"Substitute technique." Lin Hu paused for a moment as he knew that it was a high martial art that was a bit magical. "There's a technique to switch you with your servant's life under a special soul contract. This would allow the attack that can kill you to be diverted to the servant, which will kill them instantly."

"How is that possible?" Lin Xiao was stunned. How could one trade one's life with another person?

"It's not impossible, but this technique is not invincible. For example, it can't be used during sparring nor during a life and death's battle where the two have signed the agreement. There are many others but I won't explain it to you.

This is the method to protect the prized disciples from suffering from punishment from their failure in another land. When one fail to finish the task that they were arranged to in this kind of place, the punishment would be to kill you. However, if that person have a soul contract with someone else in which the other person will die first, you won't die.

Instead, the servant itself will be the one to die in your place. This way, the prized disciple could still survive while the cannon fodder would die.

Of course, this kind of mark can't be used in all places and only some secret regions allow it. Whoever set up this secret region in the past must have allowed this practice and thus, allowed their disciples to stay alive."

Lin Hu scoffed. He felt that those families were a bit too much. People like those three were certainly not worth it to have other people traded their lives for them. Their talent was poor and their comprehension was not much.

And yet they were still trying to nurture them so much.

Of course, this was obviously because Lin Hu had seen so much of the world and naturally didn't think of it as anything special.

"Mark?" Lin Xiao asked slowly.

"Look at their hand, there's a mark, right? It's connected to their master's soul so it would make the punishment giver to not be able to punish correctly. Well, it was called as substitute technique while in truth it was more like a disguise technique.

But of course, in high end place, this kind of fake technique couldn't be used."

It was only now Lin Xiao realized why these noble disciples brought their servants in. Those people were like the additional lives for them, trading in case they failed and initiated the punishment from the owner of this place.

Lin Xiao shook his head. 

"If they have the mentality that it's alright to fail, they won't be able to go far."

Coming here, Lin Xiao was ready to bet with his life. He knew that this place was dangerous and not everyone would be able to get out safely. Because of that, he was ready to bet with everything he got.

There were things in this world where it was fine when one failed, such as some simple games with friends.

But in a place with high danger and such high stake… there was no room for failure. Once he failed, it was the end. There was no second chance, which meant that Lin Xiao couldn't fail, not even once.

Swish!

"Who is it?"

"Ah, the third treasure room?" Hu Fei asked with a faint smile. He looked at Sang Guan. "Young Master Sang, you don't look very well."

"Heh, do you think I'm afraid of you, Hu Fei?" Sang Guan asked back. His eyes turned red in anger. "You followed me, don't you? How shameless!"

Hu Fei was amused. He certainly didn't follow Sang Guan but he found out through them that there were actually treasure rooms midway. He was only following the route that has the word 'metal' and only turned this time.

His gaze landed on Lin Xiao, who stood before the pile of treasures. He whistled. "Wow, so many treasures!"

Treasures?

It was then Sang Guan remembered his real goal. Looking at the pile of treasure that was in front of Lin Xiao, he was about to turn mad.

"You brat! Don't you dare to touch my treasure!"

Lin Xiao raised his hand. He hadn't even had the chance to take a look properly and slowly walked back. Naturally, the reason why he walked back was because he was curious what would happen when these people take the treasure more than what they had to.

"Brother Sang, we need to take the treasure first."

"Tsk."

Sang Guan looked at Hu Fei once more and then rushed over to the pile of treasure. His eyes landed on the text written there as his eyes narrowed. There were so many treasures in front of him and yet he was only allowed to get one?

That was unfair.

Hu Fei laughed when he watched those people had difficulties to find the treasure they wanted. He walked over to Lin Xiao. "There are other treasures room?"

Lin Xiao nodded. "Yes. There are a total of three treasure rooms so far and I think this might be the last one."

"Tsk, I missed all." Hu Fei shook his head in disappointment.

"I didn't know that there will be treasure." Lin Xiao apologized.

Hu Fei then let out a faint laugh. "I don't think that I can pass either. Based on the way they dressed, I can see that they have already faced so many challenges before. Their servants have already died for them, so it can be certain that getting the treasures are not easy."

Lin Xiao nodded.

"You get the two treasures?"

"They're immaterial."

Hearing that, Hu Fei sighed. He wanted to ask what but when it was something that might be already consumed or knowledge… then it would be something that only Lin Xiao himself would know. Cultivators have their own secret and naturally, Hu Fei would not pry into other people's secret.

He still wanted to live.

"So, shall we make a bet?"