The old woman's remnant soul floated in midair. Her soul-form, which had been violently fluctuating from extreme terror, miraculously steadied a little when she heard Zhou Xuan's question.
Following Zhou Xuan's gaze, she glanced at the star map glowing blood-red in the center of the deck.
That frantically flashing blood-red coordinate became her sole source of leverage.
The old woman had lived for tens of thousands of years; her schemes ran deep. She keenly caught that faint trace of curiosity in Zhou Xuan's words.
Zhou Xuan was interested in that coordinate.
As long as he wanted something, there was still a chance to breathe life into this lost game.
The old woman's remnant soul straightened her back, her transparent soul-form even striving to muster a measure of arrogance.
She looked down at Zhou Xuan, assuming the posture of someone ready to negotiate.
"You want to know?" The old woman's voice was no longer shrill. Instead, it carried the composure of someone who held her opponent by the throat.
She sneered twice and folded her arms across her chest.
"Zhou Xuan, you truly are an anomaly. Ruthless methods, deep schemes—even I fell into your hands."
The old woman spoke unhurriedly, her tone dripping with the presumption of age.
"But you're too young, after all. You have no idea how much terror lies hidden behind this world."
The old woman pointed at the blood-red coordinate.
"From that place, that faction, any one person could emerge and grind you frogs at the bottom of a well into dust."
"Are you frightened now? Want to learn what they're really capable of?"
The old woman lifted her chin, looking as though she had Zhou Xuan firmly in her grasp.
"Very well."
"As long as you swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, promise to release