Who Is Yuanshi Tianzun?

Ding! The familiar Spirit Realm prompt chimed in his ear, and immediately after, Zhang Yuanqing heard the scenario overview: [Spirit Realm map opening. Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. Your destination this time is "Life and Death Arena," Scenario No. 3371.] [Difficulty Level: Unknown] [Type: Multiplayer (Non-lethal)] [Main Quest: Defeat opponents openly and honorably on the arena platform. Spar to exchange skills; stop at contact.] [Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought inside.] [Overview of Spirit Realm No. 3371: This Spirit Realm is exclusive to the "White Tiger Guards" guild and has already been cleared.] Zhang Yuanqing reached out to grip the shoulder of Corpse No. 1 and silently counted down. When he reached thirty, the room's scenery rippled like water. In the next instant, an azure sky met his eyes. He found himself looking at an arena resembling an ancient colosseum. Surrounding him and across the way, dark masses of people filled the stands, and he recognized none of the official walkers beside him. Evidently, he had been randomly assigned to this spot. For a moment, he felt as if he were in a bustling stadium surrounded on all sides by enthusiastic spectators. The only differences were that this arena was constructed of retro, weathered stone blocks, much like an ancient gladiatorial colosseum, and the spectators held neither foam boards nor glow sticks. Furthermore, the venue was exceptionally quiet. Despite the massive crowd, everyone maintained a tacit silence, gazing down at the armored swordsman standing in the center of the plaza below. He was a tall, imposing man with a complexion as clear as jade and a neatly trimmed beard, embodying handsome ruggedness and mature poise in equal measure. A fine sword hung at his waist as he stood proudly within the grounds. *Is this the host? Pretty distinctive...* Zhang Yuanqing studied him for a few moments, feeling an instinctive sense of awe rise toward the armored swordsman—a low-ranking soldier's caution before a general. He immediately identified the man's profession: Scout! As for his level—Saint or Dominator—Zhang Yuanqing could not tell. At that moment, the armored swordsman spread his palm. A white glow flared, and an ancient parchment scroll materialized. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the scroll aloft. Amid a rustling snap, the parchment unrolled high in the air and hung suspended. Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes, attempting to read the parchment, but it was veiled in pristine, holy light that obscured its contents. The armored swordsman's voice rang out, echoing over the plaza: "Everyone, repeat after me! "I swear never to disclose the details witnessed during this arena tournament to anyone, by any means." His voice was resonant and commanding, carrying an authority impossible to resist. Zhang Yuanqing's heart trembled. Involuntarily and uncontrollably, he recited: "I swear never to disclose the details witnessed during this arena tournament to anyone, by any means." He knew this was an ability of high-level Scouts that compelled unconscious obedience. Countless people spoke the oath in unison. The torrent of overlapping voices formed an immense, magnificent roar. The armored swordsman continued: "I swear never to disclose the appearance of anyone seen during this arena tournament to anyone, in any form." The crowd echoed, "I swear never to disclose the appearance of anyone seen during this arena tournament to anyone, in any form." With a resonant hum, the parchment scroll in midair vibrated, and pure holy light rippled outward. In the unseen realm, rules seemed to establish themselves, ensuring severe punishment for anyone who violated the oath. The armored swordsman nodded in satisfaction. Spreading his palm once more, he watched the parchment roll itself up and drift lightly back into his hand. *That item just now seemed like one belonging to the foreign "Knight" profession. The power to establish contracts is unmistakable... "Details" must refer to things like item attributes. Disclosing appearances is forbidden as well; the organization was quite thorough in its planning...* While Zhang Yuanqing pondered, the armored swordsman spoke again: "The opening ceremony concludes. In twenty minutes, random matchmaking for today's match list will commence. Each person has one opportunity per day to leave early. Simply read aloud the characters written on the tablet in my hand." Zhang Yuanqing squinted down. The armored swordsman was holding up a wooden tablet inscribed with the characters: "Return." "Return?" A burly man next to Zhang Yuanqing, having made out the word, read it aloud on instinct. In the next instant, he vanished on the spot. *Is that blockhead a Fire Master?* Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded. Rash, impetuous, acting on pure reflex without engaging his brain... He was almost certainly a Fire Master. The armored swordsman continued, "Those who leave early will not be permitted to re-enter the arena today." *Well...* Zhang Yuanqing spared a second of pity for the big fellow. Having finished his announcement, the armored swordsman walked toward a seat in the front row. Only then did a wave of noise ripple through the previously quiet colosseum. Some waved to call out to familiar companions, while others shouted friends' names. People shifted seats in droves, hurrying toward close friends and partners. *Oh, it's free-movement time now? We can switch seats?* Zhang Yuanqing immediately stood up and looked around. At last, off to his left and quite a distance away, he spotted Guan Ya. Even in a venue packed with attractive men and women, the seasoned banter queen's figure and face remained exceptional, making her easily stand out from the crowd. At the moment, Guan Ya was waving in a particular direction with a bright smile, her radiant expression displaying genuine delight. *Who is she greeting...?* Zhang Yuanqing followed her gaze and saw a mature woman in a black T-shirt and light blue skinny jeans, wearing smoky eye makeup and silver earrings, her features striking and bold. *It's Queen!* He breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Yuanqing immediately got up and made his way toward Guan Ya. "Sister Guan Ya!" "Huh, I was just looking for you, but I saw Queen first." Guan Ya's eyes lit up with delight when she saw him approach. Meanwhile, Queen—who had been waving back for quite some time without showing any intention of coming over—now had bright, spirited eyes. Abandoning the companions beside her, she jogged right over. Guan Ya remarked with subtle irony, "I waved at her for so long. Even though Queen answered enthusiastically, I could read from her micro-expressions that she didn't want to come over. She didn't want to leave her friends behind and thought showing enough cheer and warmth while waving would brush me off. "Yet the moment you showed up, she came trotting right over." *What are you trying to say with that? Pointing out how superficial female friendship is?* Zhang Yuanqing silently grumbled to himself. "Hey, Yuanshi, long time no see!" Queen halted and stood gracefully before them, smiling brilliantly. "Ah, My Queen, haven't seen you in days. You've gotten even prettier. If you keep growing more gorgeous like this, I won't be able to stop myself from pursuing you," Zhang Yuanqing offered with sincere praise. At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved; his biggest dread was Queen shouting "Yuanshi Tianzun" at the top of her lungs. That would have instantly drawn a crowd of onlookers. "Yuanshi," on the other hand, shared homophones with plenty of ordinary names, making it hard to connect immediately to Yuanshi Tianzun. Queen gave an enchanting smile and took a seat generously beside Zhang Yuanqing. "Who was that man in armor earlier?" Zhang Yuanqing turned to look at Guan Ya on his left. The seasoned flirt stared straight ahead into the distance. In profile, she looked as fair as a celestial maiden, yet she remained cold as frost, acting as if she had not heard a word he said. *Giving me the cold shoulder for no reason...* Zhang Yuanqing thought. Queen, on his right, chimed in considerately. "That's an elder from your Songhai Branch. Well, he should be; he hosted last year's arena tournament as well." She looked down toward the front row and said, "Everyone seated in the front row is an elder-level figure. However, I only recognize Elder Hongying and Elder Sun from the Taiyi Sect, Elder Fusheng and Elder Shuiyi from Sanzhuang Province, and Elder Gou from Songhai. I recognize the host elder's face, but I don't know his Spirit Realm ID." As a grassroots walker, the number of elders she knew by sight was limited. Zhang Yuanqing leaned forward to look. At least a dozen elders were seated in the front row—an astonishingly large gathering, and that was still only a portion of them. A scene bringing together so many prominent figures occurred only once a year. It was truly thrilling. "Are the five Alliance Leaders here?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously. Queen shook her head. "The five Alliance Leaders are like divine dragons that reveal their heads but never their tails. Let alone us Transcendent-stage walkers, even many Deacons have never met them." Zhang Yuanqing felt a twinge of disappointment, though he acknowledged it made sense. As they were chatting, another pleasantly surprised voice carried over: "Brother Yuanshi~" A crisp, sweetly affectionate call. Zhang Yuanqing did not even need to turn around to know who it was. Today, Xie Lingxi was dressed like an innocent, pure girl next door: white canvas sneakers, light-colored tapered jeans, a white T-shirt, and high-tech over-ear headphones resting over her fluffy hair. "You came too?" Zhang Yuanqing waved with a broad smile. Xie Lingxi did not come over right away. Her lively eyes darted around, landing on the strikingly glamorous Queen, and she spoke in a sweet, delicate voice: "Hello, big sister. May I sit next to Brother Yuanshi?" Her gentle, innocent demeanor instinctively evoked a desire to protect her. Queen hesitated for a moment, lifted her hips, and quietly slid outward a bit. Xie Lingxi beamed. "Thank you, sister!" With that, she squeezed her little rear between them and intimately wrapped her arms around Zhang Yuanqing's arm. Queen looked mildly disappointed, while Guan Ya's expression grew even frostier. "Brother Yuanshi, I piggybacked on my dad's invitation to get in. For a grand event like this, only a handful of high-status figures from non-official clans get to attend. My dad has to enter a scenario soon, so he gave the treat to me!" "Brother Yuanshi, when autumn comes, come to my house for crabs! Our Xie family's crab feasts rarely include outsiders, but my dad specifically told me to invite you." Xie Lingxi chattered away. Beside them, Queen was taken aback, carefully sizing up the high-school-aged girl. *Someone from the Xie family?* Come to think of it, Queen was also from Sanzhuang Province. "Little sister, you're from the Xie family? Which branch?" Queen could not resist asking. "Big sister, my dad is the head of the Xie family," Xie Lingxi replied, faithfully maintaining her innocent, naive persona. *Direct lineage of the Xie family...* Queen was astonished. The eldest daughter of the Xie family was this infatuated with Yuanshi Tianzun? Lowering her gaze slightly, Queen fell silent. *People from non-official Spirit Realm families can attend too?* Zhang Yuanqing's mind stirred, and he asked, "Little sister, take a look around and see if the Zhu family patriarch's sister came. You know, Chi Yue'an's ex-wife." Xie Lingxi gave an "Oh" and hopped up at once, craning her neck and diligently scanning the vast sea of people across the stands. After a long while, she gasped in delight. "That one, that one over there! That's her!" Zhang Yuanqing squinted and strained his eyes in the direction she was pointing. The distance was far too great; he couldn't tell who she meant at all. *Well, since that woman was once tamed by the Demon Lord, she must be extraordinarily attractive. One might question the Demon Lord's moral character, but never his taste in women...* Relying on intuition, Zhang Yuanqing picked out a candidate among the crowd. It was a plump, voluptuous woman in a white dress. Though her features were blurred by the distance, her alluring, dignified aura set her apart from those around her. *Should I find a chance to probe her? See how she reacts to Tongque Tower and Chi Yue'an? Or should I just memorize her face, get familiar with it, and hold back for now...?* After a moment of thought, Zhang Yuanqing opted for the latter. Dealing with the eldest daughter of the Zhu family was not urgent; he had to at least wait until he advanced to Saint. He discreetly shifted his gaze away. By this point, plenty of time remained in the twenty-minute window, and random matchmaking had not yet started. However, most attendees had found their companions. The initial scurrying across the venue had settled into a calmer state, with only a few lingering wanderers. Not far behind him, Zhang Yuanqing overheard two women chatting with suppressed excitement: "That one! That's Money Prince Fu Qingyang in the white suit! He's way too handsome!" "And that other prince! I heard he's very gentle, considerate, and understands a woman's heart better than anyone. Dating him is every woman's dream." "Huh? I heard he's a playboy who switches girlfriends constantly." "What do you know? True beauty was never about lasting forever; it's about having held it once." Similar murmurs were breaking out all over the venue; seeking out star figures was second nature to the crowd. "That red-haired guy must be Jiang Ju, right? Oh no, our eyes met—I feel like he wants to beat me up." "Hey, there's a red-haired girl next to him. Is that Jiang Jingwei?" "Haha, Old Man Earth God is still so vigorous and hale!" "Where's the Ghost King of Fengdu? Point him out to me." "Over there, right behind Elder Hongying." "So that's him! Not super handsome, but his presence is incredible. I noticed him earlier—with so many people from the Taiyi Sect, he's the only one who commands your attention without trying." "Then the one beside him must be Yin Ji? Why is she wearing a veil? I really wanted to see how gorgeous the Demon Lord's lover is." "Don't bring up the Demon Lord! Are you looking to die?!" "Is that effeminate man in ancient robes Yinci? He does look quite pretty, but I prefer more masculine men." "What, do you like Fire Masters instead? Delicate pretty boys are the best—he's totally my type." "Zhao Chenghuang is over there! I see Zhao Chenghuang! Handsome and aloof. Would he reject me if I asked for an autograph?" "Zhao Chenghuang carries an air of nobility. Most Level 3 Night Wanderers have a similar aura, but his is especially pronounced." "Too bad I'm afraid of ghosts, otherwise I'd definitely chase after him." "Sun Miaomiao is way too pretty! I love girls with round faces, so sweet and cute." "It's bad enough she's gorgeous, but her talent is absurdly high too. Completely out of reach, dammit!" "That's Qingsongzi, that's Crossing-River Pawn, and that's World Returns to Fire... Where's Yuanshi Tianzun? I can't find him." "Yuanshi Tianzun is a newcomer, so not many people have seen him. I'd love to see the guy who cleared two S-rank Spirit Realms." As a legendary figure, even if his tournament preview standing was not among the very top, countless people were searching for Yuanshi Tianzun. Reaching Level 3 in under three months of becoming a Spirit Realm walker, consecutively clearing S-rank and high-difficulty A-rank scenarios since his debut, and slaying the notoriously ruthless Li Xianzong... Under such dazzling laurels, an eleventh-place rank did nothing to quell the curiosity of walkers from every branch regarding Yuanshi Tianzun. Unfortunately, having debuted so recently, even many local official walkers from Songhai had never laid eyes on him. Zhang Yuanqing was also observing the star contenders, focusing on the Taiyi Sect contingent. The Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderers were easy to spot, seated in a dense cluster right behind Elder Sun and Elder Hongying, clad uniformly in black robes and dresses. His primary focus was on Sun Miaomiao, Yin Ji, and Zhao Chenghuang. Due to the distance, he could not make out their features clearly. He caught only a glimpse of Sun Miaomiao's rounded face, confirming she was a striking beauty. Yin Ji wore a veil and layered black robes, concealing both her face and figure, yet her silhouette exuded an unmistakable charm. Zhao Chenghuang possessed sharp, handsome features. He sat motionless with arms crossed over his chest, faintly radiating an arrogance and self-assurance that looked down on all around him. Just then, a soft, honeyed voice interrupted Zhang Yuanqing's gaze. "You're here too," the woman said. Zhang Yuanqing turned around. At some point, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman had appeared beside him. Ordinary beauty hardly did her justice; terms like "sensual stunner," "femme fatale," and "beguiling vixen" felt far more appropriate. A normal beauty was pleasing to the eye and inspired fond affection, whereas Annie made men crave nothing more than to strip her bare and force their way in. The three women beside Zhang Yuanqing all frowned, instinctively radiating hostility. The little schemer, in particular, felt utterly outmatched across the board—that seductive, bewitching smile, that scandalous bust, those lush curves; every single one was a crushing blow from a higher plane. Xie Lingxi could not help tightening her grip around her Brother Yuanshi's arm. She wasn't fully grown yet; she was merely a weak, helpless girl who only knew how to care for her older brother. "Miss Annie?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "Did you receive an invitation from the Five Elements Alliance as well?" Annie nodded with a smile, her voice melodious. "I came with Mr. Bill. I happened to spot you, so I came over to say hello. I forgot to ask for your Spirit Realm ID, so I didn't even know how to address you just now." Strictly speaking, she did not even know Zhang Yuanqing's real name—only that his mother was Chen Shu. Following her gaze, Zhang Yuanqing saw Bill Tarantino, whose deep facial features radiated mature masculine charisma. The foreign merchant gave him a nod. Zhang Yuanqing nodded in return, retracted his gaze, and smiled at Annie. "I'm just a nobody, not worth mentioning!" Hearing that, Annie pressed no further. Wearing a faint smile, she turned and took her leave. Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention back to the Taiyi Sect assembly when Guan Ya's voice suddenly reached his ears: "That wretched girl Jiang Jingwei is coming over." *What?!* Shocked, he hastily looked over. Sure enough, Jiang Jingwei was skipping along, dashing toward him and Guan Ya with sheer delight written all over her face. Seeing that Zhang Yuanqing had spotted her, Jiang Jingwei waved her arms frantically and belted out at the top of her lungs: "Yuanshi Tianzun! Over here! I'm over here—!" *Yuanshi Tianzun?!* Annie, who had taken only two steps away, froze in her tracks. *Yuanshi Tianzun?* In unison, every official walker in the vicinity snapped their heads around in perfect alignment to stare.