fierce gaze instantly softened, and it lowered its head submissively before Ye Liuyun. Without hesitation, he leaped onto the creature’s head and settled into a cross-legged position. The serpent raised its head again, balancing him steadily while glaring venomously at An Tianxin.
"So, does this count as my win?" Ye Liuyun asked, his tone casual. "Or would Beast Tamer An like to test whose command the serpent truly obeys?"
An Tianxin was stunned. The serpent he had painstakingly tamed had surrendered after just one slap from Ye Liuyun.
Clicking his tongue, he issued a sharp command to the serpent—but the beast remained motionless, as if deaf to his words.
Ye Liuyun waited patiently for a moment before calmly uttering a single phrase: "Strike him with your tail."
Immediately, the scarlet-scaled serpent reared up, lifting Ye Liuyun into the air, then whipped its massive tail toward An Tianxin with terrifying force. The strike was so powerful that An Tianxin dared not block it directly—instead, he barely managed to dodge by leaping aside.
Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Does this count as my win now?"
An Tianxin gritted his teeth, unwilling to concede. He was about to try another command when—
"Master Ye has won!" The princess’s clear voice cut through the tension. "Beast Tamer An himself stated earlier that if the beast obeys your command, the victory is yours."
With no room left to argue, An Tianxin had no choice but to acknowledge Ye Liuyun’s triumph.
Without delay, he released a shadowfang wolf, signaling the start of the second round.
But Ye Liuyun stopped him. "First, pay up for this round."
"What’s the difference if I pay it all together? You think I’d stiff you?" An Tianxin retorted irritably.
Ye Liuyun smirked. "Yeah, I do think you’d skip out! A bet’s a bet, after all. And it’s not just mine—there’s the princess’s and Miss Lin’s shares too!" With that, he casually stowed the giant crimson python into his Interspatial Ring, shooting An Tianxin a challenging look.
"Fine! Have it your way!" An Tianxin snapped, fuming. He promptly produced 100 million top-grade divine crystals and an additional 10 million, paying the princess and Lin Xiaoxiao first.
The princess remained indifferent, but Lin Xiaoxiao was overjoyed, hardly believing her luck at suddenly gaining 10 million top-grade divine crystals out of nowhere.
At this point, Ye Liuyun spoke up. "As for the resources in my Interspatial Ring, I’d like the princess’s maid to display them publicly. I trust her, and so will everyone else—no one will suspect any foul play."
"Agreed!" An Tianxin said, eager to avoid any accusations of tampering if he were to inspect it himself.
The princess’s maid readily agreed, her poised demeanor ensuring fairness. Taking the Interspatial Ring, she smiled, held it aloft, and stepped outside the tent. With a graceful leap into the air, she emptied its contents.
Divine crystals cascaded down like a roaring waterfall, clattering endlessly onto the ground. At first, the onlookers watched in amusement, but their expressions soon shifted to awe. Murmurs spread as they tried to guess the staggering amount.
"How many crystals did you even stuff in there?" An Tianxin demanded, his heart aching with every clink.
"Not many—just 50 billion top-grade divine crystals," Ye Liuyun replied coolly.
"What?!" An Tianxin’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
