Chapter 199

Zhao Yi looked at the book in Li Zhuiyuan's hand, licking his chapped lips. The excited joy from their previous "brothers'" shared successful bet instantly diminished significantly.

He could accept both "brothers" making the wrong choice and dying together, but it was hard for him to accept that after both made the right choice, the young man had effortlessly acquired one more treasure than him.

"Ah, what a loss!"

Li Zhuiyuan continued downstairs.

Now, the higher the floor, the greater the pressure exerted by the tower. Going down earlier would make it easier on them.

Zhao Yi continued to chatter as he descended:

"Why didn't you remind me? Then I could have snagged a treasure too."

There were only three people on the eleventh floor, where the tower's suppressive pressure was strongest, making it difficult to obtain anything from them. However, the pressure on the tenth floor was significantly weaker.

Zhao Yi himself was also skilled in array formations, and relying on his deduction from the "life and death gate cracks," he could attempt to bore a small 'rat hole' within the tower.

Even if he couldn't get anything from the tenth floor, he could go to the ninth or eighth. The value of a magic artifact sometimes depended on whether it suited oneself.

Li Zhuiyuan: "I hoped you would call someone."

The implication was: I hoped you'd court death.

Hearing this, the expression on Zhao Yi's face softened considerably. For no other reason than that the words sounded comforting.

Li Zhuiyuan: "Have you been spending most of your time on useless indecision and deliberation?"

Zhao Yi: "What does this book do?"

Li Zhuiyuan: "There are only two outcomes anyway. When you're conflicted, the probability ratio becomes meaningless; it's like flipping a coin."

Zhao Yi: "This book must be extraordinary if the person on the eleventh floor was still holding it after dying."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Who fasts for three days, burns incense, and bathes before flipping a coin?"

Zhao Yi: "Alright, shut up!"

Li Zhuiyuan stopped talking, and the incessant chatter from behind him finally ceased.

The two arrived on the first floor. Yu Miaomiao heard footsteps and turned to look. The woman in the black dress beside her made the same movement.

Yu Miaomiao's gaze moved upwards. When she saw that no one was following them, a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes.

Anyone with a bit of sense should have felt strong doubt and unease at this point. Why didn't they call anyone? This should have made them anxious about their own choice.

But Yu Miaomiao wasn't just an ordinary smart person; she was truly 'clever'.

The young woman let out a wild laugh: "Hahahahahaha!"

This laughter made Li Zhuiyuan pause his steps, and it made Zhao Yi's face stiffen, almost causing him to start self-reflecting again.

Yu Miaomiao said with a laugh, "Haha, you're killing me! Did you two try to imitate me, calling out to people on the eleventh floor, only for them to stubbornly ignore you, wasting all your time and not even getting anyone to come in the end?"

Her thinking always started from her own perspective, primarily centered on herself.

She genuinely never considered that being able to stand out in the first round of the shattered jade competition, regardless of the tricky method used, should at least mean viewing all three of them as being on the same level of competence.

No, she might have actually thought about it, and indeed, she had always judged others by herself.

The sense of incongruity about her stemmed from her being a river walker from the Dragon King Yu family.

But if something had truly happened to the Yu family and times had changed, then the current Yu family was merely a nouveau riche among the nouveau riche. It wouldn't be surprising for them to produce such a successor.

Li Zhuiyuan ignored her. Zhao Yi, on the other hand, reached up and slapped his forehead, forcing himself not to waste any more mental effort on this 'silly girl'. The two calmly walked to the entrance and held up the tokens in their hands.

After they had entered the tower earlier, the tower gate had closed behind them. The ethereal light that had originally shone outside now projected inwards.

When the tokens in all three of their hands were illuminated by the ethereal light, the tower gate opened once more.

However, outside was a hazy green expanse, completely empty.

Yu Miaomiao called out, "A-Yuan!"

There was no response.

The pressure on Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi surprisingly stopped increasing at this moment.

Conversely, the pressure on Yu Miaomiao was growing, and her face began to distort.

Even with her injuries, it was undeniable that her physical condition was far superior to that of Li Zhuiyuan, who didn't practice martial arts, and Zhao Yi in his current state. She should have been the one most capable of withstanding the tower's pressure among the three.

This meant that the tower was exerting individual pressure on her, aiming to force her to leave.

Yu Miaomiao couldn't hold on; she had to walk out. The woman in the black robe followed her out of the tower.

After stepping out, all the pressure on her instantly vanished. She took a deep breath, becoming active again, and turned to look at the two still inside the tower.

It seemed she was waiting for them to come out so she could properly deal with them. She had been holding in some anger the whole way; it was time to settle the score.

However, Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi did not walk out of the gate; they remained inside.

"You two..."

This time, Yu Miaomiao genuinely sensed that something was wrong. She couldn't understand: Weren't the people she called supposed to be helpers? Why would she and her helper be placed in a separate area? Who, then, was the opponent?

Li Zhuiyuan reached out and pointed upwards.

Yu Miaomiao looked up. She exclaimed in astonishment, "You two, why are you up there?"

Yu Miaomiao was outside the tower; she could see things that Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi could not.

But from her reaction, it could be inferred that the young woman's A-Yuan and Li Zhuiyuan's companions were likely above them at this moment.

The hazy green outside, a common jade-like luster seen on the way in, suggested they were now likely inside the jade.

This tower had twelve floors, but only twelve above ground. Who knew how many there were underground?

When they entered, this was the first floor. When they exited, it had become the negative first floor.

The tower gate began to close slowly.

Yu Miaomiao looked up at A-Yuan, who was lying on the ground above, furiously pounding on it. Then she looked at the black-dressed woman with a sword beside her. Finally, her gaze fell on Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi inside the tower gate.

The young woman's eyes turned bloodshot, and her face showed a frenzied expression. She screamed and charged towards them:

"No, stop!"

However, the tower's immense pressure was something even Li Zhuiyuan couldn't overcome, let alone her.

As soon as she tried to rush in, she was swept away by the powerful atmospheric pressure, landing heavily some distance away.

She immediately got up, disregarding the blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, and continued to scream hysterically.

Zhao Yi: "It seems she finally understands."

Li Zhuiyuan: "When a true survival crisis arrives, she'll suddenly become very smart."

"Clunk!"

The tower gate closed.

The pressure, which had previously paused, began to intensify again.

Li Zhuiyuan and Zhao Yi again picked up their tokens and placed them under the ethereal light.

The tower gate opened once more.

Outside, it was still a hazy green, and both Yu Miaomiao and the woman in the black dress were gone.

Again, the pressure on Li Zhuiyuan stopped increasing. Zhao Yi, however, was driven away with double the force. His body was already in poor condition, but he still clung on with his last ounce of strength, wanting to ask Li Zhuiyuan a question at this moment:

"How were you able to bet so decisively?"

Although the young man had mocked him earlier for wasting time, Zhao Yi didn't think he was wrong. At such a critical moment, who could instantly harden their heart and make a life-or-death decision?

He felt he had already gambled daringly by choosing a probability of less than ten percent. But unexpectedly, the young man hadn't hesitated at all; after placing his bet immediately, he simply turned to do other things.

Li Zhuiyuan calmly said, "Because I don't believe in immortality, and even less in becoming an immortal."

All the arrangements and plans here were aimed at achieving immortality.

When you can negate something at its source, at the very top, then all the mechanisms and methods below are stripped of their filters before you.

Zhao Yi: "I actually don't believe it either."

Li Zhuiyuan: "You do believe it a little, though."

Zhao Yi hesitated, unable to refute. Finally, he crawled out of the tower gate.

After exiting, he felt relaxed. He turned sideways and sat on the ground, facing Li Zhuiyuan:

"Once we're out, we should have a good talk."

The tower gate began to close again.

Li Zhuiyuan: "It's too early to talk about getting out now."

The face that had appeared on the top floor should be the figure who entered A-Li's dream. He spoke of an entire clan ascending. He had only seen the "ascension" preparation stage so far; the "entire clan" part hadn't been seen, nor had the true ascension itself.

The tower gate closed.

The pressure increased again. Li Zhuiyuan raised his token, the tower gate opened once more, and he walked out.

"Phew..."

The feeling of the pressure instantly vanishing was pleasant.

It was empty all around him, with nothing but a somewhat dazzling green light.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up. He saw a layer of green, translucent rock above.

Zhao Yi was face down, lying on the ground, his face pressed so hard it was distorted, waving his hands and making funny faces.

Influenced by the pressure he had endured inside the tower, the bandages on his chest had come loose. His incomplete, damaged black heart was mostly exposed, still stubbornly beating.

Through Zhao Yi's level, looking further up, Li Zhuiyuan could see the level where Yu Miaomiao and the woman in the black dress were.

This place truly resembled a multi-layered glass house, though not perfectly transparent.

At this moment, Yu Miaomiao intentionally put a significant distance between herself and the black-dressed woman, watching her with a wary expression.

The helper the young woman had gone to great lengths to summon, even using her family's reputation, was now about to become her most terrifying enemy.

Li Zhuiyuan also saw the topmost level. Although he could only see blurred human figures, he could still discern their identities from their forms.

The tall figure who had separated from the group, standing alone directly above Yu Miaomiao, constantly waving his arms, was likely A-Yuan.

As a loyal servant, he was worried about his young mistress, wanting to break through the wall to protect her.

Another group, gathered above Zhao Yi and also above him, consisted of Runsheng, Tan Wenbin, Yin Meng, and Lin Shuyou.

They had originally been waiting anxiously outside the tower. To their surprise, as they waited, green liquid began to seep from the ground beneath their feet.

Fortunately, this green liquid was not dangerous; it merely soaked the ground, turning it emerald green.

Next, they saw Yu Miaomiao and the black-dressed woman emerge from one level below, followed by Zhao Yi from the level below that, and finally, their own Brother Xiaoyuan.

Runsheng took out his Yellow River shovel, ready to dig. Lin Shuyou took out his trident, wanting to help chisel.

Even Yin Meng took out her few poison jars, to see if they could help corrode the ground layers first.

But all these actions were stopped by Tan Wenbin.

"First, look at him."

Tan Wenbin said, pointing to A-Yuan in the distance.

A-Yuan was already severely injured. As he continuously pounded on the wall, his yellow fur grew longer and longer, and his face gradually began to bestialize.

He looked more and more like an ape.

As he furiously smashed, not only blood but also torn flesh and bone fragments splattered.

Lin Shuyou: "Even if our stances differ, such loyalty is truly moving."

"Slap!"

Tan Wenbin slapped Lin Shuyou on the back of the head, saying irritably:

"My point is, that person has been hitting it for so long, risking his life, and there isn't even a dent in the wall. So let's not waste our energy for now."

"Buzz!"

The bell on the top floor of the tower rang again.

That face appeared once more.

His gaze first fell on the ground level.

Having learned from the first time, everyone deliberately avoided eye contact with him. Yet, they could still feel his gaze sweeping over them, like the gentle touch of a broom.

Yin Meng was swept over a few extra times.

Ultimately, that person's gaze focused on A-Yuan.

A-Yuan stopped pounding and looked up, somewhat confused, towards the top floor of the tower.

The white ape with the opened skull was looking at him.

With a "thump," A-Yuan knelt down towards the white ape and continuously kowtowed, seemingly wanting to plead with it in this manner.

Unfortunately, the 'white ape' was not looking at him, but at the one inside his body.

The white ape's gaze descended, sweeping past the black-dressed woman. The black-dressed woman had drawn her sword after the bell rang.

Yu Miaomiao felt something, and wanted to look up to meet that gaze.

But that gaze didn't sweep towards her at all!

The white ape transformed into Old Man Tian.

Zhao Yi noticed Old Man Tian's gaze. He stood up, covering his chest and coughing incessantly, putting on the appearance of a sickly young master.

He was already a young master and a sickly person, so there was no need to pretend.

This was a form of obedience, a bowing of the head, and also a way of vying for something for himself.

After his gaze lingered on Zhao Yi for a moment, it finally fell upon the lowest level.

Li Zhuiyuan sat on the ground, the blank book resting on his lap. Since he was idle anyway, he might as well read the newly acquired book.

The book was indeed quite beautiful. Its pages were pristine white and felt like silk, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance, and even the sound of turning the pages was delightful.

After sensing that gaze, he had no interest in meeting it. Rather than looking at that blank face, he preferred to look at the blank book in his hands.

However, that gaze lingered longest on Li Zhuiyuan.

It seemed to be intentionally using this method to tell the young man that he was the one who had entered his dream that day.

The successor of his former enemy had arrived; he should naturally observe him a bit longer.

The woman in the black dress made her move. She still hadn't opened her eyes, only her sword danced like falling petals.

Yu Miaomiao shrieked, "This isn't how it's supposed to be! You're supposed to help me kill them, not me! No, it's not like this!"

Even with the facts laid out before her, she still refused to believe any of it.

Recalling what she had said to the two men inside the tower, it now felt like a series of slaps across her face. She couldn't accept being seen as a fool in their eyes.

Unfortunately, though sight could penetrate this place, sound was blocked. Otherwise, Zhao Yi wouldn't have minded comforting her, telling her that even before entering the tower, she had already been a big silly girl in their eyes.

The black-dressed woman's figure vanished from her spot, and Yu Miaomiao's figure also disappeared with her.

Zhao Yi watched from below, clicking his tongue in amazement. That 'silly girl' might not be smart, but her movements were indeed impressive, reacting so quickly.

The black-dressed woman reappeared where Yu Miaomiao had been moments before, while Yu Miaomiao landed some distance away.

However, the woman's precious sword was dripping blood.

Yu Miaomiao looked down at her chest; a terrible sword wound had appeared.

The woman was very strong, a choice Yu Miaomiao herself had made.

The black-dressed woman once again made her sword dance like petals.

Yu Miaomiao let out a sharp cry. This time, she didn't intend to dodge but to counterattack.

Sharp claws grew from her ten fingers. Her body moved like lightning, lunging forward. From her claws, deadly streaks of light and harsh tearing sounds sliced through the air.

"Swish!"

Their figures intertwined, then each landed.

A claw mark appeared on the black-dressed woman's face, and then half the skin of her left cheek peeled away. However, no fresh red blood flowed from within, but rather murky pus.

The people inside the tower, even if preserved perfectly as they were in life, were dead after all.

Yu Miaomiao smiled, seeing a glimmer of hope. "You're strong, but not as strong as I imagined. In your life, I certainly wouldn't have been your match, but now, how much of your former strength do you retain?"

Just as she was psyching herself up again, gathering her courage, the next moment, her wrists felt light.

She raised her hands, but they detached at that moment, leaving only two bare stumps of wrists.

That heart, which had just become active again, was instantly cast into the abyss!

The black-dressed woman once again made her sword dance. She seemed to know only this one move, or perhaps, this one move was all she needed.

Zhao Yi, from his viewing spot below, watched with great enjoyment, thinking to himself, "If I had a woman like that working for me, how easy would 'river-walking' become?"

Of course, this was just a thought. If he were to make such a demand of someone like her, she would probably stab him with her first sword strike.

Yu Miaomiao began to flee, letting out miserable cries faintly mixed with cat-like sounds.

However, the woman's sword speed did not slow down in the slightest.

Yu Miaomiao, who had originally moved like the wind, now collapsed to the ground. Her feet had detached from her ankles.

She curled up on the ground like a chrysalis, surrounded by a pool of her own blood.

The black-dressed woman did not step forward to check on her; instead, she coldly continued to make her sword dance.

Yu Miaomiao despaired. She opened her mouth, and a clump of gold, silver, and white fur flew out. This was something her grandmother had specially bestowed upon her before she lit the lamp for river-walking, to be used at the most critical moment for saving her life.

She knew whose fur it was, but she had always been unwilling to truly admit it.

At this moment, as the fur was spat out, it transformed into flames, burning forward.

Originally, this move was intended to be used against the black-dressed woman when she came to check her injuries, but the black-dressed woman did not approach.

The truth was, as this terrifying demonic fire erupted, the black-dressed woman appeared on Yu Miaomiao's other side, completely opposite to the direction of the flames.

Without any superfluous playful teasing, or even the pleasure of battle, only the simple goal of killing the opponent, she naturally wouldn't fall into such a crude and ridiculous trap.

"Swoosh!"

Yu Miaomiao's head was severed by the sword's edge.

Above, A-Yuan was furious. Blood-like tears streamed from his eyes, and he roared furiously.

The black-dressed woman used her long sword to lift Yu Miaomiao's head, holding it before her.

The woman opened her mouth, and wisps of vital energy were sucked out from Yu Miaomiao's head, entering the woman's mouth.

The life-and-death gate crack on Zhao Yi's forehead felt a strong sensation, because what was being absorbed was not merely vital energy; Yu Miaomiao's destiny and fortune were also being stripped away and absorbed.

Li Zhuiyuan closed his book, looked up, and gazed upwards.

"This, then, is your 'ascension to immortality'?"