Wen Shan’s voice was steady and unhurried as he explained.

  “Consider this. If there are only three boats, their quality can only fall into three ranks: superior, middle, and inferior.”

  “If the first boat is superior and we abandon it, then observe the second. If the second is middle, worse than the first, we abandon it and choose the third, ending with an inferior boat. If the second is inferior, then choosing the third yields a middle boat.”

  “If the first boat is middle and we abandon it, then observe the second. If the second is superior, better than the first, we choose it. If the second is inferior, worse than the first, we abandon it and choose the third. In both cases, we obtain a superior boat.”

  “If the first boat is inferior and we abandon it, then observe the second. If the second is superior, better than the first, we choose it and obtain a superior boat. If the second is middle, still better than the first, we choose it and obtain a middle boat.”

  At this point, Wen Shan looked around. The confusion in the others’ eyes had begun to clear, replaced by dawning understanding.

  “There are six possible arrangements,” he said clearly. “In three of them, we obtain a superior boat. In two, we obtain a middle boat. Only in one do we end up with an inferior boat. That means our probability of selecting a superior vessel rises to one half, far greater than the original one third. Meanwhile, the chance of choosing the worst boat drops to one sixth, which is already quite small.”

  “This method does not guarantee absolute success. It cannot ensure we always choose the best. But under the circumstances, it maximizes our odds.”

  When he finished, silence fell over the lonely island outside the chamber.

  The cultivators who had been arguing moments before now sank into thought.

  Wen Shan’s concrete reasoning had transformed what seemed like pure luck into a calculable decision.

  “So that’s it,” murmured a disciple from the Xia Ke Gang, enlightenment filling his eyes. “The key is using the first boat as a reference. We give up the one third chance of immediately choosing the best, in exchange for better odds later.”

  “Then what about now?” someone asked at once. “We are not facing three boats, but a hundred. How many should we observe before making our choice?”

  The question plunged everyone back into contemplation.

  A hundred boats. The permutations were beyond counting.

  How could such a thing be calculated?

  Before they could untangle it, Huang Xiuxiu answered crisply from the side.

  “Thirty seven.”

  “Thirty seven?” The crowd froze.

  The quick witted Xia Ke Gang disciple slapped his thigh in sudden realization. “I understand! Those thirty seven boats out of a hundred correspond to the first boat among three!”

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  “We observe the first thirty seven as our reference, remembering the best among them. Then, starting from the thirty eighth boat, the moment one surpasses the best of the first group, we choose it without hesitation!”

  At last, clarity swept through the group.

  “So that’s the method!”

  “Brilliant!”

  “Junior Brother Wen Shan, Junior Sister Xiuxiu, you are truly extraordinary!”

  Praise rose one after another. All previous anxiety and doubt dissolved into admiration.

  Wen Shan let out a quiet breath. He knew inwardly that the matter of a hundred boats was not so simple, but persuading them for now was enough.

  He turned to Senior Sister and bowed slightly.

  “Senior Sister, we may begin.”

  She looked deeply at Wen Shan and Huang Xiuxiu, then nodded. Without hesitation, she walked toward the ancient stone stele.

  Her slender fingers reached out and lightly touched its cold surface.

  Watching her resolute back, Wen Shan could not help but sigh inwardly.

  Though she seemed to rely entirely on his and Xiuxiu’s judgment when making decisions, her presence was indispensable. It was precisely because of her that this hastily assembled group could set aside grievances and unite so quickly.

  Her existence itself carried unspoken weight.

  On the other side, even though Qin Yi had understood the key to the earlier puzzle, distrust among the demonic cultivators had nearly trapped them in deadlock. If not for Feng Wuya, Ghost Pupil, and Shi Meng stepping forward, they might still be wasting time in suspicion.

  Perhaps that was the role of a leader, even if the leader was not oneself.

  Splash. Splash.

  As Wen Shan’s thoughts drifted, a slow and heavy sound of water breaking echoed from the distant black sea.

  Everyone stiffened and looked toward the horizon.

  Through the mist, a massive shadow emerged, cutting across the dark waters and approaching the island.

  As it drew nearer, its outline became clear.

  It was a colossal ship, beyond anything they had imagined.

  Its hull towered like a mountain, built from unknown black timber. Ancient and intricate totems were carved along its sides, radiating a vast and desolate aura.

  By size alone, it could easily carry everyone present and still have space to spare.

  “The first boat is this enormous?” someone gasped in shock.

  “Yes. Though the hull bears many gaping holes and looks damaged, with such size it should be more than capable of crossing this sea.”

  Its appearance shook their resolve.

  “Everyone,” a disciple from the Divine Iron Camp said hoarsely, swallowing hard. “Are we truly going to abandon this ship? What if it is the very best?”

  He voiced what all were thinking.

  They had just understood the principle of optimal choice, yet the sheer visual impact of the great vessel made their firm resolve waver.

  “That’s reasonable!” someone agreed. “A strategy is only a strategy. What if this secret realm does not follow logic? Why complicate matters? If we board this ship, we can cross safely.”

  “No,” another retorted. “We finally grasped the method. How can we falter now? The greater the temptation, the more we must hold fast and trust Wen Shan and Xiuxiu’s judgment!”

  “Exactly! Do not forget what kind of realm this is. This must be a trap!”

  Debate flared once more.

  Senior Sister listened quietly, expression unchanged. She stood at the edge of the island, her cool eyes calmly watching the giant ship draw closer.

  Without slowing, the ship passed near the island. Its immense shadow swallowed them before gradually receding into the mist beyond.

  Wen Shan noticed the ship had not sailed far from shore, and its deck sat lower than the island’s edge. If one wished to leap aboard as a mortal, there was only a brief window when it passed closest.

  As the stele had warned, hesitation meant loss.

  Seeing Senior Sister abandon the first ship without hesitation, the others, though conflicted, dared not protest further.

  They suppressed their unease and turned their eyes back to the sea.

  The second ship came. Then the third. The fourth.

  Each vessel was smaller and more dilapidated than the last.

  Some were little more than rafts of rotting planks. Others were half decayed, as if they might break apart at the slightest wave.

  None could compare to the towering first ship.

  With each passing wreck, their faces grew darker.

  Time stretched under oppressive tension.

  Thirty three. Thirty four. Thirty five. Thirty six.

  At last, the thirty seventh boat, a narrow canoe fit for only a few people, drifted past and vanished into the fog.

  The observation period had ended.

  Instinctively, everyone straightened and held their breath, eyes fixed upon the silent black sea.

  From this moment onward, the true choice would begin.

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