Chapter 2987: True Seeking Life within Death

Seemingly familiar.

At such close range, Fu Qian could clearly see what Classmate Su Gao held in her hand.

However, the clearer he saw it, the greater the shock.

Perhaps the building before them was quite historic, but even with the Old Lady's diligent sweeping, the fungal threads floating in the air were a bit much.

Not to mention they were man-eating fungal threads.

Coincidentally enough, Professor Fu had encountered a similar entity that combined the traits of being formless and man-eating.

The Fungal Emperor.

It had first shown signs in the Night-Duty Teaching Building and had truly shined during the battle with the inner demon.

In the end, it was even proven to have deep, inextricable ties to the name Meria.

To think the entity that had once corrupted Professor Rob would actually appear here again?

Its appetite had even grown considerably, leading it to make a move against him and Su Gao—or rather, it was the Old Lady who had quite the appetite.

Fu Qian glanced at the senior beside him. Since things had reached this point, Classmate Su Gao's assessment was entirely clear.

Although the scene was set up reasonably well, the Old Lady fundamentally had nothing to do with cultivation.

She was merely improvising, crafting an adequately compelling persona for herself.

As for her goal, it was quite mundane.

Whether it was reluctantly accepting visitors, pretending to sweep, or even arguing her case after being exposed... all of it was merely to stall him and Su Gao here a little longer.

This would allow the invisibly spreading fungal threads to successfully complete their corruption.

He had to admit, he was willing to call her a top-tier debater.

While others were still figuring out how to act neither humble nor arrogant in front of the judges, she was already preparing to refine them on the spot.

Unfortunately for her, the only result this ambition achieved was triggering Su Gao's Power of Echo and exposing her true colors.

"Do you have anything else to say?"

Amidst his silent praise, Fu Qian continued to manage the situation, trying to give the senior a chance.

Yes, it was always best to look on the bright side. Although she was harboring malicious intent deserving of condemnation, the Fungal Emperor's power appearing here seemed to further prove its connection with the Academy, making it even more likely that the person before them was indeed a senior from Apocalypse.

"Heh, haha... Aren't you curious about my goal? Why I wanted to stall you here?"

The laughter that answered Fu Qian was truly filled with a profound sense of brokenness.

With things progressing to this point, even the most unobservant person could tell that the two judges were "working hand in glove."

The Old Lady had clearly given up on seeking justice for herself and instead adopted a somewhat chaotic, thrill-seeking attitude.

"Your logic seems a bit flawed."

Having finally arrived at his area of expertise, Professor Fu frowned slightly and tapped his temple.

"Wasn't my previous sentence just asking you if you had anything to say?"

...

Knowing full well they were deep in a poisonous swamp, with someone deliberately stalling them.

Yet he wasn't the least bit anxious, even playing along and enjoying it?

Professor Fu's mental state was clearly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Judging by the Old Lady's expression in that moment, her neurotransmitters were likely in complete disarray from dealing with him.

"That's right. I did deliberately stall you here."

Faced with this situation, the Old Lady ultimately seemed to give up. She openly played along to buy time, explaining her mental journey from the very beginning.

"Imagine a scenario. After being submerged by a true Death where nothing exists, you open your eyes one day and suddenly find you've managed to briefly poke your head out of it... What would you do in that moment?"

Fortunately, the metaphor was quite vivid and easy to relate to.

"I wouldn't want to sink back down."

Fu Qian, for instance, cooperatively shared his thoughts.

"You're right, but I don't believe you can truly understand."

The Old Lady's words were still somewhat blunt.

"Only after sinking down can you understand that terror... Then, every second you spend breathing now turns into sheer torment, because you absolutely refuse to go back there."

Her speech was highly infectious; just listening to it made one feel the emotion known as Suffocation.

"Agreed. You really can't understand it without experiencing it firsthand."

Professor Fu's magnanimity was on full display. Not only did he not take offense at her blunt words, but he frankly admitted his lack of firsthand experience.

"Hehe, I know you aren't like me. You indeed have the right to remain this relaxed..."

Unfortunately, the woman was undoubtedly quite sensitive right now and easily took his words as him flaunting his superiority.

"But please believe me when I say I'm not upset by it, because this relaxed attitude is equally meaningful to me."

The next moment, she pointed at the Black Banner, finally getting to the main point.

"The moment I woke up, I knew they were here. I even knew my head was hidden up there, but I had no idea why.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. I just needed to tell you a good story to keep you here a little longer... As long as you are even slightly assimilated by that thing, I might just gain an additional foundation for my existence."

...

Worthy of a High-Tier Transcendent. She seemed different from ordinary "Travelers," didn't she?

Theoretically, the Old Lady's "confession" could still be interpreted as her simply giving up and playing along with the narrative Fu Qian and Su Gao had constructed.

However, certain details within it were things one couldn't possibly know without firsthand experience, such as her perspective on her own predicament.

Unlike the others, she hadn't blindly bought into her current life. On the contrary, she had known from the start that this illusion was fleeting.

That alone was remarkable.

"Actually, the idea wasn't bad. Why didn't you try cultivating for real?"

At the same time, Fu Qian couldn't hide his pity.

The Old Lady had already made herself very "clear." This remnant soul that had poked its head out of Death had used an awareness far surpassing the others to understand her predicament. Now, the two uninvited guests were being treated as her lifelines.

She had integrated all the elements within the Tower as perfectly as possible, trying to spin a good story.

In short, it was simply human nature; at least, Fu Qian completely understood it.

His only regret was perhaps that she hadn't pushed herself a bit further to truly fall in love with the story she had woven.

"Naturally, it's because the other method actually worked."

Just when you thought you had grasped the limits of Professor Fu's imagination, he would always show you what a bottomless pit truly looked like.

The Old Lady finally gave him another look reserved for a madman, completely unable to comprehend his suggestion.

"Just as I know all these things, I also know of that formless power's existence. I even know that it can help me... Its only limitation is that it solely exists within this building."

Her words grew increasingly unrestrained, thoroughly filling in the final puzzle piece of the conspiracy theory.

"Understood. So that's why you didn't go out hunting for prey and could only wait here.

"Also, I must admit, I can better appreciate the torment Your Excellency has endured here."

Having listened attentively, Fu Qian was quite satisfied in that moment, looking as if he could deeply empathize with her situation.

Crack—

With a soft snap, he broke off a piece of the nearby windowsill. Astonishingly, the fractured surface was densely interwoven with fine fungal threads.