Chapter 220: Quit Talking Smack. If You’ve Got the Guts, Then You Step Up?
“What on earth is that?”
The goateed captain stared thoughtfully at the object the dead rat had carried out.
As he walked back, Rahman carefully examined the flute.
He took out the magic book, but this item wasn’t magic-related, so the book had no knowledge of the flute’s purpose.
Left to his own deductions, Rahman stated, “If I’m not mistaken, this thing is probably connected to the serpent guardian that’s about to appear.”
His guess wasn’t without basis. After all, for other creatures to survive here, they must have a way to evade the serpent guardian’s attacks.
This flute was likely a tool to drive away the serpent guardian.
If that were the case, there was no need to hide it; he could just carry it openly.
Later, when he explained it to his other teammates, they wouldn’t suspect his secret plot with the goateed captain.
After the mountaineering teams reunited, the purple-eyed woman with one eye closed spoke up, “That Ice Crystal Holy Tree’s light is getting brighter and brighter. I think it’s almost ready. And the other teams have already moved forward, taking up advantageous positions. What should we do?”
From her tone, it was clear the purple-eyed woman was anxious.
If they waited for other teams to get it and eat it, wouldn’t it all be over?
After she spoke, the others also appeared restless.
They were practically itching to rush over and wipe out the other teams.
Everyone looked at Rahman; he was the brains of their operation.
Feeling their gazes, he replied with calm composure, “They’ve changed positions, so let’s move in closer now. But we’ll wait until they’re in the heat of battle with the guardian beast before we make our move. That will increase our chances of success. However, when we attack, go for the kill. Don’t give them any chance to catch their breath.”
Honestly, even without Rahman’s reminder, they would have done just that.
In other sections, if they hadn’t been outmatched, they would have gone for the kill long ago.
Here, if they could go for the kill, they absolutely would.
They’d been bottling up frustration from the start until now, and finally, they could let it all out.
Because, in terms of individual strength, the Challengers’ teams were steadily superior to the others.
The magic book remained perched on Rahman’s shoulder. He deliberately observed the expressions of the others.
He already had a strong suspicion about who the mole was. He wasn’t 100% sure, but he was about eighty to ninety percent certain.
The magic book was proficient in formations and magic. It detected trap spells set up by other teams ahead.
It then instructed the purple-eyed woman on how to dismantle the traps. She nodded, indicating she could handle it.
As they approached the final stages, the audience grew increasingly curious about which teammate was the imposter.
The first to expose the imposter was naturally the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master, as he had known and confirmed it long ago.
While other Challengers were still waiting on the periphery for an opportunity, Zhang Yangqing naturally swaggered right into the inner area, waiting for the Ice Crystal Holy Tree’s fruit to ripen.
His mindset was different from the others.
Zhang Yangqing was thinking: what if he could take this fruit tree out and plant it somewhere in the back mountains of Dragon Tiger Mountain?
The fruit only ripened once every thirty years, but the intense cold would make it an excellent cultivation spot.
Moreover, its leaves were also top-notch materials.
After all, as the head of a major sect, he had to consider the interests of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Many things in the strange-tale worlds were excellent; it was just a shame they couldn’t be taken out.
Others might have had similar thoughts, but they wouldn’t dare to even think it.
While they were still worrying about how to pass this stage, this guy’s mind was already wandering in the clouds.
It wasn’t that Zhang Yangqing lacked a sense of danger. To put it bluntly, even if everyone present attacked him, they couldn’t breach his defenses.
After waiting a while, white ice crystals began to drift around the Ice Crystal Holy Tree. The energy concentrated within the tree reached its peak.
The frosty buds around the Ice Crystal Holy Tree gradually grew, the receptacles slowly tilted upward, and the outermost layer of pale blue petals slowly opened, followed by the inner petals gradually unfurling outward.
The moment the Ice Crystal Holy Tree blossomed and bore fruit, the surrounding area instantly began to freeze over.
This forced many mountaineering team members to retreat continuously to avoid being affected.
Only Zhang Yangqing stood at the front, unfazed. His attributes were more than sufficient for such brazenness.
Once the Ice Crystal Fruit fully matured, Zhang Yangqing’s “tools” got busy.
Picking fruit was trivial work, not something Zhang Yangqing needed to do himself.
Otherwise, why would he have brought these people along?
Of course, it was his four teammates who were busy. The other two mountaineering teams weren’t even qualified to be Zhang Yangqing’s errand boys.
They might have been resentful. After all, the Ice Crystal Fruit ripened only once every thirty years. Having come this far, with the reward right before their eyes, giving up just like that was hard to swallow for anyone.
But they knew that Zhang Yangqing sparing their lives was already an act of mercy.
So, their only hope was for an unexpected incident to occur.
And the incident they hoped for soon arrived. After the Ice Crystal Holy Tree blossomed and bore fruit, a buzzing sound emanated from many cave openings.
It sounded as if something terrifying was rapidly approaching, violently colliding with the cave walls along the way, creating an utterly horrifying noise.
Moreover, a powerful force began to spread from the vicinity of the cave openings.
The two unwilling mountaineering teams nearby seemed to see a glimmer of hope.
They anticipated the guardian beast and Zhang Yangqing fighting to a stalemate, allowing them to snatch the Ice Crystal Fruit.
Grab it and run, never look back!
Meanwhile, a scene that seemed bizarre to the other mountaineering teams unfolded.
Now, anyone could tell danger was approaching. Yet, the four members of Zhang Yangqing’s team were like diligent little bees, constantly climbing all over the Ice Crystal Holy Tree, searching the flowers for the Ice Crystal Fruit.
It gave the impression they were completely oblivious to the danger.
This puzzled the other mountaineering teams. They whispered among themselves but couldn’t figure out an answer.
If Zhang Yangqing’s teammates knew what these people were thinking, they’d probably say: Just leave this place and go take a look at the Ice Crystal Canyon. Then you’ll understand why we’re not panicking.
What level were the Angel and the Eternal King?
One was annihilated, the other was suppressed.
After seeing those guys, you’d know why we don’t care in the slightest.
What could a mere guardian beast possibly do?
Boom!
With a tremor, a thick, long snake head shot out from a cave opening.
It roared, spewing icy cold air.
This was theoretically the biggest BOSS the Challengers could encounter in this strange tale.
After all, under normal circumstances, Challengers wouldn’t get to see the Eternal King or gaze upon the Angel.
This guardian beast was no ordinary creature. The moment it appeared, a terrifying aura began to spread.
The feeling was far more powerful than the Polar Ice Snakes the Challengers had previously encountered.
“Everyone, fall back! This is a Millennium Snow Python. If it swallows you, you’re not coming back out.”
The Ghost-Faced Clan’s captain was quite knowledgeable. He immediately called for his teammates to retreat to near the cave entrance.
His intention was simple: avoid attracting the Millennium Snow Python’s attention as much as possible, leaving Zhang Yangqing, standing at the very front, exposed to its attacks.
That was his clever plan. The Corpse-Burying Clan’s mountaineering team was also steadily retreating.
As natives of this place, they were well aware of the Millennium Snow Python’s formidable power.
There’s a difference between a snake and a python.
A snake needs to bite you to death, then eat you.
A python is much simpler: it just swallows you whole.
And this one looked particularly menacing. After all, it was the python guarding the Ice Crystal Holy Tree.
The more valuable the thing being guarded, the stronger the guardian beast.
The Millennium Snow Python’s gaze locked onto Zhang Yangqing at the very front. This outsider, upon seeing it, showed no sign of fear? And stood there motionless?
Wasn’t this the greatest insult?
The Millennium Snow Python felt it couldn’t tolerate this. Otherwise, it would be a millennium turtle!
So, it decided to start by eating Zhang Yangqing! To teach these humans a lesson!
With rapid wriggling, the Millennium Snow Python’s massive body appeared around Zhang Yangqing.
Its mouth gaped wide, like an abyss, ready to swallow Zhang Yangqing in one bite.
Then it would deal with the rest of these outsiders one by one.
Actually, when the mountaineers came searching for the Ice Crystal Fruit, they had already become the Millennium Snow Python’s prey.
“Annoying creature.”
Zhang Yangqing casually pulled out a “hidden weapon” and hurled it straight at the Millennium Snow Python.
He made it seem effortless, just a casual toss.
Seeing it, the Millennium Snow Python didn’t even think about dodging. Such a tiny hidden weapon? Shouldn’t I just swallow it?
If I dodged even once, it would be an insult to my professionalism!
But the next second, the upper half of the Millennium Snow Python’s mouth was directly sliced off by the shockwave generated around the “hidden weapon.”
The “hidden weapon” acted like a cutting machine, neatly splitting the Millennium Snow Python in half.
Red blood splattered everywhere. Perhaps due to the cold, the blood froze into ice blocks mid-air.
Though its head was cleaved apart, the Millennium Snow Python’s body continued to twitch violently, slapping against the ground.
After convulsing for a while, it finally lay still.
The guardian beast of the Ice Crystal Holy Tree had fallen.
The severed half of the head on the ground had eyes wide open, seeming to feel profoundly insulted.
As a professional creature that swallowed others whole, to be killed by someone striking it while its mouth was wide open…
It was like a lion losing in strength, a cheetah losing in speed.
The Millennium Snow Python, who had dominated this Ten-Thousand-Zhang Ice Cavern, seemed to die with grievances.
But someone even more miserable than the python was the magic book that Zhang Yangqing had used as a projectile.
This was the core area of the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Ice Cavern. Zhang Yangqing was hesitant to use his Golden Light Spell.
He was genuinely afraid of breaking through the cavern and causing a collapse.
Zhang Yangqing had simply reached into his backpack, grabbed whatever was in front, and thrown it.
The magic book was unfortunately positioned in front of the flute.
And thus, it was “lucky” enough to be thrown by Zhang Yangqing.
Don’t think it was just any random item. Zhang Yangqing had already reached the level where he could injure people by throwing leaves.
The magic book never dreamed that one day, it, so revered, would be used as a projectile.
For other Challengers, it was a crucial tool, a lifesaving item with significant uses.
For Zhang Yangqing, it was indeed useful, but its “method of use” had nothing to do with its intended purpose.
Other Challengers used the magic book to learn protective magic and decipher formations.
Zhang Yangqing not only used it as a projectile but also tore pages to start fires and even used it as a bed wedge.
The point was: regardless of what you are, I have my own way of using you.
The magic book’s inner monologue: I should have just rotted away in that nameless mountain village back then!
If it hadn’t cried for help there, it might still be comfortably sitting in its cage.
But it didn’t dare say that. After jumping down from the dent it made in the wall, it had to scurry obsequiously to Zhang Yangqing’s feet, praising him for his excellent throw!
It used a full eighteen hundred words of flattery to express its endless admiration for Zhang Yangqing.
The sycophantic talk made everyone nearby sneer in disdain.
Truly a magic book, so eloquent and smooth-tongued.
Because the magic book also knew just how powerful its current holder was.
It had secretly watched Zhang Yangqing’s battles from inside the backpack. The scenes were so exaggerated it found them utterly unbelievable.
Even a casual throw from Zhang Yangqing possessed force comparable to divine weapons. Naturally, the Millennium Snow Python couldn’t withstand it.
In a sense, the magic book could now write in its glorious history: That Year, I Once Solo-Killed a Millennium Snow Python.
In a way, it had surpassed all other magic books.
After the magic book finished its fawning, Zhang Yangqing nodded. I didn’t realize you little thing were so eloquent.
If I’d known you were this useful earlier, I should have trained you properly.
At the very least, compared to the other four “tools” who only knew how to work diligently, Zhang Yangqing felt the magic book at least provided some entertainment.
The magic book was also fortunate it hadn’t revealed its talents too early; otherwise, who knows how Zhang Yangqing might have “utilized” it.
Very conscientiously, it hopped onto Zhang Yangqing’s backpack and crawled inside.
At this moment, the two nearby mountaineering teams finally reacted.
What? The Millennium Snow Python is just gone like that?
When Zhang Yangqing killed the Varosa Clan earlier, the condensed energy was terrifyingly powerful. They certainly couldn’t handle it.
They had been hoping the Millennium Snow Python would put on an impressive show.
Who would have thought? Such a massive body, and it went down in one hit?
The two observing mountaineering teams felt the Millennium Snow Python was useless, all show and no substance.
If the Millennium Snow Python knew what they were thinking, it would surely curse: Quit talking smack here. If you’ve got the guts, then you step up? You don’t even dare to step up, so what are you blabbering about!
Following the demise of the Millennium Snow Python, Zhang Yangqing’s four teammates, after much climbing up and down, finally finished their inspection, gathering all the Ice Crystal Fruits they could find.
There were three Ice Crystal Fruits in total. Whoever found them all handed them over to Zhang Yangqing.
He was the master here. He had absolute authority.
The others were just there to assist. They had no right to secretly keep such items.
The reason the mountaineering team didn’t steal and eat the fruit was that the goateed captain had been harboring his own ulterior motives all along.
He had actually kept a trick up his sleeve. The Ice Crystal Fruit couldn’t be eaten immediately upon acquisition.
As a fruit, many have skins.
The Ice Crystal Fruit’s skin was particularly special, harder than diamond. Only those in the know understood how to peel it.
Otherwise, a fruit the size of a fist wouldn’t fit down the throat.
And even if swallowed, a normal person couldn’t digest it.
According to the goateed captain, it needed to be evenly roasted over fire for ten minutes before the skin could be peeled.
So, without knowing the method, there was no possibility of the mountaineering team stealing and eating it.
With only three Ice Crystal Fruits, the question arose: how to distribute them?
Of course, Zhang Yangqing wouldn’t consider giving any to the other two teams. They weren’t qualified to participate in the distribution.
Don’t talk to Zhang Yangqing about “first come, first served.” He didn’t buy that.
Anyone who dared say that would meet their end.
Since ancient times, in any place, treasures naturally belong to the strong.
Coincidentally, Zhang Yangqing was strong to an unreasonable degree.
He would definitely take one for himself. After all, from start to now, he had contributed the most. The others had just been coasting along. Allowing them to come this far was already generous.
That left two fruits to be divided among four teammates.
The teammates all looked at Zhang Yangqing with eager eyes, hoping to be chosen.
Zhang Yangqing didn’t ponder too long and directly said, “Since there are only two, then you two can have them.”
With that, Zhang Yangqing gave the remaining Ice Crystal Fruits to the goateed captain and the slicked-back hair man.
They were overjoyed. After all, they had all been coasting, so they couldn’t really complain.
But the purple-eyed woman and the gold-rimmed glasses man felt discontent.
We all coasted along. Why do they get some, and we don’t?
The purple-eyed woman looked at Zhang Yangqing and said in the gentlest tone possible, “Boss, we contributed too, running around, up and down. What do you think?”
This was the benefit of having strength. Even if they had ten thousand grievances in their hearts, they still spoke to Zhang Yangqing calmly.
They didn’t even dare to speak harshly, lest Zhang Yangqing think them rude.
She also knew that if Zhang Yangqing got angry, they might be in serious trouble.
Zhang Yangqing glanced at them and said, “Haven’t you two already received your reward?”
Not only the purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man, but even the slicked-back hair man and goateed captain were confused.
Weren’t we together the whole way? How come we didn’t know these two received a reward?
Seeing their puzzled expressions, Zhang Yangqing’s lips curled up slightly as he looked at the purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man.
When Zhang Yangqing’s gaze met theirs, they averted their eyes, a flicker of guilt passing through.
Then, a voice echoed in their minds.
“Don’t think I don’t know about you two devouring the Eternal Clan.”
That statement completely stunned everyone present.
The slicked-back hair man seemed unclear about what Zhang Yangqing meant, his mind going blank.
The goateed captain seemed to realize something, looking at the two with a guarded expression.
The purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man widened their eyes, their hearts pounding wildly, clearly terrified.
They also didn’t understand how they had been discovered.
The Dragon Nation’s live stream was flooded with comments because Zhang Yangqing was the earliest to uncover who the hidden impostors were.
Since he said it, he must be right. Many began sharing their views.
I always said that purple-eyed woman was a shapeshifter. Don’t doubt me. I’m not just being wise after the event. Check my comment history; I identified her on the first day.
How did you figure it out? She hid pretty well. Even now, I’m not sure how the Celestial Master determined it.
How else? Any human female, upon seeing Celestial Master Zhang, wouldn’t be that calm. There was no sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him. A hundred percent a shapeshifter who devoured her and took her skin, only mimicking skills and actions but lacking feminine characteristics.
… That sounds absurd, but thinking about it, it kind of makes sense.
Makes sense. Now that you mention it, I recall that purple-eyed woman didn’t seem to use her appearance to her advantage; she only used skills.
If I were the purple-eyed woman, I’d have tried the ‘beauty trap’ long ago.
Actually, is it possible that if you tried the beauty trap, you’d die even faster?
If it were other Challengers, I think the beauty trap might work. But with Celestial Master Zhang, he’d probably kill you on the spot.
The audience’s discussion grew increasingly outrageous, yet it gave a strange sense of plausibility.
But it seemed they still didn’t know how Zhang Yangqing identified the impostor teammates.
This was where the Dragon Nation’s expert panel came in.
Based on Zhang Yangqing’s words, Hu Qiliu analyzed how he identified the impostor teammates.
Hu Qiliu: Actually, I’m also being wise after the event. But Celestial Master Zhang mentioned the Eternal Clan. From that, we can deduce that in the previous stage, he deliberately killed the Eternal Clan members and then had his teammates scatter. He intended for them to actively devour the Eternal Clan to gain their power.
Everyone knows how powerful the Eternal Clan is. Faced with such temptation, they would likely fall for it. Moreover, the rules stated that the Eternal Clan could ignore the Angel’s corruption. As long as Celestial Master Zhang took his teammates to see the Angel, whoever wasn’t corrupted would be the impostor.
Finally, to do this, you first must be able to defeat the Eternal Clan. Otherwise, if your impostor teammates devour the Eternal Clan, you’re doomed.
Hearing Hu Qiliu’s explanation, everyone understood how ingenious and bold Zhang Yangqing’s method was.
In this strange-tale world, a few might have thought of it, but even fewer could actually pull it off.
The only one who could both conceive and execute it was Zhang Yangqing.
Imagine the final stage: your impostor teammates become invincible, and there are only three Ice Crystal Fruits.
The two invincible impostor teammates would definitely kill the other two to ensure they could eat the fruit.
No matter which two were killed, the Challenger would be doomed.
Inside the strange-tale world, the two exposed impostor teammates were now in an extremely awkward position.
As many viewers guessed, both were actually male. They had just taken on a skin, replicating the victims’ skills. That’s why the purple-eyed woman showed none of the typical feminine reactions when looking at Zhang Yangqing; her demeanor was too bland.
Many Challengers had suspected these two. The clues they had revealed were numerous.
From the start, the gold-rimmed glasses man’s leg healed too quickly, raising suspicion.
If he were indeed an impostor, he must have been injured by the original mountaineer.
Furthermore, they claimed not to know each other, but their coordination was somewhat too seamless. Or, from certain details, they seemed to trust each other excessively, with what seemed like meaningful eye contact.
This suggested they were probably lying to some extent.
There were other suspicious points later, varying for different Challengers.
Rahman noticed that as a magic user, the purple-eyed woman should have shown “desire” for the magic book.
After all, if a magic user obtained a magic book, their power would surely increase dramatically.
But the purple-eyed woman showed no greed for the magic book, making Rahman suspect her and test her several times.
Many Challengers continuously tested their teammates. It was just hard for the audience to spot the details or know they were being tested.
Looking at Zhang Yangqing’s case, without Hu Qiliu’s explanation, no one knew how he figured it out.
The slicked-back hair man had acted somewhat foolishly throughout the journey, seeming reckless in handling many situations. Some Challengers judged from this that he might not be an impostor.
As for Challengers who couldn’t guess, they could choose the most extreme precaution: letting the slicked-back hair man be sacrificed.
After all, besides the goateed captain, there were two impostors. Just kill them both.
Back in the Dragon Nation’s live stream, the purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man used gestures like covering their mouths and smoothing their hair to mask their embarrassment.
Their minds raced frantically because they knew that since Zhang Yangqing had spoken, if they didn’t give a reasonable explanation, they might receive a “gift” similar to the Eternal King’s five-hundred-year sealing.
As for fighting Zhang Yangqing? That thought didn’t even cross their minds. They didn’t dare.
The purple-eyed woman quickly explained, “Boss, I’m not questioning your decision. I just feel they aren’t worthy of such a precious item. I think it all should belong to you.”
This was the impostor teammates’ moment of brilliance, skillfully shifting the conflict and topic.
The hot-headed slicked-back hair man fell for it. He said, “Why shouldn’t I have it? The boss gave it to me! And wasn’t I the one preparing food all along? The captain also contributed by guiding us. You two just freeloaded. How dare you ask for the fruit!”
Even though they were being berated by the slicked-back hair man, they had successfully diverted the danger.
The conflict shifted from focusing on Zhang Yangqing to among the teammates themselves.
Seeing Zhang Yangqing’s gaze move away from them, they breathed a sigh of relief.
One could say that statement saved them from five hundred years of sealing.
The slicked-back hair man truly didn’t know what had happened; he was unaware his teammates had been replaced.
The goateed captain seemed to be contemplating something. He knew a thing or two.
If he pushed, he might have gotten the purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man sealed.
But he also didn’t know Zhang Yangqing’s temperament, so he kept his thoughts to himself.
Zhang Yangqing felt his approach was relatively perfect in resolving the issue.
If you follow me, I’ll be fair.
You two have already received the reward of immortality, so stop whining here.
I recognized you were impostors long ago. Since you didn’t make a move, I’ll treat you as teammates for now.
Zhang Yangqing always believed in reasoning. This statement meant everyone should listen to his reasoning. If you obey, he’ll let you go. If not, then it’s farewell.
While Zhang Yangqing, the slicked-back hair man, and the goateed captain started a fire to roast the Ice Crystal Fruit, the purple-eyed woman and gold-rimmed glasses man could have chosen to run.
But they didn’t dare. Who knew Zhang Yangqing’s temper?
To curry favor with Zhang Yangqing, they went to drive away the two “covetous” mountaineering teams nearby. They also checked the area for dangers and promptly reported to Zhang Yangqing.
Now, their power far exceeded these people’s, plus they had indestructible abilities. With no need to pretend, their courage grew significantly.
All this was observed by the slicked-back hair man. He didn’t dare ask Zhang Yangqing, so he leaned close to the goateed captain and whispered, “Captain, did they eat something wrong? Why are they so diligent all of a sudden? Did something happen?”
The goateed captain, while roasting the Ice Crystal Fruit, replied, “Just enjoy your fruit. Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”
At this stage, the goateed captain didn’t want any more trouble.
And Zhang Yangqing was the first to eat the Ice Crystal Fruit and emerge.
Actually, Gereico had been quite fast in this stage. His steps in the final stage were similar to Zhang Yangqing’s.
But he faced some interference. While he was fighting the Millennium Snow Python, his teammates watched from behind. In contrast, Zhang Yangqing’s teammates ignored the danger and focused on picking the fruit.
After he resolved everything and clicked to exit.
The moment Gereico exited, he opened the Dragon Nation Celestial Master’s live stream.
Seeing the screen had turned black, he sighed.
He knew the Dragon Nation’s Celestial Master couldn’t have died, which meant he had already come out.
Unsurprisingly, Gereico was probably the second to emerge.
Because others were still in combat.
Gereico could only grit his teeth and vent his frustration, “Damn it, how is he so fast!”
At this point, Gereico still felt somewhat dissatisfied, as he was only a tiny bit slower.
But after watching the replay, especially the part with the dead rat where Zhang Yangqing solved the puzzle, he couldn’t hold back anymore.
Verbally, he said, ‘Just a clever trick,’ but inwardly, he felt, ‘So that’s how it was.’
