441: Chapter 440 Unable to Advance or Retreat

Snap!

The ninety-eighth Floor Lamp lit up without any electrical explosion.

Da Pao's body swayed as he chuckled softly. He picked up another lamp wick, preparing to replace the ninety-ninth one.

This was the final one that would inevitably cause an electrical explosion.

"Why... why are you all so good to me..." Li Na sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face, her eyes hollow.

"Because... we have the most sincere friendship..." Da Pao stood with his back to the crowd, tears also falling from his eyes, a bitter smile on his face.

Li Na bit her lower lip hard.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she hurriedly stood up and shouted, "Da Pao, wait a moment!"

Da Pao paused and looked back at Li Na.

"We're not changing it anymore!"

Li Na looked directly at Chu Xuan and said through gritted teeth, "Chu Xuan, with your strength, this level of electricity shouldn't cause you any harm, right?"

"Whether it causes me harm or not, what does it have to do with you?" Chu Xuan said calmly. "Continue changing them..."

Li Na said angrily, "We've done enough! There's only this last lamp wick left! Do you really have to stand by and watch Da Pao go to his death?"

"This is his own choice," Chu Xuan said calmly.

"But if he dies, you'll die too! Everyone will die!" Li Na looked around at the crowd and said in a low voice:

"Didn't you see the System prompt? In this Second Trial, if the death count reaches five before all the mechanisms are unlocked, we fail!

And unlocking the mechanisms takes time. Even if Da Pao finishes the last lamp wick, if he dies before the mechanism unlocks, we still fail!"

"You're wrong," Chu Xuan shook his head and said, "Even if one more dies, we won't fail."

Because Xuan Xuan wasn't dead.

Chu Xuan didn't say the last sentence, nor was there any need to.

Everyone chooses their own path.

Although Chu Xuan occasionally had a flash of kindness, he wouldn't go out of his way to save someone seeking death.

"How can you be so sure we won't fail? You might cause everyone to die with you..."

Li Na looked at the crowd and shouted with a raspy voice, "Do you all really trust Chu Xuan that much? Aren't you afraid of death?"

No one answered.

Although some had concerns, seeing Chu Xuan's calm expression without a hint of panic put them at ease.

When they looked at Li Na again, they couldn't help but feel disdain.

Trust you instead of Chu Xuan?

With how energetic you look, you'd be pushed down by a half-dead man?

Everyone's mind was as clear as a mirror; who couldn't see that Li Na simply didn't want to bear the risk of changing the lamp wicks?

It was one thing for the Silly Pao Brothers to be willing to die for you, but did you have to take everyone else for fools too?

Under the piercing gazes of the crowd, just as Li Na was about to say more, a sudden crackle of electricity rang out. Da Pao had already finished changing the last lamp wick.

Amidst the stray electrical arcs, Da Pao was sent flying.

His entire body was black like charcoal, especially his arms, where the flesh was mangled and most of the bone was exposed.

"Da Pao!"

Li Na cried out and ran over to check on him, tears falling like rain.

Zzzzt—

As all ninety-nine Floor Lamps lit up, nine of them that were flashing with electricity burst with even more dazzling and blinding light, the currents entwined around them becoming even more intense.

Seeing this, Chu Xuan made a quick decision: "The mechanism is unlocked. This room might be dangerous; let's leave first..."

Led by Chu Xuan, the crowd filed out of the Meeting Room.

Li Na also grabbed the Double Cannon Brothers and followed them out.

Inside the Meeting Room, electricity radiated from those nine Floor Lamps, connecting to the other ninety.

Gradually, the entire Meeting Room began to be submerged in electrical light, filled with blue and white radiance.

Everyone outside turned pale.

"It's a bit strange. The electricity inside seems to be sealed within the Meeting Room, not leaking out at all..."

"Regardless, let's move further away."

As the crowd discussed, Chu Xuan suddenly felt a sensation; his biological space began to vibrate at that moment.

Immediately after, a Giant Egg nearly half a person tall suddenly appeared. It was covered in cracks and also pulsed with arcs of electricity.

"Great! My favorite!"

A slightly high-pitched, child-like voice rang out. To everyone's astonishment, the Giant Egg actually bounced and leaped directly into the Meeting Room.

"Beep beep beep! This is great..." The Giant Egg rolled continuously amidst the flashing electrical arcs, making a very satisfied sound.

"This Giant Egg actually has a Lightning Attribute?" Chu Xuan's eyes showed a strange look, and a sudden thought gave rise to a sliver of doubt.

The last time the biological space vibrated, the Giant Egg had sensed high-grade life essence and wanted to come out.

At that time, the System had even prompted him, asking whether to release it.

However, this time, the Giant Egg had actually come out on its own?

Chu Xuan frowned slightly, then suddenly remembered something. He immediately turned to Wu Wanqiu and asked:

"I remember you mentioned before that when you found me, I was heavily injured and unconscious, and there was a charred Specter fragment nearby that had been struck by lightning?"

Wu Wanqiu nodded: "Indeed. At the time, we thought you had a lightning-related skill..."

Chu Xuan's eyes flickered. Looking at the Giant Egg in the Meeting Room like a fish in the sea, a suspicion began to form in his mind.

"Could it be that when I was heavily injured and a Specter approached, this Giant Egg came out?" Chu Xuan thought to himself.

Observing the Giant Egg basking in the electrical light, he could clearly see arcs of electricity sinking into the egg, seemingly being absorbed.

Before long, the electrical light in the entire Meeting Room, which had been growing more intense and violent, seemed to stabilize somewhat after the Giant Egg entered.

"Chu Xuan, you actually have such a treasure that can absorb lightning?!"

Li Na's voice suddenly rang out in disbelief. "If you had this thing, why didn't you bring it out earlier? If you had, the brothers might not have ended up like this..."

Chu Xuan suddenly shot her a cold glance.

Li Na's voice came to an abrupt halt.

Retracting his gaze, Chu Xuan looked around at the others. "The last mechanism is about to be unlocked. Everyone, get ready. Next is the Third Trial, where we face the Specters directly."

As he spoke, he looked at the three Night Watchers who were charred and had suffered an electrical explosion. "How are you three doing now?"

All three were in a very weak state, but they nodded and smiled at Chu Xuan, their consciousness still clear.

"Although their Ranks aren't high, fortunately, their attributes are quite balanced. Moreover, before coming up the mountain, they drank the wine you gave them, which significantly increased their stamina and health points limits. That's why they weren't killed by the explosion," Lin Liguo said.

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, then took out the greed tank and said, "Take out your wine bottles. I'll give each of you another two catties."

"It's no use," Wu Wanqiu sighed softly. "I just gave them some wine, but the System prompted that all item use is currently banned and won't take effect for now. Based on the chain of events in this mission, it's very likely they won't work until the mission ends."

"If we wait until the mission ends, their injuries might worsen. Drink more now and keep it in your stomachs," Chu Xuan said, still pouring some high-grade life essence for the three of them.

The three of them immediately looked grateful and thanked him repeatedly.

"Can you... give us some too?" At this moment, Li Na's cautious voice suddenly sounded from beside him.

Chu Xuan glanced at her and slowly spat out one word: "Scram!"