Chapter 161 - 28: Voicing Suspicions

When the group passed through the tunnel and reached the exit, they took in the scene before them and realized they had left Falling Turtle Lake.

Before them lay a vast lake, with the Lake Heart Island visible in its center.

They were surrounded by abyss-like cliffs, and below the cave entrance was nothing but water.

Looking down from above, it was as if they were in a massive sinkhole. Apart from the Lake Heart Island, the sinkhole was filled entirely with water.

The group stood at the mouth of the cave, staring at each other in dismay.

"So, does this mean we’re supposed to find our own way up the cliffs, or head for that island?" Li Shifan asked, speaking up for once.

Zhang Deming’s expression flickered. ’Another attempt to split us up?’

His expression shifted, and he turned to Xue Su. "Do you still have the Source Code from before?"

Xue Su nodded. "I do."

"Let me see," Zhang Deming said.

Xue Su brought out the display screen again and held it in front of Zhang Deming. After a long moment, Zhang Deming’s brows furrowed deeply.

"Is something wrong, Senior Brother?" Li Shifan asked.

Zhang Deming replied in a low voice, "We might have been set up."

The others were startled. Zhang Deming continued, "Well, not exactly a setup. The Array we just came through was supposed to have five different operational modes.

In other words, five different destinations.

Originally, the probability for each of the five destinations was the same. Under normal circumstances, we would have been randomly assigned to one of them, with a certain bias.

But someone—I don’t know who—took one of those destinations and basically ’pinned’ it.

They used some trick to hide the other four exits.

Even though I saw the Source Code, I was fooled by this ’pinned’ exit because it was, in fact, one of the five original destinations.

That’s why I didn’t spot the issue—there was nothing inherently wrong with this destination.

They just changed a random assignment into a fixed one, forcing all five potential paths to lead here."

As Zhang Deming spoke, everyone turned to look at him. The heavily injured Qu Hua’s gaze was particularly deep.

"Are you saying someone deliberately sent us here?" Xue Su asked.

Zhang Deming shook his head. "I don’t know. It’s also possible that this is the only path in these ruins that’s still working. After all, these Arrays appear to be running on their own."

"So, do we continue? Or should we head back? Our gains haven’t been bad so far," Li Shifan said calmly.

Zhang Deming shook his head. "Putting aside the question of whether we can even get back to the main hall through that Array...

...even if we could, what then? There was no entrance to begin with. The moment we arrived, we were thrown into a trial with no clear start or finish."

"Then how do we get across? It’s too far. The Agility Technique won’t be enough to run on the water all the way there," Xue Su said, his brow slightly furrowed.

"My Sword Step won’t work either. And climbing up is out of the question," Li Shifan added, glancing at the surrounding rock faces. They were as smooth as if they’d been sliced by a knife.

Sha Xingping hesitated for a moment before saying, "I’ll handle it."

Zhang Deming, who had been about to summon some vines, paused and looked over at Sha Xingping.

Sha Xingping slowly removed his shirt and walked to the edge of the cave mouth.

’He was a Bloodline type... Don’t tell me he’s also a practitioner of Bloodline transformation?’

Just then, Sha Xingping’s body began to twist, instantly softening and swelling.

’Just as I thought. Another one who follows the path of Bloodline transformation. It’s not surprising, though. For Bloodline cultivators, the Transformation System is one of the two most popular paths.

And most of them cultivate the Python Transformation.

Like the Agility Technique, this Skill is part of a mature system. It’s considered one of the most fundamental Techniques in the Transformation System, one that many choose as their Major.

It has a very systematic and mature path of progression: from python to *ran*, then *chi*, then *qiu*, then *jiao*, and finally, to Transform into a Dragon...’

In the brief moment Zhang Deming was lost in thought, a ten-meter-long Alien Species White Python appeared before them.

Moreover, Sha Xingping’s serpentine eyes held no trace of savagery or coldness. They shone with Wisdom, showing none of the typical drop in intelligence that came with the transformation path.

Everyone subconsciously glanced at the white python’s head. There, a small, round bulge protruded, with a red gemstone embedded in it.

’That must be what’s helping him suppress the mental degradation.’

"HISS..."

Sha Xingping slid directly into the water, turning back to flick his forked tongue at the others.

The group exchanged a look and jumped onto the python’s back.

Zhang Deming glanced at the others around him. The moment he landed on the python’s back, an extremely faint but nimble stream of water flowed from his heel, down the python’s body, and into the lake.

Because Zhang Deming was exceptionally careful, and they were already in the water, no one noticed it.

On the python’s back, the four of them were surprisingly silent. They looked like a team, but in truth, not one of them had ever explicitly agreed to stick together.

Whether it was dealing with the Array earlier or crossing the water now, they were all simply forced by circumstance. It was an unspoken truth that everyone understood perfectly well.

If Zhang Deming hadn’t deliberately voiced his suspicions and exposed the issue with the Array, he wouldn’t have been able to preserve even this fragile understanding.

Otherwise, this water crossing would have turned into a free-for-all, with everyone left to their own devices.

Their bizarre relationship was so fragile, Zhang Deming felt, that if ten Spirit Stones were to suddenly appear and couldn’t be divided evenly, the alliance would shatter in an instant.

Sha Xingping was only halfway across when Qu Hua suddenly began to cough violently, as if his injuries were flaring up. Zhang Deming frowned.

’Even now, I can’t be sure if he’s really hurt or just putting on an act.

My observations have revealed a few interesting things.

But his body is, without a doubt, a complete wreck. Of that, I’m certain.’

"HISS... Don’t you dare puke on my back." The message, dripping with disgust, entered their minds. It was from Sha Xingping.

’If not for my oddly accommodating stance and Li Shifan’s unconditional support, how could this fragile team possibly tolerate such an invalid?’

Qu Hua, as if he hadn’t heard, only coughed more violently.

Just then, the expressions of both Li Shifan and Zhang Deming changed simultaneously. Zhang Deming spoke gravely, "There’s something in the water."

Li Shifan nodded. "I feel it too."

Sha Xingping’s python body tensed, and he instinctively began to swim faster.

Zhang Deming glanced again at Qu Hua, who was conveniently having a relapse right at this moment, lying there coughing up blood. His own brows tightened.

’Heh. Severely injured?

It seems you really do need a healthy dose of paranoia when you’re away from home!’

Vines began to sprout continuously from the python’s back. Some snaked around its body, while others extended out over the water’s surface.

"HISS... What do you think you’re doing?" Sha Xingping transmitted, glancing back at Zhang Deming.

"Making preparations," Zhang Deming replied calmly.

"Just worry about yourself," Sha Xingping sent back. "Don’t wrap your Techniques around my body."

Clearly, the trust between them was nonexistent. They were all on high alert.