“Diān Gǔ Tǎ Gǔ Tǎ diān, Gǔ Tǎ zhī diān dì yī guān, gāo gāo de tǎ shàng sēnglǚ xiàn, sēnglǚmen hēi liǎn yòu guǐ miàn, suō yī hé dǒulì chān jīnxiàn, diào zài dìshàng quán bùjiàn…” Jiang Xiao mumbled, following Zhao Wenlong as he ran quickly.

Zhao Wenlong couldn't hear his muttering, but the perceptive Hou Mingming certainly could, and not only that, but her head was buzzing.

Jiang Xiao's self-modified lyrics were secondary; the main thing was that Jiang Xiao kept repeating the same sentence over and over, like a chatterbox.

"Either shut up or sing the next verse," Hou Mingming said, firing a string of arrows. The three-person team, after ten days of practice, already knew the correct way to climb the tower.

Zhao Wenlong charged ahead, dealing with any sudden situations.

Jiang Xiao stayed in the middle, activating the Cherish halo, helping everyone find any ghost-faced monks they missed.

Hou Mingming was at the back, relying on her keen senses, and most importantly... a woman's terrifying intuition, guiding the team's direction and repelling any ghost-faced monks along the way with her arrows, avoiding all combat as much as possible.

"Sing the next verse? How do I sing it?" Jiang Xiao asked, holding his bow and arrow. "We haven't climbed to the second level yet, have we? We haven't reached the second checkpoint yet?"

"Turn left ahead!" Hou Mingming suddenly commanded.

Zhao Wenlong didn't object, running through the long corridor and turning left. Although his expression remained unchanged, the slightly raised tone of his voice betrayed him.

Zhao Wenlong said with a hint of joy, "Stairs! Entrance to the second level!"

Jiang Xiao: "Eh?"

Is a woman's intuition that terrifying?

You see, as the only support in the team, Jiang Xiao had been the team's commander during the practice runs in the last Peak Ancient Pagoda, under Teacher Fang's personal appointment. So, which way to go was mostly decided by Jiang Xiao.

After that, everyone witnessed Jiang Xiao's ability to "go in the opposite direction." The Peak Ancient Pagoda only had 7 levels in total, and Jiang Xiao's choice of direction was most likely the opposite of the entrance to the upper level...

In the last few days of practice, even if they didn't need to find the stairs, the people at the peak of the seventh floor wouldn't let Jiang Xiao lead the way anymore. Later, Hou Mingming simply took over the command of the team.

Although Hou Mingming was an agility-based fighter, she was special. She was a stationary turret, and could be considered to have a good view of the field.

Teacher Fang didn't say anything, after all, it was a team practice, as long as they found a team formation that suited them.

The trio quickly climbed the stairs. Since the stairs were too steep, Jiang Xiao used both his hands and feet, making sure to stay safe...

"Go! No ambush," Hou Mingming said to Zhao Wenlong while climbing the stairs.

Zhao Wenlong felt relieved and climbed to two-thirds of the stairs, leaping up and rushing to the second floor.

As it turned out, not only was there no ambush here, but there was also a ground covered in corpses. Judging from the ghost-faced monks lying on the ground, this place had experienced a fierce battle.

Of course, this also revealed some information: some of the contestants were ahead of the trio and had already climbed to the second level, or even higher.

Hou Mingming: "Xiao Pi."

Jiang Xiao: "What's wrong?"

Hou Mingming: "Which way do you think we should go?"

Jiang Xiao looked at the terrain. There was a wall in front, and only two paths, left and right.

Jiang Xiao said, "Let's go left!"

"Okay," Hou Mingming commanded, "We'll go right."

Jiang Xiao: "..."

Heartbreaking...

Jiang Xiao suddenly recalled Hou Mingming asking him a similar question on the first floor.

So... is that your secret to finding the right path?

Since she had decided on the command, Zhao Wenlong naturally wouldn't object and immediately ran to the right.

Jiang Xiao followed, but heard the woman's voice from behind, "Sing."

Jiang Xiao: "Sing what?"

Hou Mingming: "The second checkpoint, you can sing now."

Jiang Xiao turned his head and saw a hint of teasing on Hou Mingming's ever-proud face, looking at Jiang Xiao playfully.

And Jiang Xiao just wanted to slap her...

Oh well, never mind.

Jiang Xiao comforted himself and mumbled, the demonic sound reappearing:

"Diān Gǔ Tǎ Gǔ Tǎ diān, Gǔ Tǎ zhī diān dì èr guān, sēnglǚmen yíng lái sā péiliàn, sān gè yǒu liǎng gè méi pái miàn. Mèntóu zàiqián de zhǐ huì quán, luò zài hòumiàn de zhǐ huì jiàn..."

"We're here, stairs, entrance to the third floor," Hou Mingming said faintly, her eyes also faintly.

Jiang Xiao: ???

Damn it?

How could there be stairs right next to another set of stairs? The area of each floor of the tower was no smaller than a small village! When did the entrance to the upper level become so easy to find?

Zhao Wenlong: "Situation."

Hou Mingming: "No ambush, go up."

Zhao Wenlong quickly climbed up and guarded the entrance to the third floor.

Jiang Xiao and Hou Mingming arrived soon after, and unsurprisingly, saw a ground covered in the corpses of ghost-faced monks again.

These people are really fast!

If they had followed the direction Jiang Xiao had chosen, the trio would probably have wandered around the second floor for a long time...

Hou Mingming continued to ask, "Xiao Pi, which entrance?"

Jiang Xiao glared at Hou Mingming unhappily. Was she using his choice as the wrong answer to eliminate?

Jiang Xiao scanned the surroundings. There were three corridor entrances in front of him, and said, "There are traces of battle over there. The people who came before us should have taken the middle alley. Do you want to go with them?"

Hou Mingming frowned slightly and said, "Let's go right."

Zhao Wenlong: "You're the commander."

Hou Mingming: "Right!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the trio quickly ran off.

Hou Mingming's voice came faintly, "Sing, third floor."

Jiang Xiao had a bitter look on his face, "I haven't made up the lyrics yet."

Zhao Wenlong in front seemed to be in a good mood, obviously very satisfied with quickly finding the third floor, and said, "Your singing seems to be helpful in finding the way."

"Uh..." Jiang Xiao's mind raced, and he stuttered, "Diān Gǔ Tǎ Gǔ Tǎ diān, Gǔ Tǎ zhī diān dì sān guān, uh... third checkpoint... third..."

Hou Mingming raised her hand and shot an arrow, the fire arrow drawing a long line of fire, nailing it to the wall fifty meters away. The trio vaguely saw that there were two more forks in the road, left and right.

"Someone is fighting," Hou Mingming frowned, "Not on our path, they're on the other side of the wall."

The trio quickly ran to the end, Zhao Wenlong looked at the left path and said, "It's connected to the corridor next door."

Hou Mingming made a decisive decision, not planning to get entangled with those people, and said, "Right."

Saying that, Hou Mingming shot another fire arrow, whoosh...

The fire arrow flew straight out, but at a distance of about 60 meters, it quietly disappeared, suddenly vanishing.

Hou Mingming's eyes narrowed: "Huh?"

Following the trajectory of the flame, the trio actually saw a layered spatial portal!?

Damn it!

How insidious!

This was obviously not an interdimensional spatial portal, but a spatial portal left by a contestant.

Who knows what's inside? What if they accidentally enter?

What if the other party closes the spatial portal as soon as they enter?

Jiang Xiao's expression became serious, and he said, "Spatial Star Techniques are very advanced and difficult to control. Casters can't just leave a spatial portal at will and then leave. Casters need to stay within a certain range of the spatial portal, otherwise, the spatial portal will disappear on its own."

Zhao Wenlong: "Oh?"

Even for top students of the Imperial Capital Star Warrior like Zhao Wenlong, who normally would not have access to these kinds of Star Techniques, they did not study these types of Star Techniques much.

Jiang Xiao said, "Han Jiangxue has Space Shatter, I know the operating principle of this type of Star Technique. You think the spatial portal exists independently, but it's not the case.

There are some Star Power threads that are invisible to others between the spatial portal and the caster, connecting the caster and the spatial portal. If the thread is broken, the spatial portal will also disappear."

Hou Mingming's eyes narrowed slightly: "That is to say, someone is hunting here. I didn't sense it, which means that the other party may have high-level stealth Star Techniques."

Hearing this, Zhao Wenlong became fully alert.

Jiang Xiao was considering: They're starting to use tricks like this on the third floor?

Why would the other party block the road in the middle? It doesn't make sense?

Although the width of the corridor was similar to that of the stairs, wouldn't it be more effective to block the stairs? After all, that was the only way to get to the upper level...

Jiang Xiao's eyes lit up, and he analyzed the key point!

"The only way to get to the upper level."

Hou Mingming: "Hmm?"

Jiang Xiao began to analyze, "Zhao Wenlong's words were not accurate just now. It is very likely that the three paths just now were all connected.

A small maze is nested in a large maze. This path should be the only way to get out of the small maze! Otherwise, setting a trap here is meaningless. The rewards are not as high as setting a trap at the stairs."

Hou Mingming was stunned when she heard this, and after thinking for a while, she couldn't help but nod secretly.

At this moment, she suddenly knew why Fang Xingyun was so fond of Jiang Xiao! Why did he insist on Jiang Xiao being the commander!

This is a player who fights with his brain!

When she was still looking for people, Jiang Xiao had already analyzed the most likely reason behind it.

Jiang Xiao said softly, "Everyone is rushing to climb up, why would this person give up precious time to ambush people here?

Personal grudges? Or... a tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the chariot?"

Jiang Xiao's mind raced as the trio moved forward slowly, and Hou Mingming still couldn't find the hidden player.

And the layered spatial portal was standing ten meters ahead.

Jiang Xiao suddenly stepped forward and pressed Zhao Wenlong's shoulder with one hand, saying, "Wait a moment."

Zhao Wenlong stopped in his tracks. Hou Mingming behind him frowned, but she didn't stop Jiang Xiao's command.

Jiang Xiao looked at Hou Mingming and said, "Did you find him?"

The trio had been standing on the Cherish halo, but even though they were already so close, in the dim corridor, there was still no trace of a fourth halo's color.

Jiang Xiao secretly expanded the range of the Cherish halo, but nothing, nothing at all!

Hou Mingming shook her head, indicating that the enemy's stealth Star Technique was really strong.

Jiang Xiao took a step back and directly threw a Bell at Zhao Wenlong.

The jumping healing light waves landed on Zhao Wenlong's body, and under Jiang Xiao's deliberate refusal, it did not turn around and rush towards Jiang Xiao and Hou Mingming, but freely searched for another life target.

And the jumping healing light wave plunged into the spatial portal! Faintly, the sound of a bell came from within.

Jiang Xiao's mouth curled up, looking at Hou Mingming, tilting his head towards the direction of the spatial portal, and said, "It's yours."

Hou Mingming looked at his confident appearance, and even she, as proud as she was, couldn't help but show a trace of appreciation in her eyes.

This is the real Star Warrior, this is the real problem solver!

Hou Mingming took a deep breath and quickly drew her bow and arrow, aiming at the direction of the spatial portal.

The enemy was hiding in his own spatial portal?

The next moment, the spatial portal suddenly closed and disappeared without a trace.

The trio looked at each other, Jiang Xiao urged, "Let's go! Ignore him."

Hou Mingming endured it again and again, wanting to hunt here and blast the old insidious guy inside, but under Jiang Xiao's pushing, the trio set off again, returning to the main rhythm of quickly climbing the tower.

And in the spatial portal, a figure was shrouded in mist, playing with a pair of misty military blades in his hand, his face full of doubts.

"Bell? Healing-type Star Technique? Where did this cross-class Star Warrior come from? There's probably only one in the world... Oh! That's right!"

The youth with bangs patted his head, and suddenly thought of someone, "Jiang Xiaopi!"

The youth smiled dumbly, tossed the misty military blade in his hand, and murmured softly, "There are no false reputations under the name, tsk tsk... Jiang Xiaopi..."

Dozens of seconds later, the layered spatial portal opened again, like a strange flower, blooming faintly on this road...