Chapter 1095: Unwavering

Qi Xia nodded. "Let's discuss the rules."

Upon hearing this, Qing Long flicked his sleeve and walked toward the back of the massive wall. The others quickly followed.

Upon closer inspection, they discovered that behind the huge wall lay another world. There was a smaller screen and a "Feng Huang Xian Shu Tai."

"Qi Xia, this is our 'Zao Zi Tai,'" Qing Long said. "We'll take turns writing three rounds of 'Zi,' with each round decided individually."

"Oh?" Qi Xia glanced at the rules, which were similar to "Cang Jie Qi," and then nodded.

"I'll have 'Xuan Wu' randomly select one 'Zi' from all the previous ones," Qing Long explained. "Then, you and I will use that 'Zi' as the 'Lan Ben' to create new 'Zi.'"

"'Lan Ben'?"

"That's right," Qing Long said. "The new 'Zi' we create must incorporate part or all of the 'Lan Ben.'"

"Alright." Qi Xia nodded. "So, how will we determine the winner for the new 'Zi' we create?"

"Naturally, each 'Zi' created must meet the requirements."

After saying this, Qing Long waved his hand, and an old wooden box floated down from the air.

"This box contains twenty requirements," Qing Long said. "You and I will take turns drawing a requirement before each round of creating 'Zi,' and we'll do this three times in total."

Qi Xia looked at the wooden box and couldn't help but smile.

Creating three 'Zi' based on three requirements?

He smiled and lifted his head to look at the pitch-black sky above.

"This is interesting, Qing Long. Where did this wooden box come from?"

"Oh?" Qing Long paused. "I'm no longer a 'Fan Ren.' Is it strange for something like this to appear?"

"Not really." Qi Xia gazed upward and replied, "Earlier, we looked up at the sky multiple times and didn't see anything hanging there. Could there be a 'Men' up in the sky?"

"You..." Qing Long furrowed his brow, looking displeased. "What does this have to do with the game?"

"Yes, nothing." Qi Xia answered. "Then I want to ask... This game, which has never been played before, why did you prepare rules and props specifically for a life-or-death wager?"

"That's a good question." Qing Long laughed. "Naturally, it's because I plan to kill you in this game."

"That's too absurd." Qi Xia said. "Earlier on the rooftop, you talked about having a fair showdown with me and Chu Xi Wang to see who is the true candidate to become a 'Shen,' but behind the scenes, you've prepared props for a life-or-death bet."

"Hah." Qing Long shook his head. "So what? The 'Gui Ze' here are all set by me. What's wrong with adjusting them to my needs?"

"Of course, that's not right." Qi Xia replied. "In my view... Even you're afraid of those 'Er Duo.' Do you think 'Tian Gou' would have a problem if he found out about your despicable actions?"

Qing Long narrowed his eyes and didn't speak.

"So, in a place where he can't hear, you've resorted to such underhanded tactics." Qi Xia said. "Even if you don't want to admit it, if all the 'Tian Ji' turned against you, that would be a very tricky situation for you, right?"

"Qi Xia." Qing Long said. "You should know that we're in a 'mutual utilization' relationship right now."

"Yes."

"So, don't try to provoke me." Qing Long said. "Our deal will end one day, and there will come a moment when I can't tolerate it anymore. Even if I give up the deal, I'll still take your life."

"I'm just stating the facts—why are you so angry?" Qi Xia asked.

Qing Long snorted coldly and continued, "Are there any other points about the 'Gui Ze' that need confirmation?"

Before Qi Xia could speak, Chen Jun Nan raised his hand from nearby. "I have one."

Qing Long frowned at Chen Jun Nan and asked, "What's your question?"

"After this 'Du Ming' ends..." Chen Jun Nan glanced subtly at Xuan Wu. "If you lose, will this thing kill you?"

Xuan Wu paused, her eyes flickering for a few seconds, then said, "I cannot go against Qing Long."

"Hmm?" Chen Jun Nan was so amused by the answer that he laughed mockingly and looked at Qing Long. "Then what's the point of playing?"

Qing Long snorted. "Xuan Wu is my subordinate. Not going against me is her limit."

"Listen to yourself—is that even human?" Chen Jun Nan said. "We lose and die, but if you lose, she can't go against you. Are you playing in god mode against us?"

Qing Long hadn't expected Chen Jun Nan to question Xuan Wu before the game, and he felt a surge of anger. He had no choice but to feign generosity and say:

"You're right. Since it's a 'Du Ming,' it should be fair."

He grinned and turned to Xuan Wu. "This time, you can go against me."

"This time..." Xuan Wu murmured the words. "I can kill you?"

Xuan Wu's demeanor clearly showed excitement; her whole body began to tremble slightly, and she muttered to herself:

"Kill you... Kill you, that would be good..."

Qing Long frowned slightly. "How would that be good?"

"If I kill you... I could be free, right?" Xuan Wu asked, her voice trembling. "If I don't kill you, you'll kill me in return, won't you?"

Anyone who had seen Xuan Wu before noticed that this was the first time she had said so much, showing just how agitated she was.

Sensing that Xuan Wu's state was off, Qing Long said, "Don't overthink it. Only for this once."

"Once..." Xuan Wu trembled slightly, her expression hidden behind her hair. "Only this once..."

Qi Xia smiled at the corner of his mouth and said, "Is it time for Xuan Wu to choose the 'Lan Tu' for us?"

"'Lan Tu'..." Qing Long nodded after hearing this. "Yes."

After understanding the rules, Xuan Wu slowly walked over to the scattered 'Zi' and began to rummage through them.

During this time, Qi Xia and Qing Long stood facing each other, staring into each other's eyes without moving.

Soon, they heard the rustling sounds from Xuan Wu's direction. Not long after, the sounds stopped, and Xuan Wu reached out to pick up a chain with two radicals attached.

"Good... This is good..." Xuan Wu murmured to herself. "Finally, there's a 'Zi' I recognize. It's 'Ba'... "

Qing Long and Qi Xia turned to look, and Xuan Wu was holding a 'Bing.'

"Alright." Qing Long said. "This 'Zi' will be the 'Lan Tu' for this Du Ming game."

"No problem."

"From now on, every 'Zi' we create must include 'Qiu' or 'Ba,' or both parts." Qing Long added. "If there's no issue, we'll draw the requirement for this round of creating 'Zi.'"

"Wait." Qi Xia interrupted. "Since you added a rule, I want to add one too."