Chapter 216: In the Dragon Country, You Can Choose Not to Live, But You Can’t Have No ‘Act’!
How to prove that I am me—this is a world-class conundrum.
If one had to submit relevant materials as proof, then the vast majority of Chosen Ones would perish at this hurdle.
Fortunately, the mountaineering teammates in this world possess a certain degree of self-discernment. They only require the Chosen Ones to find a way to prove themselves.
Within this bone-chilling, bottomless ice cavern, the Chosen Ones stood face-to-face with their duplicates.
The so-called special creatures were a group of formless animals living around the endless ice cavern. No one knew what they looked like.
However, they could observe and mimic any creature that entered this place, then transform into its likeness.
These special creatures weren’t particularly strong in combat. Their transformation ability was also limited; they could only assume the appearance of someone who seemed relatively weak, then use that guise to cause confusion and mislead.
Among the mountaineering team, the other climbers entered with vigilant expressions, their bodies radiating faint auras, poised and ready for action.
It was also a way to signal to the things watching from the shadows nearby that they were not to be trifled with.
The special creatures thus detected that the aura of the Chosen Ones was weak, making them suitable targets for mimicry.
Most Chosen Ones simply lacked powerful auras, while a minority refrained from releasing theirs for fear of shattering the surroundings.
When other Chosen Ones were imitated, the audience didn’t find it particularly interesting.
But when Zhang Yangqing was imitated, everyone felt the fun was about to begin.
Never mind the Chosen Ones, even the viewers could guess how to pass this stage.
The best way to prove oneself was to recall events known only to oneself and one’s teammates.
This would convince the teammates that you were their true companion, allowing you to join forces and eliminate the impostor.
The Chosen Ones who reached this stage were all quite intelligent. They began recounting details of their experiences from the moment they met the team until now.
Especially in the sanatorium, how they helped the mountaineering team escape danger, and how everyone assisted each other.
The Eagle Country’s Chosen One, Muscle Scholar Miller, recounted with immense detail, even mentioning tiny habits of his teammates, which earned nods from several team members.
At this moment, Miller looked at the imposter opposite him, a smirk playing on his lips, as if to provoke him: You can imitate my appearance, but do you know my past?
Just as Miller thought this stage was too easy, the impostor opened its mouth and meticulously filled in the details Miller had omitted.
It gave the impression that it was the true member of the mountaineering team.
Miller had spoken too much, too broadly, appearing somewhat anxious to quickly spill everything he knew.
Watching the impostor speak with such animated enthusiasm, as if it were all true, Miller even started to feel that it was the real teammate.
Now Miller began to panic. Could it read my memories? Or has it actually been following me all along?
Otherwise, how could the impostor possibly know so much?
Many questions flooded Miller’s mind, but there was no time for careful contemplation.
Because his teammates’ gazes, filled with doubt and a hint of hostility, swept over him. The slightest mistake in his words would likely result in him being executed on the spot.
Many others found themselves in similar predicaments.
The Pyramid Country’s Chosen One, Rahman, adopted a simpler approach.
Since the impostor dared to take his form, it was likely prepared to some extent.
Therefore, he only needed to produce something that only he and the mountaineering team possessed.
Rahman didn’t explain his shared experiences with the team. Instead, he took out the white card from his pocket—the magic card given by the Purple-Eyed Woman.
He wrote on it, telling his teammates who the real one was.
This was a unique item belonging to the Purple-Eyed Woman; the other side couldn’t possibly replicate this too, could it?
If the special creature had the ability to perfectly replicate everything, then transforming into him would be redundant.
After Rahman’s teammates confirmed his identity, they directly killed the special creature disguised as Rahman.
No matter how much it tried to explain, it simply couldn’t produce such an item.
Actually, there were many ways to prove oneself in this stage. Rahman had merely chosen one of the simpler methods.
Meanwhile, in front of the Dragon Country’s large screen, a crowd of onlookers had gathered.
Zhang Yangqing looked at the special creature that had transformed into him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
I understand the logic, but what’s the meaning of you turning into me?
Other Chosen Ones lacked the capability to confront their duplicates directly. They could only try to prove their identity, striving to make their teammates believe them.
Prove himself? Would Zhang Yangqing bother explaining to his teammates who the original was?
His teammates also didn’t think that after his explanation, they would dare to take action.
If they attacked the wrong one, it might also mean death. So, they could only let Zhang Yangqing resolve the issue himself.
The special creature transformed into Zhang Yangqing wasn’t in a hurry to act either, meticulously imitating his demeanor and movements.
As long as the subject being imitated spoke, it could fabricate memory fragments based on the spoken content and add some details. This was the special creature’s ability.
But the one opposite him remained silent, which was starting to unnerve it a bit.
Had it chosen the wrong target?
Impossible. It had been observing since the moment he entered.
Admittedly, this person was truly handsome, but its transformation seemed flawless.
The special creature even felt a sense of pride at being able to assume such a handsome appearance.
Once it replaced this person, it could use this divine, handsome facade to deceive others.
While the special creature was lost in wild thoughts, Zhang Yangqing finally spoke.
His silence was one thing, but his words nearly caused the creature to lose its composure.
Zhang Yangqing said, “Your transformation isn’t very convincing.”
This statement questioned the special creature’s professionalism, making it inwardly furious.
It almost directly retorted, asking where its transformation was lacking.
But the special creature calmed down, thinking, I almost fell for it. What a cunning outsider.
Thus, the special creature transformed into Zhang Yangqing replied, “Do you think saying that makes you me?”
Hey! Truth be told, that aloof demeanor carried quite a bit of Zhang Yangqing’s flavor.
It made the audience in front of the screens think it was quite professional.
Up to this point, forgive my lack of discernment, but I truly cannot tell who is the real Zhang Tian Shi (Celestial Master Zhang).
Zhang Tian Shi, do your best! Otherwise, you’ll only get second place in your own imitation contest.
While you all are still pondering how Zhang Tian Shi will prove himself, I’m still considering how the special creature will die.
I think the special creature might just explode on the spot. Because Zhang Tian Shi can only be looked at once; a second glance will cause an explosion, and getting too close will make you melt!
Based on my two-and-a-half years of cultivation experience on Wudang Mountain, I think you’re right!
Not just the audience, even the teammates on-site were having a hard time distinguishing who was the real Zhang Yangqing at this moment.
Judging by appearance alone, it truly seemed like a copy-paste job; no flaws were apparent.
The smarter teammates, even if they could tell, wouldn’t speak up.
After all, if they were wrong, wouldn’t that mean offending someone?
So, everyone waited for Zhang Yangqing to solve the problem himself.
Zhang Yangqing looked at the special creature before him and said, “Let me show you what the real me looks like.”
With that, Zhang Yangqing released a hint of his aura.
Instantly, a scene of transcendent magnificence unfolded.
A ring of golden light shimmered in Zhang Yangqing’s pupils. Those who met his gaze felt as if they were beholding a celestial deity.
Resplendent halos of light and surging waves of Daoist immortal radiance surrounded him.
Any creature that laid eyes on Zhang Yangqing felt an urge to prostrate themselves in worship.
Before the special creature could react, Zhang Yangqing made a ‘please’ gesture.
Please, begin your performance!
You claim you can perfectly replicate me? Come on, show me your act!
As they say in the Dragon Country, you can choose not to live, but you can’t have no ‘act’!
Now, the special creature stared wide-eyed, as if witnessing something unbelievable.
You want me to perform this? How am I supposed to perform this?
If I knew how to do what you do, would I still need to disguise myself as you?
Wouldn’t I just go out and wreak havoc!
You’re clearly slapping me in the face right now!
The special creature glanced at Zhang Yangqing, who resembled a heavenly god.
It was convinced, utterly and completely convinced.
It should never, ever have transformed into a man it could never hope to imitate.
“Alright, I admit defeat. No need for you to trouble yourself. I’ll do it myself.”
The special creature seemed to realize its doom was certain; someone of this level wouldn’t spare it.
So, it directly used one hand to grip its own neck, then twisted forcefully.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed, and the special creature then collapsed onto the ground. Its blood froze instantly upon contact with the icy surface.
After all, the special creature was relatively weak, so the blood loss wasn’t as dramatic as that of an angel.
Then, the special creature reverted to its original form—a faceless being with limbs that didn’t resemble those of a human.
Goatee Captain stepped forward to inspect it. It was indeed dead, with no signs of life.
At this moment, Slicked-Back Hair said, puzzled, “That guy was pretty fierce too, actually choosing to kill himself?”
He felt Zhang Yangqing was even more formidable, just slightly unleashing his aura could make a special creature choose suicide.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he probably wouldn’t believe it if someone told him.
Goatee Captain looked at him and said, “It was a wise choice. At least by killing himself now, he can have a whole corpse.”
This sentence sent chills down the spines of all nearby teammates.
If he hadn’t said it, the others might not have realized it, or even understood why the special creature committed suicide.
But recalling Zhang Yangqing’s methods all along, whenever he took action, few could die a clean death.
If not turned into meat paste, vanishing into ashes, then their bodies would be dismembered into dozens of pieces, scattered everywhere.
The most tragic was probably the Eternal King—five hundred years of suppression, a fate worse than death.
Thinking about it this way, the special creature choosing suicide was indeed the correct choice.
At least it had a whole corpse.
After all, those familiar with Zhang Yangqing knew that once you offended him, there was no chance to beg for mercy.
Zhang Yangqing wouldn’t spare anyone who harbored hostility towards him.
Because he knew that letting this special creature leave now might attract other creatures seeking revenge.
Rather than that, it was better to eliminate it here directly.
After the shape-shifting special creature died, Zhang Yangqing withdrew his aura.
They were, after all, in a bottomless ice cavern within a snow-capped mountain. If he appeared too formidable, he wasn’t afraid the mountain would collapse and crush him.
But if the ice cavern collapsed and destroyed the Icy Ling Sacred Tree, then he wouldn’t be able to get out.
Despite Zhang Yangqing’s seemingly fierce approach, there was meticulousness within the boldness. He always considered countermeasures before acting.
After dealing with the special creatures, the Chosen Ones continued forward, with many teams picking up their pace.
There was indeed no blizzard here, but a piercing cold permeated the air.
The passageways within the ice cavern were vast, with slight echoes accompanying their footsteps.
It was extremely dim inside, but the illumination from five flashlights made everything clearly visible.
Some Chosen Ones who completed side missions even obtained lanterns, providing ample light.
Here, communication was minimal. Everyone was primarily focused on observing their surroundings, vigilant against any dangerous creatures that might attack.
The mountaineering team walked for a distance, navigated several bends, and ahead, the entrances and intersections all carried faint howling wind sounds.
Anyone who has been in a cave knows that when wind blows through, it causes vibrations in the cave walls. Sound is produced by vibrational sound waves. These sound waves, varying in length, resemble the howls of ghosts and wolves.
It gives the impression that ferocious creatures might lurk within these openings.
The mountaineering team naturally didn’t dare ignore this. They feared something real might be mixed in.
There were no rule prompts for this stage, or perhaps the rules had already hinted at it.
From the very beginning, upon reaching the Feather Clan village, 16 mountaineering rules appeared. Wasn’t that a hint on how to pass this stage?
Many had missed the opportunity to verify whether teammates were supernatural entities, so they all had to conduct verifications here.
Because, to varying degrees, they all had their own suspected targets.
At the very least, many Chosen Ones had verified who their teammates were. At this stage, only Goatee Captain was reliable; the other three teammates could potentially be disguised supernatural entities.
Unless absolutely necessary, don’t lose sight of Goatee Captain.
As the mountaineering team walked, they arrived at a three-way fork. Straight ahead, three paths continued forward.
Without rules, they could only rely on Goatee Captain’s experience to judge.
“Based on my ancestors’ understanding of the Icy Ling Sacred Tree, it grows at the core of this ice cavern, meaning the end of the path. The correct route should be the one leading downward.”
With that, he began determining which path led downward.
This statement was actually crucial. If a Chosen One became separated from the other teammates, they could continuously look for openings leading downward until reaching the end, where they would find the Icy Ling Sacred Tree and reunite with their teammates.
After Goatee Captain determined the path, everyone followed him towards the right-hand route.
Even Zhang Yangqing was no exception. Only Goatee Captain had the experience here; he was undoubtedly a teammate, so following him was correct.
After walking about eighty meters, the mountaineering team halted, having discovered something unusual.
Firstly, several skeletons lay by the roadside. Two appeared human, while the other three seemed somewhat peculiar, resembling some kind of strange creature.
As is well known, encountering skeletons in the Rule-Bending World signifies great danger, doesn’t it?
In the previous Rule-Bending instance, Chosen Ones discovered skeletons before being attacked by indigenous inhabitants.
The Pyramid Country’s Chosen One, Rahman, stepped forward to carefully examine them, noticing some clues.
Because they were in an ice cavern, the skeletons here were relatively well-preserved, not dried out, making it impossible to determine the year of death.
Fragments of flesh still clung to the bones, as if gnawed by some beast but not completely consumed.
Nearby walls showed signs of impact cracks, likely evidence of combat.
“Could the hidden hint here be that we might encounter special creatures?”
Thinking this, Rahman shook his head. It wasn’t a hint that there might be danger; it was a hint that supernatural entities would definitely appear here.
The Rule-Bending World wouldn’t let Chosen Ones pass so easily; lacking keen observation skills wouldn’t do.
“Did you discover anything?”
Goatee Captain asked Rahman.
He only had experience to go by; things outside the scope of his experience, he wasn’t likely to consider.
“Not yet, but I think these bones can be utilized.”
After entering this opening, Rahman sensed something unusual.
It seemed the further in they went, the smoother the ice cavern walls became.
Not just the ground, but the surrounding walls and ceiling had crystallized into reflective ice.
When the mountaineering team shone their flashlights, they could see their own reflections seemingly shining lights back at them.
So, Rahman planned to use these skeletons to make some tools.
These tools were called ice axes, surfaces covered with sharp spikes, specifically designed for climbing solid ice surfaces.
Bear in mind, this opening was still a downward slope. Without proper tools, slipping and sliding down could mean falling into a bottomless icy pit.
Hearing Rahman’s suggestion, the mountaineering team began working.
They took out their equipment and weapons, modifying these bones.
Slicked-Back Hair, being the cook, worked the hardest.
His knife skills turned these bones into intricate pieces.
However, witnessing this raised doubts for many Chosen Ones.
Because Slicked-Back Hair seemed very familiar with human bones. He even knew how to assemble them into ice axes, which bones were harder—it was as if he did this often. Had this guy been a…
Thinking this, many Chosen Ones grew more wary of him.
Other team members also helped. For now, they still appeared to function as a team.
While Rahman crafted tools, some bolder Chosen Ones had already started moving ahead.
Even though these Chosen Ones cautiously advanced a distance, accidents still occurred.
The Bear Country’s Chosen One slipped and slid down the slope.
The surface was extremely slick, offering nothing to grab onto.
At this critical moment, Goatee Captain, quick as lightning, threw down a rope to see if he could catch it.
If he caught it, the Bear Country Chosen One might be saved. If not, he could only trust fate, hoping the bottom wasn’t a deep pit.
In such a situation, even Goatee Captain couldn’t run down to rescue him; that might just result in both dying.
Throwing the rope down was already an act of utmost goodwill.
The Bear Country Chosen One reacted swiftly enough, grabbing the rope.
Then, the mountaineering team formed a human chain, one holding another, with Slicked-Back Hair anchoring himself by driving his twin knives into the ground.
Only through such efforts could they withstand the downward force of the Bear Country Chosen One.
Fortunately, everyone present was trained, and the slope wasn’t too steep. Otherwise, the Bear Country Chosen One’s mishap could have taken them all down.
The rescued Bear Country Chosen One was shaken, having nearly met his end at the final stage.
Many others faced similar situations. The Windmill Country’s Chosen One displayed the strongest will to survive.
When he fell, his hands found no grip, so he desperately bit into the ice surface with his front teeth, actually slowing his descent.
Then he also grabbed the rope and climbed up.
The danger was averted, but unfortunately, his front teeth were shattered, and his mouth kept bleeding.
After a simple bandage, the mountaineering team continued.
Chosen Ones with tools held a significant advantage in this stage.
But after advancing another two hundred meters, passing a few more bends, all Chosen Ones halted.
Because ahead lay a bottomless abyss!
