I run a casino in the immortal realm.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere in the private room had changed from the initial tentativeness to familiarity.

Xu Zhengkun glanced at Zheng Yifei, who was raising his glass to toast him, and a subtle, unusual glint flashed in his eyes.

He had seen countless people. The so-called geniuses and scions of noble families in the sects were either trembling with fear or pretending to be aloof in front of him. But this young man with only the ninth level of Qi Refining gave him the illusion of communicating with someone his own age, or even an elder.

This kid doesn't look like an eighteen-year-old at all.

That composure, that accurate analysis of the situation, that sense of proportion in knowing when to advance and retreat—it was just like that of an old fox who had been navigating the power arena for three or four decades.

He understands things immediately and decisively. Most importantly, he is very clear about his own position—he doesn't seek credit, doesn't overstep boundaries, and only talks about exchanging benefits.

"No wonder my father and that old fox Kim Jong-won value you so much."

Xu Zhengkun put down his wine glass, making no attempt to hide his admiration in his tone, "Now I understand, the cultivation world is not lacking in geniuses, but it lacks people like you who can calculate people's hearts and interests to the bone."

Xu Zhengkun already had a grand plan in mind.

He is about to go into seclusion to break through to the Golden Core stage. Once he succeeds, Xu Tianyang will gradually hand over the power of the sect to him.

As the future sect leader, he needs a sword to sever the roots of the nine great families, and he also needs a clear-headed person to manage his vast worldly interests.

Zheng Yifei is the best candidate.

"Young Sect Master, you flatter me. I am merely trying to survive and, incidentally, earn some spirit stones for the sect."

Zheng Yifei smiled and poured Xu Zhengkun another cup of Tianqing wine.

"Alright, stop calling me Young Sect Master and this humble official all the time. It's sickening to hear."

Xu Zhengkun waved his hand, "When there are no outsiders, call me Brother Kun. I'm a few years older than you, so please don't presume."

"Brother Kun."

Zheng Yifei readily agreed and raised his glass in a toast.

The two jars of Tianqing wine were quickly emptied.

Xu Zhengkun stood up, stretched, and his bones crackled as his peak Foundation Establishment spiritual power surged within him, causing even the surrounding air to ripple.

"We've almost finished drinking, but we're still having a great time."

Xu Zhengkun turned to look at Zheng Yifei, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Little brother, come on, I'll take you to a nice place to relax."

"Where to?"

Zheng Yifei asked.

"Let's go to the casino and play a couple of rounds."

Xu Zhengkun said it casually.

Zheng Yifei was stunned. His hand, holding the wine glass, froze in mid-air, his eyes widening slightly, revealing a rare expression of astonishment.

The young sect master of the dignified Qingyun Sect, a top genius at the half-step Golden Core stage, suggested going gambling in the middle of the night?

"Brother Xu, you're not kidding, are you?"

Zheng Yifei lowered his voice: "You are the successor to the sect leader. If the elders find out about this, or if the sect leader finds out, the petitions impeaching you could flood the Tianyuan Hall."

"Impeach them? They dare!"

Xu Zhengkun sneered, sat back down in his chair, and crossed his legs: "Brother, do you really think cultivating immortality is just sitting in your cave all day meditating and breathing exercises, wasting time like a piece of wood?"

Zheng Yifei didn't respond, but listened attentively.

"That's how low-level rogue cultivators and outer disciples live, because they don't have enough resources and can only risk their lives to make up for it."

Xu Zhengkun pointed to the top of his head: "When you reach the higher levels of a sect, or when your cultivation reaches the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages, blindly cultivating can easily breed inner demons."

"If you live for hundreds or thousands of years and don't even have the pleasures of emotions and desires, what's the point of cultivating immortality? Why not just become a turtle?"

Xu Zhengkun patted Zheng Yifei on the shoulder: "Cultivation emphasizes a balance between work and rest. Appropriate indulgence and emotional fluctuations can actually help break through mental bottlenecks."

Many of those old guys in the elders' council are secretly raising furnaces, fighting demonic beasts, or even playing with mortal magic.

My greatest hobby is listening to the sound of spirit stones clattering at the gambling table.

"Besides, since the sect allows gambling dens to be opened in Qingyun Market, it means that this thing is legal. It's just that the higher-ups play it more discreetly and don't mix with those peasants at the bottom."

After hearing these words, Zheng Yifei lowered his head, his lips curving upwards involuntarily, and his eyes burst forth with a long-suppressed fervor.

Overjoyed! Utterly ecstatic!

It has been more than half a year since I arrived at the Qingyun Sect.

To gain a foothold in the Qingyun Sect, he proceeded cautiously, scheming against people and manipulating the tax system, publishing newspapers, and operating a fortune-telling machine. Although he amassed a fortune, deep down, he always felt something was missing.

Who is he?

He is the most powerful gambling king on Earth! He is the "Cheater" who strikes fear into the hearts of casinos worldwide!

His battlefield shouldn't just be on the abacus and ledgers, but on that gambling table covered with spirit stones and spirit tickets!

He didn't dare go to gambling dens before because his identity was sensitive and his cultivation level was too low.

As a chief inspector who has offended the nine elders, if he dares to step into the gambling den, he will be labeled a "gambler," "embezzler," and "bribe taker" the next day. The Li family might even set a trap to kill him at the gambling table.

But it's different now.

The one proposing to gamble now is the young sect leader! He's the future leader of the Qingyun Sect!

With the strongest backer in the entire clan, what is he afraid of?

Who dares to investigate the young sect leader's scheme?

Who would dare to cheat in front of the young sect leader?

"Brother Xu is right, the key is to balance work and rest."

Zheng Yifei raised his head, his expression had returned to calm, but a chilling sharpness shone deep in his eyes: "Since Brother Xu is interested, I will gladly oblige."

"happy!"

Xu Zhengkun slapped his thigh: "Let's go!"

After leaving Zuixianlou, the two did not take a flying boat, but walked along the inner streets of Qingyunfang Market.

The further you go in, the fewer buildings there are, replaced by forests of spirit trees shrouded in high-level formations.

This is a Class A restricted area in Qingyun City. Normally, without a cultivation level of at least Foundation Establishment or a special identity token, one simply cannot enter.

After passing through a grove of purple bamboo, a luxurious three-story pavilion came into view.

There were no noisy shouts, no dazzling lights.

The entire pavilion is made of second-tier spiritual material "agarwood", emitting a subtle fragrance that can calm the mind.

A set of third-order concealment and soundproofing formations was set up around the pavilion. If ordinary cultivators did not use their divine sense to explore, they would only think it was an open space.

Above the main gate of the building hangs a plaque with gold lettering on a black background: Goldlion.

"This is the place that the higher-ups of our Qingyun Sect like to come to the most."

Xu Zhengkun walked to the door as if he knew the way well.

Four guards stood at the entrance, all of them at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Upon seeing Xu Zhengkun, the four bowed in unison, not daring to question him, and directly pushed open the heavy spirit wood door.

Zheng Yifei followed Xu Zhengkun across the threshold.

Inside and outside the door are two completely different worlds.

The hall was extremely spacious, with a soft snow fox fur carpet on the floor that made no sound when stepped on. The dome was inlaid with hundreds of fist-sized luminous pearls, illuminating the entire hall as brightly as day, yet without being dazzling.

The air was filled with a faint fragrance of spiritual tea and a strange incense that made one's blood boil.

There were more than a dozen huge gambling tables in the hall, all made of "black jade" that could isolate divine consciousness.

There are no shirtless, shouting rogue cultivators like those in low-level gambling dens here.

The guests sitting at the table were either dressed in gorgeous robes or wore masks that blocked their divine sense, and were served by scantily clad and beautiful female cultivators.

Zheng Yifei glanced at it.

The table on the left is playing "Guess Odd or Even"; the table on the right is playing "Guess Big or Small"; and the largest table in the middle is playing "Pai Gow," the most classic game in the cultivation world.

"How about it? Pretty impressive, right?"

Xu Zhengkun took out a purple-gold mask from his storage bag and put it on, revealing only his eyes: "Those who play here are at least personal disciples of inner sect elders, or owners of large merchants."

Everyone tacitly agreed to wear masks, no one knew anyone else, and winning or losing depended entirely on skill and luck.

Zheng Yifei also took a silver mask handed to him by the maid at the door and put it on.

He took a deep breath. The cold air on the black jade tabletop, the crisp sound of the chips clinking, and the greed, tension, and regret that the gamblers tried so hard to suppress but still revealed in their micro-expressions...

All of this is all too familiar.

Zheng Yifei unconsciously rubbed his fingers together inside his sleeve.