Chapter 813: Brotherly Rift

At this moment, the entire passage fell into a deathly silence.

"Only two people surviving can open Level Three??" Tu Tian's pupils constricted slightly. "But..."

He turned to glance at Fudi beside him, then at the girl behind him, and for a moment, he felt as if struck by lightning.

"It seems my judgment was correct." Seeing this, Fudi calmly pulled out the blood-stained rake from behind him. "This woman is a burden... Only by killing her can we enter the final level."

"No... no! Wait a moment!"Tu Tian instinctively stepped in front of the girl. "Perhaps there's another way?"Tu Tian had just vowed to protect the girl and get her out; he couldn't just stand by and watch her be killed by Fudi's rake. In fact, Tu Tian's mind was still reeling since seeing the notice board. On one side was his companion, known alongside him as the 'Heaven and Earth Twins'; on the other, a girl he had promised to protect. Yet, only two of them could leave alive.Tu Tian felt as though fate was playing a cruel joke on him.

Seeing Tu Tian's actions, Fudi's expression instantly darkened. His grip on the rake tightened, and he said coldly:

"I see you're blinded by lust! What... if you don't kill her, are you planning to kill me and then go to the next level with this woman instead?!"

"I..."

"Do you remember what Second Master and the others said before we set out?! You've been too well protected among the Dragon Exterminators, but the outside world is complicated. They told you not to be dazzled by its allure and to remember your purpose! Now you're letting a woman sway your judgment; are you truly worthy of their nurturing?!" Fudi's voice was as cold as frost.

"I shouldn't be dazzled? What about you then?! What was that when you were holding and touching that woman just now?!"

"She came on to me, what's that got to do with me?! Besides, I've already killed her with my own hands!! What about you?!" Fudi seemed to have been struck a raw nerve by Tu Tian, his expression instantly becoming ferocious, using a frantic voice to mask his guilt.

Tu Tian was speechless.

"This woman, she's affecting your judgment and hindering you from obtaining the Sky-Reaching Star Position! She is your obstacle!!"

Fudi's voice was like thunder. He forcefully struck downwards with the rake in his hand, its two iron prongs instantly piercing through the girl's hands, nailing her directly onto the door leading to Level Three. The girl's piteous screams immediately echoed.

At that moment, Tu Tian felt his heart clench.

"Your own obstacle, you must break it yourself... otherwise, it will affect your entire life." Fudi drew a knife from behind his waist and pressed it into Tu Tian's stiff hand, his voice like something from hell."Kill her, and we'll enter the final level together... The Sky-Reaching Star Position is destined to be ours."

"No... but..."

"Do you want to disappoint Third Master's spirit and the others? Do you want us to return empty-handed? Do you want those three who betrayed us to mock us for the rest of our lives from the shadows??"

Tu Tian opened his mouth, various figures flashing through his mind. Finally, he hoarsely uttered two words:"...No, I don't."

"Then do it."

Tu Tian clutched the knife, his hands trembling. He stared blankly at the girl, who was nailed to the wall, silently enduring the pain and looking back at him. His heart felt as though it was being torn to shreds... On one side were the expectations of his elders, on the other, pressure from his companion, and on yet another, his own freshly made promise...Tu Tian had never experienced such agony. Even when he was beaten raw by his elders as a child, it hadn't pierced him to the core like this moment.

"...Kill me," the girl said softly, tears in her eyes as she looked at him. "If killing me makes it easier for you... I don't want to be a burden."

"I..."

"Kill her!! What are you waiting for?! Kill her!!"

Tu Tian's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins on his neck bulged horribly. He felt as if he was being torn in two... With a low growl, he closed his eyes and flung the knife in his hand. It whistled through the air, piercing the girl's neck and embedding itself deep into the door.

There was no pain; it was a single, fatal blow.The girl's blood stained the entrance to Level Three. On her pale face, a faint sadness lingered... Her eyes, gazing at Tu Tian, were hollow, yet seemed heartbroken.

Tu Tian seemed to lose all his strength and collapsed to his knees with a thud, utterly still.

He felt as though something inside him had shattered. Emptiness and guilt surged through his mind like a tide. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint smile finally appear on Fudi's face, and an indescribable emotion flooded his being.

*Rumble*—The large door, which had pinned the girl's body, slowly opened with a roar.

"You're right, we truly are favored by luck." Fudi stepped into Level Three, speaking leisurely. "A simple mechanism, a pointless vote, and then killing a weak girl... We actually reached the final level this easily. Privilege is now within our grasp."

Tu Tian's body trembled slightly. His empty gaze finally regained a flicker of consciousness, and his eyes fixed on Fudi in the center of the level.

The next moment, a notice board descended from above:Level Three:If there is only one survivor on this path, the 'Privilege' door will open; if, after ten minutes, there is more than one survivor, all participants within the level will be immediately eliminated and lose their qualification to contend for the 'Sky-Reaching Star Position'.

Upon seeing these words, the smile on Fudi's face abruptly froze.

"This..." Fudi immediately cursed, "Who the hell designed this broken rule?! Is it specifically targeting us?!"It was important to know that Tu Tian and Fudi had both come for the Sky-Reaching Star Position, aiming to secure both positions for themselves. The appearance of this rule meant that one of them now had to die to be eliminated!Crucially, they couldn't both just give up the privilege and leave the Dark Palace... after all, the rule stated that if neither of them died, they would both lose the qualification to continue the trial!This rule seemed almost custom-made for the Heaven and Earth Twins; its targeting intent was too obvious!

*Clang*—Tu Tian slowly pulled the knife from the girl's body. Scarlet blood dripped from the blade's tip onto the ground as he silently walked step by step towards Fudi.

"...Alright," Fudi swallowed hard and continued, "According to the original plan, I was supposed to get the privilege first, and then help you secure one Sky-Reaching Star Position... Now, only one of us can live, so let's follow Second Master's arrangement from before we came and just give the spot to me directly... I'll explain your share to Second Master and the others when we get back, they'll..."

"Shut up."

Tu Tian's cold interruption stunned Fudi. He frowned, watching the slowly approaching figure, and said in a deep voice:"What do you mean? Are you really going to fall out with me??"

"For this damn 'privilege,' I've lost my former brother, lost a girl who truly cared for me, lost my principles and my conscience... I've given up everything, and now you want me to return empty-handed?"Tu Tian held the knife in one hand and pulled out the long staff from behind him with the other. His eyes glinted with an unprecedented, chilling resolve."I've given up so much; what's one more abandonment, if it's you...?"