How can there be so many coincidences in the world?

The Gambling Fox felt a bit uneasy in his heart.

For someone as cunning as him, to live well in chaotic times, causing trouble everywhere yet not getting beaten to death, apart from having several lives, the key is his cautiousness and never believing in luck.

If Zhang Chen thwarted Zhang Shicheng’s Walking Flood Dragon once by luck, then ruining Zhang Shicheng’s plan twice cannot be considered mere good fortune.

Most importantly, Zhang Chen disrupted Zhang Shicheng’s Walking Flood Dragon plan in the lair of Prince Pingbian, right under the nose of the Yellow Heaven Dao. How can that be luck?

Luck, my foot!

Had it been anyone else, they would have turned to dust under the combined attack of Yellow Heaven Dao and Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. How could they still bounce around everywhere?

When Tushan Qing thought about Zhang Chen’s body surrounded by divine light, he felt afraid.

"But the stronger he is, the safer it will be when entering the tomb of the Innate Water God. Even if I don’t fight for the Water God’s authority, obtaining some of the Water God’s flesh and body will be enough to trigger another evolution of my bloodline," Tushan Qing muttered to himself.

"However, if I could snatch his chips... I, Tushan Qing, could become invincible in the world." When Tushan Qing thought of the chips on Zhang Chen’s body, his eyes lit up fiercely.

"Why is it not me who possesses so many treasures? Comparing myself to him really makes me angry. That kid is also blessed with great fortune; I must be cautious facing him in the future and cannot be careless." Tushan Qing thought enviously, his eyes reddening.

Time passed swiftly, and the academy seemed to have quieted down. Zhang Xiaohua attended class quietly without causing trouble, and Zhang Gaoqiu also appeared to have calmed down. Shen Ling ignored Zhang Chen, and for a moment, the entire academy seemed peaceful and the atmosphere was notably calm.

Only Zhang Chen could occasionally feel the cold gazes from Zhang Xiaohua and Zhang Gaoqiu, as if they were knives wanting to cut him into a thousand pieces.

Within the classroom, Zhang Chen had no friends. The noble children saw Zhang Chen’s coarse burlap clothes and seemed to realize his humble origins, so no one interacted with him. Only Tushan Qing eagerly stuck by Zhang Chen’s side, treating him as a brother every day, ignoring others’ opinions.

Tushan Qing could be described as the social butterfly in Class A’s Class A Academy, mingling seamlessly from the Crown Prince Zhang Xiaohua to the ordinary noble children in Class A, all the way to Zhang Chen.

Especially, Tushan Qing always gathered people for gambling; his innate divine techniques seemed to be meant for absorbing gambling emotions of living beings, so Tushan Qing frequently organized gambling sessions.

Among all the noble children, who wasn’t familiar with vice? Especially the stakes Tushan Qing offered came from the Great Wilderness items, though not valuable, their novelty drew many noble children to join the gambling sessions.

The gambling sessions were small-scale but excited the crowd’s emotions, allowing Tushan Qing to absorb the faint, mysterious Qi mechanism from everyone, which disappeared into his body.

"That Qi mechanism seems really strange?" Zhang Chen pondered, observing the Qi mechanism converging around Tushan Qing.

"That’s luck," said the Great Freedom Celestial Demon solemnly, appearing on Zhang Chen’s shoulder. "You see that kid keeps losing, but in the process, he absorbs the fortune of those who won the gambling matches. The vast fortune he accumulates is used to overcome future disasters; if he encounters a killing tribulation, he can release the absorbed fortune, and invisibly the Heavenly Dao will favor him, allowing him to turn danger into safety, surviving eternal calamities, and no one will be able to kill him."

"Is there such a sinister method?" Zhang Chen gasped, thinking that anyone acquainted with Tushan Qing was truly unlucky, as they could easily end up with nothing, losing even their own fate to him.

"Though this kid is sinister, he’s not as sinister as you," muttered the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.

Zhang Chen has the Golden Finger, which is a unique power in the universe, capable of peering into the mystical origin of the cosmos, thus he can discern Tushan Qing’s methods. If it were someone else, even twelfth-tier strong, or even beyond, they might not detect this kid’s bizarre techniques.

But Zhang Chen suddenly had an inexplicable thought and asked the Great Freedom Celestial Demon, "Tushan Qing’s gambling stakes are so peculiar; can they be used for betting against entities surpassing the ’fruit’ realm?"

Zhang Chen was truly curious about the limits of this divine technique because when he obtained it, there was no mention of any limits. Since the narrative did not specify limits, it implies there are none.

"Theoretically, it is possible, but since it is gambling, there must be stakes. Stakes are divided into two types, the first being stakes of equal value. The second being stakes recognized by the other party. The equal value stakes are self-explanatory; the second type of stakes, recognized by the other party, offers substantial room for operation. If the other party acknowledges the stakes, even a blade of grass can be wagered against their Innate Spiritual Treasure," explained the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen fell silent; he’s increasingly terrified of Tushan Qing’s capability—how long has this kid been alive? According to the time calculation, how profound could his accumulated foundation possibly be?

It’s downright frightening!

How many prodigies does the Fox Race possess?

For instance, that Fox Immortal Maiden: Nannan, wasn’t she also tricked before? She was deceived into losing one of her tails.

For example, Zhang Gaoqiu from before, wasn’t he also swindled out of his bloodline power?

Now that I think about it, although Tushan Qing doesn’t have his own system, his gambling power is no less than my system. This kid’s tricks are simply terrifying.

Zhang Chen thought about this, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

"I indeed underestimated the heroes under the heavens. They might not have my Golden Finger, but they certainly have other means. Those means may not measure up to the Golden Finger, but they cannot be underestimated," Zhang Chen was secretly alarmed in his heart.

He felt that he had underestimated Tushan Qing! Who knows how many hidden tricks this kid has up his sleeve?

Just like me, the means I have shown to the world is not even one percent of what I possess.

"There certainly won’t be too few people like Tushan Qing in this world." Zhang Chen secretly murmured to himself.

"Today, Chongzheng Academy is going to conduct an inner sect assessment. How have you two prepared?" At this moment, Shen Qiu turned his gaze towards Shen Ling and Jiang Nan.

Shen Ling sighed softly, "How could I have prepared? I don’t even know what the examination questions are, so how could I prepare in advance?"

Shen Ling turned her gaze to the melancholic Zhang Gaoqiu, who looked as if he had lost his soul, sitting there blankly with a face full of worries.

His greatest reliance was his bloodline power. Without it, what capital would he have to compete with various talented individuals? How could he qualify to join the Inner Courtyard? How would he pass the assessment?

"What are you looking at? It’s not like you have a chance to join the Inner Courtyard. Even though you somehow joined Chongzheng Academy through some despicable means, dreaming of joining the Inner Courtyard? Absolutely delusional! My Shen Family could only secure one spot to join the Inner Courtyard, and you, a mere toad, dreaming of eating swan meat? Simply wishful thinking!" Shen Ling inadvertently glanced at Zhang Chen’s gaze directed towards her and scolded angrily.

Hearing Shen Ling’s words, Zhang Chen’s mouth curled into an odd smile. He really wanted to pull out his qualification to join the Inner Courtyard and smack it in Shen Ling’s face, but he thought about it and decided it wasn’t necessary.

This act was too childish!

"What’s the use of you snapping at me? If you’ve got the guts, join the Inner Courtyard! Running to me to find a sense of existence is just nonsensical," Zhang Chen sneered coldly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"How dare you contradict me?" Shen Ling’s whole demeanor exploded when she heard Zhang Chen’s sarcastic words.

In Shen Ling’s eyes, Zhang Chen was forever the poor boy from the Northern Land, a savage, while she was the high-born miss. Now, Zhang Chen actually dared to ’commit an offense’, how could she not be angry?

At this moment, Shen Ling was extremely enraged, her eyes staring angrily at Zhang Chen, filled with fire, almost as if flames were about to burst out. Her bloodline power surged as if she was ready to teach Zhang Chen, the ignorant savage, a lesson at any moment.

Just at this time, the academy teacher Zhou Yi came forward with a wooden box in his arms, softly cleared his throat, dispersing all the tension in the air.

The students who were previously gathered together gambling dispersed back to their seats.

The teacher stood at the lectern, placed the wooden box on the table, then smiled and said, "The majority of you joined Chongzheng Academy for the Inner Courtyard quotas. Now the selection quotas for the Inner Courtyard have come down, there are 36 in total."

Hearing Zhou Yi’s words, everyone perked up, full of anticipation looking at Zhou Yi. Young Prince Zhang Xiaohua spoke, "I wonder what the procedure is for the Inner Courtyard assessment this time?"

Zhou Yi said, "There are a total of 500 people registered to participate in the assessment this time. Among you, 26 have already been qualified for the assessment. However... the Dean has stated that we must select the individuals possessing great fortune among you, choosing quality over quantity, ensuring that we select people who possess great fortune. Therefore, even those who have obtained a qualification must participate in the assessment, and if they do not pass, they can use their qualification to be exempted."

Hearing these words, Zhang Chen’s heart was touched, instantly understanding Zhou Qiucheng’s intention. Zhou Qiucheng apparently thought that there were too many quotas, and using those who already had a quota to consume ten of them would be the best solution.

Zhou Qiucheng’s selection approach for those noble children who never acquired a quota was simply a nightmarish existence, filled with endless malice.

However, upon hearing the teacher’s words, all the students turned pale. Those holding a quota had immunity and sat there watching the show unperturbed, while those without turned pale as the academy’s assessment method clearly reduced everyone’s chances of entering the Inner Courtyard.

"This isn’t fair!" Some noble family children protested in dissatisfaction.