My Synthesizer Has Talent

Taichu Book Land.

Three days passed. Su Qing had only spent a few of them comprehending the Time Dao Essence when a student came to inform him that Liu Heng of the Black Abyss Dynasty was waiting outside.

Su Qing opened his eyes, acknowledging the news.

'Less than a month.'

'Looks like I'm about to obtain the Devouring Dao Path.'

'Wonderful.'

Soon, Su Qing arrived outside the Taichu Immortal Palace.

"Su Qing, let's go," the man from the Black Abyss Dynasty said with a light chuckle.

A stone flower, larger than his palm, appeared in his hand.

[Black Abyss Stone Flower: A flower from the Ancient Tree of the Black Abyss. Consuming it grants the Devourer's Mark, allowing one to step onto the Devouring Dao Path, receive a baptism of Black Abyss Qi, and align one's nature with the Black Abyss.]

[Combinable]

'So this Black Abyss Stone Flower will draw one closer to the Black Abyss, even if it hasn't been tampered with.'

Su Qing nodded and accepted it, but did not consume it.

Aside from the man, the surrounding area was filled with people from the Taichu Daoist Palace.

They had all come to watch the spectacle.

Among them were some famous figures from the Taichu Daoist Palace.

Although, they were all here to place a bet.

Where there was a life-and-death duel, there was sure to be betting.

All bets were placed using the currency of the Taichu Daoist Palace.

The currency's value was based on a type of grain unique to the Taichu Daoist Palace.

"Come on, come on!"

"The betting's right here! With me, Wealthy Zhang, as your guarantor, hurry up and place your bets! Liu Heng to win is 1 to 0.1, Su Qing to win is 1 to 10!"

"1 to 10? Wealthy Zhang, how highly do you rate Su Qing?"

"You know, artifacts are allowed in this life-and-death duel."

"I'm surprised it's not 1 to 0.01. That's not like you, Wealthy Zhang."

Wealthy Zhang laughed heartily. "Are you going to bet or not? My reputation precedes me, so place your bets with confidence."

"I'm betting on Liu Heng."

"Me too. I'll bet 80,000."

"I'll just bet 1,000... and put another hundred on Su Qing."

They wanted to win either way, but only by pinning their hopes on Su Qing could they possibly make their money back.

Otherwise, such a bet would be pointless.

"Put one million on Su Qing for me." A woman approached, her three-meter-tall frame towering in a place like the Taichu Daoist Palace, where power wasn't ostentatiously displayed.

She was truly immense.

Wealthy Zhang was instantly baffled. "Blood White Tiger? You're actually favoring Su Qing?"

"Cut the crap. Are you taking the bet or not?"

"Of course I am! I, Wealthy Zhang, never turn away a customer."

As Blood White Tiger left, the crowd grew a little puzzled.

In the Taichu Daoist Palace, many beings were of an intermediate level.

There were some at the Ninth Step or even the Tenth Step of their Dao Path.

But truly powerful individuals were rare, and Blood White Tiger was one of them.

'And she's betting on Su Qing?'

"I'll place a bet, too. Just for fun." Another woman spoke, but this one was from the Candle Dragon Race.

This young woman was no simple character. She currently served under a powerhouse on the Life Dao Path. Back in the Northern Domain, she had once fought a being at the third step of their Path of Cultivation from another race and returned completely victorious.

From that day on, everyone knew just how powerful the Candle Dragon Race—or rather, the woman from the Taichu Daoist Palace before them—truly was.

"Ten million? 'For fun'?"

"Lady Zhu Yuan, must you frighten me like this? Ten million 'just for fun'?" Wealthy Zhang's expression turned strange.

'What in the world is going on?'

'What is happening here?'

'I have a feeling I'm going to lose money on this.'

"It's nothing. Just a bit of fun."

One must understand that ten million in the Taichu Daoist Palace's currency could buy a huge expanse of territory in the outside world; its purchasing power was immense.

"You, Wealthy Zhang, won't even take this little bit of business?" Zhu Yuan pursed her lips, her gaze wavering as if she was starting to look down on him.

"I'll take it! Of course, I'll take the business."

Wealthy Zhang gave a dry laugh.

After accepting the sum from Zhu Yuan,

Wealthy Zhang immediately shouted, "Due to the significant shift in betting on Su Qing, the odds have been lowered! It's now 1 to 5!"

Su Qing paid little mind to the bustling crowd around him.

"How long do you plan on waiting?" the man from the Black Abyss Dynasty asked Su Qing.

"I'm not waiting."

"Let's go to the life-and-death duel now."

"Then follow me to the Taichu Dao Platform for our duel to the death."

"Since you're so eager to die, don't blame me for what happens," Liu Heng chuckled softly.

He wasn't considered a genius in the Taichu Daoist Palace, but that didn't mean his methods weren't formidable.

He was far stronger than Greed Realm.

Besides, he had a trump card artifact that guaranteed victory.

He was confident that he would not lose.

Su Qing nodded and stepped onto the Taichu Dao Platform.

"Select: Life-and-Death Duel."

"Life-and-Death Duel. Both parties, please confirm your agreement."

"Confirm," Liu Heng said nonchalantly.

Su Qing also said, "Confirm."

"It's starting!"

"It's starting!"

The people outside saw the two disappear from the surface of the Taichu Dao Platform and knew the duel had begun.

There were two types of life-and-death duels: one that could be spectated, requiring both participants' consent, and one that could not. For the latter, the person who emerged was confirmed as the victor.

Battles were also the easiest way to expose one's trump cards.

Under normal circumstances, no one allowed their life-and-death duel to be spectated.

Wealthy Zhang watched as both participants entered.

He also called a halt to the betting: "It's started! No more bets! Everyone, spread out, spread out! Time to count the money."

...

...

「Inside the Taichu Dao Platform.」

Su Qing and his opponent arrived in a vast, empty cosmos.

The space was at least the size of a star system, more than enough room for a fight, and completely empty.

His opponent stood not far from Su Qing.

The distance between them wasn't even as large as Greed Realm.

"Taichu Judgment commencing."

"Life-and-Death Duel."

"3..."

"2..."

"1..."

"Begin."

As an unknown pressure within the Taichu Dao Platform vanished,

The life-and-death duel began.

A smile was on his opponent's face. Just as he was taking something out,

Time around them froze.

Su Qing used the authority over Time granted by his soul to control the Time in this place.

His opponent didn't even realize he had been frozen by Time.

'Great Dao Swordsmanship.'

'World-Purifying Immortal Technique.'

Wielding the Golden Qi Sword and channeling the World-Purifying Immortal Technique, it didn't even take a second.

His opponent's soul and body were instantly annihilated, not even dust remaining.

Only a strange, round token was left behind.

The moment Su Qing picked it up,

The scene shifted.

He was back on the original Taichu Dao Platform.

He was met with a wave of sighs and curses from the crowd. "What the hell? That Liu Heng was way too pathetic!"

"He didn't even last a minute! He was killed in, like, ten seconds!"

"What the heck just happened?"

"I'm ruined, totally ruined! My 80,000 Taichu Coins!"

"I lost too, buddy."

"Yes! I bet 1,100, and it multiplied tenfold! That's 11,000!"

Some rejoiced while others despaired.

Such is the folly of a gambler.

The only one who never loses is the house.

"All the winners, come get your money from me!"

Wealthy Zhang was all smiles.

"Lady Zhu Yuan, your one hundred million Taichu Coins."

"Mm," Zhu Yuan accepted it directly. She knew Su Qing possessed the Power of Time. Against a being who hadn't even stepped onto the Path of Cultivation, it was a complete curb-stomp.

There was never any doubt.

Wealthy Zhang whispered, "Lady Zhu Yuan, did you know about Su Qing's true strength?"

"More or less. I met him once and got a general idea."

"Alright, stop trying to fish for information. If you want to know, you'll have to give me at least five more of these."

"Five? That's highway robbery!" Wealthy Zhang's face fell.

Zhu Yuan just smiled and left with her Taichu Coins.

"Blood White Tiger, your ten million."

"Thank you."

"Did you also know his strength?"

"No. I just saw that he wasn't like the other people from the Taichu Daoist Palace, so I chose to bet on him."

"His temperament is like yours. You both like to advance. It's just that you pursue wealth, while he pursues Cultivation."

Blood White Tiger also took her large sum of Taichu Coins and left.

After paying out for the other small-time bets, Wealthy Zhang had still made a profit of nearly two hundred million Taichu Coins.

Wealthy Zhang sighed with emotion. As expected, the students of the Taichu Daoist Palace were loaded.

Toiling in the outside world for an entire Taichu Era wouldn't be as profitable as this single event.

...