Chapter 814: Collapse of Little Jian

In the control room, Chen Ling observed the two individuals, now completely at odds, in the monitor. He gently rubbed his chin, like a director admiring his work, and seemed quite pleased.

Tu Tian and Fu Di were both Fifth Tier and represented immense power. If they weren't divided, their combined destructive force would likely be irresistible. Once they exited the Dark Palace, they might genuinely seize two Celestial Star positions... Unfortunately for them, they encountered Director Chen.

The weakness of the Qiankun Twins lay in their overly sheltered past under the Dragon Slayers, leaving them with significant emotional vulnerabilities. Manipulating human nature, however, was Chen Ling's forte. With a single Mind Python and a few lines of rules, the renowned Qiankun Twins saw their spiritual foundations crumble, turning them into bitter enemies.

In truth, Chen Ling hadn't deliberately manipulated their emotions. He merely released the darkness already hidden within their hearts, using the right environment, lighting, and pacing. Whether it was the jealousy in their hearts or Fu Di's deep-seated contempt for Tu Tian, these feelings were already present. Tu Tian was relatively emotional, while Fu Di combined rationality with arrogance. Already enraged by the betrayal of a woman he saw as a plaything, Fu Di's fury intensified when he saw Tu Tian seemingly finding true love and intimately walking with a girl. Possessing both arrogance and a desire for control, he couldn't accept Tu Tian being better than him, which led him to force Tu Tian to kill. During this process, Chen Ling's only action was to use the Mind Python to catalyze the rage in Fu Di's heart, making the conflict sharper and more intense!

Watching the Qiankun Twins brutally turn on each other in the monitor, fighting to the death, Chen Ling knew they were both ruined.

"That's enough," he thought.

Chen Ling turned his gaze to the other palaces. Apart from the Qiankun Twins' path, most other routes had also progressed to the final stage. However, without Chen Ling's 'behind-the-scenes' manipulation, an average of three participants survived on each of those paths. At this rate, the path of the Qiankun Twins would likely be the first to reach the privilege. Moreover, whichever of them managed to take the stone orb would be able to leave the Dark Palace before anyone else arrived...

"It's time to speed everyone up..." Chen Ling mused for a moment, then pressed a button on the central control panel. "Open the door. Release Xiao Jian."

Deep within the Dark Palace, in a narrow, enclosed space.

"Checkpoint One: Roll a '6' twice consecutively with the dice to open the door."

A simple sign hung in the air. Before a heavy door, Jian Changsheng's eyes were bloodshot. He frantically shook a black cup containing dice, swaying his head as if performing a ritual.

"Spirits above, spirits below, this time I'll definitely make it..."

"Definitely, definitely..."

"Open!"

*Thud—!!*

Jian Changsheng slammed the black cup upside down onto the floor, then lifted it to reveal a single die resting motionlessly.

"To hell with this!!!" Jian Changsheng furiously threw the cup aside and grumbled, "You cunning Red Heart! Is this how you scheme against me?! Do you think I'm so powerful now that you're afraid I'll snatch your Celestial Star position, so you're using such despicable methods to trap me?! You could at least let me fight someone! But rolling dice... Who the hell are you insulting?! This is infuriating, absolutely infuriating!!"

Tu Tian wasn't the only one whose spiritual foundation had collapsed in the Dark Palace; Xiao Jian was also losing his mind. Ever since Chen Ling's scheme led him to fall into the Dark Palace, Jian Changsheng had been trapped in this cramped space. Since passing this checkpoint didn't require killing, relying purely on luck, Chen Ling had deemed it too simple and decided to hide it away... but it was perfect for imprisoning Xiao Jian.

Jian Changsheng had been trapped here for hours, having already broken eight dice, yet he still hadn't managed to roll two consecutive '6's... In fact, rolling even one '6' was a rare occurrence! Jian Changsheng even began to feel that he would likely never escape this place.

Just as he sat down, exasperated, to rest, the large door before him automatically opened with a low hum, revealing a deep passage leading to an unknown destination.

Jian Changsheng's eyes lit up. Just as he was about to get up and leave this dreadful place, he suddenly seemed to realize something and withdrew his step. He scoffed, looking up at the empty space above and said, "Oh, Red Heart, what is it? You expect me to stay here if you tell me to, and leave if you tell me to? I'm not your puppet! This time, I refuse to leave. What can you do about it?"

Jian Changsheng knew Chen Ling could surely see him, so he simply sat down cross-legged on the spot, adopting the posture of a pig unafraid of boiling water.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

*Click—*

The silent space offered no response. Just as Jian Changsheng thought he had finally stood his ground, the floor beneath him suddenly opened up, and he plummeted into darkness amidst screams and curses.

Heart 7 and Clubs 7 walked side by side down the corridor. Having successfully cleared two checkpoints, most other participants on this path had already perished. However, the two of them, thanks to the Beggar's divination, managed to avoid all fatal stages. Coupled with Clubs 7's combat prowess, they had fought their way through to this point. Even so, both were somewhat injured, appearing disheveled and worn compared to when they entered the Dark Palace.

"Something's not right... This 'Dark Palace' is really off," the Beggar muttered. The further he walked, the stranger he felt. He couldn't help but say, "These checkpoints are increasingly inhumane. It feels like they truly don't intend to leave anyone alive... There's still some time until the final contention, so they shouldn't be clearing the field this early, should they?"

"...It is rather strange," Clubs 7 mused.

"I knew we shouldn't have come to join the Dark Palace's excitement. We're not really going to get stuck here, are we?"

"Hard to say. There's still one more checkpoint ahead, and it's likely to be perilous as well."

"This is killing me... We barely managed to get in, and if we're eliminated this early, the other members will mock us for a lifetime!" The Beggar seemed to envision encountering those others again, especially Heart 9, whose sarcastic abilities were top-notch. His face instantly contorted in dismay.

"What about the others who got in?"

"No idea... The Old District is too vast. We haven't encountered anyone yet."

"Alright."

As they spoke, the passage before them suddenly seemed to come alive, shifting in a different direction. They immediately stopped, cautiously observing their surroundings. A rumbling sound, like train tracks converging, came from ahead. After exchanging glances, they walked a few more steps forward, arriving in a spacious underground area.