The match would take place in three days, as they awaited the arrival of supervisors sent from the Ancestral Court to ensure fairness. After all, for humans to achieve nine victories was an astonishing feat, and it naturally raised suspicions.
In these three days, almost everyone in the streets and alleys was discussing the same thing. Occasionally, one could even hear shouts of excitement.
In contrast to the humans, the demon clans almost unanimously believed that it was impossible for humans to win. They subconsciously felt that humans wouldn't be allowed to become nobles just like that. Moreover, the team that the Shrek Squad was about to face was much more popular, even considered likely to win in the Ancestral Court's competitions.
Therefore, in three days, the betting pool had reached an astonishing amount. Bets on the demon clan team winning were clearly in the lead. After all, the wealth in human hands was very limited. Even though the previous victories of the Shrek Squad had earned them a lot, it was nothing but a drop in the ocean compared to the wealth of the demon clan nobles.
But for some reason, a large number of bets suddenly poured in for the Shrek Squad, which allowed the odds to stabilize somewhat. This prompted the major nobles, who were planning to place more bets on the time-based bets for excitement, to immediately invest more in the win-lose bets, bringing the odds to 1:5. In other words, if the Shrek Squad won, the payout would be five times the bet!
Even before the match began, humans were already at an absolute disadvantage in the betting pools. Some more rational humans even advised their companions not to get their hopes up too high. After all, it was incredibly difficult for humans to obtain a noble status.
In such circumstances, the atmosphere around the Great Beast Fighting Arena grew increasingly tense. For several days, spectators coming to the arena were particularly excited, causing the arena's profits to surge and earning it a fortune.
And finally, the day arrived.
As Tang San and his team stepped into the Great Beast Fighting Arena, they could vaguely sense that today was different from usual.
They heard that since early morning, the surroundings of the arena had been packed with people. The City Lord's Mansion had sent personnel to maintain order.Tang San and his companions, wearing hooded cloaks, managed to squeeze near the arena. They then quietly put on their masks and identified themselves to the arena guards, who finally let them in.
And then, they felt it.
Murderous intent!
The five of them could clearly sense it. The atmosphere of murderous intent created an invisible pressure, causing even the usually lively Du Bai to be somewhat subdued.
At the same time, as they pushed through the crowd, they could see many humans with red eyes, some of them hysterically excited. Among them were certainly gamblers, but more were filled with anticipation. They longed for a truly epoch-making victory for humanity.
But could such a victory really be achieved? No one knew. Moreover, the possibility of victory seemed to diminish as more official information was released. Yet, despite this, humans were unwilling to give up even the slightest hope. They had been longing for such a day for many, many years.
The only one who wasn't nervous was probably Tang San. He wasn't just calm; he even felt a bit excited. This feeling hadn't surfaced for a long time, at least not since Mei Gongzi went into seclusion.
Perhaps human cohesion would truly begin with this battle. The Redemption Society's greatest hope was to make Kali City the human stronghold, which was why they spared no effort in supporting Mei Gongzi to become the future City Lord of Kali City. Even knowing the chances were slim, they still fought hard. So, for Mei Gongzi and for humanity, they had to do this and they had to win.
The Bloodthirsty Demon Ape had been waiting there for a long time. Seeing the arrival of Tang San and his team, it solemnly greeted them and led them to the waiting lounge.
Closing the door behind it, the Bloodthirsty Demon Ape spoke in a deep voice, "On behalf of the arena master, I'll ask you one last time: do you really want to participate in this final match? There's still time to regret it. After all, you only have one life. If you forfeit the match, the worst that will happen is a tarnished reputation. No one has seen your faces under the masks, so you can still live well. Winning nine team matches is already a historical record for humans."
Wu Bingji calmly replied, "At this point, there is no way we will retreat. If we die, we die, but we will die fighting. You said it yourself: this has never happened before. This is the first time humans have had hope. If we die fighting, then they will keep hoping, but if we run away, everything we did will have been for nothing. You’re not human, so you don’t understand, but this hope… is all that lets many of us keep living."
The Bloodthirsty Demon Ape gave him a deep look and said, "Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. Although we are not of the same race, I respect you for this. Prepare yourselves."
With that, it turned and left the room.
Today's Bloodthirsty Demon Ape was clearly less respectful yet more concerned than in previous matches. Obviously, it didn't believe the Shrek Squad could create a miracle. What it said today was sincere; it genuinely didn't want the Shrek Squad to continue competing.
However, Wu Bingji's words truly earned its admiration.
Wu Bingji turned to the other four and said, "I said what I said. Today, we might die. If any of you want to back out now, it's okay, there's still time. As long as one of us competes, it means the Shrek Squad is still there and humanity hasn't fallen."
Gu Li's eyes were bright as he smiled and said, "Eldest brother, when we first got here, I was really nervous. Just like in the first match, I was truly nervous. Everyone is afraid of death, and I'm no exception. But you're right, we are not just here for ourselves, we are here for everyone. So what if we die? Birds fly and people perish, that’s the way of nature. And if we don't die, we’ll live a thousand years. Let's do it."
His nervousness disappeared, and it seemed as if flames were burning in his eyes.
Cheng Zicheng stood up and slowly walked to Wu Bingji.
Looking at her, Wu Bingji's gaze softened. "Zicheng, this is a matter for men to deal with… You really shouldn't—"
Cheng Zicheng walked up to him and put her hand on his mouth. "Don't be such a chauvinist. I like it when you act manly, you look really cool, but you should listen to your own words: we are here for the sake of humanity. And women are no less human than men, so why should you be the ones to bear the whole burden? I can do it just as well as you can, and it’s my duty just like it is yours. Also… Eldest brother, I just want to tell you something personal, can you come over with me for a moment?"
Wu Bingji was taken aback. "Ah?"
"Hehehe!" Du Bai chuckled at the corny scene. "What personal talk, Zicheng! Don't go around planting red flags here! Let me tell you, I've calculated it, today our luck will be excellent!"
Cheng Zicheng gave him a fierce glare before turning back to Wu Bingji, grabbing his sleeve, and looking at him with a pleading gaze.
Wu Bingji took a deep breath, then suddenly opened his arms and pulled her into a tight, tight embrace.
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