C18 Life and Death Race

Covering a mere seven to eight hundred meters was virtually instantaneous for Tiger Man and Purple Rat. Qin Biao was well aware of this fact, so he had already started scaling the stone pillar before the pair set off.

"If I can't get it, I'll be killed by you guys anyway, so I might as well go all out!" Qin Biao exclaimed with frustration, vigorously climbing the stone pillar. His year-round tree-climbing experience paid off, making the ascent relatively easy for him. The real challenge, however, was figuring out his next move after reaching the top.

As Qin Biao grappled with his predicament, a sudden force of gravity bore down on him. He let out a startled cry, nearly plummeting from the pillar. In the nick of time, his robust tail coiled tightly around the column, preventing a total fall. Yet, the gravitational pull left him dangling and swinging helplessly in mid-air.

"What's happening?" Qin Biao bit down hard, determined to hold on, dreading the possibility of Tiger Man and Purple Rat catching up. To his relief, it seemed they were similarly afflicted, pinned to the ground, struggling as if weighed down by a heavy load.

"What's going on? Did the Demonic Cire activate some sort of defense?" Qin Biao pondered, his brow furrowed in confusion. He hadn't sensed this bizarre gravity before; it had all started so suddenly.

After a brief moment of thought, Qin Biao was still clueless. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he resolved with gritted teeth, "It's do or die! Let's see who's quicker!"

With that, Qin Biao's body tensed as he exerted more force, his tail clamping down even tighter around the stone pillar. His front paws reached upward, though they seemed to barely have the strength to do so.

Eventually, with the aid of his muscular tail, Qin Biao managed to perch atop the pillar. His entire body was drenched as if he had been pulled from water, and his slender paws quivered under the relentless force of gravity.

Gasping for breath, Qin Biao felt the weight pressing down on him—over ten kilograms. A human might have easily shouldered the burden, but at that moment, Qin Biao was just a little squirrel. Despite his training, his body remained frail and delicate.

While Qin Biao took a moment to rest, Tiger Man and the Purple Rat had made significant progress. Yet, both were visibly in agony, teeth clenched in pain. The Purple Rat's fur was so flattened and distorted that beads of blood were seeping through. Tiger Man, though slightly better off, was still struggling immensely. Each step he took felt as heavy as a ton, and he soon reverted to his original form, unable to maintain his transformation.

"Huff, to whom much is given, much is required!" Qin Biao muttered to himself, a makeshift pep talk. He inhaled deeply and resumed his climb up the stone pillar. With his first step, the pressure intensified, but drawing on his prior attempt, Qin Biao deliberately slowed his pace, allowing his body to gradually adjust. Eventually, he managed to ascend another significant step without incident.

Meanwhile, Tiger Man and the Purple Rat were doing their utmost to press on. In the depths of the cave, the trio was locked in a desperate race against death.

Devoid of daylight or moonlight, Qin Biao had lost track of time. He was aware only that he was a mere two steps from the altar atop the pillar, with a crushing weight of over a hundred kilograms bearing down on him. He had been stuck at this spot for what felt like an eternity, having made several failed attempts to ascend, each nearly resulting in a perilous fall.

Tiger Man and the Purple Rat had nearly reached the pillar, their plight far exceeding Qin Biao's. The Purple Rat was almost entirely cloaked in its own blood, its original color indiscernible, struggling to remain conscious, let alone move forward.

Tiger Man, though in a slightly better state than the Purple Rat, was also in dire straits. His fur littered the ground, and one leg was so badly crushed it appeared completely shattered. Yet, Tiger Man's tenacity was undeniable; he had managed to drag his mangled leg to his current position. Just one more step, and he would reach the pillar.

As Qin Biao pondered his next move, Wei Dong's Tiger Man and the Purple Rat suddenly sprang into action. Clutching a leg that had already been devoured, Tiger Man struggled to take another step forward. Meanwhile, the Purple Rat seemed to have abandoned any hope of securing the Demonic Cire and turned to walk down the road.

This development sent a wave of panic through Qin Biao. The stone pillar was dauntingly high for him, but for Tiger Man, it was merely a minor obstacle. If Tiger Man transformed into his human form, he could easily leap onto it, spelling disaster for Qin Biao.

With this in mind, Qin Biao extended his quivering front paw and let out a heavy sigh. A crushing weight bore down on his paw, nearly snapping it off. By some stroke of luck, he managed to maintain his grip on the crevice of the stone pillar, avoiding a fall. Still, the sound of his bones creaking ominously filled the air.

After a brief respite, as Qin Biao braced himself for the climb, a scream echoed from below. Turning his head, he witnessed the Purple Rat being kicked down by Tiger Man, the immense force flattening him into a burst of blood mist.

Amidst Qin Biao's shock, Tiger Man let out a chuckle and continued his approach toward the stone pillar, muttering, "Little rat... die..."

A chill ran down Qin Biao's spine. He couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. If Tiger Man reached the base of the pillar, it would be Qin Biao's end. With this thought, he mustered all his strength and clambered up to the next level of the stone pillar. A tremendous force weighed down on him, as if a mountain bore upon his frame, causing him to let out a pained cry and expel a mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of his organs.

The excruciating pain blurred Qin Biao's consciousness, his paws shaking uncontrollably. On the brink of losing his grip, he bit down hard, determined to hold on. The Demonic Cire was within reach, and he stretched out his paws, desperately trying to grasp it.

But the relentless agony proved too much for Qin Biao's weary nerves. His vision blurred, his paws slackened, and he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of release envelop his entire body.

"Is this really the end?" In the final moments, the image of the beautiful person who had given him the jade slip, the one who had saved his life, flashed through Qin Biao's mind.

"Goodbye."