Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

After the old woman turned Edwin into a candle, she walked over to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi could notice that the other party seemed to be sizing him up.

Just as the other person was about to speak, the black line on her mouth suddenly began to wriggle, and the mouth that had been so hard to open was sewn back together.

The old woman looked out of the palace with a face full of resentment, her cloudy eyes burning with an intense anger that was almost tangible.

It wasn't directed at Lin Yi.

It was facing a certain direction outside the palace.

"Waaaaah..."

She let out muffled sobs, the sounds squeezed out from between her slightly parted lips, broken and rapid, like someone trying to shout but having their mouth tightly covered.

Lin Yi couldn't understand the specific meaning of those sobs.

But he vaguely caught a recurring syllable—

Anna.

It's Anna.

He could tell.

The old woman was protesting to Anna in her own way.

Undoubtedly, the old woman in front of us is in this state because of Anna.
After silently protesting to Anna, the old woman looked at Lin Yi and handed him the white candle.

Undoubtedly, the other party wanted Lin Yi to exchange for this white candle.

Looking at the old woman's wrinkled face, Lin Yi quickly calculated the true value of the candle in his mind.

He witnessed firsthand how Edwin, once a twisted and grotesque mass of flesh, gradually melted under the old woman's touch, transforming into the warm, white wax stick he now held in her palm.

This process itself speaks volumes—this old woman's control over the House of Death far surpasses Edwin's, and may even be second only to Anna herself.

Lin Yi's gaze fell on the white candle.

The clues from the Paradise of Reincarnation have already proven its value—it dispels the black mist and grants immunity to mental attacks.

The old woman saw that Lin Yi didn't answer immediately, nor did she urge him.

She simply maintained that outstretched posture, her hunched figure casting a long shadow under the dim light of the oil lamp.

The lips, sewn shut with black thread, twitched slightly, as if trying to say something, but in the end only a very faint breath came from the throat.

She seemed very anxious.

Lin Yi keenly noticed this detail.

He looked up into the old woman's eyes.

A complex light was gleaming in those cloudy eyes.

There was anticipation, trepidation, and a hint of guilt that Lin Yi couldn't understand.

Lin Yi suddenly remembered the look the old woman gave him after Edwin was subdued.

At the time, he only felt that the gaze was unusually calm, but now, looking back, he realized that what lay beneath that calm was clearly a scrutiny.

What needs to be exchanged?

The old woman's eyes lit up for a moment.

She nodded, the gesture small but clear.

Then she raised her other withered hand and pointed to the black threads on her lips.

The silk threads shimmered under the lamplight, threading delicately through her upper and lower lips, sealing her mouth shut.

The stitches were so neat they resembled a cruel work of art, with each stitch almost perfectly evenly spaced.

The old woman tapped the oil lamp again with the bone stick in her hand, and the silk thread sewn into her lips was pulled out from inside her lips.

"One Shadow Stone for one White Candle."

Lin Yi frowned slightly.

He had already witnessed the value of Shadowstone firsthand through Anna.

Those three Shadow Stones directly altered the state of the Death House's owner, restoring color to Anna's pale face and causing the rules of the entire Death House to tremble slightly.

According to information Anna inadvertently revealed at the time, Shadowstones are precious items that can directly affect the existence of the "original inhabitants" of the House of the Dead.

Although the old woman is a more unique being than Edwin, judging from the wooden box she carries filled with white candles, she is clearly also part of the House of the Dead rules and would also benefit from the Shadowstone.

One Shadowstone for one White Candle...

This price is outrageously high.

Lin Yi did not respond immediately; he was quickly calculating the gains and losses in his mind.

He now has twelve Shadow Stones, a number he painstakingly accumulated thanks to that cursed gold coin.

If it were Su Xiao and Shang Yue, they would only manage to get a few each, even after trying their best.

On the other hand, the value of white candlesticks is also very real.

Moreover, the old woman's slightly anxious attitude at this moment indicated that this candle was not an ordinary commodity for her.

Lin Yi remained silent for a few seconds.

The old woman didn't urge him; she simply remained in the same position, offering the candle, and waited quietly.

Her breathing was so light that it was almost imperceptible.

Lin Yi looked at her and suddenly noticed a detail—the knuckles of the hand holding the candle were slightly white from the force.

An “alien being” who could completely melt away an existence like Edwin in front of her is now tense because of a transaction.
Lin Yi's mind raced.

Although he hadn't spent much time in the House of Death, he had already vaguely grasped some of its operating logic—equivalent exchange, one of the fundamental rules that runs through everything.

The old woman offered the candle in exchange for the shadow stone, indicating that she considered the two to be of equal value.

But if they were truly of equal value, why was she nervous? Why did she look so guilty?
unless……

Lin Yi suddenly understood.

Shadowstone and White Candle are not of equal value.

The value of the Shadow Stone to the old woman was far greater than the value of the White Candle to Lin Yi.

She knew she was getting a good deal, but she needed the Shadow Stone, which was why she traded it this way.

Lin Yi was certain.

Once this is understood, the subsequent judgment becomes simple.

The Shadow Stone is important to Anna, and equally important to the old woman in front of her.

This suggests that it is a valuable resource within the "native" system of the House of Death, and certainly has a role he is unaware of.

But for Lin Yi, the Shadow Stones have no other use for trading with these natives for the time being.

The white candles were essential for his further exploration of the House of Death.

One Shadow Stone, exchanged for a key item, plus the potential goodwill of an "alternate being".

No matter how you look at it, this is a win-win situation.

"Change it," Lin Yi said.

The old woman's eyes lit up instantly.

It wasn't just simple joy, but a sense of relief, as if Lin Yi's agreement finally allowed her to complete some kind of mission.

She made a very faint sound in her throat, like a sigh or a sigh of gratitude.

Then she solemnly handed the white candle in her hand to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi reached out and took it.

It feels warm and slightly cool to the touch, like holding a piece of solidified moonlight.

He could feel more clearly the peaceful power inside the candle, like a quiet flame in a winter fireplace, ready to be lit at any moment to dispel the surrounding cold and darkness.

He also took out a Shadow Stone.

The jet-black stone lay in the palm of his hand, a stark contrast to the milky-white candle.

When the old woman's gaze fell on the Shadow Stone, a bright light flashed in her cloudy eyes.

That's not greed.

It is longing.

She instinctively reached out her hand, but then abruptly stopped in mid-air, looking up at Lin Yi as if waiting for final confirmation.

Lin Yi placed the Shadow Stone into her withered palm.

The old woman immediately closed her fingers, firmly holding the stone in her palm.

In that instant, Lin Yi saw her entire body tremble slightly.

It's not an illusion.

It was truly trembling.

The trembling began in her hand that gripped the Shadow Stone, spreading upwards along her withered arm, across her hunched back, and finally reaching her mouth, which was stitched shut with black lines.

At that moment, those black threads suddenly began to wriggle.

Lin Yi's gaze sharpened.

He saw that the black threads that had been tightly sewn onto the old woman's lips were now writhing violently, like thin black snakes disturbed by something.

The stitches have come loose.

The densely packed threads were slowly pulled out from the tiny holes, producing an extremely subtle friction sound.

The old woman's lips were gradually regaining their freedom.

But her expression showed no joy.

On the contrary, under Lin Yi's gaze, after completing this bizarre "untying," the black lines began to wriggle in the opposite direction.

They drilled back into the newly emptied needle holes, stitch by stitch, to sew the mouth that had just gained a moment of freedom back together.

The old woman's body stopped trembling, and her cloudy eyes regained their calm. She carefully put the Shadow Stone into her bosom, kept it close to her body, and then looked at Lin Yi again.

The tension and guilt from before were gone from those eyes; there was gratitude and apology.

There was also a deep sense of helplessness.

She pointed to the white candle in Lin Yi's hand, then pointed to a certain direction deep within the palace, and then made a "lighting" gesture.

Lin Yi understood what she meant—using this candle would allow him to achieve something in that direction.

But the old woman seemed to think that wasn't enough.

She looked at Lin Yi, her lips moving slightly.

The black lines began to wriggle again, as if trying to stop her.

The old woman completely ignored her.

She took a deep breath and, with all her might, squeezed out a few broken syllables from between her tightly stitched lips.

"They will be attracted by candlelight. Be careful, they will devour you when you are filled with fear."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, they won't dare come back before the candle burns out. Head in that direction, and you'll find more. This white wax is enough to get you there..."

The moment the last syllable fell, the black lines tightened sharply, sewing her lips shut again.

The old woman's body trembled violently, and she let out a muffled groan.

The Silent One shouldn't offer hints, but once someone buys White Wax from her, she will endure the pain of her soul being stitched together to give the buyer a hint, because a single White Wax is not worth a Shadow Stone—this is her compensation as the Silent One.

She stood there, looking at Lin Yi with her cloudy eyes, as if to make sure he understood.

Lin Yi looked at her and nodded.

"I understand."

The old woman turned around, picked up the square wooden box full of white candles, lifted the dim oil lamp, and with her back hunched, slowly walked towards the depths of the palace.

Her figure quickly disappeared into the shadows.

Lin Yi watched her leave, then looked down at the white candle in his hand.

The fragmented clues the old woman offered, despite the pain of mending her soul, were enough to explain the use and risks of this candle.

Candlelight can attract something.

When you have fear in your heart, it will appear and devour you.

In other words, this candle is both a talisman and bait.

It can dispel the black mist and is immune to mental attacks, but it also attracts those "them" that lurk deep within the black mist and feed on fear.

Only those who are truly fearless can walk safely by the light of a candle.

However, for Lin Yi, this side effect could be ignored, since Anna's blessing was not just for show.

Didn't you see that Edwin couldn't do anything to Lin Yi? He could only try to lower Lin Yi's guard by using various tricks?

Lin Yi put away the white candle and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly noticed that he had something extra in his hand.

It was a domino, about the size of a palm, which had somehow appeared in his hand.

The dominoes are grayish-white with a smooth surface and a ring of fine engravings around the edge, resembling some kind of ancient script.

This is……

Edwin's Dominoes?

Lin Yi suddenly remembered that after Edwin was turned into a candle, the old woman had picked something up from the spot, but he hadn't seen it clearly at the time.

Now it seems that it must have been this domino.

It was left behind by Edwin, his "forgotten dominoes".

Before leaving, the old woman placed it in Lin Yi's hand as extra compensation for the Shadow Stone.

[Hint: You have obtained the Forgotten Dominoes.]

[The Hunter has completed the second stage of the Battle of the Strongest. After selecting the reward for the Death Game, they can return to the Battle of the Strongest rest area.]

The notification sound from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang out at just the right moment, confirming Lin Yi's guess.

The old woman's intention was clear—she could no longer offer any more hints, but the domino itself was the greatest compensation.

This means that Lin Yi can choose to end the exploration of the Death House at any time, collect his completion reward, and then safely return to the rest area.

But at the same time, it is also an option.

Should we go back now, or...?

Lin Yi raised his head and looked into the depths of the palace.

The old woman left, pointing in the direction of the road leading deeper into the black fog.

She once said that lighting a white candle and walking in that direction would bring more rewards.

With Anna's blessing.

There is a candle that provides protection against mental attacks.

There is that forgotten domino that can end the exploration at any time as a last resort.

Lin Yi stood still for about a second, then decided to continue exploring.

He put the forgotten dominoes into his pocket, called Bubuwang and Baha and the others in, and then strode into the depths of the palace.

After leaving the palace, the surrounding fog was getting thicker, and visibility dropped rapidly from a dozen meters to seven or eight meters, and then to four or five meters.

The grayish-white mist surged and billowed like living things, coming from all directions, carrying a chill that seeped into the bones.

The ground beneath Lin Yi's feet began to change.

It is no longer the polished stone of palaces, but rough, irregular stones, like the gravel road on an ancient mountain path.

Grayish-white moss grows in the cracks of the rocks, soft and silent when stepped on.

The walls on both sides gradually blurred and finally disappeared completely into the gray fog.

Lin Yi knew he had left the palace and stepped into the depths of the mist.

The fog is getting thicker and thicker.

Visibility had dropped to less than three meters. Lin Yi could only see a few boulders in front of him, and beyond that, all he could see was churning gray and white.

The surrounding environment became unusually heavy, as if something was watching him from the depths of the fog.

He stopped, took out a white candle, and lit it.

A bright flame spread outwards from the candle wick, forming a circular light shield with a radius of about ten meters, enveloping Lin Yi and Bubuwang.

The fog was dissipated.

Inside the light shield, everything was clear, and the gravel path underfoot was clearly visible, with even a few low, withered shrubs peeking out from the sides.

Lin Yi looked up.

Outside the light shield, the grayish-white mist churned even more violently, like an enraged living creature.

They kept impacting the edge of the golden light shield, each contact producing a slight hissing sound before being bounced away.

Something has indeed been attracted.

Lin Yi saw it.

In the mist at the edge of the light shield, some blurry shadows could be vaguely seen moving around.

They have no fixed form; sometimes they are elongated, twisted human figures, sometimes they are gaping maws, and sometimes they are countless struggling arms.

They darted back and forth in the depths of the mist, constantly trying to get closer to the light shield, but seemed to be blocked by the golden light, and dared not enter rashly.

When Bubuwang, who was following behind Lin Yi, saw this scene, the fur on its tail stood up in fright.

Bubuwang is not afraid of anything except ghosts. The appearance of these monsters in front of him is too similar to the images in the ghost movies Bubuwang has watched.

The frightened Bubuwang immediately shrank to Lin Yi's legs.

Lin Yi ignored them.

Holding the white candle, he continued walking along the gravel path.

After walking for about ten minutes, a stone bridge appeared ahead.

The bridge is very narrow, only wide enough for one person to pass at a time. The surface is made of rough stone slabs, and there are no guardrails on either side.

Below the bridge was a bottomless darkness; the sound of flowing water could be heard occasionally, but nothing could be seen.

At the other end of the bridge, the outline of a building can be vaguely seen.

Lin Yi stepped onto the stone bridge.

When we reached the middle of the bridge, the candlelight suddenly flickered.

Those shadows lurking in the mist had somehow gathered on both sides of the bridge.

They huddled together densely, their eyeless faces facing Lin Yi, wriggling silently.

Lin Yi stopped and looked at the nearest figure.

It vaguely resembled a human, with disproportionately long and thin limbs, a tilted head, and no facial features, only a constantly opening and closing crack.

Lin Yi felt a very faint tremor rise in his heart.

That's an instinctive reaction of fear, a warning that any intelligent life would generate when faced with an unknown threat.

But it was only a tiny bit.

The next second, the throbbing was suppressed by Anna's protection and the power of the candlelight, disappearing without a trace.

The surrounding shadows simultaneously let out a sharp screech, then vanished swiftly into the depths of the mist like the receding tide.

Lin Yi looked in the direction they disappeared, remembering the old woman's warning.

"When fear fills your heart, it will devour you completely." (End of Chapter)