NOVEL NEXT Chapter 78: Tycoon Cultivator
Qian Yun had never seen anyone appear so happy while explaining exactly how he had been screwed by fate.
Han Xuhan looked immensely satisfied while laughing maniacally for a good few seconds.
But Qian Yun wasn't satisfied, not at all.
"Even if you had such suspicions, it's impossible for you to just figure out the existence of the trap by simply relying on your imaginary theories. I suppose there's more to the explanation?" He asked after Han Xuhan had finished laughing.
"Okay, okay. But can you like... applaud a couple of times or pretend to look immensely shocked for a few moments? C'mon, brother Yun, it's no fun when nobody appreciates a mind-boggling revelation, tsk."
Judging by the gloomy stare behind Qian Yun's mask, Han Xuhan realized that his request would not be kept. So he cleared his throat and continued.
"Now, we have already discussed the inconsistencies in the first and second stages of the inheritance test in the light of our two main theories. But while the secondary theory has gained some advantages in the second stage, the third stage immensely cracks down on it."
"The existence of the platform," Qian Yun said.
"Yes, the platform is obviously an incredibly complex relic that was definitely placed here to judge the new disciples of the holy land. I have no doubts about that. Which again seems to balance the scales between the first and second theories. It's way too complicated to simply be a part of someone's scheme to take control of the exploring cultivators. However...
Think about it, if you were a sealed cultivator who wants to break out of your jail, but does not possess the ability to gather qi or rely on your own body, what would you try to rely on?
"Something around you, perhaps? Something that can draw in other cultivators where you can conveniently place a trap for them?
"Now, what draws in other cultivators? We have our answer from the first theory- an irresistible inheritance test.
"This, is where both theories merge together instead of canceling each other out!
The new, evolved theory that emerges from the mix answers all of the contradictions we have faced so far. Let me list them one by one:
"One, what is the source of power behind the circle of laws? What exactly keeps such a massive mechanism active?
The answer is the qi constantly being extracted from the meridians of the sealed cultivator, whose realm is very, very high.
"Two, why is there nobody watching over the entrance test of the land of laws? Why is such a Holy Land so full of dead bodies and terrifying zombies? And why is it so brutal to the young explorers?
The answer is that it wasn't originally intended to be a testing ground, to begin with. This inheritance test had never been planned by the authorities of the sect, who have possibly vacated this place long ago.
"Three, what is the aim of designing such a gigantic, yet contradictory mechanism? The creator of the jail wasn't certainly dumb.
The answer is that the contradictions only appeared after the jail was turned into an open trap. But for a certain reason, the incredibly powerful cultivator who designed the trap later was unable to erase such simple contradictions.
What might the reason be behind such limitations? Of course, it's because he or she was suppressed somehow from erasing them.
And speaking of suppression, we're back to a full circle, the suppressive law fragments on the circle of laws do that job very well."
With each passing second, Mu Ran and Yuen Zhou were feeling colder and colder inside. Since the moment Han Xuhan had started explaining his theories, both of them had been busy trying to keep track of his scatterbrained chains of logic. The more they listened, the more they felt that Han Xuhan was a bigger oddity than either of them. Both of them had their own guesses regarding what was happening in the land of laws. It wasn't that hard to figure it out since they had their own sources of information as well as the inconsistencies being rather obvious.
But Han Xuhan's purely imaginary theories were on a whole new level of complexity...
"After this point, we can focus on the third stage, the place where it all went full kaboom," Han Xuhan continued his intricate explanation without stopping at all, as if he wanted to seize every second of his final moments.
"When we began this conversation, you asked me how I saw through the trap inside the test, brother Yun. Honestly, I never saw through anything, to begin with."
"What?" Qian Yun asked, startled.
"It's true," Xuhan nodded.
"Do you think I'd be sitting here with my hands and feet bound if I really knew the true nature of this inheritance test? I'd have escaped ages ago!
Everything I've said so far is all part of my overly active imagination. Sure, they make sense, but that doesn't mean they're true. I don't have any solid information to rely on, I don't have the ability to verify my guesses. At that time, I treated those theories as nothing but my baseless, subconscious worries.
But right when I saw the contents of the third test, I started feeling conflicted. I'm a fairly greedy person, but the language of laws isn't worth risking my life for. If there was really anything wrong with this inheritance test, the third and final test should be the ultimate pivot point. At that time, I thought about it for a long time, and realized that there was actually no need for me to take the risk, to begin with!"
Han Xuhan had started snickering again, arousing everyone's interest.
"Why is that?" Qian Yun asked. But he had a faint feeling that he'd receive a ridiculous answer from Xuhan.
"It's because both my martial siblings, as well as you, my new friend, had taken part in the third test before me! If there wasn't anything wrong with the third test, you'd definitely bag a technique or two relying on your aptitude. I could just buy those techniques from you afterwards! Why would I need to treat myself as a guinea pig? Hahaha!"
"....Buy it from us?" Mu Ran asked blankly from behind.
"Hahaha, yes of course! I, Han Xuhan, am a tycoon! My cultivation style consists of nothing but burning money!"
Han Xuhan proudly answered. If his hands hadn't been bound together, he'd have slapped himself on the chest as well while flicking his hair in a dashing style.
"...." Qian Yun sighed wordlessly. He really had seen that one coming.
"So, you're telling me, that you escaped the trap because of some random whims and your innate cowardice?" Yuen Zhou finally couldn't hold back her doubts and interjected.
Han Xuhan shook his head and stopped snickering. Being called a coward by someone who had fared even worse than him didn't feel good.
"No no no. So far, I've only talked about the theories I had come up with due to my suspicious personality. I wouldn't have paid it much attention normally. But then, I finally couldn't hold back my curiosity and entered the third stage.
The first thing that put me on guard was the orb containing the alphabets. I don't know if you have noticed it, but the alphabets had suspiciously narrow usage. In a stage where creativity is being tested, that type of alphabets aren't exactly suitable. But that still wasn't enough for me to decide to give up on the inheritances.
As for the orb containing qi for replenishment, I was only wary of it slightly due to brother Qian Yun's warnings before in the circle of laws.
"So I decided to take a detour and test something out. I intentionally failed the test and tried entering a platform for another type of inheritance.
"Guess what I found... the alphabets provided in the second test were the same as the first!
It is way too much of a coincidence that I, a random cultivator who learned some random alphabets from a language as vast as the language of laws, would encounter the alphabets I have already learned so soon."
"But doesn't that strengthen the theory that it is all a test and the third stage provided you with alphabets that you've already learned so far?" Qian Yun interrupted Xuhan, sensing the contradiction again.
Han Xuhan grinned.
"But you know very well that I only deciphered a part of the law fragments on the walls, brother Yun.
A more logical answer would be...that there is something wrong with the alphabets provided in the third test. It is likely that someone intentionally tempered with the original set-up of alphabets. I am, after all, just a weak cultivator at the second layer of physique transformation realm. How difficult would it be to use a high-level law to influence my mind into thinking that the alphabets in front of me are all familiar and I definitely know them?
It may sound far-fetched, but unless someone was interfering with my visual senses, I cannot see how two consecutive tests of different types would offer me the same, familiar set of alphabets."
Han Xuhan finished his explanation with a graceful nod, giving off the aura of a true intellectual debating the meaning of life.
"Afterwards...well, there wasn't anything more I dared to do. I was extremely scared. So I escaped using the same technique as before and returned outside. But I couldn't just leave my martial siblings behind and run!
Knowing them, I was sure that they would be able to figure it out if something is wrong with the third test. So I carved some law fragments here as a safety precaution and waited for my martial siblings to return."