Chapter 1080: Mutual Lethal Moves

“Test…?”

Han Yimo and Qiao Jiajin were both taken aback and asked in unison, “What test?”

“Hey!” Chen Junnan shook his head, staring at Han Yimo with a grin. “You know what it is, kid. Just keep it to yourself, alright?”

Qiao Jiajin sensed something off. “Handsome guy, you’re hiding something from me?”

“How could I ever hide anything from you? I’m just messing with Xiao Han. Don’t take it seriously,” Chen Junnan replied with a bitter smile.

“Oh? Really?”

Han Yimo couldn’t help but feel moved. Despite everything, Chen Junnan was still covering for him. He silently vowed to endure this test and not let Chen Junnan down.

Qiao Jiajin helped Chen Junnan sit against the wall. When he looked up, he realized their display screen had been shattered. His jaw dropped.

“Dang it!” he exclaimed. “What the hell?! How did this break?!”

“Things are a bit messy…” Chen Junnan winced in pain. “Not only did they invade and smash our screen, but they’ve also surrounded us. Those guys set up a blockade outside. Breaking through won’t be easy.”

“What about the liar guy?!” Qiao Jiajin pressed.

“Lao Qi’s trapped in the game. He won’t be out anytime soon,” Chen Junnan answered. “What about you, Lao Qiao? How are your injuries? Still hurting?”

“My injuries… Honestly, it’s kinda miraculous, handsome guy!” Qiao Jiajin inspected his arms and legs. “It’s just some bruises now. Doesn’t even hurt much!”

“Good… That’s good…”

“But what’s going on?” Qiao Jiajin pondered, then suddenly widened his eyes. “Ah! I get it… Could it be because the owner of this body is ‘immune to pain’? Getting beaten up like this and not feeling a thing—that’s insane…”

“Whether he feels pain or not, I sure as hell do,” Chen Junnan muttered under his breath, shaking his head helplessly. “Think I took on a bit too much… Should’ve held back a little.”

“What’d you say?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Chen Junnan quickly waved it off.

“Snap out of it, handsome guy!” Qiao Jiajin saw Chen Junnan zoning out and slapped his back—a blow that nearly sent him into the afterlife. “This is a critical moment! We’ve gotta figure out how to win the game with a broken screen!”

“Alright, alright… Let me catch my breath first… Once my ribs stop screaming, I’ll get to it.”

Chen Junnan glanced at Qiao Jiajin again and noticed that despite his tough talk about “not hurting,” his limbs were trembling.

Compared to the excruciating pain that had knocked him unconscious earlier, Qiao Jiajin probably thought this was nothing.

Even with Chen Junnan’s “scapegoat” ability absorbing nearly half the damage, he could barely stand. How could Qiao Jiajin possibly be unscathed?

“Lao Qiao, are you really okay?” Chen Junnan asked.

“I’m awake, aren’t I? What’s there to worry about?”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Rest if you need to,” Chen Junnan said. “Taking down Zhang Shan is already a huge win.”

“Speaking of the big guy… How is he?” Qiao Jiajin ventured cautiously.

“He…”

Chen Junnan paused. When he passed by the “riverbed” earlier, he’d checked. Zhang Shan showed no signs of life—no breath, no heartbeat, no pulse.

“He’s… temporarily free,” Chen Junnan replied euphemistically.

“I see…” Qiao Jiajin’s eyes dimmed.

“Don’t dwell on it. We’ll see him again.”

“I hope so. I promised him I’d show him a bigger world.”

The words weighed heavily on Chen Junnan.

Would Zhang Shan, with his eyes closed now, already be seeing that bigger world?

What they saw when they opened their eyes here wasn’t “reality”—just a massive cage trapping countless lives.

—

When Qi Xia and Yan Zhichun walked from the “Shen” room to the “riverbed,” Yan Zhichun’s face had turned completely pale.

A supposedly simple password-guessing game—

Each person set a private four-digit code, then took turns guessing the other’s number.

Every round, they’d reveal how many digits were correct in position and how many were correct in value. The first to guess the opponent’s number won.

Since Yan Zhichun had already played once with Zhang Chenze, she’d requested the referee to increase the password length to six digits.

But Qi Xia outright proposed a ten-digit password and proceeded to dismantle Yan Zhichun with terrifying speed.

Not only did he read her micro-expressions to detect lies, but he also manipulated her thought process with rhetoric and hints. She knew she’d lost fair and square.

“Is this what you wanted?” Qi Xia held the “stone” he’d won from her, his expression unreadable. “To face me as an opponent, lose honorably in a game?”

“I originally wanted to be your teammate and observe your methods,” Yan Zhichun admitted. “Too bad Chu Tianqiu picked me first. I could only be your opponent.”

“I doubt this password game showed you much of my ability,” Qi Xia countered. “You lost, but you’re not convinced, are you?”

“Correct,” she said bluntly. “I admit you’re smarter than me, but so are many others. What makes me respect ‘Brother Goat’ isn’t just that he’s smarter.”

“You’ll see what I’m capable of,” Qi Xia said. “When you return, tell Chu Tianqiu I’ll be waiting for him at the ‘riverbed.’ I’ll hand him a defeat here myself.”

“What…?” Yan Zhichun froze. “Qi Xia, do you really think Chu Tianqiu will agree to meet you at the ‘riverbed’?”

“He has no choice. Tell him I’m betting all our current ‘characters.’ He’ll do the same.” Qi Xia turned to leave. “I need to reassure my team and wait for your reply.”

“Reassure your team…?”

Before Yan Zhichun could process it, Qi Xia walked away with the “stone” he’d won.

She sighed, watching his back. With someone like him here, no game could stand in his way.

His long memory, experience, and vast knowledge made him unbeatable. Did Chu Tianqiu even stand a chance?

After some thought, Yan Zhichun concluded: beating Qi Xia required unconventional means—either brute force, tricking him into breaking rules, or smashing his display screen.

Only these three paths led to that slim chance of victory.

When Yan Zhichun returned to the “preparation zone,” she found Chu Tianqiu standing alone, staring at the screen.

The sight of his solitary figure sent a chill down her spine. She hurried over to check the display.

Thankfully, her worst fear hadn’t come true—the screen was intact.

But just as she was about to speak, she noticed a bizarre line of text on the display:

“Black Team: Seventh Creation Failed. Final Score Reduced by Seven.”