They went down that pathway. Jie half-expected to find a bunch of smaller 'swords' sticking up out of the snow. But instead, they stepped into a clearing with four large, red metal chests arrayed in a square pattern. Each of which was decorated with gold and precious gems. In the center of the clearing, and the group of four chests, was a pedestal with a swirling orb of what looked like blood. It shifted and morphed into the figure of a beautiful woman as they approached. The same woman as the statues depicted, only this one had long tendrils of blood coming out of her, like tentacles.

The aura the blood-woman gave off felt like it was on par with Elder Shi, though it felt... off somehow. Like it wasn't a whole awareness. It was still powerful enough to kill all of them instantly.

Bubbles of red energy sprang up around the chests like forcefields.

"Welcome to a trial of greed. Three of these four chests contain a treasure. Which do you choose?" said the blood woman. Though her words didn't match the movement of her lips.

"So... which do we choose? Ithilix?" Pan Tian asked.

"Their auras are obscured from this one. This one cannot sense which has the treasure," Ithilix said, "Maybe the princ-- Jie knows?"

"I have no idea," Jie said, "this is basically just gambling. I don't see the point."

"Well... which one do you think we should pick?" Pan Tian asked.

"I... don't have the greatest luck. I'm not sure it's a good idea for me to pick," Jie said.

"You're the strongest. And your luck can't be all that bad if you've advanced so much so fast and have an esteemed master teaching you. And Elder Shi too! Besides, if a monster pops out and tries to eat us, I think it should be all your fault this time," Pan Tian said.

"Thanks. You're such a good friend, Tian. Ugh... I guess... the top right one?" Jie said.

Nothing happened and her friends looked at her expectantly.

"The top right one. From my perspective," Jie said firmly.

The forcefield around the top right chest vanished and the lid sprang open. Cultivation resources that gave off a heady aroma burst out from it in such an amount that could never possibly fit inside even the large chest. They raced through the air and then went back inside the chest. It slammed shut and a forcefield formed around it again.

"Two of the four chests contain all that you have gained and weapons for the lower dantian. You may choose to leave with what you have gained or risk it in a gamble for more. Choose a chest," said the blood woman.

"I love this trial," Pan Tian said with a giggle, "I want to pick this time!"

"Wait," Jie said, "don't you think we should rather walk away with what we got? We risked nothing the first time and had a good chance to win... now our chances are lower and we risk all those resources."

"Well... yeah, but it's still fifty-fifty and who knows what we get the second time around?" Pan Tian asked.

"Okay," Jie said, "I'll leave it up to you. Just so you know it's all your fault if we lose everything."

"Oh, you!" Pan Tian said, "well that's fine. At least I'm not afraid to take a risk. I choose... the bottom right one."

The lid of the bottom right chest sprang open as the bubble surrounding it vanished and cultivation resources spilled out along with a collection of blood red weapons that gave off mysterious auras.

"See, Jie? That's why you take risks!" Pan Tian said with a delighted squeal as the treasures flew through the air, sparkling like stars... then flowed back into the chest which snapped shut and a bubble of energy covered it again.

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"I'm glad you were right," Jie said. I will never understand why people are so obsessed with weapons that they'd only have to replace when martial skills don't even need them to be effective. She thought.

"One of the four chests contains all that you have gained and ten spirit coins. You may risk it all chasing greater heights, or leave with what you have gained. What chest do you choose?" asked the figure.

"Awesome! It's Ithilix's turn now," Pan Tian said.

"Wait! Seriously, the odds are terrible now," Jie said.

"But, we're on a roll!" Pan Tian said.

"There's no such thing. The odds are getting worse and what we risk increases. This whole trial is about choices. Walking away now is the better choice," Jie said.

"Not if we get those spirit coins it isn't," Pan Tian said.

"The more risks we take, the greater our chance of losing. Even if the odds weren't getting worse and they are," Jie said, "it's better to walk away while we're ahead and go look at the other path."

"Oh come on, Jie! You're no fun. Besides, Ithilix should have a turn," Pan Tian said.

"This one agrees with the... Jie," Ithilix said.

"What? Why?" Pan Tian said.

"Because we have a terrible chance of winning that's why," Jie said.

"...except..." Ithilix said.

"See, she still wants to try," Pan Tian said with a smug look on her face.

"Only because this one believes that this one has learned to detect which chests contain the prize," Ithilix said.

"You what!?" Jie and Pan Tian said in unison.

"At first... this one was completely lost... but when it opened the chests to show off the winnings, this one studied the signature. This one wasn't sure... but after the second time... this one is reasonably confident," Ithilix said.

"What does it feel like?" Jie asked.

Ithilix pointed at the top right chest. "It feels like that one has the barest of signatures. The bubble suppresses it somewhat, but this one has sensed without the bubble and with the bubble... so it is no longer an effective barrier," Ithilix said, "though it is faint... and this one isn't completely sure..."

"I vote we try it then, I have faith in you, Ithilix. What about you, Jie? Don't you believe in her?" Pan Tian said.

"I think that it's worth the risk if she thinks she can do it," Jie said, "why are you acting like I'm your enemy?"

"Enemy? No! I was just teasing!" Pan Tian said and stuck out her tongue.

"Sometimes you're so immature I forget that you're older than me," Jie said.

"Wow, that's mean!" Pan Tian said.

"Only teasing," Jie said and stuck out her tongue.

"Not without truth," Ithilix said.

"Not you too!" Pan Tian said.

"You have sixty seconds left to decide," said the blood woman.

"Top right chest," Ithilix said.

The bubble vanished and their growing treasure pile appeared with ten glowing spirit coins before flowing back into the chest. Then, the chests glowed red. Blood flowed out from each of them... forming an identical series of chests.

"One of the eight chests contains all that you have gained so far and plans for creating a set of crimson shard armor. You may risk everything chasing greater heights, or leave with what you have gained. What chest do you choose?" asked the figure.

"Ithilix can you--?" Jie began.

"That one," Ithilix said pointing at one of the chests on the left.

As before, the figure showed off their growing hoard before returning it to the chest. Then, the number of chests doubled once again.

Ithilix continued to choose the correct chest repeatedly, her antennae quivering furiously. Though it took her longer with every doubling, she also seemed to be getting better at it.

By the fifth doubling, the area was filled with over a hundred chests, and Ithilix was working feverishly to find the right one. Their treasure hoard had grown massive and Jie stood silently next to Pan Tian. Both of them with giant smiles on their faces. But they remained utterly silent as they didn't want to distract their friend. At the eighth doubling, there were over a thousand chests that filled the area so completely that Jie and Pan Tian had to step back into the pathway or stand on chests.

"You have three seconds remaining," said the blood woman as Ithilix raced across the chests.

"This one!" Ithilix said.

It sprang open and more treasure than could ever fit inside a chest that size rose up into the air as all the chests melted and flowed into the blood woman and the treasures lowered to the floor.

"This trial was meant to teach you not to lose yourself to greed, but either you are extraordinarily lucky, or have found a way to cheat. Both are useful upon the difficult road of cultivation," said the blood woman. Then, she flowed into the pedestal and was gone.

"That was fun!" Ithilix said.

Jie and Pan Tian stared at the pile of treasure with wide eyes.

"I think we might win this year," Pan Tian said. She sounded stunned as though watching Ithilix race from correct treasure to correct treasure had sucked out her soul.

"Probably... but we should check the last path and then go find the next plaque so we get into the dungeon. Why risk it, right?" Jie said with a wink.

"I'm surrounded by a cultivation monster and a treasure-finding monster," Pan Tian said, "why am I even here?"

"You're our general treasure-hunting strategist, route planner, administrator, and manager, obviously," Jie said.

That seemed to return some of Pan Tian's life back to her. "And what's Xue's role?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Bodyguard, mascot, and the great overlord of cuteness spreading his majesty wherever we go," Jie said.

Xue looked up at them like they were all insane and resumed licking his fur. The girls giggled.