Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

The group slowly walked to the Bodhisattva seated on a lotus statue and worked together to turn the statue.

The Bodhisattva statue, seated on a lotus, faces the golden rooster, calm and undisturbed, as if nothing has happened.

Seeing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Then they all looked at Zhou Qingfeng with hope in their eyes, hoping that Zhou Qingfeng could continue to lead them to find the third statue. Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng did not waste any words, but simply nodded to indicate that they should continue to break through the barrier.

"An old vow made on the Stone of Three Lifetimes, a long road of love awaits your return."

"Wandering the world, I find my home wherever I go; flowers bloom everywhere under the stars."

"A bountiful harvest celebrates the year, and joy is shared by all."

"Six dragons soar into the sky and disappear into the sun, but the urgent beacon fires of yesteryear are nowhere to be seen."

One by one, Zhou Qingfeng found the statues in the correct order. Although the process was slow, he had to think carefully for a long time before moving on to the next level, making sure he was absolutely sure. For the first time, Zhao Ying and Li Ergou felt how easy and enjoyable it was to be carried by someone.

As Zhou Qingfeng broke through one obstacle after another, he secretly contacted Monk Wuliang with his communication bracelet, informing him of the current situation and asking him to come to his aid before dawn. In Zhou Qingfeng's view, once he successfully broke through the obstacle, the two sides would turn against each other and a great battle would break out.

At that time, there will be two of our side and three of the enemy side. If the enemy only needs to send two people to hold our side off for a very short time, then the enemy will have one more person to seize the Sky-Piercing Ruler in advance, which will put our side in a very unfavorable position.

Fortunately, after learning about the situation, the monk Wuliang did not make excuses. He simply said that after protecting the people through the night, he would immediately rush to their aid.

Even with the assurance, Zhou Qingfeng wasn't entirely at ease, because he didn't like to place the key to turning the tide on a monk he had only recently met, even if that monk was a compassionate and benevolent sage. Therefore, he had to make one or even two preparations.

Zhou Qingfeng said, "You guys take your time thinking about it. I'm a little tired. I'm going to use the restroom first to relax my mind and avoid being too tense and making mistakes in judgment."

Yan Bipo frowned slightly upon hearing this, but didn't take it to heart. He continued to study how to break through the barrier, wanting to prove himself once again.

As Zhou Qingfeng passed by Zhao Ying, he glanced at her sideways and gave her a subtle look.

Zhao Ying's heart stirred, but her cold face remained expressionless. She stood quietly for a while before patting Li Ergou and saying, "You stay here and watch over things. If Chief Yan calls me, just tell him I'm going to change my wound dressing."

Li Ergou nodded blankly: "Oh, I see. Senior Sister Zhao, are your injuries serious? Do you want me to help you change your dressing?"

Zhao Ying said coldly, "Fool, I'm injured in the chest. You want to help me change my dressing? Let me gouge out your eyes first."

Li Ergou waved his hands repeatedly in fright: "No, no, Senior Sister Zhao, you can change it yourself."

Zhao Ying rolled her eyes, turned and walked into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

Inside the cave leading to the altar at the mountain peak.

Zhou Qingfeng crossed his arms and said calmly, "You're here. You're not stupid. You know what I mean."

Zhao Ying slowly emerged from the shadows and said coldly, "What do you want to say?"

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "Miss Zhao, we should always keep a backup plan in mind, just in case. Don't you want to find a safe way out? Putting all your chips on one person can easily lead to losing everything, and you might even lose your life."

Zhao Ying frowned slightly: "You want to turn me against you?"

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head slightly: "It's not about turning someone to a defection. I'm just offering Miss Zhao a completely new option. As you can probably see, with the breakthrough imminent, a fierce battle is inevitable. Can you guarantee that you will win?"

Zhao Ying sneered: "At least for now, I don't see any hope of you winning. You seem to have an unknown origin and are very mysterious, but I can tell you that you are facing Yan Bipo, the number one person below the fourth realm. No matter who you are or how smart you are, you are nothing but a joke in the face of absolute power. You think you can turn me against you? You underestimate me. I, Zhao Ying, have only reached the Food Demon Realm in a short hundred years. I am not a fool who cannot understand the situation."

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "I am Zhou Qingfeng."

Those five words were like thunderclaps in Zhao Ying's ears. She was stunned, and a look of shock appeared on her cold face.

Zhou Qingfeng crossed his arms and glanced at him sideways: "It seems you know who I am. Then you should know my capabilities. What Yan Bipo can give you, I can give you too. What Yan Bipo can't give you, I can still give you."

Zhao Ying: "If you say you are Zhou Qingfeng, then you are Zhou Qingfeng. Why should I believe you?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng removed his heavy armor gauntlets, revealing the Xiuyan jade snake bracelet and the holy ring, and then took off the human skin mask from his face.

Zhao Ying fell silent. Having lived for so many years, she was not lacking in insight and knowledge.

After a moment, Zhao Ying said coldly, "Now I'm quite curious about what kind of choice you're going to give me."

Zhou Qingfeng put on heavy armor gauntlets and a human skin mask, and said calmly, "I will not help either side and will remain an observer. I do not need your help to deal with Yan Bipo. All you need is to watch. Once I show signs of defeat, you can help Yan Bipo kill me."

“And since I have signs of victory, you don’t need to help me kill Iwabi-bo.”

"I can promise you that if I win, I will give you a way out and do something within my power."

"Well, this is our secret agreement. In the end, no matter who wins or loses, you will not suffer any loss."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ying frowned, her face showing interest, and she even subconsciously changed her form of address: "Is the Fourth Young Master so confident that he will definitely win?"

Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "Since my debut, I have always succeeded in my plans and won every battle. I have never met an opponent. In a life-or-death situation, do you think I would not have held back?"

Zhao Ying licked her bright red lips and hesitated: "Fourth Young Master, how do I know you won't break the contract afterward?"

Zhou Qingfeng stepped forward, leaned closer to Zhao Ying, stared into her eyes and smiled slightly: "I don't need to break the contract. We have no personal grudges, and I have no reason to kill you. Besides, I've always liked making friends. Having more friends means having more paths than having more enemies means having more walls to block your way. What do you think?"

Zhao Ying pondered for a moment, carefully considering the situation, weighing the pros and cons, and realized that agreeing would indeed not result in any loss. What Yan Bipo could do for her, Zhou Qingfeng could also do. Moreover, just as Zhou Qingfeng said, she could be a fence-sitter, deciding which side to take based on the changing situation, without having to put all her eggs in one basket.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ying looked up into Zhou Qingfeng's eyes and said coldly, "I will consider the option you have provided."

After speaking, Zhao Ying retreated and disappeared into the shadows.

Zhou Qingfeng smiled slightly. He didn't need Zhao Ying's agreement, or even any response from her.

Because if such an option is provided, anyone will hesitate to act.

Moreover, when it comes to matters of life and fortune, smart people like to hedge their bets, which is a despicable aspect of human nature that cannot be changed.