Chaos Heavenly Emperor Art

"So, you mean breaking the chain of debt?"

Apollos's enormous, blood-red evil eye shifted slightly. "Of course, this is your reward."

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft yet eerie dark red light descended from the sky and enveloped Zi Ling.

Immediately afterwards, the pale red "spirit-eating thread" on the top of her head, which had become clearly visible, rapidly thinned and faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually returning to the almost transparent, thread-like state it had been when they first stepped into this area.

However, it did not disappear!

One end was connected to the top of her head, and the other end disappeared into the void.

"What kind of release is this?!"

Ziling immediately screamed, pointing angrily at the ceiling, "It's still there! You really are a cheating spirit, you actually cheated!"

"Scamming?"

Apollos let out a low, mocking laugh. “My dear guests, I never said that ‘release’ is the same as ‘elimination.’ From the moment you stepped into my gambling prison, the debt was incurred. This chain of debt is the proof of your participation in the gamble, and also the evidence of the contract between you and me.”

It paused, its evil eye sweeping over the three of them, and continued to explain in its sinister voice: "The reward you just received merely offset the 'interest' you accumulated due to your failure, which is the additional debt represented by the enhanced Soul Eater's Thread, bringing you back to your original 'principal' state."

"But to completely pay off the debt, you need to win two more bets in a row."

"twice?"

Zi Ling frowned and demanded loudly, "Why twice!"

Apollos patiently explained, "First, you definitely need to reclaim the life essence that was stolen from you. Only then can you completely sever this spirit-devouring bond and absolve yourself of all debts."

"Shameless!"

Quinn couldn't help but curse, "This is a bottomless pit! You never intended for any of us to leave here alive!"

According to Apollos's logic, to make anyone leave, you must win at least three games in a row.

If Ziling were to win two more games, he and Lingfeng would each have to lose at least one more game.

Given Apollos's cunning, there is a very high probability that they will switch to other methods.

If you lose one game, you need to win three more in a row.

No matter how you arrange things, it's impossible for everyone to leave alive.

As the only one among the three, he was undoubtedly the most passive one.

"Hahaha!"

Apollos laughed wildly, "I make the rules! Please me, or turn to dust! These are the rules of the Gambling Prison!"

Zi Ling was also furious, but there was nothing she could do.

She would have to win twice more to escape, but that would put Ling Feng in a precarious situation.

However, at that moment, Ling Feng suddenly laughed.

Ling Feng looked up, his sharp gaze fixed on the enormous evil eye. "Apollos, the betting scheme you set up isn't limited to just the three of us betting against each other, is it? Players can also choose to bet directly against you, am I right?"

Apollos's laughter abruptly stopped, and the pupils of the Evil Eye slightly contracted, focusing on Ling Feng. He seemed slightly surprised that Ling Feng could think of this, but then his interest intensified.

"Oh? Interesting, you're quite the bold and meticulous little fellow!"

Its voice carried a hint of approval, "That's right, in my domain, everything is open to betting! Of course, you can bet directly with me! What, human, do you want to challenge me? But, have you thought it through before betting with me?"

Apollos's Evil Eye darted to Quinn beside him. "This Zerg guest has already lost two rounds to me in one go. You don't actually think you can beat me, do you?"

"Master, please don't!"

Zi Ling hurriedly grabbed Ling Feng's arm, "This guy will definitely try to renege on his promise!"

Quinn, on the other hand, quietly shrank to the side and watched coldly.

If Ling Feng and Apollos were to gamble one-on-one, he naturally wouldn't have to worry about his debts getting worse.

Moreover, it can buy him some time.

OK!

It's so good!

Quinn sneered inwardly: Once I'm free, I'll make sure you have a whole corpse!

"rest assured."

Ling Feng gently patted Zi Ling's hand to reassure her, then stepped forward, looked up at Apollos, and said loudly, "Come on, Apollos, I want to gamble with you one-on-one!"

"Excellent! Very bold!"

Apollos's voice was filled with excitement, and his evil eye shone brightly. "The rules for betting against me are much simpler. I will ask you a question, and if you can answer it correctly, you will win and receive a reward. However, since you are challenging me, you must offer additional chips."

He paused, then continued, "To put it another way, if you lose once, you'll be burdened with double the debt, which means the Soul Eater's Thread will evolve into two stages!"

"Master, no!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Ling's expression became extremely solemn, and she gripped Ling Feng's arm tightly.

Ling Feng simply smiled faintly at her, then said loudly, "Apollos, give me the question!"

"Okay, listen carefully to the first question—"

"There is an ancient palace, where two messengers, Truth and Lies, live. Truth always speaks the truth, and lies always speak falsehoods."

"Now you stand at the crossroads of the palace, one path leading to freedom, the other to eternal prison. You may ask only one of the messengers one question, a yes or no answer, and then choose the correct path based on the answer. What question should you ask to ensure you find the path to freedom?"

As soon as the question was posed, both Zi Ling and Quinn frowned.

Clearly, their wisdom is insufficient to unravel the complex logic involved.

Ling Feng pondered for a moment, then smiled and replied, “I should ask any one of the messengers, ‘If I asked another person which path leads to freedom, which path would he point to?’ and then choose the path opposite to what he pointed to.”

He explained in detail: “If I ask the truth, it knows that lies will tell falsehoods. If I ask ‘which way leads to freedom,’ lies will point to the wrong way. The truth will honestly tell me that lies will point to prison. Choosing the opposite way is freedom.”

"If I asked a lie, 'Which way leads to freedom?' the truth would point me to the right path. But a lie would distort the truth's answer, telling me that the truth would point me to the wrong path. Choosing the opposite path is also the path to freedom."

"Therefore, no matter who I ask, I only need to choose the path opposite to their answer, and I will surely be able to reach freedom."

After a brief silence.

Zi Ling and Quinn looked at Ling Feng with a hint of surprise.

"Humph……"

Apollos seemed somewhat displeased, but under the rules, it couldn't cheat. "Correct. You win the first question."

hum!
The once prominent Spirit Devouring Line above Ling Feng's head dimmed and thinned considerably, reverting to its first evolutionary stage. Ling Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat more relaxed.

"Master! Haha, you're amazing!"

Ziling exclaimed in delight and jumped up and down.

"Don't be too happy too soon!"

Apollos's voice was noticeably colder. "The second question!"

"There are three white hats and two black hats. Three hats are randomly selected and placed on the heads of three people, A, B, and C. Each person can only see the hats of the other two, not their own. They cannot communicate with each other. I tell them that at least one hat is white. Then I ask A, 'Do you know the color of your hat?' A says no. Next, I ask B, who also says no. Finally, I ask C, who immediately and accurately tells me the color of his hat. What color is C's hat? And how did he determine it?"

This problem is obviously more complicated. After Apollos finished stating the question, he began to grin smugly.

It seemed as if victory was already in their grasp.

Zi Ling and Quinn were completely bewildered, feeling like their brains couldn't process what they were hearing.

"Human, I'll give you half an hour!"

Apollos stared at Ling Feng with his enormous evil eye, then changed his mind and said, "No, no, no, to show my generosity, I'll give you a quarter of an hour!"

Ling Feng smiled slightly, and after a moment, a glint flashed in his eyes as he said, "It won't take that long. I already have the answer. Bing is wearing a white hat."

These kinds of questions are not particularly difficult for him.

After all, Ling Feng had looted the Judgment Academy's library in order to obtain information about the Divine Radiance.

Therefore, they also read through the memory banks contained in the brains of those top-level human sages.

In the process of searching for information about the Divine Radiance, Ling Feng also read a large number of books.

It has almost acquired all the "wisdom" of most of the Judgment Academy's library.

These kinds of questions might stump most people, but they're no longer a challenge for his "super brain."

"what?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Apollos's evil eyes. "You're just guessing, aren't you? You must be guessing, right? I'll give you one chance to correct it!"

"No need."

Ling Feng shook his head and smiled. "First, A sees the hats of B and C. If B and C are both wearing black hats, then A would immediately know that he is wearing a white hat, because there is at least one white hat. But A says he doesn't know, which eliminates the possibility that B and C are both wearing black hats. Therefore, at least one of B and C is wearing a white hat."

"Next, B heard A's answer. B now knows: first, there is at least one white hat; second, it is impossible for B and C to both be wearing black hats."

"If B sees C wearing a black hat, then based on the above two points, B and C cannot both be wearing black hats, and since C is wearing a black hat, B can immediately deduce that he is wearing a white hat. However, B also says he doesn't know, which means that B did not see C wearing a black hat. Because if C were wearing a black hat, B would be certain that he is white. Therefore, B's answer 'I don't know' conversely proves that C is not wearing a black hat, therefore C must be wearing a white hat!"

"Therefore, after hearing that A and B both said they didn't know, C could immediately deduce that he was wearing a white hat without seeing any hats, through the above logical chain."

Ling Feng's reasoning can be described as clear, rigorous, and flawless.

"you!"

Apollos's evil eye flashed violently, and the surrounding skeletons emitted uneasy, restless sounds!
It clearly hadn't expected Ling Feng to solve both of its problems so easily.

After a long pause, Apollos coldly announced the result: "Correct answer!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Soul Eater's Line above Ling Feng's head regressed again, becoming as thin as a spider's thread.

However, the life essence that has been plundered will not be returned directly.

“Master, that’s great!”

Zi Ling was overjoyed and excitedly hugged Ling Feng's arm, "You're so smart! If this continues, we'll be free soon!"

Ling Feng simply shook his head and smiled: "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Given Apollos's cunning, he certainly wouldn't let Ling Feng escape his control so easily.

"The third question!!!"

Apollos was utterly enraged. His evil eye flashed with blood-red light, and the terrifying pressure caused the entire space to tremble!

Rumble!
The ground shook violently, and countless thick, dark red vines burst forth from the soil, instantly intertwining to form a huge, spiked cage that enveloped Zi Ling and Quinn in an instant!
"What do you want to do?"

Zi Ling frowned. "What's wrong? You shameless spirit, are you angry now?"

"Hmph! This is your third question!"

Apollos ignored Zi Ling and instead glared at Ling Feng with a sinister smile. "The two of them must fight to the death in this deathmatch cage within one hour!"

Ling Feng's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he immediately clenched his fists tightly.

What a shameless and vicious bastard!

Apollos continued, "My question is, who do you think will survive? If you guess correctly, you can certainly receive another reward. But if you guess wrong, or if the game ends inconclusively within the time limit, all three of you will lose this round! Similarly, everyone will receive double the debt! Hehehe..."

Instantly, Zi Ling and Quinn inside the cage felt a surge of power returning. A portion of their suppressed divine power was restored, enough for them to fight!

However, at the same time, the cage itself exudes a terrifying oppressive force, trapping them firmly within, unable to escape, and leaving them only able to fight each other!

Ling Feng instantly saw through the trap.

Since Apollos controls how much strength is restored, he could easily have deliberately made the victor he chose only regain 10% of his strength.

The other side recovers 50% or even 100%!
"Despicable!"

Zi Ling was shocked and furious. She tried to attack the vine cage, but was bounced back by a powerful force.

Quinn clenched his fists tightly. Although he had long wanted to get rid of Ling Feng or Zi Ling, he certainly didn't want to do it this way.

If Ling Feng had chosen Zi Ling, no, he would definitely have chosen Zi Ling to win.

So even if you win, you'll still end up dead.

But in order to survive, he certainly couldn't just obediently let Zi Ling kill him.

If a winner cannot be determined within an hour, death is also inevitable.

Winning or losing, both lead to death.

Neither win nor lose, it's still death!

This is a sure-fire way to die!
It seems we need to take action now!

At the same time, Apollos looked aggressively at Ling Feng and said coldly, "Boy, make a decision quickly, otherwise, hmph, I might just declare you all the losers!"

Ling Feng took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the two men in the cage about to engage in a life-or-death battle, and slowly said, "My choice is—" (End of Chapter)