Gao Wu insists on cultivating immortality.

Chapter 61 Betting (Seventh Update)
Dongjiang Martial Arts Hall is also the largest comprehensive sports venue in Dongjiang.

To host the Xuetao Cup, ten temporary fighting rings were set up inside the martial arts hall.

The five-meter by five-meter ring is not a standard ring, but it is sufficient for this amateur event.

The smaller arena reduces the space for movement and speeds up the pace of battle.

The Xuetao Cup boasts a high prize pool and is a traditional Dongjiang tournament with immense influence. Watching the Xuetao Cup during the Chinese New Year has even become a Dongjiang tradition.

Martial artists from Dongjiang could not resist the Snow Wave Cup. Even though only martial artists of intermediate level or above could register, the number of participants in the preliminary rounds reached tens of thousands.

All matches are knockout tournaments. If a match ends in a tie after three rounds, both players are eliminated.

Due to the large number of participants, the organizing committee borrowed venues such as martial arts halls from various schools to hold the preliminary rounds. Only advanced martial artists were assigned to the main competition venue.

Yang Ru, Yu Rulong, and Han Yang huddled together, slowly making their way through the crowded streets. Although the three were exceptionally popular in the high school league, no one paid them any attention here.

The people gathered here are all martial artists, the worst of whom are intermediate-level martial artists, and there are even many martial artists of various levels.

Even Yang Ru, who is usually very high-profile, was unusually well-behaved this time. The three of them arrived at arena number ten and completed the registration with the staff.

"Don't leave. Go on stage when your number is called. If you miss it, it will be considered a forfeit," the staff member instructed, and then told the three of them to wait to the side.

Yang Ru noticed that the people waiting for the match around her were all young people, many of whom were opponents she had encountered in the high school league. She was a little surprised: "Second brother, there are so many familiar faces!"

"It's obviously grouped by age." Handsome Han Yang glanced at Yang Ru. He wondered if the girl was just silly or naive, but she couldn't see that.

"Why?" Yang Ru asked, puzzled. The Xuetao Cup doesn't discriminate by age, so why specifically create a junior group?

"To give us more spots to advance to the semi-finals," Han Yang explained patiently.

Even among advanced martial artists, the difference between someone who has practiced for ten years and someone who has practiced for twenty years is enormous. Not to mention the various enhancement drugs, modification surgeries, and so on.

The preliminary rounds grouped the teenagers together, which served both to protect them and to reserve two spots for them in the top 32.

"Then we'll run into Gao Wu..." Yang Ru's big eyes sparkled with excitement. She knew she was no match for Gao Wu, but she had full confidence in Han Yang.

"Probably." Han Yang wasn't too concerned about it. He had lofty goals and didn't consider Gao Wu a rival.

"Speak of the devil and he appears!" Yu Rulong pointed into the distance, "Isn't that Gao Wu!"

He immediately showed a surprised expression: "Who is that girl next to him? She's so cool!"

Yang Ru looked in the direction Yu Rulong was pointing and the first person she saw was Gao Wu. He was wearing a black martial arts uniform and carrying a black sheathed longsword. His tall and slender figure stood out among the martial artists.

Song Mingyue, standing next to Gao Wu, wore an iron-gray wool coat. Her wide-framed sunglasses covered half of her face, but couldn't hide her delicate facial features. Her hands were in her pockets, and her posture was somewhat casual, yet she naturally exuded an aloof and elegant temperament.

"That woman is such a show-off!" Yang Ru muttered. She had to admit that the other woman had excellent taste in clothing and a unique temperament that made her unforgettable. She couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

She whispered mockingly in Han Yang's ear, "Does her family know that this girl from the Song family has found Gao Wu as her boyfriend?"

Han Yang shook his head slightly. To be honest, he felt a little uncomfortable seeing Song Mingyue and Gao Wu together. However, this was Song Mingyue and Gao Wu's private matter, and it was none of his business.

Seeing Yang Ru still muttering to herself, Han Yang said, "Actually, Gao Wu is very talented. Besides, we should just mind our own business and not meddle in other people's affairs."

While the group was talking, Gao Wu and Song Mingyue arrived. Gao Wu went forward to register and get a number. His gaze swept over Han Yang and Yang Ru. Yang Ru defiantly raised her chin, and Yu Rulong also had a cold and tough expression.

Gao Wu smiled instead, and led Song Mingyue to Han Yang and the others, greeting them, "You're here to participate in the competition?"

"Yes," Han Yang nodded with a smile, "maybe we'll meet again in the ring."

"I've long heard of the reputation of Dongjiang's top high school student. If I could meet him, I would love to learn from him." Gao Wu had a good impression of Han Yang. Not only was he handsome, but he was also very polite. No wonder the authorities were pushing him to be Dongjiang's number one.

This kind of image and temperament is very conducive to the promotion of middle school leagues.

The two exchanged pleasantries, but Song Mingyue kept looking at the arena on the side, seemingly unconcerned about what Han Yang and Gao Wu were saying.

Yang Ru couldn't stand Song Mingyue's behavior. She glanced at her and said, "Why don't you sign up for the competition? I heard you're also a high-level martial artist."

Song Mingyue turned her head and glanced at Yang Ru. She said softly, "I don't like fighting."

"Then why did you come?" Yang Ru pouted. This woman is really good at pretending!
Song Mingyue shut her mouth; there was no need to respond to this topic. Gao Wu laughed: "She hates fighting. I was afraid someone would harm me, so I dragged her along."

Even Han Yang, who was wearing a polite smile, was taken aback. What did those words mean? Yang Ru and Yu Rulong's expressions were even more peculiar.

With Gao Wu's ruthlessness in slaying the demon god's followers, does he really need Song Mingyue's protection? What a joke!
Furthermore, Gao Wu was carrying a sword in a very exaggerated manner. The martial arts hall was full of competitors, and there were also high-ranking warriors present; who would dare to cause trouble here?

There weren't many familiar faces in the huge martial arts hall. Gao Wu had wanted to chat with Han Yang and the others, since they were all around the same age. But with Yang Ru being so unfriendly, there was nothing to talk about.

After a polite nod, Gao Wu led Song Mingyue to the other side.

"That woman is very hostile towards you. She must be jealous of your beauty, temperament, and intelligence!" Gao Wu was quite certain of this, otherwise, where would Yang Ru's aggression come from for no reason?

Song Mingyue didn't care at all. She said, "No. 1 High School will be going to Beizhou in April to participate in the Qilin Cup. This is the final of the high school league and the highest honor in high school martial arts. Do you want to go?"

"How can I go?" Gao Wu was interested, but the problem was that No. 1 Middle School wouldn't accept him.

“If you can win the Xuetao Cup, the school will be eager to invite you. I’ll help you make the contact; it won’t be difficult,” Song Mingyue said.

"The Qilin Cup..." Gao Wu was quite fascinated; it was a competition that gathered all the young geniuses of Beizhou.

Of the 77 cities in Beizhou, Dongjiang, while not small, can only barely be ranked as a second-tier city. In terms of the scale of the competitions, the Xuetao Cup and the Qilin Cup are on completely different levels, their influence is entirely disparate.

Gao Wu only thought about it; Huang Hai's matter was like a stone weighing on his heart, and he had no interest in thinking about anything else until this matter was resolved.

He said, "Let's talk about it after this is all over."

Song Mingyue understood Gao Wu's meaning. She covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, "Your odds of winning the championship are 167 to 1, and the bookmaker behind you is Jinyuan Company. We can bet one million."

Given Gao Wu's competition experience, these odds are perfectly normal. It's just that Gao Wu is an internet celebrity with a lot of fame, which changes the situation.

“Friend, you trust me too much!” Gao Wu thought for a moment and then said, “Help me bet another two million.”

This is a great opportunity to make money, although the risks are high, but he is very confident in himself.

“I’m calculating that they can still afford to pay this amount. Any more and it’s hard to say,” Song Mingyue reminded Gao Wu. “If you really make it to the final championship match, and you’ve taken on too many bets, they’ll definitely use all sorts of methods to force you to lose.”

Regardless of whether the people behind Jin Yuan Company are followers of the Demon God, they wouldn't do a losing business. Even followers of the Demon God need to eat, drink, and use what they need. Without money, the Demon God can't move an inch in the human world.

Huge profits inevitably bring huge risks.

“I’ll place the bets for you, and if you lose, you can transfer the money back to me,” Song Mingyue said.

Just as Gao Wu was about to speak, his gaze shifted and he spotted an exceptionally striking beauty in the crowd.

The woman was a full 1.85 meters tall, towering over the men around her. Crucially, she possessed strikingly black eyebrows that reached her temples, and bright, star-like eyes; her features were exquisitely beautiful yet exuded a heroic air.

She has a slender and curvaceous figure, a healthy and sunny wheat complexion, and a well-tailored dark blue training uniform. Her long black and brown hair is styled in a fluffy braid, giving her a refreshing and simple look with a touch of youthful exuberance.

Both Song Mingyue and Shang Qingjun are extremely beautiful and possess extraordinary temperament. However, this woman has a very special kind of beauty, which blends feminine beauty and martial arts beauty into one, forming a unique charm.

The beautiful woman also saw Gao Wu, and her eyes lit up as she quickly walked over.

This surprised Gao Wu a little, and he was also a little proud. He thought to himself, "I'm just that handsome and dazzling, I can't hide it even if I want to."

He glanced guiltily at Song Mingyue beside him. Although they were best friends, if the beautiful woman was too forward, Song Mingyue probably wouldn't be very happy.

"We need to be careful how we treat this beautiful woman!"

As the beautiful woman drew closer, Gao Wu wore a reserved yet polite smile. When she reached Gao Wu, she didn't look at him but instead smiled at Song Mingyue and asked, "Beautiful lady, what's your name?"

Song Mingyue didn't speak; she simply looked at the other person quietly. Even though sunglasses concealed her bright eyes, the beautiful woman could still sense the other person's doubt and rejection from Song Mingyue's body language.

The beautiful woman grinned, showing off her two rows of neat, pretty white teeth: "My name is Bai Yushuang, and I love making friends."

As she spoke, she glanced at Gao Wu beside her and emphasized again, "Make friends with beautiful women!"

(End of this chapter)