The woman fixed Chu Feng with an eerie stare.
The corners of her mouth curled upwards slightly. That smile was not merely strange, it was downright chilling.
Her gaze carried deeper meaning. She was waiting, waiting for Chu Feng’s answer.
“I give up.”
Chu Feng said.
The woman’s eyes changed in an instant, and even that blood-curdling smile vanished from her lips.
“What did you say?”
The woman seemed unwilling to believe her ears and asked Chu Feng again.
“Senior, this junior has never claimed to be a righteous person.”
“But I will never harm innocent people for my own benefit.”
Chu Feng declared.
“Among them just now, some wanted to kill you.”
The woman said.
Hearing this, Chu Feng was slightly surprised.
He had not expected the woman to know what had happened outside earlier.
It seemed she had been watching from the shadows.
Yet Chu Feng’s attitude remained firm.
“Earlier, I did have conflicts with them, but everything has already been resolved.”
Chu Feng said.
“Are you truly giving up?”
The woman narrowed her eyes. A hostile glint surged within them.
That look faintly carried a hint of threat.
But Chu Feng stayed resolute.
“This junior gives up.”
Chu Feng repeated.
“Do you think this is just any place?”
“This is the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb.”
“With so many treasures before you, to take none at all is to blaspheme the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb.”
“You may give up if you wish, but you must be punished.”
As the woman spoke, she opened her palm. Her skin split open at once, and from the centre of her hand wriggled a blood-red insect.
The insect was only the length of a finger, covered in long red hairs.
Those hairs stood erect like needles. Most crucially, it bore a human face.
An insect body with a human face, and that face was now grinning widely at Chu Feng.
The sight made even Chu Feng’s blood run cold.
“I’ll give you one last chance. Kill them and you may take the treasures here. Even a single piece is fine. But if you refuse to take any, you will suffer the soul-devouring torment of this blood insect.”
The woman said.
“Senior, this junior has a question.”
Chu Feng said.
“What is it?”
The woman asked.
“Will this blood insect take my life?”
Chu Feng asked.
“No, but it will make you endure soul-devouring agony. I promise you, once it enters your body, you will wish you were dead.”
“Though the insect will not kill you, you will beg me to end your life.”
The woman said.
“This junior understands.”
With that, Chu Feng closed his eyes, spread his arms, and shouted.
“Senior, do it.”
“You!!!”
Seeing Chu Feng remain so stubbornly unyielding, the woman gnashed her teeth in fury.
“Very well. As you wish.”
In her rage, she flicked her finger. The blood-red insect with its human face shot forth like an arrow and, with a puff, burrowed straight into Chu Feng’s body.
Arghhh!
The next moment, Chu Feng’s heart-wrenching screams echoed throughout the tomb.
The woman had not lied. This soul-devouring pain was beyond anything ordinary.
“Little brat, if you regret it now, there is still time. I can withdraw the blood insect and let you choose again.”
The woman said to Chu Feng.
But Chu Feng did not answer, as though he could no longer hear her.
The pain grew ever more intense. Gradually, Chu Feng lost consciousness.
Yet soon after, his awareness began to return, and the pain started to fade.
Suddenly, his mind cleared completely, and the agony vanished in an instant.
Everything happened so abruptly, as if he had been falling through the air only to land safely on the ground in the blink of an eye, unharmed.
“What is this?”
When Chu Feng opened his eyes and looked around, he found himself standing outside the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb.
Not only was he outside, but the blood-red gate of the tomb had not opened at all.
Moreover, beside him stood Long Xiaoxiao, her parents, Long Shengbu, everyone from the Yushi Celestial Clan, the Cloud Sky Immortal Sect, the palace master of the All-Demons Sacred Hall, Bao Yue Kui Wudi, and all the others.
None of these people had been blown away by any hurricane.
Even their positions were exactly the same as before.
Right now, however, the expressions on their faces were extremely complicated.
There was disappointment, shock, and some were even shedding tears.
Yet they were all looking at one another, their eyes filled with confusion above all.
“Senior… how are you here?”
Suddenly, someone cried out in surprise.
A new figure had appeared among the crowd. It was none other than the disciple of Granny Wish God.
“Senior, why is your body glowing?”
After noticing him, everyone grew even more bewildered.
Because the disciple of Granny Wish God was radiating blood-red light, a light that was extremely strange and bore some resemblance to the colour of the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb’s gate.
“Chu Feng, you’re glowing too!”
Suddenly, Long Xiaoxiao beside him also exclaimed.
Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Chu Feng and discovered that, indeed, blood-red light was also emanating from his body.
After examining himself, Chu Feng felt not the slightest fear. Instead, joy began to swell in his heart.
He knew he had bet correctly.
“Hee hee hee…”
Suddenly, a sinister laugh rang out.
A figure appeared before the gate of the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb.
It was none other than that eerie woman.
“Senior?”
“My lady?”
Upon seeing her, everyone spoke up. Some even bowed deeply with utmost respect.
They all acted as though they knew this woman.
Chu Feng, however, was not surprised by the scene.
“Are you all very confused?”
The eerie woman suddenly asked.
“Senior, what is the meaning of this?”
Some asked curiously.
“Every single one of you has just experienced the same choice.”
“It was not real. It was merely an illusion.”
“Yet although it was an illusion, your choices were real, and those choices determine whether you live or die from this point onward.”
“Regrettably, only two of you chose correctly.”
“That would be him and him.”
The eerie woman pointed respectively at the disciple of Granny Wish God and at Chu Feng.
“Ah?”
Hearing this, everyone suddenly understood.
They finally knew why only the disciple of Granny Wish God and Chu Feng were glowing with red light.
And at that moment, the eerie woman spoke again.
“These two are qualified to enter the Ancient Soldier Burial Tomb.”
“As for the rest of you, you must all die.”
As she said this, the corners of her mouth lifted once more into that sinister arc.
This time, however, her smile was far more terrifying.
