The figure suddenly chuckled, its voice dragging across the cavern like something half-rotten yet still amused, as it looked down at Lin Xiao Tian with clear interest. "What a smile, insect... you should feel honored to become my sacrifice, resisting is in vain," it said lightly, as if stating something obvious.

Hearing those words, Lin Xiao Tian’s gaze did not change, yet his focus sharpened as he scanned the figure through the system without hesitation.

The response came instantly, yet what appeared before him was almost completely empty, leaving only a few lines that felt more unsettling than any detailed result.

Name: Tian Mo Zhi Zhu

Age: Unknown

Cultivation: Unknown

Technique: Unknown

For a brief moment, even Lin Xiao Tian was slightly stunned, his thoughts halting for the smallest fraction of time as he looked at the result.

Either the system is useless here... or this thing is far worse than expected.

The demon chuckled again, as if sensing the reaction without needing confirmation, its expression carrying faint amusement as its gaze shifted away.

"It seems a few of you are indeed worth keeping," it said casually, its tone turning lighter as if it had already made a decision.

In the next instant, its figure blurred and appeared directly beside Xiaoshan and Ji Wuchen, close enough that neither could react before its presence settled over them. "Tsk... tsk... the dragon made you give up a piece of yourself, didn’t it... my vessel," it murmured softly as one hand moved across Xiaoshan’s sculpted muscles without urgency.

The motion carried no force, yet Xiaoshan’s body tensed instinctively, as if something deeper than flesh had been brushed against for a brief moment.

The demon’s gaze lingered for a breath before shifting back toward Lin Xiao Tian and the others, its smile widening faintly.

"Well... it has been a long time since I last had any fun," it said, its tone almost casual despite the pressure it carried. "Why don’t we all enjoy ourselves a little together," it added, as its hands came together in a soft clap that echoed unnaturally across the cavern.

The moment that sound spread, the entire platform shifted without warning, the ground beneath them restructuring itself as the surroundings distorted briefly.

At the center, a large arena formed instantly, its surface smooth and empty as if it had always existed there.

At opposite ends of that arena, Xiaoshan and Ji Wuchen appeared without transition, their positions fixed as the space locked into place around them.

Around the edges, rows of seats rose from the ground in perfect order, dividing the space cleanly as if an unseen boundary had been drawn.

On one side sat Ji Wuchen’s subordinates, their expressions tense and uncertain, while on the other side Lin Xiao Tian and his disciples remained gathered together, the distance between both sides now absolute.

Seeing this, Miao Tianhe suddenly tried to rise from his seat, but the moment he moved the chair beneath him tightened as dark chains coiled upward and locked him in place without warning. No matter how much force he used, his body refused to move even slightly, as if the space itself had sealed him where he sat.

Lin Xiao Tian glanced at him once before letting out a quiet breath, his expression calm as he spoke without raising his voice. "Wait... there is no use acting like this," he said, while his thoughts continued racing beneath the surface, searching for even the smallest opening.

Just then, a deep sound rang out and cut through everything, stopping his thoughts mid-motion as the air itself seemed to vibrate. Above the arena, a massive bell appeared silently, and seated atop it was the demon, looking down at everyone with clear amusement.

As the bell rang again, Xiaoshan and Ji Wuchen suddenly regained consciousness, both staggering slightly as if waking from a forced sleep before their senses returned. The demon watched this with interest before raising its hand lazily and speaking without urgency. "Let the match begin... entertain me well," it said, its voice spreading clearly across the arena.

It paused briefly before continuing, its tone turning lighter as it looked toward the seated crowd. "And you, my fellow spectators... it is time to place your bets," it added, as if hosting a simple game rather than controlling their lives.

The moment those words fell, a screen appeared before everyone, hovering in the air with two names displayed clearly at the center, Xiaoshan and Ji Wuchen, alongside rapidly shifting betting values. What truly froze everyone was not the system itself, but the cost displayed beneath each option.

Lifespan.

From a single day to an entire lifetime, every bet required life itself as the price, and the higher the stake, the greater the potential return. Yet even that was not the worst part, because at the very top of the screen, the reward for the highest bet stood clearly.

An artifact seed.

Seeing this, the entire crowd trembled, fear and greed colliding at once as silence spread once again, far heavier than before.

An artifact seed was something spoken of only in ancient records, a treasure so rare that most cultivators treated it as myth rather than reality.

Unlike ordinary weapons, even those at immortal grade, an artifact seed was not something you wielded, but something you grew within your own dantian, binding it to your existence from the very beginning.

Once formed, it carried the cultivator’s intent at its core, evolving alongside their cultivation and refining itself with every breakthrough.

It did not remain a fixed weapon, but changed shape and nature according to the path its owner walked, making it impossible to replicate or steal in any true sense.

More importantly, it did not simply grant control over a weapon, but elevated the cultivator’s understanding of that path to an unnatural level, as if the laws themselves became clearer and more obedient.

Body, soul, and Qi all strengthened in response, each tempered continuously by the presence of the seed.

Legends claimed that true masters did not wield artifacts, but instead nurtured artifact seeds until they matured into something that could rival heaven itself.

In that sense, an artifact seed was not just a treasure, but a foundation for power that no external weapon could ever replace.

Seeing the greed rising in everyone’s eyes, the demonic cultivator let out a low laugh, the sound carrying a strange pull as it spread across the arena.

"On the path to immortality, you either wager your existence... or become part of someone else’s."

The moment those words settled, something shifted silently, and the air itself seemed to tighten around the seated crowd as if guided by an unseen will.

Ji Wuchen’s subordinates moved almost instantly, their hesitation gone as they placed their bets one after another without even questioning the cost.

Lin Xiao Tian’s eyes narrowed at once as he caught the change, his expression remaining calm while his mind sharpened rapidly.

Those words were not normal... that was no simple persuasion, it carried intent, something close to a binding influence.

He turned back immediately, only to find that everyone behind him had already made their choices, their faces still carrying traces of shock as if they had only just realized what they had done.

For a brief moment, even silence felt heavier, as understanding settled far too late.