Ashes Of Heaven Book 1 : Solar Calamity

Before executing his final move, Han Xuhan wanted to create an insurance.

"Brother Yun, I'll need your assistance here," he said to the cyan-robed figure standing beside him, fidgeting nervously.

"This is too risky, brother Kai," Qian Yun answered.

"This is our only shot. Take it, or you may not make it into the next stage."

Qian Yun gnashed his teeth audibly for a few seconds before he came to a decision.

"Fine. We have signed a contract of equivalent exchange. Since you're willing to leave a stroke, I shall as well...but let's ensure we're not the only ones, what do you say?"

Han Xuhan barked out a laugh.

"You read my mind, brother Yun."

Having a friend who could keep up with his train of thought was so awesome!

Han Xuhan's logic was simple. He had figured out a potential method to get out of this arena. But it was a method risky enough to possibly cause their deaths. The law fragment he had written on the wall were not directly against the purpose for which the original law fragments here had been carved.

But there was also the fact that neither of them had managed to decipher the entire body of laws in the arena. What if there were laws that specifically went against the law fragments that he had written?

What if in some corner of this vast arena, a few fail safes had been hidden for the loophole he was about to use?

This had forced him to contemplate the possible ways to die under the punishments of the law fragments.

The most common method was being struck by terrifying, supernatural lightning strikes, heart demons, and strange poisons he had never heard of before.

Was there any way to avoid the punishments?

No.

But was there a way to not directly die from the punishments?

Maybe.

Han Xuhan had banked upon this 'maybe', a mere hope of a possibility.

And from the looks of it, Qian Yun was smart enough to think of the move as well.

Brilliant lad, that masked guy was truly brilliant!

After he elaborated on the details of his diabolical plan to his partner in crime, Han Xuhan's feet slowly moved him away from the area where he had carved the incomplete law fragment. Zhanxian followed him doggedly.

Qian Yun had earned the trust of their fellow competitors just a while ago by warning them of Han Xuhan's extraordinary origins. Only he could execute this move flawlessly.

"Brothers and sisters! I think I may have discovered a way to break this puzzle we've been provided with!"

Qian Yun's voice sounded a bit different from normal. But it was loud enough to reach every cultivator in the stadium.

Countless heads swiftly turned toward him.

"Please, come closer. I will need your cooperation."

Eager, yet cautious, the frustrated cultivators began to approach Qian Yun from right, left, and ahead. Soon, a semi-circle around him formed, full of impatient gazes.

Qian Yun moved aside to reveal the wall to them, pointing at the two strokes the two of them had etched there earlier.

"I've realized that there may be a pattern to the huge amount of symbols that have been carved on the walls. The first guy to leave had carved similar patterns on the ground, which I believe acts like a password that he comprehended after observing the symbols on the walls.

I spent a long time comparing his engravements with the carvings on the walls...and I think I have found a way to emulate his feat. All we need to do is to leave a similar assortment of patterns on the wall here. As you can see, I have left one stroke already, and so has that brother from the Black Lotus Circus. I owe him this, as he has helped me in my discovery."

"You want us to help you construct the rest of the pattern that you've come up with?" asked one of the cultivators from the crowd.

"Yes."

"How can we trust you, though?"

"A valid question. You can't, which is why we'll only be picking 24 people out of you who are willing to take the risk." This time Han Xuhan joined in the fun.

The classic good cop bad cop scheme is a reliable method to break down one's defense.

His words were like battering rams striking the wall of caution in the crowd's heart. There were over 40 people here. Only half of them would get to participate in Qian Yun's plan!

If Han Xuhan was the bad guy here, Qian Yun was the good one, and he further proved it by pulling out the contract papers from within his robe.

"I assume some of you will recognize this agreement method. A sentient contract to keep things fair between us. Those of you willing to agree to the terms here may take one and sign it."

Han Xuhan took one of the papers from him out of curiosity as Qian Yun handed the papers to everybody.

He was stunned to see that the terms and conditions stated in the paper were different from the ones he had signed earlier.

Instead of a clause about the equivalent exchange, the core of the agreement here was to help Qian Yun construct the law fragment, which would possibly liberate a number of the participants from the arena.

So insidious!

Liberate a number of the participants? The number was TWO! Those participants were Qian Yun himself and Han Xuhan!

But when someone read the contract without knowing the truth, they'd only see a risky way to open an avenue that would allow them to leave!

When did Qian Yun make these contract papers? Was this his cultivation technique? Spontaneously creating contracts that fit his circumstances?

Alongside the rest of their victims, he signed the contract without hesitation, guiding their subconscious minds into following his step.

Not many were willing, at first. But Han Xuhan's move had broken the ice. And the clear cut content of the contract papers were convincing.

When one gave in to temptation, the rest fell like dominoes. Those who hadn't managed to get within the first 24 even showed regret on their faces as the next phase of the plan followed.

Soon, strokes after strokes were laid on the wall, forming the perfect law fragment Han Xuhan had been aiming for.

This was his insurance. This was his shield in case his plan resulted into a round of terrible punishments.

How many offenders can this circle of laws punish at once? Would the power behind the punishment remain the same?

Would the person who had used another being's finger to leave a single stroke on the wall be counted as one of the offenders when so many needed to be punished at once?

Han Xuhan's heart beat in excitement and trepidation.