Chapter 2664: Chapter 2664
Seeing the whistle had completely failed, An Tianxin produced a horn and blew into it.
"Second command!" Ye Liuyun counted off for him.
Each blast from the horn carried a surge of demonic energy, but its effect was clearly no match for the Netherworld Prelude. The demonic wolf remained unresponsive to its call.
Frustrated, An Tianxin pulled out a bell—a treasure capable of launching spiritual attacks. A single chime directed at anyone would leave their soul dazed and disoriented.
He swung the bell toward both Ye Liuyun and the demonic wolf, intending to knock them both down. That way, he could claim it was his command that made the wolf topple Ye Liuyun.
But the moment he shook the bell, Ye Liuyun sensed its trickery. "You call this a command? A spiritual attack doesn’t count!" he barked.
His voice carried a Soulquake Wave, intercepting part of the bell’s assault before releasing his own spiritual force into the demonic wolf’s consciousness, shielding its soul from harm.
Ye Liuyun’s soul was exceptionally solid and powerful—far beyond what the bell could damage. Still, he wasn’t about to let An Tianxin cheat without consequence.
With a flash of his crimson pupils, he unleashed an illusionary attack on An Tianxin. Under its influence, An Tianxin immediately halted his assault and blurted out the truth: "You never said attacks didn’t count!"
"Fine. Then this counts as your third command. Three attempts—you lose," Ye Liuyun shot back without hesitation.
He withdrew his spiritual energy, recalled the demonic wolf, and dispelled the illusion. No matter how one looked at it, An Tianxin had been thoroughly defeated.
Ye Liuyun stretched out his hand, reclaiming the strand of primordial energy he had wagered, then turned his gaze to the Sixth Prince.
The prince nodded in approval and tossed another wisp of primordial energy toward him.
"Impressive skills!" he even praised.
"Sixth Prince, what about the princess and Miss Lin’s share?" the maidservant spoke up to remind him.
This made Ye Liuyun glance at the maidservant again.
*Seems this maid holds quite a high status—daring to speak up in such a setting!* he thought to himself.
Hearing this, the Sixth Prince showed no irritation and immediately ordered his men to cover the bet.
He had already given all his divine crystals to An Tianxin earlier, so now he had to rely on his subordinates to pool the funds. Fortunately, 210 million divine crystals weren’t an exorbitant sum, and with everyone chipping in, they managed to gather the amount.
Ye Liuyun waited until they finished before turning to An Tianxin again. "Care to try your luck once more?"
An Tianxin’s eyes were practically spitting fire by now.
"Let it go! If you keep gambling, I’ll be cleaned out!" the Sixth Prince chimed in, warning An Tianxin.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, An Tianxin insisted on continuing. He sent a private message to the Sixth Prince, assuring him that this time, victory was certain. The beast he was about to unleash could conceal its true realm—originally a second-level Dominator, it could disguise itself as a second-level Celestial.
Moreover, this beast had been raised by his father from infancy and later passed down to him. Bound by a soul contract, An Tianxin had complete control over it. This was his trump card, a life-saving asset even the Sixth Prince hadn’t known about until now.
Thus, brimming with confidence, he was determined not only to gamble but to double his winnings.
"Are you sure?" the Sixth Prince pressed for confirmation.
"I’m certain!" An Tianxin replied firmly.
Ye Liuyun, aware they were exchanging private messages, casually lifted his wine cup, sipping leisurely as he waited.
After their discussion, the Sixth Prince turned to Ye Liuyun and said, "Beast Tamer An still refuses to concede. He wants to challenge you again—this time with higher stakes. We’ll be the ones providing the wager. Would you agree, Mr. Ye?"
Ye Liuyun pondered for a moment. *Could it be that brown lion? A Dominator-level beast at the second tier—are they really so confident it can defeat me?* From his earlier soul-searching, he already knew An Tianxin’s strongest beast was indeed a second-tier Dominator brown lion.
Though the creature looked ferocious, it had no particularly remarkable traits. Ye Liuyun wasn’t the least bit concerned.
"Very well," he replied. "But only if the condition for victory is whether I can subdue or defeat the beast. Nothing else." He wanted to ensure An Tianxin wouldn’t resort to underhanded tricks.
After another round of discussion with An Tianxin, the Sixth Prince nodded. "Agreed. You may fight the beast however you wish. Subduing or slaying it will count as your victory."
"Done," Ye Liuyun said without hesitation.
With a flick of his wrist, An Tianxin released the second-tier Dominator brown lion into the arena.
Ye Liuyun glanced at it and immediately understood their ploy. He smirked but paid it no mind.
"Your Highness," he said with a light chuckle, "place your bet."
The Sixth Prince waved his hand, and three complete World Origin Forces materialized from his spatial ring, drawing gasps from the onlookers.
"I wonder if Master Ye can match such a wager?" An Tianxin sneered, clearly relishing the moment.
Ye Liuyun merely laughed. "If I were the one betting, I’d stake ten World Origin Forces. The question is—could *you* cover that?"
"Hahaha! Master Ye is truly wealthy," the Sixth Prince interjected with forced cheer, shooting An Tianxin a warning glance before the man could provoke Ye Liuyun further. "I, for one, couldn’t possibly afford such a loss. This is already my limit!"
Truthfully, the prince had taken the initiative to set the wager precisely to prevent Ye Liuyun from raising the stakes. Though he believed the odds were in their favor, there was always the chance of an upset. If they lost, he couldn’t afford to pay more. By controlling the bet, he ensured that even if the victory was smaller, at least the loss wouldn’t ruin him.
Antian Xin brimmed with confidence, eager to push Ye Liuyun for higher stakes. Sensing his intentions, Ye Liuyun smirked and said, "Since that’s the case, I won’t raise the material stakes. Instead, let’s add one more condition—if you lose, your life belongs to me. How about that?"
"Hold on, there’s no need to wager lives..." The Sixth Prince immediately interjected, his voice laced with concern.
Lin Fengzhi also felt the bet had gone too far and moved to intervene.
But Antian Xin, overflowing with arrogance, cut them off. "Fine! And if *you* lose, *your* life is mine!" He countered with a triumphant grin, turning the tables on Ye Liuyun.
"Deal!" Ye Liuyun agreed without hesitation.
The Sixth Prince sighed inwardly, exasperated by Antian Xin’s recklessness. Wagering resources was one thing, but both men were valuable talents—losing either would be a waste. Yet now that the terms were set, he couldn’t simply force them to retract their words.
Lin Fengzhi exchanged a helpless glance with the Sixth Prince.
"Have it your way," the prince conceded with a resigned wave. For now, he’d let the match proceed. Once the outcome was decided, he could mediate—surely neither would refuse to save face.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiaoxiao turned to the princess, curious to see whom she would back.
The princess hesitated. Initially, she had intended to bet on Antian Xin—after all, he wouldn’t have persuaded the Sixth Prince to raise the stakes without absolute confidence.
But now, seeing Ye Liuyun daring to wager his life, doubt crept in.
