You made all the streamers on the internet kneel before you when you were asked to make a game.

"A kneeling corpse?" Liu Yedao frowned slightly; she had never heard of this term before.

"It's an extremely vicious corpse-refining evil technique," Professor Chen said, his voice hoarse.

"Take two strong, healthy men whose birth dates and times are considered extremely yang, and while they are still alive, use a secret method to break all the bones in their bodies, leaving only their spines."

"Then, they poured molten gold and iron over their bodies and forced them to kneel here."

"Let them suffer the torment of the evil energy of the mountain gate, unable to live or die, day and night."

"Over time, although their physical bodies die, their overwhelming resentment and unwillingness will merge with the evil aura of the mountain gate, forging them into the most ferocious 'protectors'."

"They have only one obsession: to guard this mountain gate and kill any creature that dares to trespass."

Professor Chen's words made everyone swallow hard.

While he's still alive, break all his bones and cast him with molten iron...

The methods employed by the Earth Immortal Temple have repeatedly challenged their understanding of the word "cruelty."

"So... how do we get in?" the experienced driver asked the most crucial question.

"Kneeling corpse, kneeling corpse..." Professor Chen muttered to himself.

"As the name suggests, there is only one way to get through here."

Professor Chen raised his head and looked at the crowd.

"Kneel down."

"Crawl through them on your knees."

"What?!" Brother Long was the first to shout. "Are you kidding me?! Kneeling before these two dead bodies?!"

This is no longer a question of whether or not one is afraid.

This is a matter of dignity!

They are living, breathing human beings. Why should they kneel before this monster created by evil magic?

The viewers in the live stream went wild.

[Holy crap! Seriously?! Making someone kneel down just to play a game? Isn't that just disgusting?]

Professor Chen, are you sure there's no other way?

Professor Chen shook his head with a wry smile.

"These are the rules, the obsession etched into their very bones."

"Not kneeling is considered 'disrespectful'."

"Anyone who is disrespectful will be beheaded."

"Their strength is connected to the earth's veins throughout the entire Earth Immortal Temple."

"Let alone us, even the girl in red probably couldn't withstand a single blow from them."

Professor Chen's words silenced everyone.

On one side, there is the hope of survival.

On the other hand, there is the dignity of one's personality.

It's just a game, it can't be that serious...

Lancet's brows were furrowed tightly.

She was an absolute rationalist, and in her view, kneeling was not unacceptable in order to survive.

But she could sense that things were probably not that simple.

This game is full of traps.

This seemingly only "way out" may actually be the biggest "dead end".

What will happen if I kneel down?

Will they be trapped here forever, like those two mummified corpses?

Or will it trigger some even more terrifying rules?

Just when everyone was hesitant and caught in a dilemma.

Inside the mountain gate.

Behind those two tightly closed black doors.

Suddenly, a melodious yet incredibly jarring chanting sound rang out.

The voice was like a lament, like a demonic whisper.

It seemed as if hundreds or thousands of people were chanting an ancient and eerie verse in unison inside the Taoist temple.

Accompanied by chanting.

The mountain gate of Dixian Temple is made of two massive black doors carved with countless human faces.

With a creak, it slowly opened a crack.

The mountain gate opened.

The crevice was pitch black and bottomless.

The melodious yet eerie chanting was coming from inside.

It was as if it were an invitation, or perhaps a seduction.

The crowd looked at each other, none daring to make a move.

"What do we do?" Brother Long asked in a low voice, "The door's open. Should we kneel or not?"

"You can't kneel," Willow Leaf Blade said decisively. "It's a trap."

"Look at the posture of those two kneeling corpses," Liu Yedao pointed at the two mummified corpses. "They're kneeling too 'standardly'."

"Prostrating oneself with one's forehead touching the ground is the most humble form of submission in ancient times."

"If we kneel down in the same posture, it would be tantamount to admitting that we are just like them, 'servants' of the Earth Immortal Temple."

"At that time, I'm afraid I really won't be able to stand up again."

The Lancet's analysis sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Then... what should we do? If we don't kneel, they'll beat us to death."

"If I kneel, I might die an even more horrible death!" Brother Long was almost in tears.

This is a fucking death situation, either way!

"There is a way."

Professor Chen, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, clearly having figured out the key point.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"To deal with such a deeply obsessed 'ghost of rules,' you can't fight them head-on; you can only... use your wits."

As he spoke, he took something out of his pocket.

A small, square-shaped paper package wrapped in red paper.

It was the soil from his hometown that he had used to ask the water ghost for directions in Seamist Town...

Professor Chen slowly walked to the two kneeling corpses and bowed deeply to them.

Then he carefully placed the red paper package on the ground between the two mummified corpses.

After doing all this, he took a few steps back and spoke in a clear, melodious voice.

"The two generals have made great contributions in guarding the mountain gate."

"I am Chen Keji, a junior, passing by this place. I have no intention of offending you."

"I have prepared a small gift, not to buy my way in, but simply out of respect."

"Treasures are given to heroes, and good soil is used to honor loyal bones."

"I hope the two generals will accept this!"

Professor Chen's actions left everyone completely dumbfounded.

Brother Long was dumbfounded.

What... what are they doing? Giving gifts to zombies?

[Professor Chen is awesome! I thought he was going to reason with me, but he just went straight to the procedure!]

[I get it! "A treasure for a hero!" He's elevating the status of these two mummies! He's turning them from "watchdogs" into "great generals!" Satisfying their vanity!]

Just as the comments on the screen predicted, Professor Chen finished speaking.

The two kneeling corpses, which had originally exuded an overwhelming aura of ferocity, gradually calmed down.

They remained kneeling there, motionless.

But the malice that had been fixed on everyone, as if it could erupt into murder at any moment, disappeared.

They tacitly accepted Professor Chen's "gift".

They also tacitly accepted that they were "passing by".

It worked!

Everyone was overjoyed.

"Hurry up!"

Professor Chen gave a low shout and took the lead, quickly walking between the two kneeling corpses.

Liu Yedao, Brother Long, and others immediately followed.

They held their breath and quickly crossed that short distance, which felt like a life-or-death struggle.

Even after everyone had entered the mountain gate, the two kneeling corpses did not make any move.

Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.

However, they didn't even have time to be happy.

"whee……"

A familiar, chilling laugh suddenly rang out behind them.

Everyone turned around abruptly.

The clown doll that had been trapped in the blood net by the ghost bride and thrown into the serving basket had somehow broken free of its restraints.

It stood outside the mountain gate, next to the two kneeling corpses, grinning and waving wildly at the crowd.

"Hehehe... Congratulations to you guys..."

"Finally... I'm home..."

"Ancestors...we've been waiting for you...for a very long time..."

Done.

Its body, amidst a strange laugh, slowly transformed into a pool of black water, seeping into the ground and disappearing.

Brother Long's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease welled up inside him.

He suddenly turned around and looked into the mountain gate.

The melodious chanting continued.

Before you lies a wide path paved with bluestone slabs.

At the end of the passageway stood a massive alchemy furnace.

And in front of the alchemy furnace.

A young figure dressed in a pure white Taoist robe stood quietly with his back to them.

He appears to be presiding over this eerie chanting ceremony.

Hearing the noise behind him, the figure slowly turned around.

The moment I saw that face clearly.

Brother Long, Professor Chen, Lancet, and even Lu Zhixing in front of the screen were all shocked.

It was a face they knew all too well, yet one that should never have been there.

The man had delicate features, and a faint smile always lingered at the corners of his mouth.

It was none other than Lu Zhixing, the leader of the cult of science they were most familiar with!