No matter how much Qi Xia studied it, he couldn’t open this crooked “Advisor,” nor did he know what its internal structure was. Perhaps even Tiantian herself knew nothing about it.

Thinking of this, Qi Xia no longer delayed. After putting down the “character,” he walked straight toward the opposing team’s “preparation area.”

Under the astonished gazes of Chu Tianqiu’s teammates, Qi Xia informed them of the game’s result.

Wen Qiaoyun seemed to have anticipated something long ago, slowly raising her head to look at Earth-Dragon.

The corners of Qi Xia’s mouth lifted. Everything wasn’t ending—it was beginning.

Earth-Dragon also slowly stood up at this moment, as if knowing her fate. She had waited far too long for this moment.

“Qinglong,” she said. “Remember our bet?”

“Hmm?”

“The bet about how I would die,” Earth-Dragon smiled. “If you guessed wrong, you have to grant me one request.”

“We’ve already reached this point, and you’re still fixated on your humble little bet?”

“You’re not planning to go back on your word, are you?” Earth-Dragon said. “Qinglong, who calls himself a ‘god,’ is planning to renege on quite a few things today.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Qinglong said. “A mere request—how could it possibly overwhelm me?”

“Then it’s settled,” Earth-Dragon replied.

Wen Qiaoyun stared at Earth-Dragon for a long time before speaking with a clear voice, “Earth-Dragon, I want to gamble my life with you.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed clearly throughout the game venue and reached Earth-Dragon’s ears high above.

The next second, a sinister wind rose wildly within the venue, blowing several strands of hair in front of Qinglong’s forehead into disarray.

Before Qinglong could turn around, he found that his surroundings were already covered with long black hair.

Xuanwu had descended. She stood quietly behind Qinglong, like a statue.

Everyone in the venue felt this unusual aura and raised their heads to look at the sky.

Xuanwu’s long hair cascaded down from the viewing platform, making the entire platform look like a suspended human head.

The pitch-black space became incredibly cold. She stood quietly behind Qinglong, and Qinglong hadn’t turned around either, merely continuing to prop his chin and look down below.

He carefully recalled the bet he had just made with Earth-Dragon.

Regarding guessing Earth-Dragon’s manner of death, she had given two choices: first, angering him and being killed by him; second, failing the game and being killed by Xuanwu.

Qinglong’s answer was “you’ll be gambled to death by a participant,” which meant he was speculating Earth-Dragon would be killed by Xuanwu. Although he felt no surprises would occur, this feeling of potentially losing at any moment made Qinglong feel vexed.

He needed to do something to ensure Earth-Dragon would definitely die at Xuanwu’s hands due to losing the gamble.

Xuanwu made no movement at this time, standing in place with her icy aura, seemingly waiting for Qinglong to give orders.

Qinglong was silent for a few seconds before speaking softly, “After the game starts, find a way to rule Earth-Dragon as having violated the rules.”

“Kill Earth-Dragon…?”

Xuanwu’s gaze shot through her disheveled hair, as if confirming which one below was Earth-Dragon. A few seconds later, the little girl covered in scales came into view.

“Good…” Xuanwu grinned. “Killing Earth-Dragon is good…”

“Of course it’s good,” Qinglong also smiled. “She’s truly too foolish. I definitely won’t kill her. So her cause of death can only be losing in the game, then dying at your hands.”

“Good…” Xuanwu nodded, watching Earth-Dragon below with a sinister expression. “From now on… even her walking will be ‘against the rules’…”

Inside the game venue.

After seeing Earth-Dragon land, everyone held their breath, knowing that what would follow was an even more horrific game.

Rumor had it that many “Zodiacs” would modify game rules during “life gambles.” Now that Xuanwu had also appeared, what kind of rules would be used?

Among everyone, only Qi Xia’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Earth-Dragon. The two briefly exchanged glances, but neither spoke.

Wen Qiaoyun slowly took a step forward. She knew she was the one who proposed this life gamble. According to the principle that grievances have their perpetrators and debts have their debtors, once a life gamble was proposed, only one of them—her or Earth-Dragon—could survive.

But if she didn’t propose the life gamble, she herself, Chu Tianqiu, and everyone in the team would die. Now this could only be considered a desperate final choice, putting all eggs in one basket.

“I’m ready,” Wen Qiaoyun said. “What rules will we use now?”

After a few seconds, Earth-Dragon revealed an extremely sweet smile, then smiled at everyone:

“I concede.”

These three brief words rang out resolutely, silencing everyone present.

Wen Qiaoyun and Yan Zhichun seemed to have a bellyful of words to say, but at this moment they were both struck dumb, looking shocked.

The dignified leader among the earth-level “Zodiacs”… had actually conceded at this moment?

This “life gamble” game hadn’t even started, and the new rules hadn’t been announced… and she had already lost?

On the viewing platform, Qinglong stood up with a “whoosh,” his expression furious.

“Wait…” Wen Qiaoyun was stunned. “You wait… you said…”

Earth-Dragon smiled at everyone again, then turned to look at Qi Xia. “Goodbye.”

Qi Xia’s eyes dimmed for a moment, then he nodded. “Goodbye.”

The next second, Earth-Dragon extended her right hand and, under everyone’s confused expressions, swiftly plunged it into her own chest.

Immediately, she coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, and her entire body collapsed limply to the ground.

Although Qinglong had already begun “leaping” to the game venue at the first moment, he was ultimately half a second too slow.

By the time Qinglong stabilized himself, Earth-Dragon had only her last breath left in her mouth, yet she still wore a smile, her eyes looking at Qinglong.

“You lost, Qinglong,” Earth-Dragon coughed up another mouthful of fresh blood. “In this game, I wasn’t killed by you, nor was I killed by Xuanwu. Instead, I committed suicide.”

In Qinglong’s view, Earth-Dragon’s choice was completely incomprehensible. In this world, the thing he couldn’t understand most was “suicide.”

So he said nothing, looking at the blood-spitting Earth-Dragon with an extremely strange expression.

“What…” Earth-Dragon smiled. “Planning to renege…? The bet between us… you’re not acknowledging it?”

Qinglong frowned and said, “What is your request?”

“I want you to let everyone in Chu Tianqiu’s team go…” Earth-Dragon said. “In this game, I’m using my life to exchange for their lives.”

Qinglong narrowed his eyes and looked at the dying Earth-Dragon.

Now there was one more thing he couldn’t understand. Besides “suicide,” there was also “committing suicide for others.”

“You’re not agreeing…?” Earth-Dragon smiled. “So many eyes are watching you here… A man who calls himself ‘god’ actually wants to publicly go back on his word…”

Qinglong looked up and surveyed the people present. Countless pairs of eyes were staring at him with confusion, seemingly waiting for him to give a definite answer.

This feeling made him feel extraordinarily awkward.

So what if he didn’t agree?

So what if he let Earth-Dragon wait to die slowly, then killed everyone else here?

But he indeed had selfish motives. Earth-Dragon’s request perfectly solved a difficult problem that had been weighing on Qinglong’s heart.

In this game, he also wanted to let go of Chu Tianqiu, who was more like himself, but had never had a good excuse. This way… wouldn’t everything be resolved smoothly?