Even blind box hunters don't choose their partners? I got Su Daji from my blind box!

……

In the real world, at Longhu Mountain, in the main hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The once solemn and dignified temple was now bustling like a Chinese New Year market.

Hundreds of disciples dressed in Taoist robes gathered in front of the big screen, watching Zhang Xuan's incredible self-rescue maneuver, clapping and cheering, the atmosphere so enthusiastic that it seemed as if he had already won.

"Wonderful! As expected of Junior Brother! That understanding is on a whole new level!"

"That's what you call professional! Lin Xiao looks like a muscle-bound, simple-minded brute; his mental defenses are definitely in the negatives!"

"Heavenly Thunder Locks Body, Spiritual Power Severs Soul! This combo would kill even a peak second-tier opponent, let alone a first-tier one!"

The hall was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Some of the younger disciples had even begun to fantasize about Zhang Xuan killing Lin Xiao in return.

The fame and prestige of Longhu Mountain have been established, and the amount of incense money donated has doubled.

This is a typical halftime celebration with champagne.

however.

The figure sitting at the head of the main hall remained silent throughout.

Old Master Zhang Zhiwei.

This elderly man, hailed as the "pinnacle" of martial arts in the Dragon Kingdom, wore a purple robe and had his eyes slightly closed, resembling a clay sculpture in deep meditation.

"well……"

A long sigh.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a thunderclap, instantly silencing all the noise and cheers in the hall.

The hall fell into a sudden, deathly silence.

The disciples were startled and immediately fell silent, all looking at the old Celestial Master.

"Master?"

The eldest disciple cautiously approached, his smile freezing on his face.

"Junior Brother's plan is flawless, hitting the nail on the head. Could it be... there's still some unforeseen complication?"

"variable?"

Zhang Zhiwei slowly opened his eyes.

Those aged eyes seemed to hold the illusion of stars fading away, so deep that one dared not look directly into them.

He looked at Zhang Xuan, who was busy setting up an array on the screen, shook his head slightly, and spoke in a tone that was calm to the point of being cruel.

"It's not a variable, it's a constant."

"I cast a divination for Xuan'er long before the instance opened."

The divination indicates that water in the Kan trigram indicates being trapped in the earth, with no chance of survival.

boom!

These words were like a bucket of liquid nitrogen at minus 100 degrees Celsius, poured directly over the heads of all the disciples.

A chill ran from head to toe, a refreshing coolness that made my heart soar.

A certain death?!

In Taoism, the Old Celestial Master's accurate predictions have never been wrong.

He said you would die, and even the King of Hell wouldn't dare keep you alive until dawn.

This means that no matter how Zhang Xuan struggles, schemes, or forms alliances...

The ending can be summed up in just one word.

die?

"How...how is this possible?"

The eldest disciple's face was deathly pale, and his voice was trembling.

"Is Lin Xiao really that strong? Without even a single flaw? This doesn't make sense!"

Zhang Zhiwei did not answer directly.

His worldly-wise eyes, across the screen, fell upon the boy who had not yet appeared.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice filled with an indescribable complexity.

"Although the divination indicates great misfortune, there is still a faint glimmer of hope amidst the endless deathly aura."

The disciples' eyes lit up, as if they had found a lifeline.

"Where is the hope? Is it Nalan Qing's cooperation? Or does Junior Brother still have some trump card he hasn't used?"

Zhang Zhiwei stretched out his withered finger and pointed at the screen.

"The chances of survival do not lie in Xuan'er's methods."

"It's not due to that girl's mental power either."

"But it lies in..."

The old master paused, his tone deep and serious.

"That monster's decision in an instant."

……

The edge of the dark forest.

Zhang Xuan bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood directly onto the compass in his hand.

The bronze compass instantly turned blood red, spinning wildly and emitting a teeth-grinding buzz.

His face, usually etched with calculation, now revealed a resolute and tragic grandeur.

"Nalan! Did you hear that?! He'll definitely come looking for me! Come here quickly!"

Zhang Xuan roared hoarsely at the already folded paper crane, his voice cracking from extreme tension.

"I've gone all in! This is Longhu Mountain's most treasured secret technique!"

"This time, I'm betting everything! It's either him or me!"

The paper crane trembled slightly but did not respond, probably also intimidated by the overwhelming aura of impending doom.

At this moment.

In the real world, at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain.

The atmosphere in the once deathly silent hall suddenly reversed.

Hundreds of young Taoist priests watched the figure on the screen, covered in blood and exuding an imposing aura.

They were all so excited that their faces turned red, and some even had tears in their eyes.

"He's fired up! Junior brother's fired up!"

"This is the true spirit of Taoism! Timid and submissive in ordinary times, but striking with deadly force when it matters!"

"This is true survival of the fittest! Using oneself as bait to lure the enemy in, then risking one's life for another! Junior brother, you are a role model for us all!"

Even the eldest disciple, who had previously been despondent, clenched his fists, and a small flame of hope rekindled in his eyes.

"What a powerful 'Dragon-Trapping and Sky-Locking' formation! Once Lin Xiao steps into it, even if he's an iron-clad Arhat, he'll be skinned alive!"

"This time... the advantage is on my side!"

The oppressive atmosphere inside the main hall was completely dispelled.

He didn't show to the public that he didn't believe the old celestial master's divination, but rather he was unwilling to mention it.

Everyone knows that in terms of martial arts skill alone, none of the people in the Dark Forest can defeat Lin Xiao.

However, this Heavenly Thunder Dragon-Trapping Formation is a unique formation of Longhu Mountain.

Perhaps, that glimmer of hope might just be found here.

The old Celestial Master, seated on the throne, felt his eyelids twitching wildly, and the unease in his heart grew stronger.

……

Inside the Dark Forest.

Zhang Xuan was unaware of the outside world's reaction; at that moment, he had only one thought.

Lock Lin Xiao in a cage!

"Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows its power! Heavenly Thunder Dragon-Trapping Formation, activate!"

With a loud shout, seven talismans glowing with purple light were slammed into the frozen ground beneath his feet, arranged according to the Big Dipper constellation.

hum!

A semi-transparent golden light curtain shot into the sky, instantly forming a hemispherical barrier with a diameter of ten meters.

This barrier is not only indestructible, but it also isolates all internal and external energy.

"It's done!"

Zhang Xuan stood at the center of the formation, which was also the very edge of the map.

Looking at the perfect masterpiece before him, he couldn't help but laugh wildly.

"Hahahaha! Lin Xiao! So what if your physical body is strong? This Dragon-Trapping Formation is a two-way seal!"

"You may enter, but you may not leave! If you dare to charge in, I will detonate the earth's veins and perish together with you!!"

He had already planned everything.

Lin Xiao is a reckless man; if he sees me here, he will definitely charge forward without thinking.

As soon as he enters the formation, Nalan Qing's mental piercing will follow closely behind.

This is a sure-fire trap!

however.

Just as Zhang Xuan's momentum reached its peak, preparing to face his fateful duel...

Above the heavens, that cold, mechanical voice descended once more.

This time, it did not broadcast kill information.

Instead, with a detached indifference that had seen through the absurdity of the world, he announced a new rule.

[System Warning.]

[A natural disaster strikes.]

The current map will undergo forced "boundary shrinking".

Starting from the edge of the map, the safe zone gradually shrinks to 50%.

[Countdown: 3, 2, 1... Start!]

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuan froze on the spot.

It's not the fear of the shrinking circle that's causing the problem, but something else important.

He's right at the edge of the map...