178: Chapter 178 Looking for fun? Let's have a fight!

Outside the Ten Thousand Fox Cave.

Most players chose to stay put and did not leave.

They were all waiting.

Waiting for that man to come out.

Mad Knight, an elite player from the Roman God Clan, had now become the scene's 'Gold Medal Commentator'.

He stood with his arms crossed, wearing a smug expression that screamed 'I saw through everything long ago,' as he pontificated to the surrounding players.

"Everyone, don't be fooled by how imposing the immortal path pioneer looked when he went in. I bet he'll crawl out looking utterly defeated!"

One of his team members quietly reminded him, "Captain, what if... he is Chen You after all."

"There is no 'what if'!" Mad Knight snorted coldly, raising his voice slightly.

"You guys fundamentally don't understand the essence of the Ten Thousand Fox Cave! The small mobs at the front are just appetizers. What truly stumps everyone are the door selections later on!"

He looked around, savoring the looks of curiosity cast by the crowd, his vanity greatly satisfied.

"What Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth? We can't even begin to understand it!"

"Which door is the correct choice? It's purely based on luck!"

"Let me tell you, the elite squad from the Titan Temple spent an entire day inside, getting teleported out more than ten times!"

"In the end, the whole team was mentally exhausted and just gave up!"

"And the team from Moon Gods Radiance, who claimed to be masters of the Way of Nature, went in confidently, but what happened? They came out with blackened faces too!"

The more Mad Knight spoke, the more excited he became, as if he could already see Big Shot Chen You crawling out in disgrace.

Of course, the Three Great Divine Races had actually figured out some of the selection patterns, but he wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal them.

"So what if Chen You is rich? Can he bribe the system with gold coins to tell him the right answer?"

"Can he use an Exorcism Talisman to blow up that door?"

"Dream on!"

"This is game balance! This is a stage specifically prepared for us truly skilled players!"

"A nouveau riche who relied on throwing money around must admit defeat here!"

After his speech, the surrounding players nodded repeatedly.

"So that's how it is. This dungeon is truly hellish."

"Yeah, decryption puzzles that rely purely on luck are the most annoying."

"So, Big Shot Chen You is really going to face a setback this time?"

"Definitely! Look how certain Captain Mad Knight is; he must have suffered a huge loss and gained experience."

Hearing this, Mad Knight's face twitched slightly, and he suppressed the urge to explode.

He couldn't scare away the audience; the more spectators, the better.

He quickly regained his superior demeanor, staring intently at the pitch-black cave entrance, already rehearsing in his mind.

When Chen You gets teleported out, what expression and tone should he use to mock him, so he can return the previous humiliation tenfold.

He even had his lines ready.

"Oh, Big Shot Chen, why are you out already? Were the fox spirits inside too enthusiastic, and your body couldn't handle it?"

The thought of that scene made Mad Knight want to laugh uncontrollably.

... Deep inside the Ten Thousand Fox Cave, the lightning gradually subsided.

The air was filled with a strange smell of scorched protein, mixed with faint, elusive exotic fragrance, creating a bizarre blend of odors.

As Chen You proceeded, not even a single fox hair appeared before him.

Soon, the passage ahead reached its end.

The end of the passage opened up abruptly into a vast space.

A gigantic, circular stone cavern appeared before Chen You. Opposite the cavern stood five massive, closed stone doors side by side.

Each stone door was ancient and heavy, inscribed with a large character carved in vigorous brushstrokes—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth.

An ancient and profound aura washed over him, as if behind these five doors lay five completely different worlds.

In the exact center of the cavern, there was a slightly raised small stone platform, no more than two meters in diameter.

The surface of the platform was smooth and also engraved with a single character—'Fire'.

Seeing this arrangement, Chen You was slightly stunned at first.

Then, the corners of his mouth suddenly curved upward uncontrollably.

This question... I'm familiar with it.

Without any hesitation, he stepped onto the central stone platform.

Buzz—!

As his feet settled, the entire platform sank slightly.

A gentle light ignited from the character 'Fire' and rapidly spread along nearly invisible lines on the floor, like a spider web, reaching all five stone doors.

[System Prompt: The Five Elements cycle; mutual generation is the path. Please make your choice within ten seconds.]

[Countdown: 10, 9, 8...]

The cold system prompt sounded by his ear.

Chen You felt a sense of absurdity.

For a Chinese person raised under the influence of nine-year compulsory education, wasn't this essentially a freebie question carved into their DNA?

"Fire generates Earth..."

He muttered softly, like a student confirming an answer, then strode forward, leisurely walking toward the stone door engraved with the character 'Earth'.

Behind him, the other four doors—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire—simultaneously erupted with destructive torrents of energy, turning the entire cavern upside down.

But Chen You's figure had already slipped behind the 'Earth' door, vanishing from sight.

... Passing through the stone door, the scene before him changed again.

Instead of the expected earthen corridor, it was an... extremely luxurious grotto.

The cavern spanned several hundred square meters. The four walls were lit by candles emitting exotic scents, and light gauze curtains swayed gently in the breeze, decorating the entire space in an enchanting and ambiguous manner.

A sweet, cloying fragrance filled the air, capable of easily arousing the most primal desires in one's heart.

And at the deepest part of the grotto, on a luxurious bed carved from a single piece of warm jade, reclined a peerlessly beautiful woman.

She wore a semi-transparent fiery-red gauze dress, her figure alluring, her eyes filled with seductive charm.

Her long, black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Most striking were the nine voluminous white fox tails swaying unconsciously behind her.

Emitting a contradictory charm that blended sanctity and eerie (demonic allure).

[Myriad Fox Queen (Elite Lord)]

[Level: 32]

"Hee hee hee..."

Upon seeing Chen You enter, the Myriad Fox Queen let out a bell-like, charming laugh.

She slowly sat up straight, revealing glimpses of her figure with the movement.

"Oh my, I didn't expect the visitor today to be such a handsome young Daoist priest."

Her voice carried a strange magic, seeming to penetrate into one's bones.

"Young Daoist priest, you broke into my boudoir, could it be... you fancy me?"

She extended a slender, jade-like finger and beckoned towards Chen You.

"Come, come over here."

"The night is long; how about we find some fun?"

Chen You looked at her expressionlessly.

He was waiting.

Waiting for the system to determine the 'cutscene' was over.

Seeing the Myriad Fox Queen still posing seductively, seemingly preparing for a lengthy 'prequel' monologue, Chen You finally couldn't stand it anymore.

He raised his wrist, glanced at a non-existent watch, and interrupted her faintly: "Can I skip it?"

"..."

The Myriad Fox Queen's soul-stealing smile instantly froze on her face.

What?

Skip?

She didn't react for a moment.

"What I mean is," Chen You looked up, his gaze calm and unwavering, "I'm in a hurry. Can we just fight directly?"

The Myriad Fox Queen's expression visibly chilled.

I have looks, and I have strength.

And this is your reaction?

"Insolent thing!"

The Myriad Fox Queen let out an angry snort, her seductive charm vanishing, replaced by icy killing intent.

"Since you're rushing to find death, I shall grant your wish!"

"I originally intended to let you die in ecstasy, but now, you shall sink into endless illusions!"