Bai Wu’s clothes were still that blue-and-white uniform.

The world inside the High Tower had already shifted to the outside, and the Investigation Corps was long gone.

Qin Zong, Xie Yingjie, Wang Jue, Zheng You, these former rulers, hadn’t even managed to become key cadres of Baichuan City.

Everything had changed, only the people were no more the same.

But deep in his heart, Bai Wu always considered himself the sixth member of Team Seven’s Vanguard Group.

Wu Jiu didn’t say anything. He recalled the image of Bai Wu trying to save Crimson and merely patted Bai Wu on the shoulder.

As always, he spoke with firm determination,

"Let’s talk about what’s between us after the battle is over."

In his heart, Wu Jiu also had many things he wanted to say, but he had always been like this, always restraining himself and sorting out the most important matters first.

Bai Wu nodded, a sense of guilt welled up in his heart as he looked at his captain’s current state, as if he had broken his promise.

But this indeed wasn’t the place to reminisce.

Jing Wu seemed to have undergone a transformation, his aura starkly different from what Bai Wu had imagined.

And Jing Yi, even if he returned from the trial in the Well, Bai Wu wasn’t sure he could defeat Jing Yi.

Especially... the Jing Yi of now.

Compared to the two who were already in a fighting stance, Jing Wu appeared not as weighty.

Captain.

Hearing this word, Jing Wu came to a sudden realization. This person who constantly pressured him with absolute speed, he finally remembered.

There was such a person, not very tall, who didn’t talk much when fighting, belonging to the type who would draw the sword and start fighting, a cold-blooded killer.

A person who, in comparison to Bai Wu, lacked any uniqueness, a truly pure human in the real sense.

This person was always by Bai Wu’s side, possessing astonishing combat talent and potential for growth. He should have remembered him.

Jing Wu finally recalled everything.

The first time he saw this person, he couldn’t even take one move from him, and his terrifying negative emotions would instantly erode him.

But by the second time, he could already trouble that mirror, cause trouble for himself.

The third time, this person had forsaken his human identity, becoming a monster that stood at the same starting point as himself.

Jing Wu suddenly felt envious.

It seemed that Bai Wu always had such people by his side,

Zero, this captain, and all the humans in Baichuan City’s shelter outside the High Tower who fought with their lives on the line...

It seemed they were always striving for Bai Wu.

What about his own seven hundred years?

The wildness in Jing Wu’s eyes lessened, but the hatred for Bai Wu remained.

Suddenly, Jing Yi spoke,

"This is the mistake you’ve left behind, Laowu. Why don’t you take care of him? I’ll give you another chance."

Jing Wu spoke with disdain,

"Really? Just a second ago, you wanted to kill me. And now you change your mind? Big brother, should I be incredibly grateful?"

Jing Yi already had a nonchalant demeanor, as if he had thoroughly analyzed the situation; Bai Wu’s arrival and Jing Wu’s transformation weren’t enough to pose a threat,

"I said, I can’t tolerate the Array being destroyed, the risks of you recovering your memory, a twisted world needs twisted servants."

"But if you can kill Bai Wu, I’ll believe that you are still that person who is loyal to my cause."

"And you’ve already proven your talent. The power within you can significantly aid my cause with twist to conquer the world."

"You’re no longer a waste now. As long as you prove your loyalty, everything you want will be granted."

In a three-way battle royale, the most important thing naturally is who becomes the target of all arrows first.

Jing Wu was actually not stupid. He had indeed gained the abilities of all those who had a bond with him, thanks to his new power. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Of course, these bonds had to be positive. Such bonds as enemies could not grant him power.

In the past "Shell World", Jing Er to Jing Liu, these five people, had briefly seen each other as friends.

That’s why Jing Wu now possessed powers with various characteristics, including a small part of Jing Si’s power.

It’s worth mentioning that, unlike the Ten Thousand Phantasmal Bodies, Bond Plunder was more like an upgraded version of "The Integrator."

He could not gain the powers of his opponents through physical contact; instead, he needed to establish some kind of social "relationship" with them.

The Jing Wu of the past was definitely someone worth befriending for everyone.

The Jing Wu of today, on the other hand, had become twisted, a loner.

This power ultimately awoke too late.

"Everything I want, big brother? Do you know what I desire?" Jing Wu looked at Jing Yi with a taunting gaze.

"That depends on what your choice is now," Jing Yi hinted meaningfully.

A choice lay before Jing Wu.

To kill Bai Wu or to kill Jing Yi?

Either way, his first choice would determine the course of the battle to come.

Bai Wu had already become Jing Wu’s inner demon.

Recalling Bai Wu, Jing Wu felt both anger and fear.

He looked towards Bai Wu.

Four black barriers erected in an instant around the center of the island, with the power to obliterate everything like the pitch-black lightning leaping within the clouds... swirling around the barriers.

Wu Jiu knew that Jing Wu was probably even more difficult to deal with now than before.

At least the gap in speed had disappeared.

And with a single thought, the opponent could gather such immense energy.

The crimson blade on his elbow posed like a shield, the battlefield’s space shrank, this was Jing Wu’s counter to Wu Jiu’s terrifying speed.

In comparison, Bai Wu was much calmer.

But even Bai Wu’s expression shifted subtly as he looked at Jing Wu.

It seemed that Jing Wu had made a surprisingly unexpected move.

"I will kill you, Bai Wu."

Jing Wu approached Wu Jiu step by step, his footsteps unbearably slow. With each step, the energy entwined around the four massive black barriers grew stronger.

Wu Jiu stood steadfastly in front of Bai Wu, as always.

It was the instant Wu Jiu made that move that Bai Wu noticed a translucent mark had appeared on Jing Wu’s chest hidden beneath his tattered black robe.

Massive energy converged!

In this moment, Bai Wu suddenly charged at Jing Wu.

Six out of the seven rings on his hands flashed.

Of the Seven Sins’ powers, only one could not be used, and that was Pride.

In the blink of an eye, Jing Wu and Bai Wu seemed poised to engage in their most intense collision.

Even Jing Yi’s gaze was drawn to the pair.

The Law of Order activated, the Sequence Mimicry form—God of Destruction.

A punch endowed with the power of the Seven Sins and the might of the God of Destruction was about to touch the Buddha light that could annihilate everything with Jing Wu!

The whole Black Gold Island trembled under the terrifying energy fluctuations, as if it were about to crumble apart!

But at that moment, Bai Wu and Jing Wu... simultaneously turned!

The half-spoken sentence from Jing Wu was completed with the next.

I will kill you, Bai Wu.

"But not now!"

Even Jing Yi never expected to witness such a scene at this moment.

The mighty Power of Twist and the power of the Seven Sins!

Instead of colliding, the two forces merged into one, like a spear mighty enough to pierce through everything!

And now that spear was aimed at himself!

This was Jing Wu’s choice!

Jing Yi absolutely couldn’t believe that Jing Wu would join forces with Bai Wu!

The Immortal’s body was pierced by a terrifying force!

The whole Black Gold Island was split in two by the combined punch of the two men.

And not just that, colossal waves rose around the island, the path of the gathered punch wind, much like Poseidon’s trident, parted the sea itself!

Nie Chongshan and others in the distance, who were nearly defeated by the spiritual power of that female body, falling into a deep sleep, were awakened by the powerful energy fluctuations... everything was destroyed.

The split female body belonged to "the fish" from the farm’s forbidden land, one of many Split Bodies.

They had almost no consciousness, their faces always expressionless.

But in an instant, the Split Body seemed to sense something, suddenly showing a look of terror.

It was a natural suppression. A presence so similar to her own, yet absolutely superior.

The female body screamed in fear, causing her once impregnable spiritual defense to have a significant breach.

The dying Liu Bingshu said:

"Old Nie... now’s the time, rush in."

...

...

The combined strike of Vast Power eventually settled into calm.

Jing Yi’s body, shattered like dust, slowly gathered together.

Bai Wu and Jing Wu were both beings whose causality could not be seen through...

Therefore, even he had not been prepared for the spontaneous decision made by the two of them.

But he couldn’t understand why he and Bai Wu would, at that moment, execute such a perfect collaboration.

"This is your... choice!"

Jing Wu frowned, not expecting Jing Yi’s "immortality" to be far superior to the other Wells.

Suffering a fatal injury, for a Well Level being, would not lead to death, but most likely a return to their "origin point," followed by a gradual recovery.

Clearly, after meeting the Twisted Master, Jing Yi had been granted even more authority.

The dust, grass, stone fragments, and mist slowly dispersed, revealing the utterly shattered white lab coat, and the horrific holes that marred Jing Yi’s body.

The God of Destruction and the Seven Sins’ power, coupled with Bai Wu’s understanding of emotions, and Jing Wu’s terrifying assistance, meant that even the current Jing Yi, who could instantly reconstitute his shattered body, healed more slowly at the wounds.

If this had been before meeting the Twisted Master... that strike just now would have been enough to send him back to the farm.

Of course, Jing Yi was not defeated, but his expression became much more solemn:

"Do you know what you’ve chosen?"

"Of course, as of today, I’m not just Jing Wu anymore, you can call me Black Gold Island Master, you are no longer my elder brother, and this island, does not welcome you."

Jing Wu showed no sign of retreat.

Jing Yi couldn’t understand; he couldn’t see through Jing Wu’s causality, nor could Jing Wu see through Bai Wu’s causality.

So when had they joined forces?

Pride is the original sin.

He certainly couldn’t understand because the current him was making the same mistake as Jing Wu, neglecting another presence on the battlefield—

Wu Jiu.

Time rewound to before the combined strike of the two had severely injured Jing Yi.

When Jing Wu uttered the phrase about killing Bai Wu, Wu Jiu stepped in front of Bai Wu.

At that moment, Jing Wu activated the Power of Causality.

He wanted to see the consequences of his two choices.

He wanted to know which would be more advantageous: allying with Bai Wu against Jing Yi, or with Jing Yi against Bai Wu.

But forcibly probing causality that couldn’t be seen only resulted in his body... suffering backlash from causality.

Deep down, Jing Wu had a greater loathing for Bai Wu.

Jing Yi was certain of this.

He could feel the hatred and fear Jing Wu exuded towards Bai Wu.

This is why Jing Yi was careless.

He was convinced that Jing Wu would choose to kill Bai Wu first.

But Jing Yi ultimately failed to understand one thing: Jing Wu had changed.

He had reclaimed his memories at the very brink of death.

So the current Jing Wu... despite his animosity towards Bai Wu, had already acquired some "humanity."

He could not see the causality of choosing either outcome.

Because both Bai Wu and Jing Yi were beings beyond observation.

But among the humans present, there was Wu Jiu.

The moment Wu Jiu stepped in front of Bai Wu, Jing Wu saw fragments of the future.

"Stepping in front of him time and again, do you have a death wish?"

"I do not allow my subordinates to die before me,"

Wu Jiu’s response left Jing Wu disoriented for a moment.

If it weren’t for the distortion, he and Wu Jiu might have been extremely similar in some respect.

He too would protect his subordinates like that, rushing to take on all the damage for them.

It was precisely that sentence from Wu Jiu, within a possible causality...

That made Jing Wu reflect for an instant, and then he understood his choice.

If he had to choose a temporary ally, would it be Bai Wu, who had people willing to protect him at the risk of their own lives...

Or would it be Jing Yi, fickle and originally intent on killing him?

The answer was clear, and in that moment, Jing Wu made his choice.

Similarly, in that moment, although Bai Wu’s eyes would not reveal images of the future, he had "text prompts."

Thus, the flawed and the discarded... in the moment that would determine life or death...

Joined hands.

However, the magician had not deciphered their puzzles, and even working together against Jing Yi, they might not be absolutely sure of victory.

Jing Yi’s wounds had finally been filled with dust, and the "farm children" scattered around had vanished after the combined strike from Jing Wu and Bai Wu.

The situation had become slightly trickier, which meant he had to use even more powerful means.

"You always make the wrong choices, Laowu."

Jing Yi’s body began to swell and enlarge bit by bit.

And Bai Wu noticed that Jing Yi’s arms... bore cracks that resembled fissures.

These lines twisted and quivered as if they had come to life.

The next second, the lines changed, turning into bloodthirsty mouths.

Witnessing this scene, Bai Wu instantly understood.

Jing Yi was summoning the body of the Twisted Master.

This, of course, was not the true body of the Twisted Master.

But it at least possessed some of the Twisted Master’s characteristics.

Once the summoning of the body was complete, Jing Yi would be akin to a weakened version of the Twisted Master.

Bai Wu had dealt with an avatar of the Twisted Master and knew the immense difference in their powers.

"I will suppress you two aberrations with absolute twist."

The enlarged Jing Yi looked ferocious, and even without completing the "body summoning," he exuded an astonishing sense of oppression.

Jing Yi, who was already stronger than both Bai Wu and Jing Wu, now had his power increased to an unprecedented level.

Jing Wu asked:

"How confident are you now?"

The question was directed at Bai Wu.

Bai Wu shook his head:

"I’m not sure. Not at all."

He had achieved a significant enhancement in the Well World and was already able to see the traces of "twist" at work.

This confrontation wouldn’t see any three-way fierce attacks or prolonged tug-of-war.

If Jing Yi finished the ritual, summoning the weakened twisted remnant, the battle might end exceptionally quickly.

Yet, at this moment, neither Bai Wu nor Jing Wu had any way to interrupt Jing Yi’s transformation.

To Bai Wu, Jing Yi seemed like a nuclear bomb about to detonate.

Numerous powers of twist gathered around Jing Yi, even surpassing the extent when Bai Wu activated his domain.

He had a feeling that if it were Jing Si’s Inverted Well Domain, it might instantly destroy Jing Yi’s ritual.

But if it were his own Well Domain, getting close would probably only add fuel to the fire.

It was an ironic situation, the one who had always fought against the twist, and the Twisted Master, shared a nearly identical power source.

Now was not the time to confront such a Jing Yi.

The time remaining for Bai Wu was running out.

Jing Wu, observing the vast black fog gathering around, suddenly said:

"In the upcoming battle, those affected will either die or be maimed, and even if we join forces, there is no guarantee that we can defeat him, but I don’t see the ’cause of death’ for those thieves..."

The thieves naturally referred to the others, people like Nie Chongshan.

After the female body fell into terror, Nie Chongshan and the others smoothly entered the underwater chamber.

Bai Wu said:

"What are you trying to say?"

"I know you always have a contingency plan. I cannot kill you, and Jing Yi is not worthy of killing you, so I’m certain that you must have a way to leave this place."

Jing Wu’s gaze flicked to the pouch at Bai Wu’s waist.

It was the storage bag that Bai Wu had taken from the Eternal Bank in the Well World.

And hidden inside it... were a large number of Return Roulettes.

Return area— the fourth level of the Well World. Once Bai Wu obtained the Doomsday Puzzle fragment from Black Gold Island, he could head to the fourth layer of the Well World...

To solve the final puzzle of the Well.

But now, it seemed there was one more person to board the ship.

"Without my help, I can guarantee their causality will change. They will all die here," Jing Wu asserted.

Jing Yi was about to complete the transformation, and Jing Wu’s intelligence broke through at the critical moment.

Bai Wu shook his head:

"They say turning dark makes one ten times stronger, while cleansing makes one three times weaker; I thought you had turned clean, so why have you become smarter instead?"