Chapter 1080: Killer Moves

"Test...?"

Han Yimo and Qiao Jijin were both startled and asked, "What test?"

"Hey!" Chen Junnan shook his head and smiled at Han Yimo, "You know, kid. Just keep it to yourself, okay?"

Hearing this, Qiao Jijin felt something was amiss. "Jun Nan Zi, why are you hiding things from me?"

"How could I hide anything from you? I was just teasing Xiao Han. Don't believe it," Chen Junnan said with a wry smile.

"Oh? Is that true?"

Han Yimo was deeply moved. He hadn't expected Chen Junnan to cover for him even in this situation. He silently resolved to endure the test and not let Chen Junnan down.

Qiao Jijin helped Chen Junnan sit against the wall, then looked up and saw their display screen had been shattered. His jaw dropped in shock.

"I'm finished..." he stammered, "What are we going to do?! How did this thing break?!"

"Things are indeed difficult..." Chen Junnan said, enduring the pain in his body, "Not only did they invade here and smash the display screen, but they've also surrounded us. Those guys have set up a defensive line outside. We might not be able to break out."

"You're joking, right?!" Qiao Jijin exclaimed.

"Lao Qi is trapped in the game and can't get out for now," Chen Junnan replied, "Lao Qiao, what about you...? Are your injuries still hurting?"

"My injuries... it's really amazing, Jun Nan Zi!" Qiao Jijin looked at his hands and feet, "It seems like it's just some bruising now. It doesn't hurt much anymore!"

"Good... that's good..."

"What on earth is going on?" Qiao Jijin thought for a moment, then suddenly his eyes widened. "Ah! I get it... Could it be because the owner of this body is 'Bu Zhi Tong'? Getting beaten like this and not feeling pain—that's incredible..."

"Whether he feels pain or not, I don't know... But this young master is really feeling it," Chen Junnan shook his head helplessly and muttered quietly, "It seems like I've taken on a bit too much... I should have taken less if I'd known."

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Chen Junnan quickly shook his head.

"Pull yourself together, Jun Nan Zi!" Qiao Jijin saw Chen Junnan zoning out and slapped him on the back, nearly knocking him over. "At this critical moment, we need to find a way to win the game even with the screen broken!"

"Okay... okay... Let this young master rest a bit... Once my ribs don't hurt so much, I'll go."

After saying that, Chen Junnan looked at Qiao Jijin and noticed that although Qiao Jijin was acting tough and saying "it doesn't hurt," his hands and feet were trembling.

It could only be said that compared to the excruciating pain earlier that had made him pass out, Qiao Jijin now considered this "not hurting."

Having shouldered nearly half of the pain as a "substitute," Chen Junnan could barely stand, so how could Qiao Jijin be completely fine?

"Lao Qiao, are you really okay?" Chen Junnan asked.

"I've woken up, so what could be wrong?"

"Anyway, don't push yourself too hard, kid. Rest when you need to," Chen Junnan said, "Taking down Zhang Shan is already a great result."

"Speaking of Da Zhuang Lao... how is he?" Qiao Jijin asked cautiously.

"He..."

Chen Junnan paused. Earlier, when he passed by the "He Dao," he had checked, and Zhang Shan had no vital signs left—his breathing, heartbeat, and pulse had all stopped.

"He's been temporarily freed," Chen Junnan answered tactfully.

"Is that so..." Qiao Jijin's eyes dimmed slightly.

"Don't think about it. We'll see him again someday."

"I hope we do. I promised him I'd take him to see a wider world."

Chen Junnan felt a wave of sadness upon hearing that.

With Zhang Shan closing his eyes now, had he already seen that wider world?

In a place like this, what you see when you open your eyes isn't "reality" at all—it's just a massive cage trapping countless lives.

...

When Qi Xia and Yan Zhichun walked from the "Shen" room to the "He Dao," Yan Zhichun's face had turned completely pale.

It was a simple password-guessing game—

Each person sets a four-digit code visible only to themselves, then takes turns guessing the other's numbers.

In each round, you tell the other how many digits are correct in position and how many are correct in value. The first to guess the opponent's code wins.

Since Yan Zhichun had already played a game with Zhang Chenze and demanded the judge increase everyone's codes to six digits on the spot, Qi Xia directly suggested using ten-digit codes. In a very short time, he utterly defeated Yan Zhichun.

Not only did he use his opponent's micro-expressions to discern truth from lies, but he also guided their thinking through conversation and hints. Yan Zhichun had to admit her loss was fair.

"Is this your purpose?" Qi Xia held the "shi" he had won from Yan Zhichun, his expression not particularly happy, "As my opponent, to have a straightforward match with me and then lose in the game."

"I originally wanted to be your teammate to see your methods," Yan Zhichun said, "But unfortunately, I was chosen by Chu Tianqiu, so I had to become your opponent."

"I don't think this password-guessing game lets you see my true abilities," Qi Xia said again, "You lost, but you're not convinced, right?"

"Right." Yan Zhichun nodded frankly, "I admit you're smarter than me, but I also admit there are many people in the world smarter than me. I respect Yang Ge... not just because he's smarter than me."

"I'll show you my methods," Qi Xia said, "When you go back, if you see Chu Tianqiu, tell him I'll be waiting for him in the 'He Dao,' and I'll personally deliver him a defeat there."

"What...?" Yan Zhichun was stunned, "Qi Xia, will Chu Tianqiu agree to meet you in the 'He Dao'?"

"He will. He has no choice. Tell him I'm betting our team's current 'zi' this time, and so is he." Qi Xia said, "I need to go back and calm my teammates, and also wait for your message."

"Calm your teammates...?"

Yan Zhichun didn't understand what he meant, but she watched as Qi Xia turned and left the "He Dao" with the "shi" he had won from her.

She sighed as she looked at Qi Xia's retreating figure. As long as someone like him existed, no game here could stop him.

His vast memory, experience, and knowledge allowed him to defeat anyone in this place. Did Chu Tianqiu really have a chance of winning?

Yan Zhichun thought carefully. To beat Qi Xia, conventional methods wouldn't work. The only possibilities were to use direct force, lure him into breaking the rules, or go and smash the enemy's display screen.

Those were the only three paths that might lead to that slim victory.

When Yan Zhichun returned to the "Bei Zhan Qu," she found Chu Tianqiu standing alone, staring at the screen.

Seeing Chu Tianqiu's dazed back, Yan Zhichun felt a sense of unease and quickly stepped forward to check the display screen.

Fortunately, her worry hadn't come true—the screen wasn't shattered and was still intact.

Just as she was about to say something to Chu, she noticed a strange line of text on the screen.

"The black side's seventh creation failure, final score minus seven."