A Staring Contest

Why did the treasure-seeking instinct have to trigger now? Members of Dark Night Rose might be lying in ambush nearby... Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly bade farewell to the convenience store clerk and rushed out the door. Among Dark Night Rose's ranks, there were bound to be other Night Wanderers. If Little Doubi ran into one, he would be done for. On the empty, quiet street, cars sped past from time to time, yet none of the drivers seemed to notice the fierce battle raging inside the school. The same went for the nearby residential buildings, where lights shone from many windows. In a metropolis, night owls were too numerous to count, but not a single soul was drawn to the battle within the school. Leaving the convenience store behind, Zhang Yuanqing followed Little Doubi from a distance along the sidewalk. Crawling to the intersection, the infant spirit raised his head, sparse with fetal hair, glanced left and right, and sniffed in both directions. At last, he confirmed a heading, lowered his head, and scurried swiftly forward. Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to quicken his pace, maintaining a careful distance as he followed. *** Enveloped in black robes, the Great Protector looked around at the lush forest, his voice hoarse. "Zoo Projection... You old fossil, you finally used this rule-based item." At the crown of a towering tree, a curly-haired poodle sat upright, gazing down with deep, penetrating eyes. "Even in the Taiyi Sect, Level 7 Day Wanderers are few and far between. I have already committed your aura to memory. If you aren't from the Taiyi Sect, so be it. But if you are... heh, your death is near." Even as they spoke, Fu Qingyang trailed a white afterimage from where he stood. Relying purely on physical strength, he crossed dozens of meters in a flash and arrived right behind Hei Wuchang. The young master of the Fu family wore a stern expression, like an unfeeling assassin, as he raised the Eight Directions Bronze Sword in his hand. At that moment, extreme terror surfaced on Hei Wuchang's face. His limbs spasmed violently; he did not know whether to dodge left or right. His brain seemed to crash, incapable of sending commands to his body. Even as a peak Saint of an evil profession, facing this strike from Fu Qingyang filled him with an intense feeling of powerlessness. *I can't dodge it! I can't dodge it!* Hei Wuchang made a split-second decision: his skin hardened and coated itself in keratin. At the same time, he dropped to both knees and cried out, "Receive my bow!" *Thud!* His forehead slammed heavily against the ground, fracturing the concrete. The blade Fu Qingyang was bringing down abruptly froze. His face took on an ashen pallor, as though tainted by an invisible power. Witchcraft—Fortune Diminishment! Witch Doctors, as the name implied, commanded both Gu arts and witchcraft, both notorious for their bizarre and venomous nature. Fortune Diminishment was an active skill that only Level 6 Witch Doctors could learn. Through bowing, rituals, formations, and other means, it eroded the target's fortune. Among these, bowing was the simplest method to trigger, but its effect was also the weakest. Given enough time, Hei Wuchang could curse Fu Qingyang with endless misfortune—choking on cold water, suffering violent diarrhea on the toilet, or facing nagging disasters in bed. With the blade frozen midair, Hei Wuchang's limbs stopped trembling. Still in his kneeling posture, he smoothly rolled to the side. Suddenly, red threads as fine as hair wrapped around Hei Wuchang's ankles. More and more threads surged forth, gathering into thickets and sheets like countless writhing tentacles. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter hovered in midair, her skirts fluttering like a gorgeous demoness. She hadn't uttered a word from beginning to end, yet her strikes were ruthless beyond measure. *Crack, snap...* The red threads constricted tighter and tighter, fracturing the hard keratin over Hei Wuchang's body. Yet Hei Wuchang was completely oblivious to his peril. He merely stared blankly at the peerlessly magnificent red silhouette, an infatuated look on his face, as if gazing upon his one true love. A clear, pure beam of golden light descended upon Hei Wuchang. The power of purification made the Witch Doctor roar in agony. However, it also melted through the red threads and dispelled the mental control. *Whoosh!* A torrent of flames surged toward the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter. Dark Night Rose's Fire Master executed Fire Walk, sticking close to her in a rapid flurry of short, fierce strikes. Fire burst continuously as red threads flew through the air. On the other side, no sooner had Hei Wuchang broken free from the infatuation than he saw an assortment of animals surrounding him: snarling baboons, a ferocious and majestic striped tiger, a towering and mighty elephant, along with lions, leopards, hounds, oxen, and bears. Their eyes were vacant and indifferent, nothing more than pure projections, yet they harbored tremendous power. Suddenly, a chill ran through Hei Wuchang's groin, followed by excruciating pain. A hyena had ambushed him from behind, sinking its teeth into his family jewels. Fortunately, his keratinized skin saved him once again; it only cracked under the bite, sparing him from losing his sack. The hyena's sneak attack was like a battle horn; the rest of the animals swarmed in unison. "Hmph!" The black-robed Great Protector snorted coldly. Elder Baihui's objective was clear: kill Hei Wuchang and let the Fallen Holy Grail in his inventory return to the Spirit Realm. Neither side would get it. He took a deep breath and exhaled massive plumes of Yin energy. Amid the frost-laden Yin energy, resentful spirits swam through the air, baring their fangs and claws as they pounced into the pack of beasts. Chaos erupted instantly as illusory animals and spectral bodies collided in battle. Seeing this, the Gu King recalled the blood mist into his body, reforming into a humanoid figure of flesh and blood. Then, his body exploded, bursting into clumps of shredded flesh that scattered all across the "forest." This flesh and blood melted, flowing like crude oil, blanketing the trees, the grass, and the ground. The entire school, the entire forest, was contaminated, exuding an aura of corruption. This was a skill possessed by Witch Doctors at the Dominator stage, capable of corroding and polluting all things in the world. Deprived of their source of power, the phantom beasts dissipated unwillingly. At that moment, a clump of flesh-and-blood matter landed behind Hei Wuchang, reforming into a humanoid shape. Yet in the next instant, golden light descended, annihilating the Gu King's avatar. The high-level realm walkers engaged in a chaotic free-for-all, turning the scene into utter turmoil. Hei Wuchang slumped on the ground. His left leg and right arm had been gnawed bloody, his clothes shredded to tatters, and the keratin all over his body was cracked and dripping with blood. He let out a low, eerie cackle. "You want the Holy Grail, do you? Fine, take it! I'm done playing with you bastards!" He reached into the void with his right hand and pulled out an exquisitely crafted crystal chalice. Its surface was covered in cracks, and the liquid inside was as crimson as blood. Floating within the scarlet liquid was a golden halo, bobbing like a miniature sun. Golden light shone through the crystal chalice, refracting a rose-tinted glow. The chaotic skirmish ground to an abrupt halt. Everyone turned to look at the crystal chalice, utterly captivated. Atop the towering tree, the curly-haired poodle gazed intently at the crystal chalice and sighed, "So that's how it is... That's how it is. To think the Demon Lord actually obtained this item. He was only one step away from reaching the peak." A clump of shredded flesh condensed into human form, greed blazing in the Gu King's eyes. "Deceitful Eye Judge didn't die in vain! Haha, he didn't die in vain!" Hei Wuchang hurled the Holy Grail toward the night sky with all his might, shouting, "Fight for it! Whoever grabs it keeps it!" Refracting a rose-gold sheen, the crystal chalice soared higher and higher, pursued by the fixated gazes of everyone present. From the treetop, the curly-haired poodle leaped forward, transforming into a crane with a two-meter wingspan, flapping its wings as it swept toward the Holy Grail. *Thud, thud, thud...* Clumps of shredded flesh surged up from the undergrowth below, coalescing in midair into a colossal hand that grasped toward the ascending chalice. Yet moving ahead of them all was the black-robed Great Protector, who materialized silently before the Holy Grail and reached out to snatch it. Just then, a sharp, crystalline whistle overtook them, its rolling sound waves reverberating through the air. The black-robed Great Protector, the crane, and the monstrous form all stiffened visibly. No one could resist a Musician's voice. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter stood still on the school building's roof, whistling to the heavens, her red dress billowing wildly. Thickets of red threads behind her lashed out into the sky, targeted at Dark Night Rose's Great Protector. She had no interest in the Holy Grail. The red threads wound round and round, instantly bundling the stunned Great Protector into a chrysalis. The next moment, golden light burst through the gaps between the threads as the black-robed Great Protector broke free of his restraints. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter raised her hand, her sleeve slipping down to reveal a jade arm as fair as snow, and snapped her fingers with a crisp *crack*. The molten red threads seemed granted a second life, instantly restoring to their original state and wrapping around the Great Protector once more. At that very moment, a white silhouette and a streak of red light shot skyward, intertwining as they sped toward the Holy Grail. *Boom!* Fire erupted, boosting the Fire Master's speed another notch to overtake the white silhouette. Fu Qingyang's expression remained unchanged. Sword in one hand, he reached into the void with the other. Instantly, five beams of light—black, white, green, red, and yellow—flew out and settled behind him. *Whoosh!* Flapping in the wind, the five beams of light transformed into five large banners embroidered with green wood, a white tiger, flames, mountains, and water patterns. In an instant, Fu Qingyang looked like a veteran general on an opera stage, bristling with flags. "Roar!" The five banners gleamed, and a vibrant tiger of five colors leaped forth, treading on wild winds to pounce at the flames overhead. The man and the tiger fell together in an entangled scuffle. Fu Qingyang caught up from behind, grabbing the crystal chalice before anyone else could reach it. "Well done!" the crane spoke in human tongue. "Hurry and put it in your inventory!" The giant hand formed by the Gu King let out a furious roar and came crashing down toward Fu Qingyang. Meanwhile, the Great Protector melted through the red threads once more. Seeing this, he did not strike, but merely let out a cold laugh. Suddenly, a bizarre scene unfolded: the crystal chalice held in Fu Qingyang's hand lost its glow, turning into an ordinary, nondescript drinking glass. The surging hand of flesh froze mid-strike. With a midair roll, the crane transformed back into the curly-haired poodle, a look of astonishment on its face. "Hahahahaha..." Pinned beneath the five-colored tiger, the Fire Master erupted in wild laughter. Slumped on the ground, Hei Wuchang laughed as well, then asked, "What are you laughing at?" The Fire Master mocked, "I laugh at Fu Qingyang's lack of strategy, and at the Gu King's lack of wits! And what are you laughing at?" Hei Wuchang jeered, "I laugh at the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's lack of strategy, and at Elder Gou's lack of wits!" Back atop the tree, the curly-haired poodle took on a grave expression. "Charm Art?" The Great Protector smiled faintly, his voice raspy. "Indeed. It was nothing more than a trick to play you all for fools. Tsk tsk, what a pity. Had Fu Qingyang been in the Dominator Realm, he would have seen through my illusion at a single glance with a Scout's fiery eyes of truth." The Gu King drew back all of his flesh and blood, coalescing into his original form. His eyes crimson, he said, "Hei Wuchang, if you refuse to produce the Fallen Holy Grail, then go to hell. I'd rather it return to the Spirit Realm." Hei Wuchang sneered, "That's why I say you lack wits. Do you honestly think killing me will send the Fallen Holy Grail back to the Spirit Realm? Do you honestly think that the me standing before you is my true body?" The Gu King froze. Scrutinizing him for a moment, he suddenly understood and said in a heavy voice, "A Gu Avatar..." A Gu Avatar was a secret technique of Witch Doctors: by fusing one's own blood with a lifebound Gu, one could forge a physical shell whose aura—and even soul—was indistinguishable from the original body. For most Witch Doctors, this secret art had little utility, because the price of refining an avatar was a reduction in one's own power, making it difficult to return to peak form for several months. With the transaction with Dark Night Rose imminent, how could Hei Wuchang dare to cripple his own martial strength? Fu Qingyang's gaze shifted slightly as a realization struck him, and he remarked coolly, "Your method of transaction with Dark Night Rose was different from what we assumed." Hei Wuchang laughed heartily and said smugly, "As expected of a Scout. That's right. The way we were to conduct the transaction tonight was for this avatar to sign the contract with the Great Protector. Only once the contract was sealed would I have my true body bring the Holy Grail over. "After all, the pugilistic world is perilous; I had to be on guard. I never expected you would actually track us down here, but by sheer coincidence, you've been thoroughly played. "Although losing this avatar will heavily compromise my true body's combat power, Dark Night Rose has already obtained the Book of Contracts. The transaction can take place anytime, anywhere—it doesn't even need to be in Songhai. "Next time, if you want to set an ambush in advance, it will be harder than ascending to the heavens. No one can stop me from taking control of the Holy Grail and becoming the second Deceitful Eye Judge!" Fu Qingyang pondered for a moment, remaining silent. The lack of trust between Dark Night Rose and Hei Wuchang had already been remedied by the Book of Contracts. They could secretly trade at any time and place in the future. Having lost their chance tonight, it would be all but impossible to interfere in the future. A failure on the brink of success. "The Book of Contracts..." Elder Baihui muttered under his breath, then said helplessly, "Forget it. Gu King, Palace Master, this matter can no longer be stopped. Let us join hands to slay them—at least that will deal a heavy blow to Dark Night Rose." *** One kilometer away from Songhai Third Primary School, at the mouth of a secluded alley, a shadowy figure wearing a peaked cap and a surgical mask lurked in the darkness, leaning against the wall with eyes closed to rest. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Resting on his palm was an exquisitely crafted crystal chalice covered in cracks; within its scarlet liquid, a miniature sun bobbed gently. The two forces intertwined and ground against each other, maintaining a delicate balance. The rose-colored light illuminated his face—long face, narrow eyes, distinctively ugly. It was none other than Hei Wuchang. "I can only wait for the next transaction..." Hei Wuchang exhaled a breath, his emotions complicated. Being ambushed and surrounded by the authorities was something he hadn't foreseen. Although the deal was ruined and he had lost an avatar, the Holy Grail was still in his possession, so none of these losses truly mattered. This was why caution was worthwhile: as long as one was cautious enough, risks could be averted unseen. As for whether Dark Night Rose's Great Protector could make it out alive, that was none of his concern. "A shame that such a divine item has to be handed over to Dark Night Rose." He stared at the "little sun" bobbing in the chalice, greed in his eyes. Having been present at the scene back then, he knew all too well how terrifying this "sun" was. Hei Wuchang was confident that if he could master both items simultaneously, he would become the strongest existence across all three branches of the Spirit Society. Now, however, he had to part with one; otherwise, he would end up with nothing. Just then, as if sensing something, Hei Wuchang shifted his gaze away from the Holy Grail and looked toward the mouth of the alley. Warm, downy yellow lamplight spilled down. The entrance to the alley appeared completely empty, yet within Hei Wuchang's spiritual perception, he vaguely discerned a little vengeful spirit crouched not far away, its dark, glistening eyes staring right at him. Big eyes stared at little eyes. Hei Wuchang: "???"