Transmigrating into a dragon clan experimental subject, is that even possible?

"Welcome to the City of Lies." A cold voice rang in his ear. "Everything here is fake. Find the truth, or be swallowed by the lies."

Lu Mingfei turned his head to look for the source of the sound, but saw nothing. He muttered under his breath, "This trial is too bizarre."

Just then, an ordinary-looking man walked across the street with a friendly smile on his face: "Hello, stranger, are you lost? This is the City of Lies, where everyone can find the truth they want."

Lu Mingfei narrowed his eyes and gripped the short knife tightly: "The truth? Explain yourself clearly, what do you mean?"

The man smiled, his voice gentle: "Everyone here is searching for the truth, but everyone's truth is different. What truth are you looking for?"

Lu Mingfei took a step back warily: "I just want to get through this trial, stop beating around the bush."

The man maintained his smile, but his eyes turned icy: "Pass the trial? You must find your own 'truth,' or you will never be able to leave this place."

Lu Mingfei looked at the other person, a sense of unease rising within him. He took a deep breath and tentatively asked, "So, what is the truth about you?"

The man's smile froze. The next second, his face was like a torn canvas, revealing a dark, empty face: "The truth about me is that you can never leave this place!"

Lu Mingfei yelled and swung his knife to block the man's lunging claws. He took a few steps back and glanced around. All the seemingly normal pedestrians turned to look at him, their smiles twisting and their eyes filled with undisguised hostility.

"Damn it, it's that same old trick again!" Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth, brandished his knife, and turned to rush towards the end of the street. He knew that every step in this city could be a trap, but the only way out was to find the truth hidden beneath these layers of lies.

As Lu Mingfei charged towards the end of the street, he swung his knife to deflect the twisted pedestrians that kept lunging at him. These "people" completely lost their normal form as they got closer; their arms turned into blades, their faces were covered in cracks, and they emitted hoarse growls. Each attack carried a violent force, forcing Lu Mingfei to retreat step by step.

"Calm down... calm down!" he muttered through gritted teeth, trying to keep himself from being consumed by fear.

As he rushed out of the main street and into a narrow alley, the distorted pedestrians stopped at the entrance, as if blocked by some invisible barrier, unable to take another step. They stood there silently, their empty eyes staring straight at Lu Mingfei, the cracks at the corners of their mouths revealing eerie smiles.

"Stop looking, it's terrifying!" Lu Mingfei cursed, turning and walking deeper into the alley. He wiped the sweat from his face; his heart was still pounding. The short knife in his hand emitted a faint blue light, giving him a sense of comfort.

Suddenly, a dark red door appeared on the wall at the end of the alley. The door was covered with complex runes, and in the center was an eye-shaped relief. The eye seemed to be alive, slowly turning as Lu Mingfei approached. Its gaze pierced him like a tangible object, making him feel as if he had been completely seen through.

"Here we go again..." Lu Mingfei couldn't help but complain, "Is it going to be some kind of puzzle I have to solve this time?"

Just then, a deep voice echoed in the air again: "The core of a lie lies in choice. You can open this door, or you can give it up. Behind the door lies the key to the truth, but it may also lead to a deeper lie."

Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment in front of the door, his hand holding the short knife trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and laughed self-deprecatingly: "Mingfei, you've survived even this strange trial, that's pretty good, isn't it? Let's just take it one step at a time, there's no other choice anyway."

He raised his hand and pushed open the dark red door. A blinding light poured out from behind the door, engulfing him completely.

When Lu Mingfei opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an endless darkness, the ground beneath his feet transparent, as if floating in the void. Before him appeared a huge chessboard, with black and white pieces placed on it, each piece emitting a faint glow.

A man dressed in a black robe slowly emerged from the other end of the chessboard. His face was blurred, and his voice was deep: "Welcome to the arena of lies. Everything here is determined by your choices. The winner will obtain the key to the truth, and the loser will be trapped here forever."

Lu Mingfei frowned and gripped his short knife tightly: "I don't know how to play chess. Can we change the rules?"

The man in black robes sneered: "You've already started playing chess. From the moment you entered this city, every choice you've made has set the tone for this game."

As he finished speaking, the chess pieces on the board began to move. The black side attacked first, with several pieces glowing with a dark red light heading straight for Lu Mingfei. He dodged the first wave of attacks, and with a swing of his short sword, he knocked several pieces away. However, those pieces recombine in mid-air, transforming into a huge black beast shadow, baring its fangs and claws as it pounced.

"Damn, it can even transform!" Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth, quickly retreating while simultaneously swinging his sword to block the beast's attack. The runic light on the short sword collided with the power of the black chess piece, creating a strong ripple.

The man in black robes stood at the other end of the chessboard, coldly observing everything: "In this game of lies, only those who see through the rules and control the situation can truly survive."

"Taking control of the situation?" Lu Mingfei panted, his gaze sweeping across the entire chessboard. He suddenly realized that every time he made a move, the white pieces on the board would change position, while the black pieces were trying to block his actions.

“This is not a simple game of chess…this is a test.” Lu Mingfei muttered to himself, his mind racing. “It’s trying to force me to make a wrong move, and then completely lock me down.”

The black-robed man's voice rang out again: "A lie never tells you the truth; it only makes you believe you've mastered the rules. But do you really understand, Lu Mingfei?"

Lu Mingfei stopped, the short knife trembling slightly in his hand. His gaze shifted from the man in black robes to the chessboard, searching for a hidden flaw. Finally, his eyes fell on a corner of the chessboard, where a white piece flickered slightly.

“That’s the exit,” he said softly, gripping his dagger tightly and taking a deep breath. “Whether it’s a trap or not, let’s give it a try!”

He charged towards the shimmering chess piece, his short sword flashing as he deflected several incoming black pieces. His movements were swift and decisive, his target clear. Just as he touched the shimmering piece, a blinding light erupted, engulfing the black-robed man's figure, and the entire chessboard crumbled.

Lu Mingfei collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The scene before him had returned to the ruins. A deep voice reached his ears: "You have won this game, but the trial of lies is far from over. Ahead lies the other side of truth."

"Ahead?" Lu Mingfei looked into the distance with a wry smile, barely managing to stand up. "Let's go, Lu Mingfei, your hard times aren't over yet."

Lu Mingfei steadied himself, gazing at the once-silent ruins around him, the deep voice still echoing in his mind. The game was over, but the test of lies and trickery had clearly only just begun. He dusted himself off, muttering to himself, "It's getting more and more complicated; now it's time to use my brain."

Three paths diverged ahead, each stretching into the indistinct distance. Above the intersections floated three semi-transparent masks: one a hideous red demon mask, one a serene white smiling mask, and the other a twisted and complex golden mask of sorrow.

Beneath the mask, several lines of blurry text appeared: "Beneath the three masks, only one will guide you to the truth. The rest will lead you into the abyss of lies."

“A classic multiple-choice approach.” Lu Mingfei frowned, carefully examining the three masks. Each one emitted a faint glow, as if hinting at different choices.

"Choose, challenger." The deep voice rang out again, carrying an irresistible pressure. "Find the truth and you will continue your journey. Choose wrong and you will be imprisoned by lies forever."

Lu Mingfei broke out in a cold sweat, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down. He said in a low voice, "Alright, calm down. Since this is a trial of lies and trickery, we can't just look at the surface. The problem is... how am I supposed to tell the difference?"

He walked up to the red demon mask, staring at its狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face, as if sensing a chilling killing intent. Then, the demon mask let out a low laugh: "Choose me, mortal. The truth always lies hidden behind fear. Only by facing fear can you discover the hidden answers."

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard and took a step back: "This thing can talk?"