SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS - Chapter 1037 - 1037: 1:20?!

The sky over the Heavenly Phoenix Range had turned colourful. Fireworks crackled across the night sky, shaped like phoenixes, dragons, and flags, painting the skies with joy and chaos.

Cheers erupted like thunder as the final flagpole was slammed onto the judgment platform by a fierce, wild-looking woman dressed in beast pelts and leather bands, her breath steaming like a beast’s.

The elders sitting atop the Sky Pavilion finally stood up.

A main elder named Tang stepped into the sky, hovering above everyone.

“The first round… ends now!” His voice rang out, amplified by a spirit echo talisman. “Of the ten thousand who entered the sacred Pagoda of Trials, only five thousand have emerged with their flagpoles intact. The rest… either fell, fled, or failed.”

The crowd roared, echoing across the floating stages. Flames of celebration lit the perimeter, and spirit bands began playing, their music laced with hypnotic runes that made even the stiffest spectators tap their feet.

The elder raised his hand again. A wave of light burst into the air and transformed into 5,000 crimson jade tokens, each inscribed with an image of a phoenix spiraling through a seven-petaled lotus.

“These are honor tokens,” he declared. “Winners of the first round will now be escorted to the Hanging Pleasure Palaces, where you will recover, rest, and prepare for what comes next. Inside, you’ll find cultivation chambers, spirit springs, soul fruit gardens, and entertainment pavilions.”

The winners—bloodied, bruised, but proud—cheered quietly among themselves. Many collapsed to their knees, having survived with only a breath of life left.

Yet even among the cheers, there were murmurs.

“Did you see that Kent King? He just… stood there until the end, and still qualified.”

“I thought the Black-Eyed Tiger Boy would pass. He burned himself out on the fourth floor… fool.”

“Bah, too many young masters brought their ego, not their skill.”

After brief silence the elder spoke again, this time in a grave tone.

“The second round shall begin tomorrow evening. Until then… rest. The second round would be a life and death battle and remember—only those who live will see the third round.” He paused, letting the words weigh heavy. “Bring your best life-saving treasures. Pray you won’t need them.”

With that cryptic warning, the elder vanished into a flicker of sky flame, and a golden bell rang from the central pagoda, marking the end of the day.

–

But far from the floating palaces and the resting warriors, a different storm was raging.

At the base of the range, in the bustling heart of the phoenix range, the Golden Rat Gambling House had transformed.

Giant banners now fluttered with magical ink that shifted every few seconds, revealing updated odds, name lists, and wild animations of the day’s battles. The streets were flooded with cultivators, mortals, rogue traders, and noble guests. The spirit of chaos was infectious.

A fanfare of golden trumpets blew as the odds changed once again.

“Kent King — 1:20!”

A collective gasp spread like fire.

“WHAT?! Twentyfold payout?! Against that kid?”

“He didn’t even fight anyone! He just stood there and grabbed the flag from that fool Lee.”

“Exactly! He’s a coward in disguise. Someone needs to crush his bones.”

“Or he’s playing a longer game…”

Whatever they believed, the number 1:20 was like a spell.

People surged toward the betting counters like an avalanche. Mana crystal bags clinked, spirit coins were thrown, and entire savings disappeared across the marble counters in mere seconds.

A flamboyant announcer in a pink-and-gold robe stood on the rooftop balcony of the Golden Rat, holding a golden megaphone and laughing like a madman.

“Dear guests, kings and scoundrels, your fate awaits! Double your wealth or lose your pants! As of now, Kent King holds the highest risk, and the highest reward. Will he survive the next round? Or will he be lost, buried in blood and dreams? Place your bets! But I must warn you, my master is not easy to accept defeat!”

–

After few hours…

Inside the towering three-storied restaurant on the phoenix range, spirit screens projected illusions of the top-ranked fighters—Scott Lin, Rina Lova, the Sword Prince of Jade Empire, and of course, Kent King.

Kent’s image caused the most discussion.

One illusion showed Kent leaning lazily on the wall, watching the chaos as others fought to the death. Another showed the moment he snatched the flag from Lee with just a few slaps, without drawing a single weapon. The expression of submission on Lee’s face made gamblers howl.

“A coward’s luck, nothing more!”

“Or… maybe he’s a monster.”

Fatty Ben was in the center of it all, wearing a jade fox mask, standing atop the VIP counter with both hands raised high.

“Round Two odds are open! We accept Mana Crystals, Soul Pearls, Artifacts, and even Life Tokens! Come one, come all! This is the biggest gamble of your life!”

His servant girls moved among the crowd, collecting bets with shimmering trays while dancing with light spirit runes on their ankles. Fatty’s fox mask glinted under the moonlight.

A merchant from the Flame Nation threw a bag of high-grade spirit stones. “Put it ALL on Scott Lin! That kid is unstoppable!”

A cloaked rogue cultivator slipped a small jade slip toward a servant girl. “Ten thousand against Kent. No way he makes it past the second round.”

Even a few syndicate elders, hidden in black robes, watched silently from a rooftop. One of them sighed.

“Look at this madness… That Kent King… he’s drawing too much attention.”

Another elder muttered, “And yet, he’s not even done anything.”

“The most dangerous beasts… are the ones that don’t bare their fangs until the last moment.”

–

At Golden Rat Gambling House…

The mana crystals continued to flow like water from broken hands of tempted spectators.

The crowd increased continuously and soon the situation became uncontrollable.

As clamour increased, a golden chariot pulled by wind lions arrived with the Seven Nations Syndicate soldiers, their armor glowing with anti-chaos talismans. They began forming formations to manage the surging crowds.

“Stay in line! Place your bets in order! Anyone found cheating will be basnished from the entire tournament!”

But no one cared.

The Gamble of the Century had begun. And Kent King… only smiled as his plans working perfectly. His wealth is increasing rapidly.