Chapter 811: Voting

The three Jiaolong Guards looked at the Qiankun Twins, who were surrounded by others like stars, and managed stiff smiles as they nodded in response. They had joined the Jiaolong Guards much earlier than the twins, yet they watched helplessly as the two gained favor with the higher-ups and their status soared. An emotion called "jealousy" welled up in their hearts, but it was quickly suppressed by reason.

The Heart Serpent, slithering above everyone's heads, seemed to find its targets. With a wide maw, it swallowed the trio's emotions. The three immediately calmed down, their previously stiff smiles becoming natural and genial. Meanwhile, the Heart Serpent continued to move among the crowd, devouring certain emotions from their hearts. After Chen Ling broke through to the fourth stage, the Heart Serpent also made progress. From devouring individual emotions, it could now consume the emotions of multiple people simultaneously. This sixth-stage skill was gradually becoming complete as Chen Ling grew. After it had circled above everyone's heads, taking a bite from almost everyone, it suddenly seemed bewildered when it reached a young woman's shoulder.

"My lord, I've given a basic treatment to your wounds... but flesh regeneration takes time, so please be careful not to reopen them." A young woman from the Medical God Sect, following Tu Tian, glanced at his profile with eyes as clear as the moon, then quickly lowered her head, a blush appearing on her cheeks. When the group encountered the first obstacle earlier, this young woman had been at the forefront. If Tu Tian hadn't immediately broken through the wall to help her escape, she would likely be a corpse now.

"Much appreciated," Tu Tian said, a smile playing on his lips. He reached out to embrace her waist, but she blushed and dodged away.

"Lord Tu Tian! Please conduct yourself with dignity!" the young woman said earnestly.

"Alright, alright... I won't touch you, is that better?" Tu Tian shrugged with a hint of regret, feeling a twinge of envy as he watched Fu Di, who was embracing a beautiful woman nearby. In the end, the Heart Serpent took no emotions from the young woman. It silently departed, lingering far behind the group as if waiting for something.

Just then, the sound of machinery operating emanated from ahead. Everyone immediately slowed their pace, proceeding cautiously. The narrow corridor gradually widened as they advanced, eventually opening into an elliptical space. As everyone stood still within it, a numbered mailbox rose from the ground beneath each person, corresponding to them individually. In the center of this space, a signboard hung in mid-air.

Challenge Two:Participants who chose this path must complete an internal vote. The three individuals with the most votes will immediately fall into the 'Blazing Inferno.' The rest may proceed to the next challenge. This vote is timed for sixty seconds. If voting is not completed within the time limit, all participants will fall into the 'Blazing Inferno.'Note: Currently, participants on this path have made the fastest progress among the Six Palaces of Ingenuity.

The moment the signboard appeared, a massive red timer began counting down above their heads. The red light from the surrounding walls pulsed with the ticking seconds, casting their faces in a blood-red glow. At this moment, everyone's minds raced.

"The challenge is voting??"

"Good, at least we don't have to face those dangerous mechanisms, and we only need to sacrifice three people to proceed!"

"It says our speed is the fastest among the Six Palaces. Does that mean after clearing this, we'll get the special privilege the fastest if we just pass one more challenge?!"

"But... who should we vote for??" As this question was voiced, the air fell into a dead silence, broken only by the silent flickering of the crimson light.

As the seconds relentlessly ticked down, everyone grew incredibly tense. It was then that Tu Tian and Fu Di exchanged glances and nodded emphatically. "Everyone, listen to me," Tu Tian immediately declared, his voice resonating like a bell in the enclosed space. "Write down numbers 03, 08, and 13. Vote them out, and we can move forward!" The faces of the three individuals whose mailboxes bore those numbers instantly paled with terror. These three were the weakest among the group and had consistently lagged at the back, having no interaction with the Qiankun Twins, like invisible presences. Tu Tian chose them as targets with almost no hesitation. Almost everyone looked at the three, a flicker in their eyes, as if deep in thought. Tu Tian and Fu Di immediately wrote the three numbers on the paper inside their mailboxes and dropped them in, feeling completely calm. There were only a dozen or so people here in total, with five of them being Jiaolong Guards themselves. Adding the few civilians who depended on them, it would be easy to secure a majority of the votes. In this challenge, the two of them held a significant advantage.

An invisible serpent slithered past above their heads. After a brief hesitation, everyone gritted their teeth and began writing down three numbers on the paper, then depositing them into their mailboxes. The last to write was the young woman from the Medical God Sect. She seemed flustered, and after a long deliberation, she finally gritted her teeth and slipped the paper into her mailbox. Almost simultaneously, the countdown reached zero. The red light froze in the deadly silence, bathing the entire space in crimson.

CRACK! Tu Tian was about to speak when, with a loud grinding mechanical sound, the floor beneath him suddenly opened, and he instantly plummeted downwards! Falling with him were Fu Di, who was beside him, and a civilian expert who had consistently been unremarkable. It all happened too suddenly; the three had no time to react before being engulfed by scorching flames. As the floor closed with a thud, the space returned to quiet, and the ominous crimson lights reverted to normal. Those remaining stood looking at each other, their backs soaked with cold sweat. They let out long breaths, as if having narrowly escaped disaster.

"...The three people have been voted out, so why haven't the doors opened?" A Jiaolong Guard member looked around, frowning as he spoke.

In the control room, Chen Ling watched the scene through a mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The others were also stunned. Before they could ponder the question, the floor beneath their feet shattered with a crash. Two figures, wreathed in flames, leaped out, carrying a deadly aura and overwhelming rage, returning to the passage! Everyone froze, looking down in bewilderment. They saw that the so-called "Blazing Inferno" was merely five simple flamethrower pipes. Flames of that intensity could never kill the Qiankun Twins! Everyone's faces instantly turned ashen. They cursed the challenge designer silently a thousand times: *Who the hell* gave such a childish mechanism the dangerous name "Blazing Inferno"?! They had believed that being voted out meant certain death, but it turned out to be just a hot bath before being sent back!