Chapter 808: Open the Door

From the moment Chen Ling appeared before Jian Changsheng in the guise of a referee, Jian Changsheng smelled a hint of conspiracy.

He knew Chen Ling too well; once that devious fellow started feigning innocence, he was bound to stir up big trouble. Yet, Jian Changsheng racked his brain and couldn't have imagined Chen Ling would play such a wild game this time!

A participant, masquerading as a referee, putting on such a show...

The crucial part was that everyone else actually believed him!

Furthermore, Jian Changsheng couldn't figure out how this guy managed to successfully impersonate a referee. Where was the original Referee No. 6? Didn't the high-ranking officials organizing this competition notice anything unusual?!

Jian Changsheng's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Amidst his shock, he felt a slight urge to laugh at the participants who were completely in the dark.

From a distance, his expression looked stiff, as if he were having a seizure.

Chen Ling's gaze swept over the crowded circular hall. Sensing that enough people had arrived, he stood still in the center and slowly began to speak.

"That's enough."

These four words instantly brought the restless crowd back to attention. They all turned their gaze to the figure in the glowing robe. As Chen Ling's fingertip, hidden in his sleeve, manipulated the central control panel, a rumbling mechanical sound rose from beneath their feet!

Rumble—!!

From the hollow deep well in the center of the circular hall, a display platform rapidly ascended, coming to a halt before their eyes with a roar!

Everyone stared intently, seeing a dark, lustrous sphere preserved within a glass display case. Under the bright spotlights overhead, it emanated a faint, rough texture, appearing both rustic and mysterious.

"This is the privilege you seek."

At the same time, Chen Ling's voice sounded again. "Whoever ultimately obtains this privilege will be able to designate the landing location of a Heavenly Star Position when the final three-hour countdown begins... What that implies, I needn't elaborate."

The crowd gasped, their eyes fixed on the stone sphere!

Being able to designate the landing location of a Heavenly Star Position meant gaining a significant advantage in the final stage, practically reserving a spot in advance. Its allure to them was naturally self-evident.

"That's the privilege?" Sun Bumian asked, somewhat surprised. "It seems quite useful..."

"Privilege, my foot."

Jian Changsheng silently rolled his eyes beside him and whispered,

"If that were a real privilege, I'd cut off my own head and let him kick it like a ball. Don't you think I can guess what that guy is up to?"

Sun Bumian: ...

Before anyone could take another look, Chen Ling manipulated the disk again, and the platform bearing the stone sphere crashed back into the ground, disappearing into the deepest part of the "Dark Palace."

"There is only one privilege," Chen Ling stated calmly.

"Behind me are six gates. From now on, you may choose any gate to enter. All of them lead to the lowest level of this 'Dark Palace,' where the privilege is located...

However, beyond these gates are various challenges. Some gates lead to relatively simple challenges, while others are incredibly difficult. The kind of trial each person faces depends on their individual fate.

Whoever bursts through their chosen gate fastest and reaches the deepest part of the 'Dark Palace' will be the first to claim the privilege."

Hearing Chen Ling's description, the crowd's breathing immediately grew heavier. Even participants of the Fourth Tier or weaker, who initially lacked confidence and had only come to witness the spectacle, now had a glint in their eyes.

Seeing the change in everyone's expressions, Chen Ling knew the time was ripe. He calmly flicked his sleeve, and the six dark, imposing gates behind him boomed open!

"Now, you may depart."

The moment Chen Ling's words fell, the powerful individuals who could no longer restrain themselves dashed forward, disappearing into the six archways. The remaining participants, fearing they would be left behind, swarmed past Chen Ling.

The spirited participants surged past the glowing robe like waves, one after another, while Chen Ling stood calmly in place, like an an unmoving reef, quietly watching the turbulent tide.

The beggar stopped before the six gates, meticulously performing calculations for a long time with his fingers, before a deep bewilderment appeared in his eyes.

He then looked at the six gates again in disbelief, scratched his head, and finally gritted his teeth, randomly chose one gate, and rushed in, vanishing without a trace.

"You're not going anywhere?" Sun Bumian asked, looking at the composed Jian Changsheng beside him.

"Nowhere," Jian Changsheng stated firmly. "Through any of these six gates lies death. Staying put is the safest option!"

A few seconds later, the once bustling circular hall became utterly deserted.

Chen Ling gazed at the six abyssal black archways, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Jian Changsheng's guess was correct. There was no distinction between simple and difficult among these six gates; Chen Ling had set the mechanisms behind each gate to "hell" difficulty. His intention in saying so was merely to ignite the participants' gambling instincts. Their strengths varied, and they knew perfectly well that if it came to a direct confrontation, they would certainly be no match for those Fifth-Tier prodigies.

But if the challenges behind the gates were different, that was another story. What if they got lucky and drew a simple one, while the stronger contenders had bad luck and were held back by difficult challenges?

Why couldn't *they* be the ones chosen by luck?

If they could obtain the privilege, gain an absolute advantage in the final stage, and then actually secure a Heavenly Star Position, that would be truly defying fate!

Chen Ling exploited their psychology, tricking almost everyone into entering... with only two exceptions.

Chen Ling looked back and saw Jian Changsheng grinning at him, arms crossed, looking as if he had seen through everything.

"Oh, you sly Heart! I knew you'd..."

Bang—!!

Just as Jian Changsheng spoke with full confidence, the floor beneath his feet suddenly opened to both sides. Caught off guard, he rapidly plunged downwards, his terrified screams gradually fading into the distance.

As Chen Ling's fingertip, still hidden in his sleeve, manipulated the central control panel again, the open floor swiftly closed. Everything returned to perfect tranquility, as if nothing had happened.

Sun Bumian: ?????

Sun Bumian was bewildered. Little Jian, who had just been so calm and composed beside him, had vanished in the blink of an eye... His terrified screams, accompanied by curses, seemed to still echo in Sun Bumian's ears.

What the hell?!!

Weren't we supposed to be teammates, peers?!!

Chen Ling glanced at where Jian Changsheng had stood and let out a cold snort.

Chen Ling was never a magnanimous person. He still remembered Jian Changsheng's betrayal of luring the Qiankun Twins to hunt him down. Now that the fellow was in the "Dark Palace," Chen Ling naturally wouldn't miss this chance for revenge...

Of course, he wouldn't actually kill Jian Changsheng, just make him suffer a little, and incidentally give him a sense of participation.

After Jian Changsheng disappeared, only Chen Ling and Sun Bumian remained in the entire circular hall.

Chen Ling slowly walked towards him.