Endurance

[Option One: Get up and evade danger immediately. Mission reward: Immortal Beast Azure Ox.]

[Option Two: Keep pretending to sleep and make no response. Mission reward: Beginner Puppet Dao Arts.]

Seeing the two options, Di Xin, already very familiar with the system's rules, immediately chose to lie low.

No matter what danger appeared, he would just pretend to be asleep.

To avoid looking too convincing, he deliberately turned over as naturally as he could, keeping his breathing steady and even, his chest and abdomen rising and falling rhythmically.

Three seconds—only three seconds later, he felt a breeze brush past him. The sensation was unmistakable.

Then everything fell silent, as if it had been nothing more than a passing breeze.

After thoroughly studying the Immortal Yuan Records, Di Xin had gained a deep understanding of Divine Sense. He also believed that by comparing his bodily sensations with what the Immortal Yuan Records described, he could release his Divine Sense over a small area, even if only one or two meters.

Even with his eyes closed, he could sense what was happening within that range.

But he didn't dare do so. Even after learning how to use Divine Sense, he hadn't tested it once.

Everything around him was quiet, seemingly no different from before.

Di Xin didn't let his guard down. Until the reward for Option Two arrived, it would mean the mission wasn't over yet.

And if it wasn't over, the danger was still there.

Why had the system given him this option?

Surely nobody had actually come to kill him. They had come to test him.

Di Xin's mind raced. There was no way someone was watching him while someone else ran off to fool around with Daji.

After dozens of breaths had passed in silence, Di Xin, still pretending to sleep, suddenly heard the faint sound of a blade being drawn. Then came a soft whoosh, carrying a bone-chilling coldness as it shot straight toward him.

With his experience, he could tell that someone had been standing beside the bed all along. At that very moment, the person had drawn a blade and was bringing it down on him.

To be honest, for an instant, Di Xin really wanted to fight back or run.

If he let the other person's steel blade come down, his journey through this world would end right there.

The thought flashed through his mind, but he still chose to trust the system.

The system could be a bit of a pain sometimes, but it was his closest ally. It wouldn't—wouldn't—get him killed.

Besides, he knew that even if he tried to run, he might not get away.

So he remained in his sleeping posture and faced the blade coming down toward his head.

Thankfully, he'd made the right bet.

The blade's whoosh stopped just as it reached his neck. Di Xin could even imagine the sharp edge hovering a hair's breadth from his skin.

Then it stayed there.

Di Xin did his best to keep his breathing even, not letting his emotions waver in the slightest.

All around him, silence reigned.

He couldn't tell whether the other person was still there. The system's reward hadn't arrived, so he didn't dare move rashly.

The waiting was agonizing.

Time trickled by, and nothing changed around him. There wasn't a sound.

After a long while, Di Xin truly fell asleep.

He slept until he woke naturally, then opened his eyes.

By then, the bedroom was completely empty.

The moment he opened his eyes, a line of text appeared before him: [The host made the correct choice. The mission is complete. Reward: Beginner Puppet Dao Arts.]

At once, a flood of information poured into Di Xin's mind.

Cautious as ever, Di Xin didn't examine it right away. Instead, he went through his usual routine: with the attendants' help, he changed clothes and washed his face, then went to the main hall to have breakfast with Daji.

He guessed that the other person had watched him all night and only withdrew their Divine Sense after he woke.

That really had been a close call!

By now, Di Xin could be sure that the other person had come to test whether he possessed Magic Power.

If he'd gotten up to respond when he sensed danger, he would probably have exposed the fact that he had Magic Power. What followed would certainly have been beyond his control.

What he urgently needed now was a master—not so he could truly learn to cultivate, but to provide a reasonable explanation for how he had come to possess Magic Power.

He had summoned Wen Zhong back to the capital for precisely this reason.

But Grand Tutor Wen would still need quite some time to return to Chaoge. The days ahead would be difficult. He'd have to tread carefully in everything he did, and might face more tests at any moment.

After breakfast, Di Xin ate quite a few more nourishing tonics in front of Daji. The two of them played around for a while before he went out for a stroll.

His main purpose was to find a quiet place where he could study the Puppet Dao Arts newly awarded by the system.

In the mountains, deep in the woods a dozen or so miles outside Chaoge,

Zhao Gongming stood beneath a locust tree, gazing toward Chaoge with a dark expression.

It was obvious that he was in a foul mood.

Just then, three streaks of light flew in one after another from different directions. They descended, revealing the Three Ladies of the Auspicious Clouds.

Zhao Gongming looked at the three of them. The ladies exchanged glances, then all shook their heads.

"Little sisters, tell me what you found."

Zhao Gongming's expression darkened further, but he was still the first to speak.

Lady Yunxiao said, "That palace maid is innocent. She's an ordinary mortal and really does have an improper relationship with King Zhou. We also checked everyone else who was present, one by one, and confirmed that they're mortals too."

Zhao Gongming silently nodded, then looked toward Lady Bixiao and Lady Qiongxiao.

Lady Bixiao said, "Little Sister and Qiongxiao verified the identities of those two female Daoists. They really are disciples of Goddess Nuwa. According to them, they also had a magic treasure stolen, so they came to Chaoge to search for it. But something about this is strange. If that were the case, they should have told us the truth from the start instead of hiding it. Little Sister and Qiongxiao suspect that it was Goddess Nuwa who lost the treasure, and that's why the two of them were so evasive."

Zhao Gongming nodded at her words. "In theory, if they were the ones who stole the treasure, that would mean they could steal it remotely. There'd be no reason for them to stay in Chaoge after taking it, waiting for us to arrive. Their suspicion is negligible."

Lady Yunxiao pondered for a moment, then asked, "What did you find, Eldest Brother?"

Zhao Gongming shook his head. "Last night, I sent a Yellow Turban Warrior into the Royal Palace to test King Zhou. It found no sign that he had any cultivation, so he's not very suspicious either—but we can't rule him out completely. The Yellow Turban Warrior threatened his life, yet he didn't react at all. If it had truly struck to kill, he'd already be dead. If he really has Magic Power, then it would be unbelievable that he could conceal it so completely."

"It's been confirmed that King Zhou left the palace because of Gun Juan. He turned against that palace maid because Gun Juan cursed that foolish king inside the Soul Origin Golden Dou, enraging him. There's nothing suspicious about that."

Lady Yunxiao added another comment.

"None of these people seem suspicious, but who could it have been? When Yang Jian burned the blood essence of Sky-Howling Dog, everyone within ten zhang was checked. How could we have found no clues at all? Unless there was something wrong with his method." Zhao Gongming grew more and more puzzled.

Lady Yunxiao shook her head decisively. "Eldest Brother, you're worrying too much. I know a little about this method too. The image formed by refining the blood essence was definitely Sky-Howling Dog. There was nothing wrong with the blood essence, and the image was clear and solid. That means Sky-Howling Dog was nearby."