Dao

What do the Twelve Zodiac signs represent?

What is at the end of this corridor?

The underworld?

On this dimly lit corridor that seemed to have no end, everyone moved forward cautiously.

After the intense rounds of 'games' they had been through earlier, everyone felt physically and mentally exhausted. At this moment, they suddenly relaxed, and the aura of death that had been lingering around them also dissipated.

Qi Xia inadvertently turned his head and saw Lin, who was standing next to him.

She had her hand covering her nose and mouth the whole time.

"Isn't it uncomfortable for you to keep doing that?" Qi Xia imitated Lin Qin's action and placed his hand over his own nose and mouth as well, "Although the smell here is terrible, you will have difficulty breathing like that."

"Breathing?" Lin smiled faintly, then revealed a smile,

"I don't feel like I'm having difficulty breathing, it's just that I feel weird if I don't cover my nose and mouth, as if..."

"As if what?"

"As if I'm not wearing any clothes." Lin Qin smiled sheepishly, then removed her hand from her nose and mouth.

Her nose was very straight, and her lips were also very red, there was no need to cover them at all."

Qi Xia did not understand what "like not wearing any clothes" meant.

Lin Qin smiled faintly, still feeling a bit uncomfortable, so she covered her mouth and nose with her hand again.

"A bit shy... Don't you guys feel awkward?" Lin asked.

"Feel awkward about what?" Qi Xia felt very strange.

"Just the 'mask'..." Lin also looked at Qi Xia in disbelief, as if looking at an alien, "Not wearing a 'mask', why can you all be so at ease?"

Before Qi Xia could react, a strange light suddenly came from the distance.

The group was attracted by this light and looked forward.

It was an exit.

A light like the sunset glow came in from the exit.

"We're getting out!" Qiao Jia Jing exclaimed excitedly, "I see the light of the sunset!"

This shout was undoubtedly a strong stimulant for the group. Dr. Zhao, supporting Han Yimo, followed the others and quickened their pace.

"Sunset?" Qi Xia thought for a moment and said to the group, "We woke up at twelve o'clock, and after more than an hour of game time, it should be around two o'clock now. Whether it's two in the morning or two in the afternoon, it's impossible to see the 'sunset'."

"I think you're overthinking it." Officer Li shook his head, "The time in the room may not be accurate either. Maybe the real time is now in the evening."

Qi Xia nodded slightly. He knew what Officer Li said was correct. All his knowledge of time came from the grandfather clock in the room, but no one could guarantee that the time on the clock was correct.

After taking a few more steps, the group saw a dark figure next to the exit.

As they continued to move forward, the dark figure gradually took on a human form. He was also wearing an animal mask, but this mask made everyone feel nauseous.

Unlike all the other animal masks, this person's mask was not made from the head of a single animal, but was a product made by sewing together many organs with yarn.

His mouth was like a crocodile, his nose like a cow, the sides of his face were made of fish scales, his neck of snake skin, and in addition, he had sewn on a lion's mane and a stag's antlers to his mask.

This creature was like a "dragon."

"You are all good, I am the 'Dragon Man,'" the stitched monster said slowly, "All survived? How novel."

"Dragon...?"

The group subconsciously stopped in their tracks, their nerves tense.

Not because the "dragon" was scary, but because they were too familiar with this kind of introduction.

Every time someone introduced themselves like this, it would be followed by a terrible game.

"Everyone, please don't be nervous, your 'trial' has come to an end." The Dragon Man waved his hand, and the group then noticed that he was wearing gloves with eagle claws.

All the animal organs on his body were somewhat rotten and swollen, emitting an unpleasant smell, but he seemed to be oblivious, talking to himself:

"I will not bring you a new 'trial,' but I will give you some advice."

The group said nothing, huddled closely together, and watched the Dragon Man warily.

"You have ten days to change all this," the Dragon Man said slowly, "If you do not obtain three thousand six hundred 'Dao' within ten days, the world you are in will perish. Everything you see will also be buried with it."

This short sentence was hard for the group to understand.

"Three thousand six hundred 'Dao'?" Qi Xia frowned, "What are 'Dao'? What do you mean by the world we are in will perish?"

"There are questions, hehehe, very good." The Dragon Man nodded, "Having questions means you are still awake. The so-called 'Dao' is..."

The Dragon Man reached into the black suit pocket of his black suit and fumbled around for a while before taking out four small golden balls.

The balls had a white outer circle and a golden inner circle, and they were shining with gold, looking somewhat strange.

"These are 'Dao,'" the Dragon Man continued, "With just three thousand six hundred 'Dao,' you will be saved."

Qi Xia pondered for a moment, then reached out and took a small ball. The ball did not feel hard; it was somewhat elastic to the touch.

"Take it, it was originally yours," the Dragon Man said with a smile.

Qi Xia thought for a while, then accepted the four 'Dao'.

"You have gone through four trials, 'The Liar,' 'Spring Bamboo Shoots After Rain,' 'Death from the Sky,' 'Yes or No,' these are your rewards and also your 'chips,'" he said.

The group had never expected that the things they had exchanged for their lives multiple times were these unremarkable little beads, and they didn't know what to say at this moment.

"'Dao'..." Qi Xia frowned and said helplessly, "You mean, if we can't find three thousand six hundred of these little balls, this place will be destroyed?"

"Hehehe, that's right. If this place is destroyed... you won't be able to get out," the Dragon Man nodded, his fish scales and lion's mane on his face swaying with his head, looking very awkward.

"It seems you have a lot of these little balls, can't you gather three thousand six hundred yourself?" Officer Li said decisively, "And you are more powerful than all of us. You could clearly go and find them yourself, so why choose us?"

"Me?" The Dragon Man chuckled, "We are all sinners. Sinners cannot obtain 'Dao'; only chosen ones like you can obtain 'Dao' and ultimately become 'Gods.'"

"This is absurd!" Zhang Chenze interrupted the Dragon Man, her hands folded across her chest, slightly angry as she asked, "Do you know what you're talking about?"