It really was here! Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. This time, he didn't send his yin corpse ahead as the vanguard, instead bolting toward where the radiant light soared into the sky.
A few seconds later, he caught sight of the piece of equipment shrouded in radiant light. It was a thick fauld, its shield-shaped plates intricately linked by red cords, exquisitely crafted.
A full set of war armor had only a few components. The vambraces, cuirass, and weapon had already been claimed. Whatever followed would be either a fauld or a helmet.
As he sprinted, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized something was amiss. The distance between him and the fauld remained entirely unchanged, giving him the agonizing feeling of chasing a distant mountain until running oneself to death.
He skidded to an abrupt halt, realizing he had walked into an ambush.
This familiar sensation—it was a ghost-induced maze! Zhang Yuanqing scanned his surroundings and called out loudly, "Zhao Chenghuang or Sun Miaomiao?"
A ghost-induced maze was a Charm Art of the Night Wanderer class, and the only ones capable of affecting a Level 3 Night Wanderer were Sun Miaomiao or Zhao Chenghuang.
Even then, they had to be relying on items or similar aids.
"Hi, Yuanshi Tianzun! I didn't expect to actually camp you out."
A crisp, playful voice rang out.
Zhang Yuanqing turned toward the voice and saw a lithe, graceful silhouette slowly taking shape a dozen-odd meters away.
A black T-shirt, a short black skirt, fair thighs, a swelling bust, a round face, and glistening dark eyes—her entire presence radiated sweet refinement.
Her meticulously styled hair curled slightly at the ends, and combined with the noble aura exclusive to Night Wanderers, she looked like a little princess.
"Camping me?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at the sweet-looking girl. "How did you know it would definitely be me who showed up?"
Sun Miaomiao gave a playful chuckle. "I didn't! After entering the dungeon, I just stayed right here the whole time. The pieces refresh randomly anyway, and each contestant can only equip one piece. So as long as I hold down an area, I'm bound to get one eventually."
A very clever strategy. Waiting by the stump for a hare beats wandering around aimlessly. No wonder no one saw her... Zhang Yuanqing glanced around and remarked casually, "Your ghost-induced maze is quite something, actually managing to trap me."
Sun Miaomiao bared her neat white teeth, grinning proudly. "This is a Charm Art I created with the help of a spirit servant—one refined from an Illusionist's spirit body!"
Zhang Yuanqing understood at once.
No wonder her Charm Art could blind his senses. Illusionists were the finest materials for refining spirit servants; one made from an Illusionist's spirit body possessed uncanny abilities.
"Impressive!"
While praising her aloud, Zhang Yuanqing covertly activated his Spirit Devouring skill. Thick, pitch-black energy welled into his eyes, filling his sockets and turning his aura sinister and noble, like a monarch of the underworld or a vampire duke.
He swept his gaze across the area, but saw nothing out of the ordinary; he couldn't spot her spirit servant anywhere.
"Are you looking for my spirit servant?" Sun Miaomiao pointed behind herself and smiled. "She's right here."
Behind her, a terrifying specter materialized: a woman in a tattered nightgown, her hair disheveled, the nightgown stained with dark blood.
She had clearly suffered a gruesome death, exuding intense resentment and malice.
"When a Night Wanderer fights another Night Wanderer, the proper way to use spirit servants is to channel their power using yourself as the medium. You can't just treat them as blunt tools to charge into battle. Understand?" she lectured earnestly.
Zhang Yuanqing paid her no mind, covertly reaching out to his yin corpse. He could clearly sense the corpse was nearby, yet he couldn't see it at all.
The yin corpse remained under his control, but when Zhang Yuanqing ordered it to attack Sun Miaomiao, the feedback from the corpse was—no target!
Was Corpse No. 1 also fooled by the ghost-induced maze? Though an inanimate corpse, it possessed intelligence, and having intelligence meant it could be deceived by illusions. If the yin corpse couldn't find a target... Without a second thought, Zhang Yuanqing summoned his Burst Pistol, raised the muzzle, and fired straight at Sun Miaomiao.
*Bang! Bang!*
Dark-red ballistic trails tore through Sun Miaomiao's body, but she shattered like a phantom bubble, reappearing a short distance away.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank.
"You can't hit me inside an illusion," Sun Miaomiao said, hands clasped behind her back, smiling playfully like an innocent maiden.
Zhang Yuanqing retorted, "An illusion's greatest weakness is its delicate balance. It's all fake. You can confuse me, lure me, or even manipulate me into hurting myself inside an illusion, but you can't actively harm me directly. Once outside factors interfere, your illusion shatters on its own."
Sun Miaomiao's large, dark eyes curved into crescents. "All I need to do is keep you trapped. You have the most points, after all. Once the other contestants arrive and see you caught in an illusion, a coordinated assault will eliminate you in no time.
"Yuanshi Tianzun, you completely ruined my grandfather's reputation. I'm going to humiliate you thoroughly during this tournament and show all the official walkers outside that my grandfather rejected you purely because the Taiyi Sect is overflowing with talent!"
In the colosseum's elders' seating area:
Elder Sun beamed with immense grandfatherly pride.
"Aiya, this girl Miaomiao just loves taking matters into her own hands. She insisted on using this arena tournament to suppress Yuanshi Tianzun and vent some spleen for this old man. How could I ever stoop to bickering with a junior? Oh well, oh well, since her mind is set, I can only let her have her way. Yuanshi Tianzun is quite talented, but alas, he had the misfortune of running into my granddaughter!"
With that, Elder Sun raised his chin and cast a haughty glance toward several elders who either had no progeny or whose descendants were mediocre, the smugness in his eyes completely undisguised.
"Must be nice having a sweet granddaughter!" Elder Gou muttered sourly.
Elder Gou was all alone in the world. Both of his parents had died when he was young, and he had grown up in a small fishing village in Fu Province relying on communal charity, accompanied only by a yellow hound.
Now that more than half his life had passed, he remained solitary.
The other elders targeted by the boast didn't look too happy either.
*A terrifying Charm Art. The top three contestants really do have real skills... With the Yinyang Robe and Red Dancing Shoes, I don't have to worry about being instantly killed, but neither item can break illusions. I could try activating the Yinyang Robe's formation array—breaking the illusion with an array, fighting fire with fire.*
Finding the situation slightly tricky, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Wasn't it Yuan Ting who ruined your grandfather's reputation? What the hell does that have to do with me?"
Sun Miaomiao ignored his retort and mumbled, "Yuanshi Tianzun, I can give you a chance. How about we make a deal?"
"Two thousand for the night, eight hundred for a single round. You pay me."
Zhang Yuanqing spoke, waiting for Sun Miaomiao to erupt in fury so he could summon the Yinyang Robe and mount a sneak attack.
Sun Miaomiao blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"..." Zhang Yuanqing paused. "What kind of deal do you want?"
Sun Miaomiao's face instantly lit up with excitement. "Give me your little spirit servant, and I'll help you defeat that Zhao Chenghuang guy and secure the championship! How about it?"
Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "If you're stalling for time, at least find a plausible excuse."
"No, I'm serious! I can undo the illusion right now," Sun Miaomiao said.
Before Zhang Yuanqing could reply, thick, pitch-black energy surged into her eyes. Her aura shifted into icy, noble elegance as she parted her small lips and took a gentle breath.
The horrifying specter behind her dissolved into wisping blue smoke, trailing gracefully into her cherry-like mouth.
Zhang Yuanqing felt an invisible force dissipate. Then, he spotted the real Sun Miaomiao standing among the ruins not far away, cradling the fauld in her arms.
*She really cancelled the illusion...* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. *What is this woman planning?*
Just then, Sun Miaomiao's ears twitched. Looking into the distance, she said, "Someone's coming. Let's move somewhere else to talk."
Without hesitation, the two tacitly rounded up their yin corpses, cast Night Walk, and vanished from the spot.
Moments later, two figures rushed over: Qingsongzi, the sunny, warm-natured young man, and World Returns to Fire, carrying a narrow-bladed long saber. Behind them, Tone-Deaf struggled to keep up in his heavy cuirass.
"Someone beat us to it." World Returns to Fire leaped onto a broken wall and surveyed the surroundings. "There are no signs of battle. Looks like someone happened to be nearby. Lucky them."
There were too many crumbling walls and desolate ruins around. Not being a Scout, World Returns to Fire could hardly spot the bullet holes Zhang Yuanqing had left behind amidst the disordered rubble.
Qingsongzi wore a look of disappointment.
Out of their three-person team, he was the only one without a piece of equipment.
Inside a secluded ruin:
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a puff of Taiyin power. Frigid energy billowed out, but before it could touch the ground, he cupped it in his hands and placed it on his shoulder.
He did this to prevent Sun Miaomiao from playing dirty and ambushing Little Doubi.
The mass of Taiyin power condensed on his shoulder, taking the form of a chubby, rotund infant.
Upon appearing, Little Doubi naturally clambered onto his master's head, pressing his plump little belly against Zhang Yuanqing's scalp. His round, dark eyes stared wide as he watched Sun Miaomiao alongside his master.
"Ah! It's him, it's really him..." Sun Miaomiao gave a little hop, her dark, lively eyes gleaming with excitement and infatuation.
"So cute~!" she squealed in delight.
*Is this woman a lolicon or something...?* Zhang Yuanqing frowned, probing, "You like spirit servants? That's not enough to convince me to trust you."
He had to admit, the reason he hadn't used Night Walk to flee once the ghost-induced maze was lifted was that Sun Miaomiao's promise to "help you win the championship" had tempted him.
Thus, he intended to test the waters and see what Sun Miaomiao was really up to. Even if she trapped him in another maze, things wouldn't be any worse than before.
"The ones I love are baby spirit servants! The smaller they are, the more I adore them, because they're just so squishy and adorable! My grandfather keeps several baby spirit servants in the locust tree in his courtyard, and I visit them every single day to play." Sun Miaomiao's gaze never drifted from Little Doubi as she spoke. "I'll help you take down Zhao Chenghuang and win the championship, and you give me this spirit servant. Deal? No need to refuse right away. If you're worried I'll trick you, I can swear on my grandfather's reputation—I swear I won't cheat you!"
*Your grandfather's reputation is already in the gutter, and you claim you're not cheating me?!* Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "No way!"
"The Houtu Boots are a Saint-grade item. Can a spirit servant really compare to that?"
"He's not just a spirit servant. He's a child I raised."
"So there's nothing to discuss, then?" Sun Miaomiao's eyes darkened, and a wisp of blue smoke drifted from her mouth.
As the number three on the rankings, even without anyone's help, she wouldn't hesitate or flinch in the slightest if she had to fight Yuanshi Tianzun.
Zhang Yuanqing promptly changed his tune: "If you're truly sincere, we can change the terms of our deal. For instance, after the tournament ends, I can let this child stay with you for a while. Or maybe you could transfer to Songhai, so he can play with you every day."
Sun Miaomiao's pretty eyes lit up, clearly tempted.
She thought for a moment and proposed, "Can I hold him first?"
"You can, but you have to pledge that Illusionist spirit servant to me as collateral. I'm sorry, but without sufficient trust, I won't let my child take risks," Zhang Yuanqing said.
In terms of value, the Illusionist behind Sun Miaomiao was not inferior to Little Doubi.
And in terms of strength, she could thrash the unweaned Little Doubi with ease.
If Sun Miaomiao agreed without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing would believe she truly adored baby spirit servants. If she hesitated or refused, he would leave immediately and treat this conversation as if it had never happened.
"Okay!" Sun Miaomiao agreed on the spot.
She waved her hand, directing the terrifying specter behind her toward Zhang Yuanqing.
Terrified, Little Doubi shrank behind his master's head, not daring to look at the nightgown-clad female ghost.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing exhaled Taiyin power to envelop the female ghost while grabbing Little Doubi by the scruff of his neck and tossing him toward Sun Miaomiao.
Sun Miaomiao darted forward, opened her arms, and caught Little Doubi, holding him in her embrace and smothering him with kisses.
"Good baby, sweet baby~"
Little Doubi had intended to resist, but the rich Taiyin power emanating from her was so soothing that he obediently leaned against her soft pillows and let her kiss him.
"Be a good baby. Can you speak yet? Call me Big Sister."
"Ah, so adorable~"
After several minutes, Sun Miaomiao finally managed to tear her gaze away and look toward Yuanshi Tianzun.
"I'm very satisfied with this baby. Then it's settled! I'll help you claim the championship, and you let him stay with me for a while. Now tell me, what's your plan?"
*This feels a bit surreal. Did I really just rope Sun Miaomiao onto my side?* Zhang Yuanqing still found it unbelievable, but he had nothing to lose. He said,
"You've been lingering in this area and haven't run into the other contestants, so there are things you don't know. Let me bring you up to speed first.
"Among the eight contestants, World Returns to Fire has the fewest points, only three left. Qingsongzi, Yuan Ting, Zhao Chenghuang, and Tone-Deaf each have four points. Earth God has seven, you have ten, and I still have over thirty.
"Because of the report mechanic I exploited, I'm certain the subsequent combat will take the form of guerrilla warfare. The contestants will not gather together anymore."
If a large group assembled, all it would take was two shameless contestants pulling down their pants while everyone was off guard, and everyone besides Earth God, Sun Miaomiao, and him would be wiped out.
Anyone with a brain would avoid letting an all-out melee break out.
The proper strategy was to utilize the sprawling map for guerrilla warfare and take enemies down one by one.
"What report mechanic did you exploit?" Sun Miaomiao asked curiously.
*The drop-your-pants mechanic...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly. He said, "For example, like this..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he shifted his consciousness into Little Doubi's body, taking control. Then, he raised two tiny hands and firmly pressed them against Sun Miaomiao's plump, soft bosom.
"Ah!" Sun Miaomiao cried out in surprise. Instantly furious, she brought a knife-hand chop down onto Little Doubi's sparsely haired little head, barking, "Get the hell out of him!"
As the chop landed, Taiyin power jolted violently.
Zhang Yuanqing's will was forcibly expelled from Little Doubi's body.
Having taken a hit, Little Doubi burst into loud wails.
"Good baby, sweet baby, don't cry~" Sun Miaomiao hastily consoled him, her face filled with doting affection.
Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "Just like that, you could report me for groping you."
Sun Miaomiao curled her lips. "What a shameless rule. Wouldn't that be a huge loss for me?"
To make a report, she'd have to sacrifice her modesty and let a man cop a feel?
Rubbing Little Doubi's little head, Sun Miaomiao moved past the topic and pondered, "If we're fighting guerrilla warfare, our biggest threat is Zhao Chenghuang. He has a Level 4 yin corpse and can trigger an explosive burst through 'corpse transformation.' Besides that, I've heard he possesses an extraordinary spirit servant, though he's never used it.
"As for items, he has four or five of Extraordinary quality. Factoring in Yuan Ting's support, if we run into Zhao Chenghuang, the outcome is uncertain. We need to find a way to recruit another ally."
*Hiss, Zhao Chenghuang has that many trump cards? Truly worthy of a second-generation Spirit Wanderer—unlike me, a mere nobody from the grassroots!*
Zhang Yuanqing winced inwardly.
After considering it, he said, "If we need an ally, I can try bringing Earth God over."
Yuan Ting was a secret weapon. He wouldn't strike until the decisive moment, and when he did, it would be a fatal blow. He had to be reserved for the critical juncture.
Cuddling Little Doubi, Sun Miaomiao nodded. "Then let's try recruiting Earth God, eliminate World Returns to Fire and his group, plunder their points and war armor, and then use our advantage to eliminate Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang. Finally, I'll help you finish off Earth God."
Watching the little infant being pinched, cuddled, and caressed, Zhang Yuanqing thought silently:
*Little Doubi, just sacrifice your baby charms for your master's sake...*
***
"I couldn't find Miaomiao. Who knows where she ran off to."
Yuan Ting stood atop a wall, looking around in all directions.
Ever since entering the dungeon, they hadn't seen Sun Miaomiao once. When the fourth piece of equipment appeared earlier, he and Zhao Chenghuang had rushed over immediately, only to catch the retreating backs of Qingsongzi and his group.
Upon spotting the two of them, Qingsongzi's trio had beaten a hasty retreat without lingering for a second.
"Take your time looking," Zhao Chenghuang replied. Then, uncharacteristically, he asked, "Yuan Ting, where do you think this battle is headed next?"
Recalling the sight of the trio retreating, Yuan Ting analyzed:
"Those three have clearly formed an alliance. Their next moves will be nothing more than gathering more pieces of the war armor to build up strength, then dealing a fatal blow to either us or Yuanshi Tianzun."
"Why not a fatal blow to Yuanshi Tianzun first?" Zhao Chenghuang asked.
Yuan Ting offered his reasoning:
"Yuanshi Tianzun's score is too high, while most of us have only four points left. Trying to eliminate him would certainly cost them dearly, allowing us to swoop in and reap the spoils for free.
"If, on the other hand, they choose to ally with Yuanshi Tianzun and let him burn his points to wear us down, they could eliminate our Taiyi Sect contestants at minimal cost. Besides points, the most crucial factor is that Yuanshi Tianzun is alone, and the objective of this stage is to fight until only the final two remain.
"In other words, as long as our trio is eliminated, the remaining qualifying spot can simply be divided among World Returns to Fire's group. Once they negotiate out-of-bounds compensation, it won't be an issue.
"Meanwhile, there are three of us from the Taiyi Sect, but only two qualifying spots. They'd have to constantly worry about being betrayed and discarded once their usefulness is over."
Zhao Chenghuang nodded slightly. "Makes sense."
Just then, a specter drifted back, settling onto Zhao Chenghuang's shoulder.
The specter had pitch-black lips and entirely white pupils—the very spirit servant that had drained Jiang Jingwei's essence vitality back then.
Yuan Ting was taken aback. "You sent out your spirit servant?"
He hadn't even noticed.
Zhao Chenghuang offered a casual explanation: "Just scouting the perimeter."
As they spoke, a beam of radiant light soared into the sky in the far distance.
Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang halted their conversation and narrowed their eyes toward it.
The brilliant light lingered for several minutes before slowly fading. Immediately following that, a dungeon prompt rang in their ears:
[Ding! Cold Iron Helmet equipped—Earth God]
[All war armor pieces have emerged!]
"What a shame, it was too far from us," Yuan Ting said with regret.
At the same time, he realized the composition of the war armor set: five pieces in total, consisting of the cuirass, vambraces, helmet, weapon, and the fauld that remained unequipped.
A faint, unusual smile appeared on Zhao Chenghuang's cold face.
"Let's head over. It's time to end this stage."
Chapter 204