In the Enlightennt Tablet’s secret chamber, Bai Zepei stood there with his eyes wide open, while his divine sense struggled desperately.
"Is your sister the one you care about the most?"
"Do you want to be with her? Be together with her?"
"If you know she isn’t your sister anymore, then why can’t you take a risk?"
"..."
Countless voices exploded in his ears—doubtful, questioning, and tempting ones—causing him to instantly lose his composure.
Even though he wasn’t thinking about Ruozhu, why did these voices know so much? Could they really see into his heart? Was his heart still unable to let go of his little sister?
He was exceptionally intelligent, almost like a demon, and during these days together, how could he not notice the differences in his little sister? He had even checked so books, suspecting that the original little sister had t with an accident, and she had co to take her place and care for the family.
At first, he had so resistance towards her, secretly avoiding her, sowhat blaming her for the little sister’s departure. But he outwardly showed no signs, and as he hid away reading to prepare for exams, she noticed nothing.
Later, he gradually saw her excellence, her kindness, and her wholehearted dedication to her family, genuinely treating them as kin. It was only then that he began to accept her, and before long, he found himself increasingly focused on her until he noticed he had developed different thoughts.
He had always been a rational person; as a child, while other kids played outside, he could stay quietly at ho reading because he clearly knew what he needed and how to strive for it.
But this ti, he was confused, though he quickly cleared his mind. Even if her soul wasn’t his biological sister, her body still was. How could he entertain such thoughts?
He felt despicable, questioning his own morals, and suffered for a while. Yet, he always managed to control himself, refusing to think beyond that, compelling himself to turn back in ti.
But now, these voices seed intent on leading him into madness!
He covered his ears, unwilling to listen or think, yet those voices grew increasingly nurous and louder—even more than before, asking him more than ever—they seed to be overwhelming his brain.
What Bai Zepei didn’t realize was that the wiser the person, the stronger their obsessions. It’s just that his intelligence suppressed his obsessions. And the voices here were amplified by the Enlightennt Tablet, enhancing his obsession over Bai Ruozhu.
Eventually, his body was gradually crushed; his legs weakened, and he knelt on the ground, his upright back bent down, hunched like an elderly man.
His mind was empty, yet white specks of light continued to drill into his head until he cried out in agony.
"What is that sound? Is Bai Zepei crying out?" Those waiting outside exclaid, as the sound transmitted through the stone gate, conveying pain and despair, sending chills down their spine.
At that mont, the yellow light on the Enlightennt Gate began flashing, seemingly about to extinguish.
"Oh heavens, is this—is this Enlightennt about to fail?" soone asked in disappointnt.
"I heard that if Enlightennt fails, you might beco an idiot. Bai Zepei cries so miserably, could it be..." The speaker was filled with emotion as well. Only one person from the Jiuli Clan could enter the Enlightennt Tablet every six years; how could it end in failure?
The Bai Family had already arrived, but they hid in the dark, observing without revealing themselves in front of the Second Elder.
Lin Ping nearly fainted upon hearing this sound, but Bai Yihong was quick to catch her.
"Don’t worry, dear. Er Lang is blessed and so smart; he will surely pass the test," Bai Yihong quickly consoled her, though he also bore deep worry in his eyes.
"Yes, passing the test isn’t easy, but Zepei will definitely be alright," Jiao Ling hurriedly comforted.
The Third Elder’s face, however, did not look good. Although he hadn’t been to the Enlightennt Tablet, he knew Bai Zepei’s current condition was very unstable and could fail if he wasn’t careful.
He suddenly noticed that Bai Zepei’s wife hadn’t spoken up—shouldn’t she be very worried at this ti?
He turned his head and saw Si Yihuan tightly clasping her hands against her chest, seemingly praying for him, her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the Enlightennt Gate, as if everything around her had nothing to do with her—she neither heard other voices nor saw other people.
Perhaps Si Yihuan’s gaze was too steadfast, causing the Third Elder to suddenly feel at peace, believing Bai Zepei would definitely pass the test and co out safely.
anwhile, on the other side, the Second Elder on the viewing platform was almost smiling; had there not been so many people around, he surely would have laughed aloud. He glanced again at the trial’s gate, now just waiting for news of Bai Ruozhu’s demise.
At the trial’s central area, Bai Ruozhu spat out for quite a while, finally clearing the bits of grass from her mouth. Heaven knows how she rolled in; quite a bit of grass got into her mouth and nose, causing great discomfort.
Had it been a regular day, she would’ve certainly entered the space to clean herself. But now, who knows what might be watching her—better to endure for now.
She didn’t know where she had arrived, cautiously advancing step by step. Not long after, a shadow suddenly attacked; she quickly dodged and used magic technique to create a defense. When the shadow attacked again, she finally saw clearly—it was a chanical puppet beast, looking sowhat grotesque; calling it a cat was undersized, calling it a leopard was oversized, and a sharp horn grew from its forehead.
Well, chanical puppets are man-made, so chanists have rich imagination, and like to create unique designs; so prefer realistic effects, creating them based on nearby movents or people.
But the creator of this chanical puppet had trendous creativity; it not only bore a strange horn but had a row of sharp teeth beneath its belly, and a tail like that of a crocodile, but also lined with spikes on both sides.
Truly a destructive chanical puppet.
Bai Ruozhu drew her dagger, not daring to show the slightest contempt, and in the next second, the chanical puppet attacked again, her magical defense couldn’t resist as the chanical beast opened its mouth to bite her fiercely.
With a clang, her dagger t the beast’s sharp teeth; a massive force traveled up her arm, flinging her whole body outwards, nearly causing her to stumble and fall.
Stepping back several paces, she barely regained her balance, her expression now solemn.
The chanical puppets here were so powerful—just a single touch and she could tell their strength. She only encountered one, but if there were more such puppets here, or several more besieging her, what would she do?
In the next instant, the sound of rustling ca from the grass, Bai Ruozhu glanced over sharply, her eyes widening in surprise...
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