"How about these five dishes? Have you made your choice?" Yilan looked at Roushan and the little girl with a smile.
Roushan glanced at her, and two huge hammers suddenly appeared in his hands. He pointed directly at Li Shuang: "Let the newcomer choose first. Let her pick the dish in the middle."
Li Shuang raised an eyebrow, remaining silent.
She wasn't in a hurry, but Yilan was already anxious for her. Yilan said sharply, "Roushan, it's not the first time we've met! Don't think I don't know that the dish in the middle is the deadly one! Li is my friend, and I will never watch her go to her death! That middle dish, you demons can eat it! I think this little girl is quite suitable."
The little girl sneered, a cold glint in her eyes.
Roushan moved his heavy body, directly blocking the little girl. He said in a booming voice, "Since we can't reach a consensus, let's fight! The strong are respected, that's how it has always been!"
Roushan swung the hammers in his hands. In an instant, strong winds gusted, and Yilan and Ziguang's expressions turned a little grim.
Yilan quickly looked at Li Shuang: "Li, don't be afraid. Don't worry, as fellow righteous cultivators, I will never abandon you, no matter what."
Yilan paused slightly after speaking.
Facing such a threat from Roushan, she expected Li Shuang to show signs of panic and nervousness.
However.
Li Shuang's reaction was as if the person Roushan had just called out wasn't her. She was even observing the five dishes with keen interest, as if she hadn't heard Roushan's threat.
"Look at you, why are you pretending to be such a good person?" Ziguang couldn't help but complain: "She doesn't want to bother with you at all! What righteous path, what demonic path, surviving is the most important thing. In my opinion, just let her go to her death."
Ziguang made no attempt to hide his thoughts, speaking them directly in front of Li Shuang.
Yilan showed a troubled expression: "Ziguang, you are my friend, and I promised to help you clear this place. Don't worry, I would rather die myself than fail to protect you. But Li is also a righteous cultivator like us, we can't just abandon her! As long as the three of us stick together, we might not be afraid of the two of them!"
Li Shuang's hand gently touched the five plates.
However.
A strange flicker passed through her eyes.
Among these five dishes.
The meat dish in the center had a value of medium. Equivalent to 750 value points.
The eyeball dish, 400 value points.
The iceberg dish, 900 value points.
The egg custard, 700 value points.
The most expensive…
was the bone marrow.
A full 1000 value points.
Li Shuang also saw the description from the Heaven and Earth Smelting Furnace.
"Gelatinous bone marrow extracted from a seventh-grade tiger bone using a specific method. This tiger bone is highly poisonous; anyone below the Integration Stage will explode and die upon consumption."
This made it very clear.
Both Yilan and Roushan claimed that the dish in the middle was the deadly one.
But in reality.
According to the furnace's description, although this piece of meat was also poisonous, the consequences were far less severe than consuming the bone marrow.
Had both Yilan and Roushan misidentified it?
No.
This wasn't their first time in the Gluttony Hell. They had always managed to leave alive, so their ability to discern the toxicity of dishes should be beyond doubt.
Then everything pointed to one conclusion.
Yilan and Roushan appeared to be adversaries.
In reality…
These two were probably in cahoots!
Li Shuang could roughly guess.
After a certain joint visit to the Gluttony Hell, something happened between them, and afterward, they reached an unspoken agreement.
In this Gluttony Hell, as long as someone else took the fatal blow, the two of them would be safe.
Li Shuang glanced at Ziguang.
She was the first sacrifice they were pushing out.
But.
Ziguang wasn't in a much better situation.
He was probably the designated second sacrifice.
The little girl's situation was unknown, but given Roushan's respectful attitude towards her, she was likely different from them.
So…
In this skeleton feast attended by these five people.
Li Shuang and Ziguang were probably already considered dead by the others.
Li Shuang calmly looked at Ziguang.
Ziguang was still angrily complaining, saying that Yilan was a rotten good person and that newcomers should go to their deaths, and so on. Yilan, of course, was trying to persuade him with a troubled expression.
Li Shuang curved her lips, then suddenly said, "Alright. Then let me choose first. I'll pick this meat dish in the center."
Li Shuang actually agreed immediately.
Yilan froze for a moment, then turned sharply to look at her.
A strange light also appeared in Roushan's eyes.
Li Shuang smiled: "As a newcomer, I appreciate everyone's care. I'll take this meat dish."
"See, she agreed herself." Ziguang was overjoyed, looking at Li Shuang as if she were a big fool.
"But," Roushan's deep voice boomed, "who can guarantee that you will choose the central dish? If you choose first and pick another dish, we can't do anything about it."
Li Shuang raised an eyebrow: "Whether you believe it or not, that's not for me to consider."
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Yilan gritted her teeth, as if having made a certain decision. She couldn't help but say, "Li! Let me take this middle dish! I said I would protect you, and my secret technique is special, so I might not die. Don't worry, no matter what, I will never watch you go to your death."
At this moment.
A light seemed to shine around Yilan.
She was so kind, so beautiful, so moving.
In Li Shuang's Sea of Consciousness, the green lotus flickered slightly.
Li Shuang looked at Yilan again, but she still had her ordinary appearance.
Soul Art.
Li Shuang's eyes were calm.
Just a moment ago.
Yilan had used a Soul Art on her. The purpose of this Soul Art was probably to enhance others' trust in her.
Ziguang, who had just been calling Yilan a rotten good person, now showed a hint of admiration in his eyes under the influence of her Soul Art.
Moreover.
Ziguang didn't realize he was being influenced at all; everything changed very naturally.
Li Shuang's heart tightened.
If she hadn't forged the nine-petaled green lotus in her Sea of Consciousness beforehand.
Even if her spiritual elixir had three elixir patterns, coming to this Soul Prison, she would probably have a one in ten chance of survival!
Even with a miraculous item like the Heaven and Earth Smelting Furnace, if her soul were affected, she might not even remember to use the furnace.
This Soul Prison truly was full of dangers at every step!
Li Shuang feigned a touched expression: "Fellow Daoist Yilan, but…"
Yilan reached out and gently patted Li Shuang's shoulder: "It's alright, I have more experience than you."
After Yilan finished speaking, she glanced at Roushan again: "Roushan! I've chosen the most difficult dish. What about you? Aren't you going to show some initiative? The toxicity of these five dishes varies. I've chosen the most toxic one, so it should be your turn to choose the second most toxic dish!"
Roushan frowned: "Why?"
Yilan seemed very angry, and a fiery red scimitar immediately appeared in her hand: "I'm willing to compromise, but do you really think we're soft targets? Either you choose the second most toxic dish, the eyeballs, or we'll just fight it out!"