Chapter 304: "Do you even understand Probability Theory?"

Chapter 304: "Do you even understand Probability Theory?"

The corridor continued its rapid movement, propelled by the blinding radiant light towards the sixth gate.

At this moment, several people within the Secret Realm had already qualified to leave.

After all, the requirement to exit was merely passing through four gates.

However, up until now, not a single person had chosen to depart. Those who remained wanted to see what the next gate held. If it proved too challenging, they could always leave later.

It is worth mentioning that since the fifth gate, there had been no doubling mechanism. Regardless of whether the fifth gate was cleared or not, the rewards for subsequent gates would not be doubled.

Just then—

"Hey!"

The Realm Host, standing away from the crowd, suddenly remembered something. He slapped his forehead and turned towards the group, looking embarrassed. "I just thought of something. I forgot to mention earlier that some of you already have the qualifications to leave this realm. If you wish, you can exit the Secret Realm at any time."

"But..."

"You chose to give up the opportunity to leave earlier, and this sixth gate is a bit special. Once you've made that choice, you must pass through the sixth gate to regain the chance to leave the realm."

"In other words, those of you who just gained the qualification to leave must clear the sixth gate to exit smoothly."

As his words fell, most of the challengers' faces turned gloomy. Was this Realm Host trying to kill them? They had only wanted to satisfy their curiosity and see what the sixth gate held. What if it turned out to be simple? They would have missed a great opportunity. And now, there was this unexpected rule, and to make matters worse, such a crucial rule hadn't been explained beforehand!

You, as a Realm Challenger, were clearly unqualified.

The rest of the group, however, remained expressionless, unbothered by this rule. These were seasoned gamblers who knew they had to clear the sixth gate to qualify for departure. This rule didn't concern them.

After all, they didn't yet have the qualification to leave.

Although everyone was cursing inwardly, no one dared to speak up. The Realm Host's strength was unquestionable, and speaking out might result in an instant death, as they had witnessed upon entering the realm.

Just then—

The corridor's speed gradually slowed, and the blinding light dissipated, improving visibility. Ahead, in the void, stood a palace—a massive palace.

The tallest structure soared thousands of zhang high, with each step measuring several zhang. The entrance gate itself was nearly a thousand zhang tall. Such a grand palace would make a mortal struggle to climb even a single step.

It seemed more like a palace built for giants, like the Maan Clan.

"We've arrived," the Realm Host said, gazing at the palace in the distance. "This is the final destination of this Secret Realm, the Immortal Tranquility Palace. I don't know much about it, as there's no information about this palace within the realm. But it must have a grand history, which you can imagine for yourselves."

"It's called the Immortal Tranquility Palace, and perhaps an immortal has died here."

"The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth gates of this Secret Realm are all within this palace."

As the corridor slowed to a halt, it stopped at the first step, and a wooden door appeared on the corridor wall. Chen Qiu, leaning on the Heavenly Oracle Umbrella, was the first to push open the door and step onto the platform.

". . ."

Chen Qiu said nothing but surveyed the surroundings.

The steps before him were several zhang high, and from a distance, one could only appreciate the palace's grandeur. But up close, the intricate details of the steps, the architecture, and the entire palace became apparent.

Astonishingly, they were all carved from a single massive stone.

There were no joints or connections; the steps, architecture, and every part of the palace were not constructed but chiseled from a single piece.

It was as if a skilled craftsman had carved the "Hundred Lives, Hundred Grasses" on a single piece of jade.

This feat required extraordinary craftsmanship, exceptionally high cultivation, top-notch aesthetic sense, and deep financial resources. Obtaining such a massive, seamless stone was no simple task.

Moreover, this was no ordinary stone.

Chen Qiu had a talisman that could reveal the properties of treasures. When he focused his gaze on the stone beneath his feet, a panel slowly appeared before him.

"Treasure Name: Creation Stone

Origin: A seamless stone from the Primordial Continent

Effects:

1. Extremely durable. Carving formation arrays on its surface significantly enhances their power, and the stone constantly purifies the surrounding spiritual Qi, making it purer and denser.

2. Excellent material for forging weapons.

3. Can be used to conceal the Heavenly Oracle.

4. ..."

Chen Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly. The stone beneath his feet indeed had an extraordinary origin, being a seamless stone from the Primordial Continent with various mystical effects. He didn't dare to dwell on the intimidating name of the Primordial Continent.

Instead, he turned his head towards the distance.

The entire palace stood serenely in the boundless void, as if a day within it was like ten years in the outside world. Though he didn't know how long the palace had been there, it exuded an aura of ancientness.

There were carvings on the ground, which he couldn't understand, so he quietly memorized the patterns, hoping to research their meaning in the future.

The spiritual Qi within the palace was purer and far denser than that of the Heaven-reaching Continent. He hadn't been to the Immortal World, but he had sensed the density of spiritual Qi in a fifth-grade Immortal World when Ba Dan first traveled there. Ba Dan had personally broken through the barrier between the fifth-grade Immortal World and the fourth-grade continent, and the leaked spiritual Qi from the Immortal World was not as dense as what he felt here.

If one were to cultivate here, their cultivation speed would greatly increase.

Just then—

"Ahhhh!"

A piercing scream suddenly echoed, and a young man was seen standing at the edge of the stairs, clutching his severed arm and howling in pain. In the void beside him, a severed limb could be clearly seen slowly being crushed into powder.

It was obvious.

This man had attempted to use his cultivation to test what the void was made of, and now he seemed to have an idea. He knew that the void lacked spirit qi, but it was his first time learning that the void possessed such formidable destructive power.

This young man was a Peak Void Refiner, yet he couldn't withstand it at all.

Moreover, several breaths had passed, and not only had his severed limb not regenerated, but the bleeding hadn't even stopped. This was strange; at his level of cultivation, it was impossible for him to be unable to stop the bleeding from a severed limb. This meant that wounds inflicted by the void couldn't be healed, and severed limbs couldn't be regenerated.

At this moment, everyone turned their gaze towards the young man, witnessing the gushing blood. Several of his companions tried various methods, but to no avail.

After several dozen breaths, the young man, under everyone's watchful eyes, continued to bleed profusely until all the blood in his body was drained, his face turning deathly pale as his pupils gradually dilated and he collapsed on the spot, marking the end of his life.

"Hmm."

After this scene ended, the Realm Host sighed softly, "Every time, there's someone who wants to test it out. I don't know why everyone's curiosity is so strong. Let me remind you, before I speak, it's best to stay behind me and not wander off to certain places."

"It's easy to lose your life."

"Please look up and admire the grandeur of this palace, and then consider the danger of such a place."

"Now, gather everyone. I'll lead you to the Sixth Gate."

As the Realm Host finished speaking, the crowd gradually gathered. After all, the place looked dangerous, and it was safer to stay behind the Realm Host, even though he didn't explain the rules clearly.

"Senior."

The Realm Host jogged over to Chen Qiu's side and whispered a few words before returning to the group and clearing his throat, "Next, I'll introduce the rules of the Sixth Gate."

"Do you see the stairs in front of you?"

"There are eighteen layers, each layer has thirty-six stone bricks, totaling six hundred and forty-eight bricks. It's a very auspicious number, right?"

"By climbing these eighteen layers of stairs, you will see a thousand-foot-tall gate, which is the entrance to this palace and also the entrance to the Seventh Gate."

"And these stone bricks are your challenge for the Sixth Gate."

"These 648 stone bricks, when stepped on, will trigger different effects, which may be catastrophic or rewarding, all depending on luck. This gate doesn't test your strength but your luck."

"Of course."

"I know you can fly, but I need to remind you of something."

"You can fly, but you must step on one stone brick on each layer of the stairs. If you skip layers or climb over them, you will incur heavenly punishment. If two people land on the same brick at the same time, the double rule will be triggered, doubling both rewards and catastrophes."

"In other words, you must step on eighteen bricks to reach the top."

"Don't be too afraid, though. Many of the catastrophic effects are non-lethal."

At this moment—

The crowd on the square noticed that the original ground beneath their feet had, at some point, displayed hundreds of large characters, clearly explaining the rules of the Sixth Gate, almost identical to what the Realm Host had said.

The only addition was the reward for passing this gate.

"A Midday-Night Stone from the Primordial Continent."

This Midday-Night Stone had a unique effect—it could strip away the Soul of Shadows' Fortune, Celestial Fortune, and other untradable fortunes from one's Dantian or another's, and form them into a jade slip-like existence.

The effect was permanent.

Of course, when stripping away fortunes from others' Dantians, it must be done with their cooperation or while they are unconscious and unable to resist. It couldn't be forcefully stripped away from a distance; if such a method existed, this reward wouldn't appear at the Sixth Gate, and it might even be at the Ninth Gate. The strength required was too high.

These eighteen layers of stairs were the only entrance to the palace.

Three sides of the square were in contact with the void.

To reach the top, one had to pass through the void, and its power had just been demonstrated by the young man.

This gate was almost entirely dependent on luck.

The crowd didn't rush to attempt the challenge but instinctively looked towards Chen Qiu, who was standing at the edge of the group. The Realm Host had whispered something to Chen Qiu, and although they didn't know what was said, it was likely about a technique to pass this gate, some secret they didn't know.

". . ."

Chen Qiu frowned slightly as he looked at the eighteen layers of stairs. The Realm Host hadn't revealed any techniques to him, and under the Heavenly Dao rules, the Realm Host wouldn't dare leak any information that could help him pass the gate unless it was within the Realm Host's authority.

The Realm Host had only whispered one sentence to him.

"Senior, this gate is difficult. Be careful."

Yes.

He hadn't shared any techniques but only warned him of the difficulty.

He was now pondering a question, relying solely on luck? Could he then consume a strand of Celestial Fortune to ensure a near-guaranteed pass? But the luck gained from consuming Celestial Fortune might not be applicable in this situation, and he wasn't entirely sure.

Everything issued at the previous stages was sealed in the gray area of the jade slip and couldn't be used normally. It could only be utilized after leaving the Secret Realm.

Among the crowd, there weren't many who had Earthly Elite Fortune or Celestial Fortune in their Dantian.

However, he felt that there should be some technique for this stage, and it shouldn't be solely dependent on luck. Although he considered himself lucky, he didn't want to gamble with his fortune unless it was absolutely necessary.

The most important thing was how that person named Jiang Buying managed to pass this stage. Such a powerful individual wouldn't rely on luck to get through this stage.

It was like a Qi Refinement Cultivator vying for a Spiritual Treasure, willing to gamble their life on luck.

But if one were a Heaven Immortal, they would most likely not gamble with their fortune.

The reason was simple; the cost and reward were no longer proportional. The stronger one was, the less willing they were to gamble with their luck. Once they lost, it would all be over.

Perhaps the conditions for passing were related to the patterns on the ground.

Just then—

The Realm Host spoke up again, reminding them, "Oh, I forgot to mention earlier, the rule for the sixth stage is that you must reach the top within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If you don't reach the top within that time..."

"Heavenly Punishment?" One of the challengers chimed in.

"No." The Host shook his head seriously.

"After the time of an incense stick, the barrier here will disappear, and the Void will envelop the ground square and these eighteen steps..."

He shrugged, not knowing what he was thinking, and said, "That scene might be a bit cruel. I personally suggest you speed up your progress."

His words landed.

The crowd's faces turned a shade darker. This Secret Realm always had some messy rules, and the most important ones were never announced in advance. If they had known earlier, they wouldn't have lingered here. If they had to pass the sixth stage, they would rather die than stay any longer.

If they could pass this stage, they would definitely not linger and would head home without stopping.

But now, the most important question was how to get through this stage first.

"I'll go."

An elder stepped forward from the crowd with a hint of confidence. He strode to the steps, took a deep breath, and with the surge of spirit qi, he leaped onto a stone brick on the first step.

The next moment—

A faint mist appeared on the surface of the stone brick, and above the elder's head, a constantly spinning die slowly emerged. As the spinning slowed down, the die finally stopped on the "four-dot" side.

Before the crowd could react, in their sight, the faint mist on the stone brick slowly condensed into hundreds of high-grade spirit stones.

"Hahahaha!"

As the elder laughed wildly, the crowd suddenly realized that the first step was cleared, and the hundred high-grade spirit stones had already been collected by the elder into his storage ring.

The elder's eyes shone with increasing confidence as he stood on the first step, looking down at the crowd. "I just consumed a strand of Celestial Fortune as a cost, and in a short time, my fortune will greatly increase."

"So, I'll take my leave first. Good luck to all of you."

Without further ado, the elder didn't linger and leaped onto the second step with even more confidence. As the mist rose from under his feet, a die appeared above his head again, this time stopping on the "three-dot" side.

The mist suddenly turned into dense flames, engulfing the elder, but the flames only lasted for an instant and quickly dissipated.

When the flames dissipated, the elder was seen with minor injuries, such as a missing beard and some superficial wounds, but overall, he was in good shape.

"Hmm."

The elder frowned and coldly humphed, quickly finding an explanation, "I understand now. The four, five, and six dots represent destiny, and the one, two, and three dots represent calamity. If not for the protection of Celestial Fortune, the result might have been 'one-dot'."

After that, the elder's journey was almost smooth sailing.

"Five-dot," "four-dot," "five-dot"... In the blink of an eye, he reached the seventh step.

The crowd of challengers on the square, who hadn't yet taken a step forward, looked at the elder with envy in their eyes. They knew that consuming Celestial Fortune could temporarily increase one's fortune, but they had never used it this way, as it seemed a bit wasteful.

It seemed that possessing Celestial Fortune, a treasure that could temporarily increase one's fortune, could effectively help one pass this stage.

The previous stage had rewarded them with quite a bit of Earthly Elite Fortune.

But those were in a sealed state and couldn't be used until they left the Secret Realm.

However, many people's eyes flickered with joy, secretly rejoicing. They had memorized the elder's path and only needed him to lead the way, and they would follow in his footsteps.

They were delighted to have someone willing to take the lead.

At this moment, everyone subconsciously maintained silence, fearing that the elder would realize and not want to be the first to rush forward.

Just then—

All the challengers looked at the elder, who had reached the eighth step, and suddenly froze. The die above the elder's head stopped on the "one-dot" position. If it was the one-dot position, there wasn't much time for the crowd to think.

The next moment!

"Boom!!!"

A deafening thunderclap rang out in the air, followed by a heavenly thunderbolt several zhang thick, which fell straight down, accurately striking the elder who had leaped onto the eighth step.

As the heavenly thunder dissipated, the figure of the old man had vanished from the eighth step, leaving behind only some scattered ash that faintly confirmed the crowd's experience was not an illusion.

"Is he... dead?"

A man stared at the scene before him in horror, his voice filled with disbelief and fear. Why, after consuming "a strand of Celestial Fortune," which significantly increased one's luck for a period, would he still randomly get "one point"?

This didn't make sense!

Could the luck from Celestial Fortune be insufficient?

Fear once again spread among the challengers, but as they hesitated, the time of an incense stick was almost up. A middle-aged man, taking advantage of everyone's momentary distraction, quickly climbed the first step and landed precisely where the old man had stood.

Mist spread beneath his feet once more, prompting everyone to turn their attention to him.

As the man bent down to pick up the high-grade spirit stone, he noticed that the mist beneath his feet was taking longer than usual to dissipate and wasn't condensing into a tangible form like it had for the old man.

Feeling puzzled, he instinctively looked at the crowd and saw fear in their eyes.

He froze for a moment.

Then, a shocking possibility flashed through his mind. He shakily raised his head to look at the die above him, and sure enough, it had landed on "one point."

The next moment—

"Noooooo!"

The man's agonized scream filled with despair echoed as another heavenly thunderbolt struck.

Clearly, even if it was the same stone slab, it didn't guarantee the same die roll. The die rolls were completely random, implying that stepping on that particular stone slab was meaningless since the die would need to be re-rolled anyway.

"I see."

Fat Dragon, looking slightly dazed, gazed at the eighteen steps, "So, every time the die is thrown, there's a one in six chance of something bad happening, which could be one, two, or three points."

"Although I've never seen two points, from one and three points, we can deduce that three points represent a minor disaster, possibly resulting in minor injuries, while two points indicate severe injuries but not death."

"One point means certain death."

"In other words, there's a one in six chance of sudden death with each step."

"If we use probability theory to explain this stage, then the probability of 'Event A' occurring is one in six. And 'Event A' refers to sudden death. To pass through all 18 stages, 'Event A' must not occur in 18 independent repeated experiments."

"Therefore—"

"The probability of 'Event A' not occurring in all 18 experiments is (5/6)^18."

"The final survival probability is 0.000003326."

"In other words, if we rely solely on luck, the survival rate for passing through all stages is approximately 3326 out of 1,000,000."

"So, out of a million people, only about three thousand will survive."

"Hmm."

Fat Dragon nodded silently and rubbed his nose, "With such a low survival rate based on luck alone, we can basically conclude that this stage isn't just about luck. There must be another way to pass."

"."

Chen Qiu's face twitched slightly as he looked away from the patterns on the stone slabs and turned to Fat Dragon, "You know probability theory? And you did that mental calculation so quickly."

"I know a little."

Fat Dragon scratched his head, "I think I did the calculation correctly, but there might be some deviation. I only know this much, but I can confirm that this number is indeed terrifying."

"If we consider the individual probabilities."

"For example, if 'Event A' doesn't occur in the first seventeen stages, the probability of it occurring in the eighteenth stage is still one in six. There shouldn't be any issues with this."

"After all, each event is independent."

"But if we consider the overall probability, it becomes very low."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly and then spoke softly to the challengers who had already stepped onto the stairs, relying on luck, "Your number sounds scarier than the rules of this stage. If they knew this number, they probably wouldn't step onto the stairs so easily."

The rule panel for this stage made the probability seem low, but not too low.

All it took was 18 lucky rolls.

And there was a five in six chance, after all.

But in reality, the final survival probability was frighteningly low, almost impossible. This also explained why the old man, despite consuming Celestial Fortune, still met his end.

After all, Celestial Fortune only enhanced one's luck; it didn't make one invincible.

With a survival rate of only 3000 out of 1 million, even with enhanced luck, it was unlikely to reach a hundred percent.

"However..."

Fat Dragon shrugged nonchalantly and smiled, "But it doesn't matter. We don't need to gamble on this probability. Chen Qiu, you've been observing the patterns on the ground; you must have found a way to pass, right?"

"No."

"No?"

Fat Dragon paused, speaking to himself, "No? Then why did you look away from the patterns on the square's ground? I thought you had already..."

"Oh."

Chen Qiu lowered his head again, examining the patterns on the ground, and replied casually, "Well, you were talking to me, so I looked up at you. It's just good manners."

"Most of the time, I'm a very polite person."

"But you're right about one thing."

"I do have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's the final solution. It needs to be tested."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end