FVN Chapter 150 First Test Before Boarding
Chapter 150 First Test Before Boarding
The review boat came to a stable stop.
The golden light outside the ship's side receded, transforming into three staircases. At the top of the staircases stood seven people dressed in white robes.
The one in the lead had a long face and cold eyes.
He held a scroll of bamboo slips in his hands, covered with densely packed runes. The runes glowed with a pale golden light, making one's eyes ache.
"Huaguo Mountain, Chen Fan and his group of five."
The man in white spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a hammer blow, striking right next to your ear.
"Before boarding, a medical examination will be conducted."
Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes.
Chen Fan pressed down on his arm.
"The rules," he said softly, "listen to the rules first."
The man in white robes unfolded the bamboo slips.
The runes on the bamboo slips flew up and arranged into three lines in mid-air.
First line: Disarming soldiers.
Second line: Seal the true core mark.
Third line: Submit a copy of the temporary access number.
Each line of text was glowing, and the light grew stronger and stronger, illuminating the wooden planks on the deck until they appeared white.
"These are the ironclad rules of the Seventh Assessment Tower," the man in the white robe said. "Those who violate them will be disqualified from the interview."
As soon as he finished speaking, the six people behind him stepped forward at the same time.
Everyone now had an extra bronze mirror in their hands.
Runes were engraved on the edge of the bronze mirror, but no human figure was reflected in its surface; only wisps of black mist were visible. The mist swirled and rolled in the mirror, appearing almost alive.
Pigsy touched the rake at his waist.
"Disarm?" He grinned. "I've had this rake for over a thousand years, and you think you can just take it away with a single word?"
The man in white didn't look at him.
His gaze was fixed solely on Chen Fan.
"You have three breaths," he said. "One."
"two."
Chen Fan raised his hand.
"serial number."
The man in the white robe frowned slightly.
"What?"
"I'll talk about the number." Chen Fan pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve. "The temporary access number for Flower Fruit Mountain was personally issued by the Seventh Assessment Tower. Does the number on the copy you have match?"
The man in white robes opened the bamboo slips.
At the end of the bamboo slip was a string of numbers.
Chen Fan unfolded the paper.
The paper was thin, but the runes on it were clearly visible. The serial number at the bottom was exactly the same as the numbers on the bamboo slips.
"Look for yourself," Chen Fan said. "The temporary access number copy needs to be presented in person with the original for verification. It's against the rules for you to use a copy to deduct from the original."
The man in white robes' expression changed.
The six people behind him simultaneously turned their bronze mirrors, all pointing them at Chen Fan.
The black mist churned even faster in the mirror.
"Have you checked the rules?" the man in the white robe asked.
"Nonsense," Chen Fan said calmly. "I followed the proper procedures. Every link in the system's registration chain is recorded. If you deduct my copy now, the system records won't match, and ultimately, your Seventh Evaluation Tower will be held accountable."
He paused.
"Or do you want the outer arbitrators to investigate this part?"
The man in the white robe fell silent.
The wind on the deck suddenly stopped.
Sun Wukong glanced at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan shook his head slightly at him.
"Let them fail once by following the rules," he said in a low voice. "It's not worth forcing your way in."
Sun Wukong snorted and loosened his fist.
"You decide."
The man in the white robe took a deep breath.
"Even if the dungeon doesn't deduct anything," he said, "you can't refuse to disarm and seal the True Core Mark."
"Weapons can be removed," Chen Fan said, "but only if they are the type of weapon used."
He pointed at Sun Wukong.
"He has to keep one stick."
He then pointed to Pigsy.
"He left the rake."
Finally, he pointed to himself.
"I don't carry weapons."
The man in white robes stared at him.
"On what grounds?"
"We're going through the review process, not the escort process," Chen Fan said. "Article Thirteen of the review boat's rules states: Candidates who pass the initial review may bring one limited weapon onto the boat. Do you want me to memorize that article?"
The white-robed man gripped the bamboo slip tightly with his fingers.
The bamboo slips made a creaking sound.
Three breaths passed.
He let go.
"Yes," he said, "but the eukaryotic imprint must be sealed."
Chen Fan did not refute.
"How do we seal it?"
The man in white robes raised his hand.
The six bronze mirrors lit up simultaneously. Black mist surged from the mirrors, transforming into six thin chains. The chains were very thin, as thin as spider silk. But each chain was engraved with dark red runes.
"Extend your hand," said the man in the white robe. "Your right hand."
Chen Fan reached out his hand first.
A thin chain wrapped around my wrist. It was cool, like ice water seeping into my bones. The true nucleus mark on the inside of my wrist, which had been faintly glowing, dimmed instantly as the chain tightened around it.
As the light dimmed, Chen Fan felt something inside his body being suppressed.
It doesn't hurt.
But it's very heavy.
It felt like a stone was pressing on my chest.
Sun Wukong stretched out his right hand.
The thin chain was wrapped around it. Before it was even tightened, the runes on the chain lit up. They were blindingly bright, as if something extraordinary had been encountered.
The white-robed man's expression changed for a moment.
"Do you have more than one eukaryote inside you?"
Sun Wukong grinned.
Three. Do you have a problem with that?
The man in white didn't speak. He bit his fingertip, dripping a drop of blood onto the thin chain. The chain vibrated, and the runes rearranged, changing from dark red to pale gold.
The chain tightens.
Two of the marks on Sun Wukong's wrist had disappeared. Only one remained, still faintly glowing.
"Only one can be kept," the man in the white robe said.
"That's enough," Sun Wukong said. "One is enough to deal with you all."
The man in the white robe did not respond.
He turned to Tang Sanzang.
Before Tang Sanzang could even extend his hand, the man in white spoke first.
"you."
He stared at Tang Sanzang. "Do you have Buddhist markings on you?"
Tang Sanzang put his palms together in prayer.
"Amitabha Buddha. This humble monk once..."
"Enough," the man in white interrupted him. "You don't need to seal it."
Tang Sanzang was taken aback.
Why?
"There's an outer annotation," the man in white said. "Your identity is special; the mark isn't among those that are sealed."
Chen Fan frowned.
He looked behind the man in white robes. Each of the six holders of the bronze mirrors took a half-step back. The black mist within the mirrors avoided Tang Sanzang's direction.
I dare not take his picture.
dare not.
The gray-robed sutra reader stood at the very edge. The white-robed man's gaze swept over and stopped.
"And you."
The gray-robed sutra reader raised his head.
"I?"
"You possess fragments of scriptures," the man in white said. "Something left behind by Yang Jian?"
The gray-robed scholar remained silent.
The man in white didn't press further. He glanced back at the bamboo slip, where another line of text had been added.
"The holder of the fragment of Yang Jian's Broken Tail is permitted to retain some permissions."
Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat.
Three people were called out individually.
Tang Sanzang. The gray-robed sutra reader. And the holder of the fragments of Yang Jian's broken-tailed sutra.
None of them are within the rules.
Why?
He didn't ask.
The man in white robes rolled up the bamboo slips.
"Keep three weapons. Seal the True Core Mark to the minimum. Return the temporary access number copy after comparing it with the original."
He turned around.
"Boat."
The six bronze mirrors simultaneously withdrew the black mist, clearing a path.
The stairs are still there.
But suddenly, a line of words lit up on the tower gate at the end of the stairs.
"Extemporary interrogation."
Chen Fan stopped in his tracks when he saw those four words.
"What do you mean?"
The man in white didn't turn around.
"Boarding the ship is just the beginning," he said. "Once you're in the tower, there will be impromptu interrogations. If you fail, your eligibility for an interview will be revoked on the spot."
He paused.
"Have you checked this rule?"
Chen Fan remained silent.
The tower gate opened.
It was pitch black inside; you couldn't see anything. The only sound you could hear was someone ringing a bell inside.
The bell tolled low and deep.
a bit.
Two times.
Three times.
Each step felt like a countdown.
Chen Fan took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs.
Four people followed behind him.
The tower gate slammed shut after the five people entered.
The bells stopped abruptly.
Instead, a hoarse voice came through.
"The first one," the voice said, "Chen Fan."
"Enter."
Chapter 422 The First Question on the Boat
The bells stopped ringing.
Chen Fan stood in the center of the cabin, the iron plate beneath his feet was icy cold.
Three high chairs, three people.
The one on the left wore a gray robe and had no expression on his face. The one in the middle wore an iron crown and tapped his fingers on the armrest. The one on the right was stout, and his robe was embroidered with the number of the Seventh Tower.
The man with the iron crown spoke first.
"Chen Fan".
He was holding a piece of paper in his hand.
"The Ninth Experimental Field Recycling Object."
The paper was thrown at Chen Fan's feet.
Do you accept this label?
There was a two-second silence inside the cabin.
Chen Fan looked down at the paper. It was covered in dense writing. The top line of numbers was the same string of numbers from the old archives of Huaguo Mountain.
He didn't pick it up.
"Recycling targets?" Chen Fan looked up. "Who's recycling whom?"
The man with the iron crown laughed.
"Quite the boast." He leaned forward. "Is Flower Fruit Mountain an out-of-control experimental field? Answer yes or no."
The moment those words were spoken, the air inside the cabin tightened.
The man in the gray robe frowned slightly. The fat pre-trial officer picked up his teacup and blew on it.
Chen Fan didn't answer immediately.
He pulled a stack of papers from his pocket.
The edges of the pages were worn and frayed. It was obvious that they had been flipped through countless times.
"Huaguo Mountain is currently numbered." He placed the paper on the middle table. "It was personally approved by the Archives Department of the Seventh Tower."
The man with the iron crown glanced at it.
"An independent audit chain from three years ago." Chen Fan displayed another sheet, "The audit team stayed in the mountains for half a month, checking all the accounts, military equipment, and personnel lists."
The fat pre-trial officer put down his teacup and leaned over to take a look.
"True Core Upgrade Record." Chen Fan laid out the third sheet of paper. "Verified personally by the outer layer inspector."
Three sheets of paper were placed side by side on the table.
Only the soft rustling of papers remained inside the cabin.
The man in the gray robe reached out and picked up the first piece of paper. He looked at it for a moment.
"The serial number is correct." His voice was calm. "The seal of the Archives Department cannot be forged."
The man with the iron crown's expression changed.
He stared at the three pieces of paper, his fingers no longer tapping the handrail.
"The recycling labels in the old files." Chen Fan looked at him. "Who wrote those? Why did they write them? Don't you guys know?"
The fat pre-trial officer coughed.
"Evidence is evidence." He put down his teacup. "We have a second question."
He pulled out a new document.
"Huaguo Mountain has expanded its military capabilities in the past five years." The document was opened, filled with densely packed data: "The number of demon soldiers has quadrupled. The number of war beasts has increased. The coverage area of the barrier has expanded."
He pushed the document toward the man with the iron crown.
"This scale is enormous." The fat man looked at Chen Fan. "You're not saying it's all for farming, are you?"
The man with the iron crown took over the conversation.
"There are rules in the outer order," he said. "If the military equipment at the testing range exceeds the warning line, it's considered a threat. You understand that rule."
Chen Fan smiled.
"I know the rules." He took a step to the side. "But your intelligence is wrong."
He glanced back at the direction of the cabin door.
"The Bull Demon King isn't on this boat." Chen Fan turned around. "Whether he came or not, you can find out."
The man with the iron crown's eyes subtly changed.
Chen Fan placed his hand on the edge of the table.
"He's not coming because he's afraid," he said, "it's because we need to guard the rear."
He pulled a scroll from his sleeve.
Unfold.
The top was covered with names.
"List of guardians of Flower Fruit Mountain," Chen Fan read aloud. "Seven Demon Kings. Twenty-four warriors. One hundred and twenty war beasts. Three groups of barrier masters."
With each word read aloud, the fat man's face darkened further.
"These troops weren't included in your intelligence, were they?"
Chen Fan slammed the reel onto the table.
"Huaguo Mountain is now fully staffed." He said, emphasizing each word. "Anyone who wants to give it a try is welcome."
After saying that...
There was silence in the cabin for three seconds.
The man in the iron crown stared at the list, saying nothing. The fat pre-trial officer picked up his teacup to drink, only to find it empty.
Just then.
The man in the gray robe stood up.
"Let me interject."
He took a booklet from his sleeve. The cover was printed with the coat of arms of the outer order.
"Article 73 of the Review Boat Regulations".
He opened the booklet and pointed to one of the lines.
"Preliminary hearings on board the ship must not presuppose charges before a formal verdict is delivered."
He pushed the booklet in front of the man with the iron crown.
"What you two just said," the gray-robed man looked at the man with the iron crown, "has been recorded."
The man with the iron crown twitched his face.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It means nothing." The gray-robed man returned to his seat. "Rules are rules."
The fat pre-trial officer suddenly stood up.
"The one who observes the scriptures," he lowered his voice, "are you here to judge, or to help him?"
The man in the gray robe raised his eyes.
"I'll follow the rules," he said. "If you two don't follow the rules, I can only remind you."
The fat man tried to say something, but was held down by the man with the iron crown.
"Alright." The man with the iron crown took a deep breath. "Then let's leave this question here for now."
He reached out to collect the documents on the table.
Chen Fan pressed down on the file.
"Wait a moment."
He stared at the man with the iron crown.
"And the conclusion to this question?"
The man with the iron crown frowned.
"The review process isn't over yet."
"That's what I'm asking about," Chen Fan said, pointing to his old file, "the labeling issue."
He picked up the piece of paper that indicated who was eligible for recycling.
"Who wrote this? And on what basis?" The voice wasn't loud, but every word was firmly spoken. "If we don't get this clear today, the judging process can't continue."
The gray-robed man spoke again.
"There's definitely a problem with the logic." He looked at the man in the iron crown. "If the experimental site number, audit chain, and eukaryotic upgrade are all compliant, then where did the recycling labels come from?"
He paused.
"If this problem isn't solved," the gray-robed man said, "the subsequent review process will be questioned for cheating."
The man with the iron crown's face darkened completely.
The fat pre-trial officer stood to one side, his hand on the edge of the table, without saying a word.
The cabin was silent for a full five seconds.
The man with the iron crown raised his head.
"This question," his voice hoarse, "will be put on hold for now. Record it in the preliminary hearing log."
Chen Fan picked up his pen.
"I'll write it down myself."
He wrote three lines in the notebook on the table.
"The first question in the preliminary review by the Review Boat. The Seventh Tower's pre-trial officer, without presenting a formal ruling, presumed Huaguo Mountain guilty based on the labeling of the targets of the repatriation."
Write it down.
Put down the pen.
The man with the iron crown stared intently at the three lines of text.
"What are you doing?"
"Did you remember it wrong?" Chen Fan turned the booklet over to show him. "There's a recording. You can check it."
The man in the gray robe nodded.
"His record is consistent with the facts."
The fat pre-trial investigator finally spoke.
"Okay." His voice was muffled. "First question. You passed."
Chen Fan ignored him.
He carefully collected the documents on the table, one by one: old files, audit chains, core upgrade records, and the list of those guarding the mountain. He took his time with each document.
The man with the iron crown watched his movements.
"Chen Fan," he said, "I've already asked him the first time. But don't get cocky."
He pulled out a new document.
The document cover is printed with an even older coat of arms.
"Second question," the man with the iron crown stared at Chen Fan, "residual contamination from the old pilgrimage route."
Chen Fan stopped putting the documents away.
"What do you mean?"
"The meaning is simple." The man with the iron crown opened the document. "Does your Flower Fruit Mountain have any people who left behind the old route for the pilgrimage to the West?"
He looked up.
"for example."
Turn to a specific page in the document.
There are three words written on it.
Tang Sanzang.
The bell inside the cabin suddenly rang again.
A sound.
It was so dull, it sounded like it was coming from underwater.
The man in the gray robe frowned slightly. The fat pre-trial officer returned to his seat and picked up his empty teacup.
Chen Fan looked at those three words on the document.
Someone was coughing outside the cabin door.
The sound was very soft.
But Chen Fan could tell that it was Tang Sanzang.
Chapter 423 Tang Sanzang Takes to the Table
The hatch opened.
Tang Sanzang stood at the door, his gray robe faded from washing, the cuffs frayed.
He stopped coughing.
The fat interrogator put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped softly on the wooden table. The man in the iron crown stopped flipping through the documents.
The gray-robed man's brows were still furrowed.
"Tang Sanzang," the pre-trial officer began, "the Buddhist monk registered as a pilgrim on the journey to the West. The reincarnation of Jin Chanzi. Is that right?"
Tang Sanzang entered the cabin.
The pace was slow.
He stopped in front of the long table and glanced at the document. His name was written on it, and below it was a Buddhist seal. It was red, like dried blood.
"It used to be," Tang Sanzang said.
The investigating officer tapped his fingers on the table.
"What does 'used to be' mean?"
"The literal meaning." Tang Sanzang raised his eyes. "I was once a pilgrim on a pilgrimage. I'm not anymore."
The man with the iron crown turned to the next page of the document.
"The records show that you were taken away by the forces of Huaguo Mountain at Liangjie Mountain," he read aloud. "The Buddhist sect reported it as illegal abduction."
"Report it?"
Tang Sanzang smiled.
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Who reported it?" he asked. "Guanyin? Tathagata? Or those Jiedi who were keeping an eye on me?"
The investigating officer did not respond.
Tang Sanzang put his hand inside his robe.
He took out a stack of papers.
The paper was yellowed, the edges were torn, and it was covered with dense writing. In some places, it had been soaked in water, and the ink had smudged.
He spread them out on the table one by one.
"These are the instructions left to me by the Buddhist sect," Tang Sanzang said. "They are for the Ninth Experimental Field."
The man with the iron crown looked down.
The gray-robed man also moved closer.
The first page.
"Node creatures can be sacrificed in exchange for increased efficiency in clearing levels."
Page 2.
"If there is resistance, proceed with the elimination process."
Page 3.
"Those on the pilgrimage must not question the source of the instructions."
At the bottom of each page are Buddhist symbols.
It's golden, like it's been branded on.
The cabin fell silent.
The recorder stood in the corner, the jade slip in his hand still glowing. He was recording every single word.
He can't stop.
They didn't dare stop.
The pre-trial officer stared at the papers.
"These instructions—"
"It's true," Tang Sanzang interrupted him. "You can verify it. There are remnants of Buddhist spiritual energy on it."
He paused.
"I served as a pilgrim for fourteen years."
The voice was not loud.
But every word felt like it was being slammed onto the table.
"We traveled 108,000 li. When we passed the Ninth Experimental Field, the Buddhist sect told me to leave it alone."
Tang Sanzang pointed to the third page.
"They say it's the rule."
"Those on the pilgrimage should not interfere in the affairs of the experimental field."
He looked up.
"What about those beings who died in the experimental field?"
The investigating officer remained silent.
The man in the iron crown picked up a page of instructions, his fingertips glowing. He was verifying it.
A flash of inspiration swept across the paper.
The Buddhist symbol has been revealed.
Really.
He put the paper back.
"It's on record," the man with the iron crown said.
The recorder's jade slip flashed.
Chen Fan stood beside Tang Sanzang without saying a word. He knew the weight of this stack of papers.
They dug it out of the ruins of the Ninth Experimental Site three months ago.
Buried three feet deep under the ashes.
Tang Sanzang dug it up himself.
My fingernails were all broken off.
The man in the gray robe spoke.
"Tang Sanzang," he said, "are you now denying your past identity as a pilgrim on the journey to the West, trying to completely sever ties with Buddhism?"
"It's not that I want to," Tang Sanzang said, "it's that I've already broken free."
He looked at the man in the gray robe.
"I was no longer a pilgrim from the day I left Liangjie Mountain."
"I chose it."
The gray-robed man remained silent for a moment.
The investigating officer picked up his teacup, then put it down again.
"You know what this means," he said. "Denial of the old pilgrimage identity is tantamount to denying the Buddhist pilgrimage plan of that time."
"I know."
"The Buddhist community will hold those responsible accountable."
"Let them do it."
Tang Sanzang's voice was very steady.
"I'll be waiting."
The cabin fell silent again.
The recorder's jade slip kept flashing.
Sun Wukong leaned against the cabin wall and remained silent.
He spoke up at this moment.
"I say, since we're going to examine the old pilgrimage route," he grinned, "let's examine the Buddhist sect's forgery first at the Seventh Tower."
The man with the iron crown raised his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Those instructions," Sun Wukong pointed to the table, "were left behind by the Buddhist sect themselves. They say that node beings can be sacrificed."
He paused.
"According to the rules, who should be investigated?"
The gray-robed man frowned even more deeply.
The investigating officer stood up.
"That's it for the second question," he said.
The man with the iron crown closed the file.
"Confirm termination?"
"Confirmed," the pre-trial officer said. "Send them to the main trial area in Tower Seven."
The recorder put away the jade slip.
The hatch opened.
It wasn't the door they came in through.
It's another one.
There are no steps outside the door.
It is a passageway.
At the end of the passage, there is light.
Chen Fan glanced at Tang Seng.
Tang Sanzang was folding up the instructions and putting them into his robes.
The movements were very careful.
It looked like they were storing something important.
"Let's go," Chen Fan said.
Five people passed through the hatch.
Walk onto the passageway.
The sides of the passage are transparent.
You can see outside.
The black sea was churning.
There were no waves.
But the water surface was moving.
It looks like there's something down there.
The review boat began to accelerate.
Break through the boundary.
Then Chen Fan saw it.
front.
A dark mass of buildings.
The Seventh Assessment Tower.
It's bigger than the previous six.
The tower appears to be cast in iron.
The tower gate was tightly closed.
There are words engraved on the door.
The handwriting was initially very blurry.
The closer the review boat got, the clearer the words became.
Eight characters.
"Losers are not allowed to continue writing."
A row of people stood below the tower gate.
They were all wearing black robes.
His face was hidden inside the hood.
The judging boat stopped.
The hatch opened.
The interrogator's voice came from behind.
"Disembark."
Chen Fan stepped out of the cabin.
My feet were on the stone slabs in front of the tower.
It's cold.
The tower gates began to open.
Slowly.
Heavy.
It looks like it hasn't been driven in a long time.
Light shone through the crack in the door.
It's not white.
It is gray.
Sun Wukong stood beside him.
"Something's wrong with this tower," he said.
Chen Fan remained silent.
He looked at the words on the tower gate.
Those eight words were also watching him.
#Chapter 424 The word "Tower Gate" has been changed
The tower gate was ajar.
Gray light leaked out from inside.
Chen Fan stood in front of the door, without moving.
The words on the plaque on the door are moving.
It wasn't blown by the wind.
The character "是" was changed by the user.
The four characters “No continuation” seem to come alive, their strokes twisting and rearranging.
It changed back to eight characters.
But this time the order has changed.
Everyone present saw it.
Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes.
"This word is staring at you."
indeed.
Chen Fan took a step forward. The characters on the plaque shifted slightly to the left.
Take a step back. The character will then shift to the right.
It looks like it's adjusting the angle.
To see it clearly.
Pigsy muttered from behind, "This isn't a door plaque, you idiot."
"It's eyes."
Sha Wujing pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't make a sound."
A flash of gray light suddenly appeared through the crack in the door.
All eight characters stopped.
Freeze it down to one sentence—
"Those deemed failures are not permitted to continue writing."
Chen Fan looked at this line of text.
Fear wasn't what flashed through my mind.
It's a sense of familiarity.
This thing is being read.
Read his records.
What failures has he experienced? What hurdle has he failed to overcome? Who has died in front of him?
They all became labels.
Be ready to stick it on his forehead at any time.
"It's summarizing for you," Sun Wukong said. "Like writing a verdict."
Chen Fan did not respond.
He pulled a tattered page from his sleeve.
The handwriting of Yang Jian with the broken tail.
He had read the above content several times. There was a section specifically mentioning a similar mechanism.
"When the old Heavenly Court interrogated prisoners of war, they first determined their character. If you were a defeated soldier, they would label you a defeated general. If you were a traitor, they would brand you with the mark of a rebel. Once you were labeled, no matter how you were interrogated, it would always be your fault."
There is another line of smaller text below.
"After the Seventh Tower took over, it changed the gate plaque inspection."
"Even more ruthless."
Chen Fan folded the torn page neatly.
Tuck it back into your sleeve.
The characters on the plaque on the door began to change color.
It changed from gray to light red.
Pigsy swallowed.
"Are they waiting for us to go up first?"
No one answered.
A sound came from inside the door.
It wasn't the sound of bells.
It was the sound of turning pages.
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
Every page is being turned.
Then close it.
It's like checking archives.
The man in the grey robe disembarked from the boat and stood beside the stone slab. He did not approach the tower gate, but only watched from a distance.
"The goalkeepers are waiting for you."
He paused.
"Go up and touch the door. If you're qualified, you can go in. If not, go back."
Pigsy was grinding his teeth.
"A single touch determines life or death?"
"It's not about determining life or death," the gray-robed man said. "It's about determining eligibility."
"Those who are qualified can continue writing. Those who are not qualified will have all their previous drafts discarded."
Chen Fan turned his head.
"Whose rules?"
The man in the gray robe did not speak.
But the plaque spoke first.
The words have changed again.
"Review".
Just two words.
Chen Fan took a step forward.
The color on the plaque immediately deepened.
The light red turned into a dark red.
It looks like the color of dried blood.
"Chen Fan from Flower Fruit Mountain," a voice came from inside the door. "The first one."
The door was opened a little wider.
The gray light turned into black mist.
They poured out from under the door.
It won't end.
They were just piled up at the entrance.
Chen Fan did not reach out.
"I won't get tested."
The black fog paused for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"The prerequisite for being qualified is that someone has to examine me," Chen Fan said. "But this tower is not qualified to examine me."
His voice wasn't loud.
But every word is solid.
"I am the main body of the experimental field, not an author on your list."
The characters on the plaque on the door began to tremble.
The strokes are broken down.
They were put back together.
three times in a row.
It couldn't find the right words to describe Chen Fan.
The voices inside the door fell silent.
There was a moment of silence.
Tang Sanzang's cough came from behind him.
It's very light.
twice.
"The strategist is right," Tang Sanzang said. "The conclusion of the Flower Fruit Mountain review is as valuable as the evaluation of a pagoda."
He pulled a stack of papers out of his sleeve.
It was the conclusion page that Chen Fan had compiled at Huaguo Mountain.
This is not the original manuscript.
It's a copy.
The paper is very thin.
But every line of text above is clearly visible.
Chen Fan took it.
Lay the paper flat.
Then he slapped the plaque on the door.
The paper was not pasted.
It wasn't nailed on.
Simply by using the force of your palm to press down on the stone surface.
The characters on the plaque on the door shook violently.
The word "loser" was the first to shatter.
It wasn't a shredded piece of paper.
The character itself is cracked.
The strokes crumbled into dust.
It fell onto the stone slab.
Silently.
They still wanted to keep the remaining five words in check.
But the "loser" spot is empty.
The balance of the whole sentence is broken.
The four characters “No continuation allowed” began to tilt.
The strokes trembled erratically.
Pigsy grinned from behind.
"It's cracked."
Sha Wujing pressed down on the hilt of the knife.
"It's not over yet."
The ash on the door plaque peeled off layer by layer.
The underlying stone surface is exposed.
There are words on the stone.
It's not the writing on the plaque.
It's old.
Carved on stone.
Very deep.
"Seventh Tower, War Merit Assessment Office."
Chen Fan looked at the line of text.
"Old name."
The sound from inside the door came again.
This time it's different.
That wasn't the voice of the judges.
It's a system.
A cold, impersonal notification sound.
"A subject qualification application has been detected."
"Verification in progress".
"The Huaguoshan conclusion page was detected."
"The first line of defense is open."
"Please all those present proceed to the first floor."
The door was opened completely.
Black mist surged out.
But this time it didn't stop at the door.
Instead, it scattered into one road.
It leads inside.
Chen Fan saw the scene inside.
It's not the courtroom.
There are no seats available.
There is no high platform.
There were only piles of tattered scrolls.
They were stacked higher than a person.
The paper is yellowed.
Some of them have been burned.
Some of them were stained with dark-colored dirt.
The black mist swirled among these tattered scrolls.
It looked like they were searching for something.
It's as if it's waiting for someone.
Sun Wukong stood next to Chen Fan.
His eyes were fixed on the tattered scrolls.
His facial expression tightened.
"I've seen this floor before."
Pigsy turned his head.
"Brother Monkey, have you been here before?"
"I've never been here before," Sun Wukong said, "but I've seen similar places."
He paused.
"In Laozi's alchemy room, there is a floor where they are piled up like this."
"What's piled up isn't a prescription."
"It's a failed recipe."
Chen Fan didn't ask him where he had seen him before.
He only looked at the piles of tattered scrolls.
Each stack had a label on it.
He can see the nearest area clearly.
It says--
"Huaguo Mountain failed the second review."
Tang Sanzang coughed.
The sound echoed in this space.
It's very empty.
Suddenly, all the piles of tattered scrolls turned to a new page at the same time.
The sounds of pages turning overlapped.
It looked like hundreds of hands were turning the pages of the manuscript.
In the black mist behind those piles.
Something stood up.
Chapter 425 Entering the Draft Layer First
The tower gate closed behind them.
That's not a normal closing sound. It's the sound of paper closing.
Chen Fan looked up.
This is not the tower floor.
It is a passageway.
Remaining scrolls were piled up on both sides. They were piled up to the top, leaving only a narrow gap in the middle.
The gray-robed sutra reader stood at the entrance of the passage, holding a bronze plaque in his hand.
"The formal review rules are in turmoil." He flipped the bronze medal over. "We're temporarily switching to the scrapped drafts section as a transition."
Sun Wukong glanced at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan didn't move.
"Rule vibration?" Tang Sanzang spoke first. "The rules inside the tower can vibrate too?"
The gray-robed sutra reader did not answer. He hung the bronze plaque on the hook at the entrance of the passage and turned to walk inside.
"Stay close."
The passage is very long.
The further you go in, the higher the pile of tattered scrolls becomes.
The exam papers were all open. The pages were yellowed. Some were torn at the corners. Some were only half a page left.
Chen Fan glanced at the nearest stack.
It says--
"Liu Shahe's third tribulation attempt failed and is nullified."
Further on.
"Gao Village, the love tribulation line has broken, retrieve it."
"The Five Elements Mountain was forcibly broken before the suppression period was over, so it is now abandoned."
Chen Fan stopped in his tracks.
The ink was still seeping into the paper from the third line of text.
It wasn't done.
Sun Wukong saw it too.
"This was just written," he said.
The gray-robed scholar turned around.
"Don't stop," he said. "The discard pile doesn't care."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the pile of tattered scrolls on the left side of the passage suddenly collapsed.
The pages flew up.
Hundreds of pages of the tattered scroll were turned over in the air.
Words are falling off every page.
Black mist seeped out from the gaps between the pages.
Chen Fan took a step back.
The black mist solidified upon landing.
It's not a monster.
are people.
They all have Chen Fan's face.
---
A humanoid figure formed from black mist stood amidst the pile of tattered scrolls.
There are seven in total.
They were dressed differently. Their expressions were different. But their facial features were exactly the same as Chen Fan's.
The one at the very front was wearing a tattered kasaya and clutching half a monk's staff in his hand.
The one on the left is covered in blood, and his right arm is severed at the root.
The one behind was kneeling on the ground, covering his face with his hands.
Sun Wukong drew his golden cudgel.
"What is this?"
"Failed projection." Tang Sanzang stared at those things. "A failed version recycled from the scrap layer."
He paused.
"These must all be you."
Chen Fan looked at the seven "selves".
The one in the tattered robe suddenly looked up.
It opened its mouth.
The sound was squeezed out from deep in the throat.
"Don't go into the tower."
Three words.
It shattered as soon as I finished speaking.
It shattered into ashes on the ground.
The remaining six all looked at Chen Fan.
Their eyes are empty.
Only black mist was bubbling out of his eyes.
The gray-robed sutra reader stood at the end of the passageway.
"The scrapped text failed to be retrieved," he said. "None of your seven versions passed the review."
"Seven?"
"There are six left now." The gray-robed sutra reader raised his hand. "There are more than these stored in the tower."
He pointed to both sides.
The pile of tattered scrolls began to turn.
Chen Fan's name was written on every page.
"The strategist of Huaguo Mountain failed his first tribulation."
"Chen Fan, the Journey to the West route has collapsed and is now invalid."
"Huaguo Mountain, its fifth attempt to rebel against Heaven has failed; it is now being taken back."
"Chen Fan, your number is invalid."
"Number invalidated".
"Invalid."
The name fades more and more with each stroke.
The top page only has half of the character "陈" left.
Chen Fan raised his hand.
The number on the back of my hand is fading.
The number "23" looks like ink that has been soaked in water, with the edges starting to blur.
Sun Wukong also raised his hand.
The same thing happened on the back of his hand.
The number is disappearing.
"What will happen if this thing is gone?" Sun Wukong asked.
The gray-robed sutra reader did not answer.
Tang Sanzang answered for him.
"The number is invalidated, so the person has never entered the tower." He coughed. "Those who don't exist in the tower will remain on this floor forever."
---
Suddenly, a bell rang out from the black fog.
The same as what I heard outside the tower.
Three times.
Each blow landed squarely on the number.
The number "23" on the back of Chen Fan's hand has faded even further.
The remaining six projections moved forward simultaneously.
Their footsteps tread on the pages.
No sound.
The only sound was the turning of pages.
The tattered robe was already torn.
The remaining six began to count off.
"Chen Fan, thirty-fourth failure."
"Chen Fan, your fifty-first failure."
"Chen Fan, seventy-second failure."
The sounds overlapped.
It was like an echo seeping from the pages of paper.
The serial number has faded again.
Chen Fan felt a chill on the back of his hand.
It's not cold.
It's that feeling of something being pulled away.
Sun Wukong swung his golden cudgel.
"Smash this floor."
"No," Chen Fan pressed him down, "Smashing it won't do any good."
He pointed to the projections.
"Didn't you hear what they said? A failed version."
"The more we smash it, the more it proves we've failed."
Tang Sanzang squatted down.
He picked up a tattered page.
Yellowed paper.
It was covered with scriptures.
But it is not a Buddhist scripture.
It's written backwards.
Tang Sanzang recited a sentence.
The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding piles of tattered scrolls were all overturned.
All the pages began to echo.
It's not an echo.
It is the trace of the same scripture being recited many times.
Ink stains began to appear on the paper.
One layer on top of another.
They all wrote the same sentence.
"The Buddhist pilgrimage route has failed its seventh attempt at resetting."
Tang Sanzang put down the tattered page.
"The Buddhist community has buried many failed versions of the pilgrimage to the West here."
He looked up at Chen Fan.
"The plan to turn me against them has been meticulously planned many times over."
Chen Fan remained silent.
He looked towards the end of the passage.
The place where the black fog is thickest.
There's something standing there.
It's square.
It is a monument.
---
There are inscriptions on the stele.
first row.
"Liu Yuan's Temporary Disposal Order".
These six characters were carved in.
The cracks in the stone tablet spread outwards along the strokes.
Chen Fan approached.
Fragments of scrolls were piled up beneath the stele.
Everything is new.
The ink wasn't dry yet.
The top page says—
"Chen Fan, the third draft of the plan for handling discarded drafts."
Turn to the second page.
"The disposal stamp is effective, the serial number is invalidated, and this layer will remain permanently."
Page 3.
"Executor: Liu Yuan".
Chen Fan reached out to touch the monument.
My fingers just touched the surface of the monument.
The monument is lit up.
It doesn't emit light.
The word "Yes" lit up.
The six characters "Liu Yuan's Temporary Disposal Seal" were burned.
The firelight was not red.
It is gray.
The gray light shone on those tattered scrolls.
All the pages with Chen Fan's name on them stood up at the same time.
Black mist surged from beneath the monument.
It's ten times more concentrated than before.
It began to condense in the fog.
One.
two.
ten.
Fifty.
Chen Fan stepped back.
Those condensed forms all had his face on them.
The entire discarded draft layer began generating failed versions in batches.
The voice of the gray-robed sutra reader came from the entrance of the passage.
"The ruling marker is lit up; this floor is now officially in effect for the execution of the judgment."
He paused.
"Your failed versions will be generated indefinitely until the number becomes completely invalid."
Sun Wukong stood in front of Chen Fan.
The golden cudgel was held horizontally in front of him.
"Then let's smash the monument before it's rendered useless."
Chen Fan stared at the generated projections.
They were all watching him.
Fifty failed versions.
Fifty ways to die.
Fifty roads that were never traveled.
The characters on the stele became brighter the more they were burned.
The gray light made everyone's faces appear pale.
The number on the back of Chen Fan's hand was now just a faint shadow.
He clenched his fists.
The knuckles are digging into the back of my hand.
It's pressing against that number that's about to disappear.
The bells began to ring again beneath the monument.
This time it wasn't three strokes.
It kept ringing.
It sounds like someone is ringing a bell at the top of the tower.
The sound came down from above.
Pour in the discarded draft layer.
It was poured into the mouths of those failed projections.
Fifty "Chen Fans" opened their mouths simultaneously.
The voices were in unison.
"Don't--"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Another voice came from the end of the passage.
It's very light.
It was the sound of shackles dragging on the ground.
Chapter 426 Failed Version of the Encirclement
Those "Chen Fans" emerged from the black mist.
Exactly the same face.
The same clothes.
But each one is different.
The one at the very front has a limp in his right leg.
Below the knees, there's nothing left.
Bone fragments were exposed.
He dragged his broken leg over.
Every step taken.
A trail of blood was left on the ground.
"You'll be the same," he said. "When the Heavenly Court takes you back, they'll start by dismantling your legs."
Chen Fan didn't move.
The second "Chen Fan" appeared from the side.
The man is kneeling.
Two iron spikes were driven into his knee.
The fortune stick is engraved with Buddhist characters in gold.
"Surrender is also a way of life." Chen Fan, who was kneeling, raised his head. "I surrendered. And then they let me live for three hundred years. I copied the Diamond Sutra once a day."
He had just finished speaking.
The third "Chen Fan" fell directly from above.
It fell to the ground.
Most of his bones were broken.
But he was still smiling.
His mouth stretched from ear to ear.
"I died," he said. "After I died, they pieced me back together. They made me die again. I died a total of 1,372 times."
The laughter didn't stop.
The fourth "Chen Fan" stood in the distance.
He had his back to everyone.
He slowly turned around.
The left half of his face is Chen Fan.
The right half of his face looks like a monkey's.
"I betrayed them," he said. "I sold Flower Fruit Mountain. In exchange, I gained my life. Now I'm the watchdog of the Victorious Fighting Buddha."
Fifty "Chen Fans" surrounded him.
Everyone was talking.
Everyone is talking about their own ending.
The lame man said he was dismantled into parts.
The kneeling monk said he copied scriptures until he went blind.
They were so devastated by the shattered pieces that they became numb with death.
The man with half a monkey face said that the life he gained through betrayal was worse than that of a dog.
The sounds overlapped.
It sounded like hundreds of people were reading an obituary at the same time.
Sun Wukong swung his staff down.
The first three "Chen Fan" characters exploded.
Debris flew everywhere.
black.
It's not blood.
The fragments fell to the ground.
Reassemble immediately.
The three "Chen Fans" stood up again.
This time, they had cracks on their bodies.
But the voice became even louder.
"It's no use," the lame man shouted. "You can't break failure. Failure is inevitable."
The monkey struck three more times with its club.
Eleven were broken.
They pieced together eleven.
Smash it again.
Let's try again.
The more you work, the more you earn.
The black mist on the ground surged each time.
A new figure emerged from the black fog.
This time it's not just "Chen Fan".
There is also "Nezha".
Nezha, his body riddled with broken swords.
There is also "Yang Jian".
Yang Jian, whose Heavenly Eye was removed.
There is also the "Bull Demon King".
The Bull Demon King, whose head had been cut off and was now holding it in his hand.
Each one is a failed version.
They were all repeating the same sentence.
"You'll all be like that."
Sun Wukong gripped his golden cudgel tightly.
The runes on the stick lit up.
He slammed his foot into the ground.
The entire floor shook.
Those failed versions are unstable.
He fell down but got back up.
Get up and continue approaching.
"This thing is wrong," said the monkey. "It can't be killed."
Chen Fan kept staring at his own faces.
Every "Chen Fan" has lips moving.
The content they said was different.
However, there are overlapping parts in the mouth shape.
He counted them.
Thirteen characters.
All the failed versions repeat the same thirteen words.
"Obtaining the power to adjudicate means you can live."
No.
That's not the sentence.
He counted it again.
Those thirteen words are—
"The cause of death was not obtaining the power to adjudicate."
Chen Fan suddenly turned his head.
"Gray robe."
The gray-robed sutra reader emerged from the edge of the black mist.
He was holding the scripture in his hands.
The scripture is turned to a certain page.
"You noticed?" the gray-robed man asked.
"It's not that they failed," Chen Fan said, pointing to himself. "We gave them the result first, and then let them work towards that result."
The man in the gray robe nodded.
"The underlying logic of the 'rejected draft' layer." He turned to another page of the scripture. "It's not about review. It's about definition."
"Define your failure first."
"Let's deduce how you failed."
"These are the derivations."
He waved his hand over the fifty "Chen Fans".
"Each version is derived from deduction."
"Your legs will be torn off first."
"Your knees will be pierced by nails."
"You will die 1,372 times."
"You will become a dog that is half-monkey and half-human."
"All of these."
The gray-robed man closed the scripture.
"All are based on the same judgment—the power of adjudication was not revoked."
The voice just fell.
The bell beneath the monument rang out loudly.
This time it wasn't poured down from above.
It emerged from underground.
The sound of bells was shrouded in golden Sanskrit.
Every Sanskrit word repeats those thirteen words.
"The failure to seize the right to make a ruling is a death sentence."
The Sanskrit characters fell to the ground.
A stone tablet grew out of the ground.
There are words engraved on the stone tablet.
The inscription is the verdict for each failed version.
The sign at Chen Fan's feet read—
"The lame one: refused to be taken back during the ninth negotiation. His legs will be removed first. His torso will remain. He will submit in three days."
Each character gleamed with golden light.
The golden light contains the power of Buddha.
The Buddha's power pressed down.
The number on the back of Chen Fan's hand suddenly lit up.
Tang Sanzang walked up from behind.
He coughed.
The cough interrupted several beams of golden light.
"This humble monk has seen these before," Tang Sanzang said, looking at the stone tablets. "The Karma Tablet of the Great Thunderclap Temple. The Buddha wrote the judgment. Once it was written, it was predetermined."
"But that's not how it's used."
Tang Sanzang took out the scroll of scriptures that he was reciting in reverse from his sleeve.
The scripture is opened.
Read it backwards.
The first sentence was uttered.
Several "Chen Fan" figures stopped.
It wasn't stopped by a crackdown.
It's like someone pressed the pause button.
The one with half a monkey face stood frozen in place.
His mouth was still open.
But it couldn't make a sound.
"A template for Buddhist failure," Tang Sanzang continued reciting, "using the Buddhist law of cause and effect. Reversing the recitation can interfere."
More "Chen Fan" stopped.
But the old ones are still leaving.
Those are not failures as defined by Buddhism.
It was defined by the Heavenly Court.
Chen Fan turned around.
"Yang Jian".
The fragmented and incomplete manuscript of the Yang family's work flew out from Yang Jian's sleeve.
The fragment unfolds.
The above are the Heavenly Court's laws from the time of the Investiture of the Gods.
Yang Jian bit his finger.
A talisman was written on the last page of the fragment.
Fu Cheng.
"This is the Heavenly Court's interface," Yang Jian said. "Sever it. Those failed versions defined by the Heavenly Court will lose their source of judgment."
Fu flew out.
Burning in the air.
The firelight illuminated the entire layer of discarded drafts.
The light fell on the monument.
The monument shook.
The characters on the stele began to peel off.
Those failed versions defined by the Heavenly Court—
Lame.
Disassembled.
He died more than a thousand times.
Their movements were too slow.
The crack is widening.
The fragments fell downwards.
This time, they were not reassembled.
Chen Fan walked forward.
Passing through those parts of myself that are collapsing.
Each version of himself is watching him.
The look in their eyes is different.
Some were envious.
Some hate.
Some are hollow.
The one with half a monkey face suddenly reached out and grabbed him.
"Can you really win?" he asked.
Chen Fan looked at that face.
My own face.
Half of it was eroded by monkey fur.
"I haven't lost yet," Chen Fan said.
He continued walking forward.
Delve deeper into those failed versions.
The black mist dissipated.
A piece of paper lay on the ground.
The paper is very big.
It covered the entire ground.
The words on the paper were written with cinnabar.
It is written as follows:
"The Ninth Experimental Field should be permanently reclaimed."
There is a signature below.
two.
One is the Buddhist swastika symbol.
One is the Jade Seal of Heaven.
The edges of the paper are burning.
Fire is gray.
Chen Fan squatted down.
My hand rested on that page of paper.
The paper suddenly flipped.
The back is exposed.
The back was covered with tiny writing.
They all mean the same thing.
Written in different handwritings—
"Chen Fan should be recalled."
"Chen Fan must fail."
"No cases of revocation of adjudicative power shall be allowed in this court."
"If it is close to success, destroy the experimental site immediately."
The ink on the last line was still wet.
It is written as follows:
"The 426th encirclement and attack has begun."
Chen Fan raised his head.
In the black fog overhead.
It has one eye.
They opened their eyes.
Chapter 427 Original Conclusion Page
Chen Fan stood up from the ground.
The number mark on the back of my hand has completely disappeared.
The eye on the top of his head was closed in a slit.
The black fog began to contract.
Fifty failed projections stood still, mouths agape, but their voices had stopped.
The sound of shackles grew closer at the end of the passage.
Liu Yuan emerged from the fog.
He was holding a scroll in his hand.
The scroll was covered by a gray cover with three words printed on it: "Conclusion Page".
He unrolled the scroll.
It was covered with small print.
Each line has a timestamp.
The earliest timestamp was before the Huaguoshan upgrade number was released.
Chen Fan saw it.
three days ago.
Liu Yuan said, "This is the original conclusion."
He flipped the reel over.
There is also a line of red text printed on the back.
"This ruling is rejected. The preliminary ruling is in effect."
Chen Fan remained silent.
Sun Wukong's staff was pressed against the ground.
The end of the stick got stuck in the crack of the stone slab.
Liu Yuan placed the scroll on the platform in front of the judgment stele.
The monument began to glow.
Gray light seeped from the surface of the monument, illuminating the conclusion page.
"The old conclusion is a veto," Liu Yuan said. "You—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
The discarded drafts layer suddenly trembled.
At the same time, those piles of tattered scrolls turned to a new page.
The paper rustled and trembled.
Liu Yuan frowned.
He looked down at the original conclusion page on the table.
The words on the paper began to blur.
It's like ink flowing backwards.
Chen Fan pulled a stack of papers out of his pocket.
The same heading was printed on the paper.
Same format.
But the timestamps are different.
That record was generated after entering the seventh tower in Flower Fruit Mountain.
He pressed the paper onto the table.
The two conclusions were placed side by side.
The old one is starting to crumble.
The corner of the paper was rolled up, as if it had been burned, but no smoke was coming out.
Liu Yuan reached out to grab it.
My hand just touched the paper.
A crack appeared in the ceiling of the draft floor.
It's not that the stone cracked.
The light has cracked.
The gray light fell like shards of glass.
It made no sound when it hit the ground.
But with each ray of light that falls, another hole appears in the old conclusion page.
Liu Yuan's hand froze in mid-air.
More and more holes appeared.
Ink seeped out of the hole.
It's not black.
It is red.
Chen Fan said, "This is called concluding page offsetting."
He pointed to his own conclusion.
"Outer layer record".
He pointed to the old one.
"Inner layer pre-cutting".
"The two conclusions conflict with each other, and the rules for the discarded drafts are starting to malfunction."
The voice just fell.
All scrap pages in the discard pile simultaneously stop turning.
The pages of paper remained suspended in mid-air.
It felt like I was frozen in place.
Liu Yuan's expression changed.
It's not anger.
It was astonishment.
He took a step back.
My feet landed on the fallen gray light sheet.
The light shard is broken.
It breaks down into smaller particles.
The particles floated up.
Forming a line of words in the air.
The words flashed with white light.
Every word was engraved very deeply.
"An external audit has been initiated."
The entire Seventh Tower began to shake.
Not intense.
But it's very stable.
It looked as if something much larger was pressing down on the tower.
Sun Wukong turned his staff sideways.
"Someone is watching us."
Chen Fan looked up.
The crack in the ceiling is still widening.
The other side of the crack is not the next level of the tower.
It was a white curtain of light.
The screen was filled with a dense array of records.
Each one has a number.
Each number is jumping.
Liu Yuan's voice changed.
"How come you have an outer conclusion page?"
Chen Fan said, "You gave it to me yourself."
Liu Yuan was stunned.
Chen Fan pointed to the fragments on the ground.
Those fragments that sprang from the old conclusion page.
Each piece is stamped with a timestamp.
three days ago.
"You signed the conclusion three days ago," Chen Fan said.
"At that time, Huaguo Mountain had not yet entered the Seventh Tower."
"You've prejudicially convicted."
"This is called malicious pre-judgment."
The pile of discarded manuscripts suddenly exploded.
Papers were flying everywhere.
The same red text was printed on the back of each sheet of paper.
"The preliminary ruling is in effect."
The papers fell to the ground.
They were stacked into a thick pile.
Turn the top page of the pile of papers.
It says--
"Person in charge: Liu Yuan. Preliminary ruling number: Seventh Tower-1999."
Liu Yuan lunged forward, intending to tear the paper.
My hand just touched the paper.
The outer light curtain suddenly shone down.
A white beam of light struck the table directly.
Cover both conclusion pages with the cover.
The old conclusion page began to burn.
It's not a red flame.
It is gray.
The fire spread very quickly.
The paper was rolled into ashes.
The dust rose up.
Forming new words in the air.
"The audit chain is now in place."
"Preliminary Evidence No. 011".
The countertop suddenly lit up.
The judgment tablet split in the middle.
It wasn't a natural crack.
It was smashed open from the inside by something.
Sun Wukong stabbed his staff into the crack.
The stick was lifted upwards.
The outer shell of the monument crumbled and flew off.
The inner core is exposed.
There is a mark engraved on the inner core.
The inscription reads: "Seventh Tower Authority".
But there was a line of small print at the bottom.
"Altered".
The three characters look like they were carved with a knife.
Each stroke was inserted into the stone tablet.
Liu Yuan's face turned completely pale.
He took two steps back.
His shoulder bumped into the pile of tattered documents.
The pile of tattered scrolls did not collapse.
Instead, it approached like a living creature.
The sheets of paper wrapped around his back.
Push him forward.
The shadow of the discarded draft layer was released.
Proceed into the outer light column.
The beam of light shone on Liu Yuan.
His black robe began to smoke.
It wasn't smoke from a fire.
It's the smoke from the evaporation of data.
The smoke rose.
It was sucked away by the crack in the ceiling.
A sound came from the other side of the crack.
Very heavy.
It looks like many people are turning the page at the same time.
They're all looking at the same ledger.
The discarded draft layer began to shrink.
All the tattered scrolls, failed projections, gray light curtains.
Including that closed eye.
They're all shrinking back.
Shrink into a small dot.
The small dot hovered in front of Chen Fan.
It started to get hot.
The heat rushed into his arm.
Suddenly, a line of words appeared in my palm.
The words were etched on the surface of the skin.
It's not a serial number.
It consists of four words: "Preparatory Material Library".
The system's voice sounded simultaneously.
[The source of the discarded draft layer has been detected.]
The rule chain at this layer is broken.
The residual energy is being transferred to the host.
Should the discarded drafts layer be rewritten as a "prepared resource library"?
Chen Fan looked at the four words on his palm.
The words are burning hot.
My knuckles are numb from the heat.
Sun Wukong stood to the side.
The stick is still stuck in the crack of the judgment monument.
He looked at the discarded manuscript layer that had shrunk to a tiny dot.
"Should we accept it or not?"
Chen Fan did not answer.
He looked at Liu Yuan.
Liu Yuan's black robe had been burned off.
The gray robe underneath was revealed.
A number was printed on the chest of the gray robe.
"1999".
The numbers began to fade.
It flowed down my chest.
It flowed onto the ground.
It seeped into the cracks in the stone slabs.
The stone slab shattered.
There is no foundation underneath.
It is a passageway.
The passageway was filled with gray light.
There are people standing in the light.
They were all wearing the judges' black robes.
But they have no eyes on their faces.
Only a mouth.
All those mouths opened at the same time.
The voices were in unison.
"The outer audit has focused on Tower Seven."
"The preliminary ruling record will be made public."
"The person in charge is Liu Yuan—"
The sound stopped for a second.
Then continue.
"Detained for investigation."
Liu Yuan stepped back.
My feet were on the edge of that passageway.
The judges, who had no eyes, reached out their hands from the light.
Grab Liu Yuan by the collar.
Drag him inside.
Liu Yuan's fingers dug into the cracks in the stone slab.
The nail broke.
Blood seeped out.
But the blood didn't drip.
The blood floated upwards.
It floated into the crack in the ceiling.
The cracks began to close.
The outer light curtain gradually narrows.
The harvest is in one line.
The lines flashed past the last row of words.
"The audit chain has been sealed."
A burst of light erupted.
The discarded drafts layer completely collapsed.
The four words on Chen Fan's palm suddenly lit up.
The system notification sounded again.
Should the discarded drafts layer be rewritten as a "prepared resource library"?
[After rewriting, you can obtain: Failed sample energy × 500.]
[Source: Fifty failed projections of "Chen Fan"]
[Use of Energy: To enhance the system's adjudication authority.]
[Please make a selection, host.]
Chen Fan looked at his palm.
The words began to embed themselves into the flesh.
It doesn't hurt.
But it's very heavy.
It looked like he was holding something very heavy.
Sun Wukong pulled his staff out of the crack in the monument.
The monument to the verdict collapsed in response.
Gravel was scattered all over the ground.
Each pebble was engraved with the same mark.
"Altered".
Suddenly, a bell rang outside the tower.
It's no longer the dull kind.
It is crisp.
Like tapping on glass.
The sound of bells reached the layer of discarded drafts.
The gray light fragments that had not yet completely dissipated shattered with a loud crack.
The light sheet shattered into powder.
The powder drifted towards the judges in the passageway.
The judges' black robes were dyed white.
They turned around at the same time.
He looked at Chen Fan.
It has no eyes.
But his gaze was very intense.
Those mouths opened again.
The sound was very soft.
But every word is very clear.
"The former head of the Seventh Tower has been imprisoned."
"The succession order for the new leader has begun."
"candidate--"
The sound stopped.
All the judges simultaneously pointed at Chen Fan.
"First place."
"Huaguo Mountain, Chen Fan."
The four words on my palm suddenly disappeared.
The system notification sounded for the last time.
[Prepared materials have been temporarily stored in the resource library.]
[Select timeframe: 24 hours.]
[Failure to select within the specified time will result in automatic forfeiture.]
Chen Fan clenched his empty palm.
The gray powder leaked through his fingers.
fall to the ground.
To pave a road.
At the other end of the road.
It's not the tower's exit.
It is the level below the seventh tower.