Yaxiu, How Do You Plan to Kill Me?

"So this palace is imitating the Time Continent." Hearing Yaxiu's words, Weise glanced up at the golden dome overhead and immediately understood its mystery, yet deliberately asked, "No way, why is the ground of the Time Continent white?" "Heh, naturally that's because..." Yaxiu paused. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand." "How could I understand if you don't tell me?" Weise said faintly. "Do you believe that if you give me just a hint of information, I can guess the truth?" "I don't believe it." "What's the wager?" "A favor," Yaxiu said, looking intently at her. "Whoever loses has to do one thing the winner asks." Weise didn't add any conditions and nodded directly. "Deal." Yaxiu said confidently, "The reason the ground of the Time Continent is white has to do with the White Ox." After pondering for a moment, Weise feigned a tone of sudden realization. "I understand. The White Ox is actually underneath—the Time Continent is the White Ox's belly, which is why the ground is white." Seeing Yaxiu's stunned expression, as if he had just seen a ghost, Weise couldn't help but chuckle. As early as the first day she joined the team, Yaxiu had told her about the Golden Fish Secret Poison and the Seven-Colored Tail Secret Poison, so of course she knew the truth about the Time Continent. However, she had always been careful to keep the Void Realm strictly separated from reality—neither revealing real-world information in the Void Realm, nor disclosing Void Realm intelligence in reality. This was the first time she had ever used intelligence obtained in the Void Realm, and all just to win a verbal bet against Yaxiu. "Remember, you owe me one," Weise said cheerfully. "Though there are no guarantees, a good person like you wouldn't renege on a debt, right?" Yaxiu retorted, "How good of a person do you think someone who travels with a Swindler and a necromancer could possibly be?" "Good enough to be willing to deceive me is plenty." Yaxiu didn't immediately grasp what the Silver Lantern meant by that, but she had already shifted the topic: "Is this palace imitating the Time Continent just to construct this Flowing Gold River bed?" Upon the pedestal at the end of the passage, the torch was still burning, untouched by the Flowing Gold River. As mentioned earlier, the palace passage itself possessed a drainage system. Even after the Flowing Gold River burst forth, this drainage system remained functional; otherwise, the entire passage would have been submerged long ago. In front of the pedestal was a slope, and before the slope lay the drainage system. The Flowing Gold River halted before the slope, naturally unable to encroach upon the pedestal. As long as they climbed the slope and set foot on the pedestal, they could step out of the Flowing Gold River. While they would still have to face the threat of the Square-Round Cicada, they could at least breathe a temporary sigh of relief and deliberate on a countermeasure. Moreover, one couldn't forget that the Square-Round Cicada's might was built upon the Flowing Gold River. To it, the Flowing Gold River was its 'comfort zone,' just as time sorcery spirits always dwelled within the river. Once Yaxiu and the others escaped the Flowing Gold River, it might not pursue them out of the water! Seeing the finish line, everyone's spirits lifted. From then on, there were no further casualties. Even though the farther upstream they went, the slower the current moved and the greater the resistance became, everyone gritted their teeth and forged ahead. Suddenly, Meisi's figure at the very front rose up from the river. As he advanced, more and more of his body emerged from the water—he had stepped onto solid ground. Whether due to moving against the current or the Square-Round Cicada's control, the closer they drew to the end, the shallower the water became, as though one could sprint straight across. Yet Meisi's speed only grew slower, inching forward barely a small step every second, creeping along bit by bit. Even so, his progress was the fastest among all the sorcerers. It was clear that Meisi was teetering on the verge of collapse—the resistance of the Flowing Gold River had reached a point beyond what he could endure. But with the end within arm's reach, that alone was enough for any legendary sorcerer to persevere. When Yaxiu and Weise also stepped onto the ground, the astonishing resistance of the current brought their bodies to a sudden halt—and Meisi had finally weathered all his tribulations! The water beneath his feet was now merely a shallow film, unable to even submerge his heels. He only had to lift his leg to step onto the dry slope free of the Flowing Gold River's waters and completely free himself from the peril of the Square-Round Cicada! The sorcerers behind held their breath without exception, watching Meisi's back with bated breath, preparing to celebrate the emergence of the first survivor. Yet some also harbored dark thoughts—Meisi, the 'Gear of Time,' was treacherous and cunning; once safe, would he turn against them...? Yet time would pause for no one's will. Meisi took a deep breath, lifted his right foot clear of the water, and stepped toward the dry surface of the slope! The Square-Round Cicada did not chirp. The sorcerers did not interfere. This time legend from over two hundred years ago, a sorcerer pursuing immortality, was finally about to reclaim his fleeting freedom. He had already devised numerous ways to escape this place, and he even harbored covetous designs toward the Square-Round Cicada behind him... Yet all his perseverance, all his ambition, was shattered by that single step. Splash. The crisp sound of water resonated like thunder in everyone's ears. Meisi stared at his right foot, which remained before the slope, planted in the shallow golden waters. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what had happened. He tried again, watching his right leg rise suspended above the water. But just as his right foot was about to touch the slope, he saw a stream of golden water trickling down his leg. Then he stepped onto the water, and his right foot slipped backward across the zero-friction surface of the slope slicked with flowing gold. Quite a few sorcerers stopped in their tracks. Except for Yaxiu, everyone's physical body had been fortified by creations of mortification; compared to them, even eagles would be considered nearsighted. Naturally, they could see Meisi's plight clearly. "The water of the Flowing Gold River originates from the movement of all things in the world," Skadi suddenly said. "Every person generates Flowing Gold River water." "It's not just that he generates it," another legend chimed in. "The Flowing Gold River itself won't let him leave! The slope is merely an illusion. If there were no slope to slide him back, wherever he walked, the Flowing Gold River would flow there as well!" "Is it the influence of the Square-Round Cicada?" While the legends murmured among themselves, Meisi finally spoke up: "The Wheel of Time's Order, Chapter Two, Verse Three." Skadi replied, "'Time has no beginning, and no end.'" Meisi said calmly, "The Flowing Gold River is the embodiment of time, and time is the concept of the Flowing Gold River. Any law that holds true in time is a natural rule of the Flowing Gold River." The legends' expressions turned exceedingly grim. "Meisi, are you saying..." Meisi said, "The Flowing Gold River has neither beginning nor end. Therefore, those within the Flowing Gold River cannot walk out of it from either end." Yaxiu couldn't help but say, "But I can cross the Flowing Gold River, or even fly out!" "You may cross from the sides or unfold your void wings to fly out of the Flowing Gold River," Meisi answered Yaxiu's question amicably. "As long as there is no rule against it, neither is forbidden." He looked up, glancing at the golden dome and the four white pillars beside it. "This place took great pains to imitate the Time Continent, establishing an environment suitable for the Flowing Gold River's rules to take effect, precisely so that anyone in the river could never walk out. "It seems the people of the Square-Round Cicada Cult had another backup plan..." Slap! Meisi threw himself backward toward the slope, yet the Flowing Gold River water indeed seeped from his back, sliding him back. He simply allowed the Flowing Gold River to sweep him along, drifting downstream under the watchful eyes of the sorcerers. "If yesterday placed into tomorrow becomes two days ago, then pray tell, should the day after tomorrow be today or yesterday?" he asked. "Advanced Golden Time Problem Set, Page One, Question One," Skadi replied. "Today." Though the Square-Round Cicada had not finished eating, the moment it saw Meisi, it actually couldn't wait to set down the yogurt in its grip, receiving Meisi with the highest standard of etiquette. It seemed that in the cicada's eyes, there were tiers among these food ingredients, and Meisi was undoubtedly top-grade. Another legend slowly shuffled to the front of the slope. He tried jumping toward the slope with both feet together, only to be slid back by the Flowing Gold River water. He kicked off the wall to leap onto the slope, but was still slid back by the river water seeping from his own body. If they were on the Time Continent, they would have had countless ways to escape the Flowing Gold River: taking flight, crossing from the sides, or even smashing through the riverbed... Yet here, they were merely ordinary trial-takers whose sorcery spirits were sealed. Soon, the remaining legends gave up one after another and collapsed. Like antiques left behind from two hundred years ago, their faces turned ashen as they surrendered to the wash of the Flowing Gold River. In the blink of an eye, only four people were still holding on. "Don't the walls count as the sides?" Yaxiu murmured. They did. Walking slowly ahead, Skadi pointed toward the ceiling. "If you could leave through the ceiling at the outer edges, you naturally wouldn't trigger the Flowing Gold River's mechanism. "Where we are right now is actually the channel of the Flowing Gold River, and the two sides are merely the river walls." The legend even smiled. "Look, simply by creating such an environment, one can fool the Void Realm and fool the rules. Sorcerers truly are immensely creative creatures, and this world is truly fascinating." Yaxiu asked, "Is there really no way to survive?" "There is," Skadi answered decisively. "The rules of the Flowing Gold River exist because of the Flowing Gold River. "As long as the Flowing Gold River is gone, we naturally won't be bound by its rules." "Is there any point in spouting such nonsense, Skadi?" another legend couldn't help saying. "The Flowing Gold River gushes from our Gates of Truth, and we can't shut our Gates of Truth... "To completely cut off the flow, everyone would have to die so that all the Gates of Truth close! "Once we're all dead, what meaning does the Flowing Gold River have?" Hearing this, Yaxiu's pupils contracted sharply, but he forcefully suppressed the urge to turn and look at Weise. Yet at that moment, he felt a gentle scratch in his palm. Before long, that legend reached the slope, and after a few attempts, he too gave up. But to everyone's surprise, he stripped off all his clothes and lay freely in the Flowing Gold River, as if taking a bath. Skadi stepped before the slope. She raised her foot and pressed it toward the slope, watching the Flowing Gold River water seep from her skin and slide her foot back. Slowly opening her clock-dial eyes, a contented smile spread across her face. "Time... truly is an exquisite plaything." As Skadi was also swept downstream by the Flowing Gold River to the Square-Round Cicada's side, within the vast Flowing Gold River, only two people remained, inching slowly forward. The surroundings suddenly fell deathly quiet, yet Yaxiu could hear his heart pounding violently. Their upper bodies had already emerged from the water; he could feel his palms slick with sweat, and his breathing became uncontrollably rapid and shallow. Pitter-patter. Splash. He looked down at the surface of the golden water, faintly discerning his own reflection. At that moment, a fox mask suddenly drew close beside him. "Yaxiu, how do you plan to kill me?"