Is the Emperor About to Step Down

As Wang Hao stepped down from the spectator stand, Wei Zhongxian quietly followed, lowering his voice. "Your Majesty, with today's final settlement, we have earned sixty million spirit stones."

Wang Hao paused his steps, his smile growing wider.

"It's not enough. Tomorrow's odds will be even higher."

He looked up toward the direction of the Kunlun Mountains, his gaze profound.

"Let the news spread even more fiercely. Just say that the Great Zhou's top ten prodigies are all injured and their combat strength is greatly damaged, so tomorrow I can only take the field myself to keep up appearances. Though I am in the Sky Soaring Realm, facing thirty-seven Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, my chances of winning are slim."

Wei Zhongxian blanked for a moment. "Your Majesty, are you truly going to take the field yourself?"

Wang Hao looked back at him, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

"Old Wei, do you think I look like someone who would take a loss?"

Wei Zhongxian immediately shook his head.

"Exactly." Wang Hao patted his shoulder. "Go, help me push the odds to one to fifteen. And then—"

He lowered his voice and whispered a few words into Wei Zhongxian's ear.

Wei Zhongxian's eyes grew wider and wider, until his whole body stiffened at the end.

"Your Majesty, this... this isn't very good, is it? It's like playing with fire."

Wang Hao smiled and turned away.

The night breeze fluttered his imperial robes, the Black Dragon and Heavenly Wolf patterns faintly visible in the moonlight.

"Playing with fire?" His voice was so light it sounded like he was talking to himself. "I am the fire."

Meanwhile, in the backstage accounting rooms of the major gambling houses in the Reception City, a group of accountants was sweating profusely. A white-haired old accountant stopped his abacus, looked at the mountain of jade slips in front of him, and suddenly sighed.

"What exactly is this Emperor of the Eastern Wasteland plotting?"

No one answered him.

But everyone felt a faint sense of unease in their hearts.

It was too smooth.

The Central State's victory had come too smoothly, as if someone had meticulously designed it.

But they had no proof.

Besides, who would intentionally let themselves lose?

The night was as dark as ink.

However, the Kunlun Reception City was brightly lit, with major restaurants and inns packed to the brim. The Central State cultivators, who had held back their frustration for ten whole days, finally let it all out today. Amidst the clinking of glasses, the air was filled with smug and boastful clamor.

"The Eastern Wasteland is nothing much! So what if they have ten top prodigies? Weren't they still beaten to a pulp!"

"Especially that Ye Guyun, defeated by Jiang Taixuan in three sword strikes, and he still has the nerve to talk about 'Sword Heart'? Hilarious!"

"That Wanyan Gu was even more ridiculous. He was beaten until the bones in his hands were showing, yet he stubbornly refused to admit defeat. Are all Eastern Wastelanders this dense?"

"His Majesty? What Majesty! So what if he's in the Sky Soaring Realm? Just pick any two from Jiang Taixuan, Li Xinghe, Dugu Que, and Su Wanqing to team up, and they can beat him until he can't tell north from south!"

"Well said! Today was just an appetizer. If that Emperor really dares to take the field tomorrow, I'll bet my entire net worth that he'll fall to his knees!"

Amidst the noise, only one corner maintained a strange silence.

Several elders of the Kunlun Law Enforcement Hall sat around a jade table. The spirit tea in front of them had long gone cold, but no one touched it. Xuan Xiao sat in the main seat, holding a jade slip, his brows tightly furrowed.

"How does everyone view today's battles?" he finally spoke.

Chen Tianlan was the first to answer. "All ten from the Eastern Wasteland are injured, and their combat strength is reduced by more than half. That Wanyan Gu's fist bones are fractured; without three to five days, he absolutely cannot fight again. Ye Guyun's sword is also destroyed, and he won't find a suitable divine weapon in the short term. Rong Xiaotian, Su Lie, and Lin Tiechuan all have significant internal injuries. Xiao Chen consumed a massive amount of energy, and the power of his Heavenly Fire has diminished."

"So they have no one available tomorrow?" an elder asked.

Chen Tianlan nodded. "Theoretically, yes. Unless their Emperor personally takes the field."

Xuan Xiao placed the jade slip on the table. It contained the final settlement data of today's betting pools.

"The odds for the Central State's victory have dropped below one point two, while the odds for the Eastern Wasteland's victory have risen to one to twelve. The major gambling houses just sent word that someone anonymously placed a massive bet—fifty million spirit stones, buying a total victory for the Eastern Wasteland tomorrow."

Everyone gasped.

Fifty million spirit stones! What kind of concept was that? It was enough to buy a medium-sized spirit stone vein.

"Who placed the bet?" someone asked.

Xuan Xiao shook his head. "An anonymous account, it can't be traced. But I suspect it's Wang Hao himself."

"Is he crazy? Losing nine out of ten battles today, what makes him think they can win completely tomorrow?"

Xuan Xiao remained silent for a long time before speaking slowly. "Have you ever considered a possibility—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"The reason the Eastern Wasteland lost today is because Wang Hao wanted them to lose."

The entire room was shocked.

"Impossible!" An elder slammed the table and stood up. "In Ye Guyun's battle against Jiang Taixuan, he was even forced to reveal the rudimentary form of his Sword Heart. Could that be faked? Wanyan Gu's hand bones were exposed, those injuries can't be faked!"

Xuan Xiao asked in return, "Did Ye Guyun reveal the rudimentary form of his Sword Heart by breaking through during the fight, or was he hiding it before the battle?"

The elder opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

"Wanyan Gu's exposed bones are indeed real. But his fighting style was desperate from the very beginning. That kind of style can injure an opponent even if they are stronger than him. It's not acting, it's his style. But the problem is—Wang Hao never expected them to win from the start."

Xuan Xiao stood up and looked out the window with his hands behind his back.

"He let the ten prodigies fight with all their might, showing the momentum of the Eastern Wasteland and earning the respect of the Central State, and then lose. Losing without disgrace instead makes the Central State cultivators feel that 'the Eastern Wasteland was defeated but glorious'. This kind of failure not only won't damage the Eastern Wasteland's morale, but it will also unite their eight hundred thousand soldiers against a common enemy. At the same time, the confidence of the Central State cultivators has been pushed to its peak—have you noticed the atmosphere in the city tonight? Everyone is saying the Eastern Wasteland is incredibly weak, and everyone thinks tomorrow will be another crushing defeat. Under this kind of emotion, what will they do?"

Chen Tianlan's expression changed. "Frantically place bets on the Central State to win."

"Exactly." Xuan Xiao turned around. "Then Wang Hao personally takes the field. He uses his anonymous account to bet on the Eastern Wasteland to win in advance, at odds of one to twelve or even higher. Once he wins, the spirit stones he earns will be enough to fill the Great Zhou's treasury."

The room fell into a dead silence.

After a moment, an elder hesitantly said, "But... what makes him think he can win? Even if he is in the Sky Soaring Realm, he is facing thirty-seven Holy Sons and Holy Daughters. Jiang Taixuan, Li Xinghe, Dugu Que, and Su Wanqing are true chosen ones of heaven, capable of confronting or even defeating ordinary peak Sky Soaring Realm experts head-on."

Xuan Xiao did not answer.

Because he didn't know the answer either.

But he vaguely felt that something that would overturn everyone's understanding would happen tomorrow.

In the Great Zhou's military camp, Wang Hao's central command tent was brightly lit.

Unlike the noise in the city, the atmosphere here was quiet and solemn. The ten prodigies stood on both sides, everyone wrapped in bandages, the scent of spirit medicine permeating the air. Wanyan Gu's hands were wrapped like rice dumplings, yet he was still grinning. Ye Guyun hugged his nameless sword, its blade covered in cracks, sitting silently in the corner, his gaze even more restrained than usual.

Wang Hao sat on the dragon throne, a chessboard placed in front of him. His opponent was Wang Wudi.

"Great-grandfather, you lost again." Wang Hao placed a piece and said with a smile.

Wang Wudi stared at the chessboard for a long time, then suddenly pushed the pieces away. "I am not playing anymore. Your chess style is as insidious as you are."

"Great-grandfather taught me well."

"When did I ever teach you how to play chess?"

"When Great-grandfather used the tactic of luring the enemy deep to trap and kill the six elders of the Demon Sect in the Eastern Sea, was it not the exact same approach?"

Wang Wudi's mouth twitched. He decided not to continue this topic. No one would feel comfortable having their past exploits repeatedly brought up like this.

Wang Hao smiled and stood up, walking over to the Ten Great Geniuses. His gaze swept across each of their faces.

"You all fought very well today." His tone was uncharacteristically serious. "Ye Guyun, the embryonic form of your Sword Heart has been established. Once we return to the Eastern Wasteland, I will personally accompany you to the Sword Tomb to find a sword truly worthy of you."

Ye Guyun looked up, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes, but he simply nodded without speaking.

"Wanyan Gu." Wang Hao looked at his hands, which were wrapped up tightly like a zongzi. "Does it hurt?"

Wanyan Gu grinned. "It does not hurt! Your Majesty, I think that bastard Li Xinghe's Star Body Forging Art is nothing special. Once I break through to the Sky Soaring Realm, I will definitely beat him until his teeth fall out!"

Wang Hao chuckled, taking a jade bottle from his sleeve and tossing it to him. "A Heaven-grade high-tier Bone Mending Pill. Within three days, your hands will be as good as new. After that, cultivate properly. I look forward to the day you beat up Li Xinghe."

Wanyan Gu caught the jade bottle, his eyes suddenly turning a little red. He was a rough man who did not know how to say pretty words, so he just gripped the jade bottle tightly and nodded vigorously.

Wang Hao then spoke a few words to the rest of them one by one, giving out healing pills and arranging their subsequent cultivation resources. Finally, he walked to the center of the main tent and turned to face everyone.

"Every match you lost today, I have kept in my heart." His voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight that everyone could feel. "It is not that your skills are inferior, but your cultivation realms. Xiao Chen, Ye Guyun, and Lu Chenzhou have just entered the Sky Soaring Realm, and their foundations are not yet stable. The rest of you are in the Astral Qi Realm, so fighting against the Sky Soaring Realm is inherently battling above your level. Losing is no disgrace. However, I will not let you keep losing. I promise that once the Kunlun Gathering is over, I will take you back to the Eastern Wasteland, and the national treasury will be fully open to you. Martial arts, pills, divine weapons, secret realms—whatever you want, I will give it to you."

The ten of them knelt on one knee in unison.

"We swear to follow Your Majesty to the death!"

Wang Hao waved his hand, signaling them to rise. Then he turned to look at Wei Zhongxian.

"Are you ready?"

Wei Zhongxian bowed and handed over a jade slip. "Master, everything has been arranged according to your instructions. An anonymous account has placed a bet of fifty million spirit stones on the Eastern Wasteland winning all matches tomorrow. The current odds have risen to one to twelve and are still climbing. In addition, the news you ordered to be released has spread throughout the city—that the Ten Great Geniuses of the Eastern Wasteland are all injured and unable to fight tomorrow, leaving Your Majesty to take the field personally. The gamblers in the city are adding to their bets overnight. The gambling houses preliminarily estimate that the total bets on the Central State winning tomorrow might exceed three hundred million spirit stones."

This number made everyone in the tent gasp.

Three hundred million spirit stones. One must know that a single spirit stone was equivalent to a hundred taels of gold or ten thousand taels of silver.

This was no longer gambling; this was betting on the fate of a nation.

Wang Hao, however, just smiled. "That is enough. Any more, and the gambling houses will not be able to pay out."

He walked out of the tent and looked toward the distant Kunlun Mountains. Under the moonlight, the legendary divine mountain was shrouded in a faint silver glow, holy and remote. But he knew how many schemes and how much murderous intent were hidden within that mountain.

"Tomorrow, I will let the Central State know one thing."

His voice was very soft, almost as if he were talking to himself, but it made everyone behind him hold their breath.

"The fist of the Eastern Wasteland is not just the Ten Great Geniuses. There is also me."

The New Emperor Sword flew out from Wei Zhongxian's waist and landed beside Wang Hao, its blade trembling as it let out an excited voice. "Tyrant, can I hack people tomorrow?"

Wang Hao glanced at it. "You are in charge of holding the line tomorrow."

The New Emperor Sword instantly wilted. "Holding the line again? I have already held the line for ten days!"

"Tomorrow will be different," Wang Hao smiled. "Tomorrow, if someone breaks the rules, you can make your move."

The New Emperor Sword instantly perked up, its blade emitting a faint, eerie glow. "Then I hope they break the rules."

Watching this scene, Wei Zhongxian silently lit a stick of incense in his heart for the cultivators of the Central State.