He opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to ask.
Diverging from the mainstream meant something unusual.
Before knowing whether it was good or bad, he couldn't go around blabbing about it. Besides, since there was no relevant information on the forum, it indicated that the black full moon wasn't something low-tier figures had the clearance to learn about.
The higher the tier of something, the more secretive it naturally had to be—that was common sense anyone understood.
Especially since he was still a rookie who lacked the ability and experience to handle unexpected emergencies.
*Why is the character card Brother Bing gave me different from ordinary Night Wanderers? That son of a bitch didn't tell me a damn thing and then went missing again.*
Next, he exited the post and clicked on the forum's search bar, intending to look into the situation surrounding the Lady Sandao Temple.
After typing "Lady Sandao Temple," he got two results: one was the dungeon walkthrough he had seen earlier (Five Elements Alliance version), and the other was an introduction to the Lady Sandao Temple.
"Lady Sandao Temple: A shrine on Mount Sandao in Songjiang Prefecture during the early Ming dynasty. The deity worshipped is Lady Sandao, who was skilled in praying for rain, expelling ghosts, refining elixirs, and healing the sick, bringing blessings to the region. After Lady Sandao ascended to immortality, the local government took the lead while local gentry and commoners provided funds to build a temple for her.
"The Lady Sandao Temple fell into ruin early on, leaving behind a dearth of precious research materials. — Excerpt from the Song Prefecture Library."
*Excerpt from the Song Prefecture Library...*
Looking at those words, Zhang Yuanqing's face went blank, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
The Lady Sandao Temple actually existed? It existed in real history?
If that was the case, did that lady really exist once upon a time? Or rather, was she a real, living person in history?
Could actual, real people appear in the Spirit Realm?
*If she's a real person, could she crawl out of the Spirit Realm to find me?* Zhang Yuanqing spooked himself with the thought.
"Sister Guan Ya, I have a question..."
If it was something he could just ask, he never racked his own brains over it.
Guan Ya turned around.
Zhang Yuanqing shared his speculations about Lady Sandao with her.
"The Decurion should have told you that the Spirit Realm exists between reality and illusion." The veteran lady driver lifted her cup, took a sip, and said, "Many scenes in the Spirit Realm exist based on reality. For instance, 'Lingang Reservoir' and 'Xiangshui Water Park'—these Night Wanderer trial realms can all be matched to real-world locations. But reality obviously doesn't have those supernatural things, or the world would have fallen into chaos long ago."
*So even though Lady Sandao really existed, the one I met was merely a fictional construct of the Spirit Realm?* Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of relief.
*Old hag, you'd better just stay obediently inside the Spirit Realm.*
***
The capital, Beishuimen Airport.
Yuan Ting, a man of lean features, sat in a spacious business-class seat. Dressed in a black suit and black dress shirt with meticulously combed hair, he looked every bit the business elite.
Through the small airplane window, he looked down at the sea of city lights below, dazzling and splendid.
Just today, he had reported to the organization that Sheling Tunnel had been cleared, and by the afternoon, he had been summoned to the capital.
But this had nothing to do with Sheling Tunnel. His return to the capital was because the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect had summoned Night Wanderers scattered across the nation to convene in the capital for a meeting.
A grand conference like this was usually held only at the end of each year, when Night Wanderers from across the country came to the capital to report on their duties.
Any exception meant something monumental had happened.
*I hope it's not bad news...* Yuan Ting gazed at the approaching city lights, his mind teeming with thoughts.
The plane landed smoothly. Yuan Ting disembarked, pulled his suitcase, and headed straight for the B2 parking garage, where he boarded a dedicated pickup car.
Forty minutes later, the car arrived at a five-star hotel. Yuan Ting dropped off his luggage and took the elevator up to the large conference room on the top floor.
A banquet was underway. Ladies and gentlemen in black suits, black jackets, and black dresses held wine glasses, mingling amid delicacies, clinking glasses and conversing cheerfully.
"Yo, Captain Yuan is here!"
Just as Yuan Ting picked up a glass of wine from a waiter's tray, he saw a man in a black shirt walk up to greet him—crisp buzz cut, bright eyes, sharp facial contours, and an athletic inverted-triangle physique.
"Jian Ji!" Looking at his approaching friend, Yuan Ting smiled. "Long time no see."
"Everyone's been waiting for you for ages. Come, let's go say hello."
Jian Ji threw an arm over Yuan Ting's shoulder and ushered him over to a table. Six people were seated there, three men and three women—all Night Wanderers who had undergone training together in the same cohort when Yuan Ting first joined the Taiyi Sect.
Now scattered across different regions, every one of them had become a captain-level figure.
After a few pleasantries, Yuan Ting probed, "Why did the Sect Master summon everyone to the capital this time?"
Yang Qian, who wore a ponytail and was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, pursed her lips and whispered, "We were just talking about that. All we know is that the confidentiality rating is extremely high—even the Deacons don't know."
She had a lithe, shapely figure and a neat haircut, wearing neither makeup nor jewelry, exuding a sharp, valiant air.
*Even Deacons aren't qualified to know?* Yuan Ting gave a slight nod and didn't press further.
Jian Ji raised his glass with a smile. "We'll naturally find out once the meeting starts. It's useless to dwell on it now. By the way, anything interesting happening lately?"
The spirited Yang Qian smiled and said, "I do have one piece of interesting news. Not long ago, the eldest son of the coastal Xiahou family was crippled by the Palace Master of the Palace of Halting Slaughter. I heard that by the time the Xiahou family elders arrived at the scene, he was already at death's door.
"Even though he was saved using Life Essence, his vitality took a massive blow. He probably won't dare step outside for a long time, and if he gets a Spirit Realm quest anytime soon, he's as good as dead."
"The Palace of Halting Slaughter?" A male classmate looked at Yuan Ting. "If I remember correctly, that's a Spirit Realm walker organization in the Songhai region. How did they get into a conflict with the Xiahou family?"
Yuan Ting shook his head. "People from the Palace of Halting Slaughter are all extreme in temperament, especially that Palace Master—a total lunatic. It's no surprise no matter who they pick a fight with. But their attitude toward official organizations is fairly amiable, and they usually keep their heads down."
Yang Qian sighed with emotion. "That Palace Master is a high-level Spirit Realm walker; even a Deacon might not be a match for her. For someone like that, as long as she doesn't take things too far, turning a blind eye is the best approach."
After chatting a bit longer, Jian Ji glanced around and said, "Our base of Night Wanderers is still too small. We can only watch other classes stir up trouble and steal the spotlight."
"Speaking of which, our sect hasn't produced an astonishingly brilliant Night Wanderer in years," said Xia Liang, a cute girl with a round face, her voice soft, sweet, and slightly coquettish.
Since the topic had come up, Yuan Ting grew interested and said, "I actually have some big news on my end related to us Night Wanderers."
The whole table turned to look at him, filled with curiosity.
"Still remember Sheling Tunnel?" Yuan Ting asked.
"Yeah, the bugged novice-tier realm. Back then, Jiang Lin and Zhao Kai died in there," Jian Ji said, puzzled. "Did that cursed place claim another victim?"
"From now on, Sheling Tunnel's first clear is gone. Some kid conquered it."
Yuan Ting's words were like a dud bomb, rendering the Night Wanderers around the table speechless.
After a few seconds, Jian Ji asked blankly, "Is that for real?"
Xia Liang's eyes widened, and she exclaimed in her coquettish voice, "Yuan Ting, don't joke around!"
The others wore looks of skepticism.
Yuan Ting nodded affirmatively. "This has already been reported to the sect. You can ask your respective superiors. If you're just asking and not looking at the walkthrough, the Deacons should tell you."
Skepticism turned into gasps of wonder, and the Night Wanderers around the table were stunned and thrilled.
"Now that's huge news."
"That bro is amazing! How did he do it? Holy shit, I just want to read the walkthrough now, I don't even want to attend the meeting anymore."
"Wake up, your clearance level probably can't access it."
Yang Qian looked around and asked, "Has this newcomer joined the Taiyi Sect? Is he in the capital?"
Yuan Ting's conversational enthusiasm seemed to swell further. Shaking his head in regret, he said, "There's something you don't know. That guy was recruited by the Five Elements Alliance. Fu Qingyang called Elder Sun personally to ask for the walkthrough, and the moment Elder Sun heard the trial quest was Sheling Tunnel, he declared on the spot that he didn't want him.
"Spilled water can't be gathered back; it's done. *Sigh*, the Elder was muddled!"
"Truly muddled."
"Elder Sun really... now I'm mad."
Just as they were denouncing that high-and-mighty elder, Yuan Ting suddenly saw a middle-aged man in black walking over directly toward him, saying, "Yuan Ting, Elder Sun said that after the meeting ends, don't leave just yet. Pay him a visit."
Yuan Ting's expression froze instantly.
***
The banquet soon drew to a close. Waiters cleared away plates and drinks.
The soft ambient lighting shifted to bright, intense conference lights. The Night Wanderers filling the hall sat around their respective round tables, waiting in silence. Over a hundred people held their breath, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
Amid the long wait and fervent anticipation, an old man dressed in a white martial arts uniform stepped into the conference room.
He stood nearly two meters tall, imposing and stalwart. Not a single wrinkle marked his face, and his gaze was sharp as a blade. Between his brows was a golden sun, vivid as a tattoo.
Were it not for the head of silver hair that attested to his age, he would look more vibrant and youthful than young men in their prime.
Grand Elder of the Taiyi Sect, Spirit Realm ID: Crimson Sun Executioner.
The Night Wanderers sat upright, straightening their backs, showing utmost respect to this strongest Night Wanderer under the Sect Master.
Crimson Sun Executioner swept his eyes across the many disciples below and spoke slowly:
"Not long ago, the Sect Master sensed the fall of the Demon Lord; a grave threat to the Taiyi Sect has been eliminated. However, the Demon Lord's character card did not return to the Spirit Realm, and its whereabouts remain unknown. Going forward, you must exert every effort to search for the Demon Lord's successor.
"This successor possesses two major characteristics: their class mark is not a crescent, but a black full moon. And when clearing a Spirit Realm, they receive character card rewards that ordinary Night Wanderers do not."
Chapter 22