Chapter 1741: My Life Isn’t Over
Yun Jianyue took action. The Crescent Ring suddenly appeared behind the monster and spun around, aiming straight for its head.
Xie Daoyun was startled. This monster is clearly not the kind sort, so why is Sect Master Yun attacking it? What if you don’t kill it, but end up angering it? Things will really be troublesome then…
Yun Jianyue’s way of thinking was different from hers. After realizing that this wasn’t a friendly being, she decisively chose to strike first and gain the upper hand. She wasn’t going to wait until it attacked, forcing them into a passive position. Her eyes soon narrowed. Her Crescent Ring passed straight through the monster’s head, and the creature instantly broke into many pieces.
However, she didn’t feel happy at all, because she could sense that she hadn’t really killed it. Sure enough, another clump of black mist gathered, and the monster reappeared on another beam.
Yun Jianyue’s eyes narrowed. She was about to attack again when the monster said, “Heh heh heh… It’s useless! Your attacks don’t work on me.”
Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun were both startled to hear the monster use human speech. However, as they could converse, there was no need for Yun Jianyue to continue attacking. She asked, “Who are you? What kind of place is this?”
“I guess it’s fine. My mood is pretty good today, so I’ll answer a question. My name is Sphinx. As for what kind of place this is, you all need to explore on your own; that is, if you can pass this trial of mine,” the monster replied.
“Sphinx?” Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun repeated as they exchanged a look, both thinking that it was a really weird name. However, they quickly noticed the key part of what it had said, asking, “Pass a trial of yours?”
Both of them prepared to attack. This time, they went all-out with much more force.
The lion-bodied, human-faced monster didn’t move, allowing all manner of light to strike its body. However, there wasn’t even a single scar on its body, as if it didn’t exist in this place at all.
Yun Jianyue and Xie Daoyun’s expressions changed. Both of them felt as if they were facing a great enemy. This monster was too strange!
The monster raised its claw and shook it back and forth, saying, “I already told you that your attacks are useless. Can you properly listen to me speak now?”
Yun Jianyue retorted with a snort, “Who knows? It’s just that we haven’t found your weakness yet.”
She had gone through all sorts of great battles and experiences, so she naturally wasn’t scared by just a few words. Her thoughts moved quickly as she thought about what its weaknesses could be, and which skills of hers could be effective.
The monster said, “If we were to talk about a weakness, there might indeed be one.”
Even though both women knew that it wouldn’t tell them so easily, they still couldn't help but become interested.
“If you can answer my questions, I will naturally scatter away. The two of you will have passed the trial,” the monster explained. However, its tone became sinister as it continued, “But if you answer it wrongly, I will collect your souls! How about it? Isn’t that a fair transaction?”
Yun Jianyue sneered and retorted, “I’ve never been one to like playing by the rules of others!”
As soon as she said that, a sea of blood appeared all around her. Even Xie Daoyun was affected, shuddering all over. Her eyes became bloodshot, and even breathing became a bit difficult.
Yun Jianyue summoned the Empress Lantern as well. Yellow light scattered outward, locking the monster in place. Then, as she charged at it, her presence seemed to embody a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood that drowned the monster entirely. As long as it was devoured by the bloody aura, it would quickly become part of the ocean of blood and fall under her control.
A smile just barely appeared on Yun Jianyue’s lips, but it suddenly froze. She discovered that the monster was still in its original spot and completely unfazed.
The monster snickered and said, “Not a bad domain skill. If I really fought you face to face, perhaps your attack would have been a bit tricky to deal with. But there are many dimensions between us. How could your attack possibly harm me?”
Yun Jianyue felt a bit dejected. Just then, she had also noticed that the monster wasn’t on the same plane of existence. Perhaps not even an earth immortal could harm it. As such, she could only put away the ocean of blood to avoid harming Xie Daoyun.
Once the domain disappeared, Xie Daoyun gasped for air and looked at Yun Jianyue with lingering fear. No wonder there was that rumor… Just how many people has this woman killed to be able to create this type of domain?
The monster said, “Since you understand, let’s begin the riddle. I love stubborn souls like you the most, so we’ll just start with you.” Afterward, it didn’t wait for her to retort and asked, “What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?”
Yun Jianyue’s expression changed a bit. She keenly sensed that as it spoke, there seemed to be certain natural laws tangling around her. In that instant, she sensed something. If she couldn't answer the riddle correctly, perhaps her soul really would be seized by it. She broke out into a cold sweat. She had experienced countless battles in this life, but she had never experienced something so treacherous and detestable. She couldn't use any of her skills.
She quickly thought of all of the creatures she had seen before. She initially thought that it was an easy riddle, but when she thought about it, she couldn't find a single thing that matched the description. She immediately felt nervous.
“Tsk tsk tsk, time is almost up! If you cannot answer, then I will collect your soul! Oh my, I can sense just how delicious your soul is from all the way over here,” the monster said, licking its lips as if it was already getting impatient.
Yun Jianyue’s ear twitched. She suddenly seemed to have realized something and said, “I know the answer. It’s man. When they are young, they crawl on the ground when they are infants, and then walk on two legs during adulthood. In later years, they rely on a walking stick, so then they have three legs!”
The monster was surprised. It looked at her reluctantly and said, “I guess you pass.”
Then, it suddenly appeared in front of Xie Daoyun and said with a pitiful look, “You must feel quite proud of yourself after helping her. What a pity, what a pity, I would have asked you after she failed, and then you would have easily passed. Now, you’re actually in danger.”
Xie Daoyun’s face paled a bit. This kind of unknown and mysterious creature really was quite scary. She said, “Just… Just ask already.”
Yun Jianyue was a bit apologetic. After all, Xie Daoyun had helped her just now. At first, she had thought that Xie Daoyun was just a burden, but it turned out to be the other way around! She wondered how she would protect Xie Daoyun if she couldn't answer the question.
The monster said, “The fact that you were able to answer my previous riddle means you must be pretty smart. In that case, I’ll give you a tough one.”
Yun Jianyue was discouraged when she heard what it said.
That monster seemed to think bitterly to itself. Suddenly, its eyes lit up and it exclaimed, “I got it!”
With a sweep of its paw, a chessboard appeared in the air. The chessboard was extremely strange, with many checkered squares stretching from left to right. The first square to the left had a chess piece. Carved on it was the monster’s visage, while the rightmost square had a pyramid-shaped structure.
The monster giggled and said, “The game’s rules are really simple. We will take turns moving the chess piece. Each time, you can only move three to five steps. The one who moves this chess piece to the rightmost check will win. If you win, then you pass. If I win, then I will collect your soul. Fair, no?”
Yun Jianyue quickly scanned the chessboard. She thought, If you wanted to be the last to move to the pyramid check, you would have to move your piece to the check six spaces from the pyramid. That way, regardless of where that monster went, it wouldn’t be able to move to the last check. Then, Xie Daoyun would arrive there and win; and then…
She calculated quickly, but she soon got a big headache. In the end, she kept running into problems. She thought in frustration, Ah… I just want to fight! This kind of intellectual battle is freaking annoying!
While Yun Jianyue was going crazy, Xie Daoyun was calculating quickly. From left to right, there were thirty-six checks…
The monster said, “If you don’t have any objections, then I’ll go first.”
It was about to move when Xie Daoyun quickly said, “Hold on!” She continued, “That isn’t fair. Since you made the rules, you already have the advantage. Then, I should be the one to go first to make it fair.”
The monster was stunned. It nodded and said, “You’re surprisingly sharp. I won’t take advantage of you then. You can go first. After all, I care about fairness more than anything.”
Xie Daoyun took a deep breath, then walked over. She picked up the chess piece all the way to the left and moved it three spaces to the right. Even though the chess piece was also an illusion, it actually felt like a real object. However, the monster’s appearance really was too frightening. She quickly pulled her hand back after moving it, as if she had been zapped.
“Hmm, interesting,” the monster said. It laughed and also moved its chess piece three spaces.
Then, they each took turns one after another, moving quicker and quicker.
Yun Jianyue’s eyes widened. She was smart and quickly realized the pattern. No matter how the monster moved, Xie Daoyun always moved eight spaces minus the monster’s move. Just like that, she finished the game.
Xie Daoyun placed the chess piece on the right-most pyramid and exclaimed, her face brimming with confidence, “I’ve won!”
“Ah, how hateful!” The monster cursed a few times. As if it had been affected by some kind of natural law, its body began to distort. In the end, it completely disappeared.
Yun Jianyue couldn't help but look at Xie Daoyun again. This woman looked weak and delicate on the outside, but she was actually incredibly smart! I have to warn Honglei to be careful in the future, or else she might end up being screwed over without knowing a thing!
…
On the other side of the world, Zhao Han swiftly opened his eyes. He sized up his surroundings, while taking in a deep breath. Then, a look of rapt joy appeared on his face. This wasn’t the chaotic void stream the libationer had spoken of! It seemed there had been some error somewhere.
Hahaha! This emperor is blessed by the heavens; my life won’t end here!
Two groans filled the air nearby, as two people gradually woke up. They were none other than Li Changsheng and Xuan Bajing. The two rejoiced to find that they were still alive, but a second later, they saw Zhao Han. Their smiles immediately froze on their faces.
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