Mute Village

Hearing Yuanshi Tianzun's words, the surrounding companions all looked over at once. In that instant, the fierce bout between the Saint stage contenders lost its charm. Yuanshi was about to enter a solo dungeon? Ling Jun, Guan Ya, Queen, and the White Tiger Guards were excited at first. After all, everyone was curious about what difficulty level Yuanshi Tianzun's second solo Spirit Realm would be. Moreover, there was another factor at play. If Yuanshi Tianzun could build up his experience to over 50% before the killing trial arrived, his chances of clearing the killing trial and advancing to Saint would increase dramatically. After all, those who dared enter the killing trial were essentially the cream of the crop among Level 3s. When a pack of formidable experts was thrown into a massive dungeon to slaughter each other, things would turn very ugly for Yuanshi Tianzun if he were targeted. Even a swarm of ants could bite an elephant to death. Therefore, every bit of extra strength before the killing trial opened meant an extra layer of security. A solo dungeon would bring experience gains and item acquisitions, vastly enhancing Yuanshi Tianzun's combat power. Through Zhang Yuanqing's tone and expression, Scouts like Guan Ya and Li Dongze keenly sensed something amiss. No way... Their hearts tightened. Don't tell me it's another S-rank dungeon? If that were the case, they would have another worry: Yuanshi Tianzun falling in the middle of his enterprise before it even bore fruit... Fu Qingyang frowned slightly. "Another S-rank?" Everyone stared silently at Yuanshi Tianzun, waiting for his reply. Zhang Yuanqing counted down the seconds in his head and answered, "It's A-rank." "A-rank..." Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, they heard him add, "The Spirit Realm's name is 'Mute Village.' It's a dungeon without a walkthrough guide." A dungeon without a walkthrough guide... Fu Qingyang narrowed his eyes. When this happened, it either meant the Taiyi Sect hadn't recorded it, or, like Sheling Tunnel, the first clear was still unclaimed. Whichever it was, it meant Yuanshi's entry into the Spirit Realm this time was like a blind man wading across a river—he would have to grope his way forward. And with an A-rank Spirit Realm's peril, without a guide... to put it bluntly, pioneering an A-rank dungeon usually took a mountain of corpses. Pioneering an S-rank dungeon took that times two. "Talk about terrible luck..." Queen murmured. Guan Ya's expression shifted slightly, her brow furrowing. Li Dongze slapped his forehead hard. Ever since he recruited Yuanshi Tianzun, every time this kid entered a dungeon, it was an overload test on his Decurion heart. Behind Fu Qingyang, the White Tiger Guards exchanged glances, their expressions grim. During their Transcendent stage, the A-ranks they encountered could be counted on one hand, and each had been a narrow escape from death—and that was with a walkthrough guide. Without one, the mortality rate exceeded seventy percent. For this Yuanshi Tianzun, every dungeon delve was a trial of life and death. "Time is running short..." Zhang Yuanqing counted the time in his mind, glanced around at everyone, and said, "Wish me luck, everyone! Return!" His figure vanished from the sight of Guan Ya and the others immediately. As the scene shifted from blur to clarity, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his bedroom. With limited time, he wasted no time pouncing toward the nightstand, dumping seven or eight little blue pills into his pocket, then pulled open the desk drawer and grabbed the Cat King Speaker. Finally, he sprinted to the wardrobe, opened the door, and pressed his hand onto Corpse No. 1's shoulder. A Night Wanderer's solo Spirit Realm permitted bringing along a yin corpse. Zhang Yuanqing had learned this by searching the forums. According to the Taiyi Sect, a yin corpse was an extension of a Night Wanderer's ability, sharing the same nature as a spirit servant. In the Spirit Realm's evaluation, it counted as an item or puppet rather than a separate person. Therefore, it could be brought into a solo Spirit Realm. Only a few seconds after his hand rested on the yin corpse's shoulder, ripples spread through his bedroom's scenery, which then blurred entirely. At the arena, after watching Yuanshi Tianzun return, Fu Qingyang immediately rose to his feet, drew out an azure cape, and draped it over his shoulders. Whoosh~ The cape billowed in the wind. A whirlwind lifted Fu Qingyang into the air, carrying him toward the Elders' box. He stood ramrod straight on the whirlwind, cape unfurling behind him, looking remarkably eye-catching like Superman in a movie. Fu Qingyang's movement immediately caught the attention of the spectators who had been watching the fights with keen interest. "Huh? What is the Money Prince trying to do?" "Looks like he has important intel to report to the Elders..." "Go ask the White Tiger Guards." Elder Gou withdrew his gaze and turned toward Fu Qingyang. After sizing him up for a few seconds, he asked in a deep voice, "What happened?" Although Fu Qingyang always kept a poker face, Elder Gou could see solemnity in his eyes. Several nearby Elders either looked over at the sound or pricked up their ears. Fu Qingyang said succinctly, "Yuanshi Tianzun entered a dungeon just now." Connecting this to his trusted subordinate's expression, Elder Gou's heart stirred. "Another S-rank?" When asking this, Elder Gou had mixed feelings, unable to tell whether he felt anticipation or dread. Fu Qingyang shook his head. "A-rank, Mute Village!" "A-rank..." The surrounding Elders relaxed upon hearing this, yet felt a twinge of disappointment. On one hand, an A-rank dungeon should not stump Yuanshi Tianzun; on the other hand, if Yuanshi Tianzun could clear three S-ranks in the Transcendent stage, his Transcendent track record would surpass that of the female Grand Marshal, making him the figure with the most glorious Transcendent record in the Five Elements Alliance's history. Just then, Elder Sun frowned and said, "Mute Village? I don't recall Mute Village being in the Taiyi Sect's database. Hongying, do you have any impression of it?" As an Elder, he knew the walkthrough guides in the sect's database for the Transcendent, Saint, and Dominator stages like the back of his hand. Elder Hongying, intellectual and gentle, shook her head slightly. "Never heard of it..." Immediately thinking of something, her expression turned serious. "Could it be an uncleared dungeon, or an A-rank not recorded by the Taiyi Sect?" Hearing that, the Elders who had previously lacked interest all turned their gazes toward them. Dungeon walkthroughs were the foundation of official organizations, as well as a vital means of recruiting talent. The higher-ups of official organizations always held an attitude of 'the more, the better' toward dungeon guides. Elder Gou also finally understood why Fu Qingyang looked so solemn—Yuanshi Tianzun had gone to pioneer an uncharted dungeon. "An unrecorded dungeon in the Taiyi Sect..." The eyes of Elder Sun and Elder Zhao suddenly lit up. Regardless of whether it was an uncleared dungeon or simply unrecorded in the Taiyi Sect's archives, its value was immense. Armored Swordsman caressed the hilt of his sword and mused, "With Yuanshi Tianzun's caliber, the probability of clearing an A-rank is extremely high, so there is no need to worry. Instead..." A smile appeared on his dignified, commanding face. "How much does your Taiyi Sect plan to pay for the guide?" Elder Hongying replied solemnly, "If Yuanshi Tianzun can clear an A-rank dungeon, the Taiyi Sect will definitely buy it. Name your price." Elder Sun and Elder Zhao did not object. "Interesting," an Elder of the Five Elements Alliance chuckled. "I remember that ever since Sheling Tunnel, Yuanshi Tianzun has been supplementing our Five Elements Alliance's database with guides. Pioneering is something that takes top-tier geniuses, after all." "Indeed, this is another A-rank dungeon guide." Meanwhile, the news of Yuanshi Tianzun entering a dungeon spread rapidly among the audience. "What? Yuanshi Tianzun entered a dungeon, and he's pioneering it?" "He actually drew a dungeon not recorded in the Taiyi Sect's database? That's too unlucky." "He's cleared S-ranks; an A-rank should be no problem. Transcendent stage dungeons last at most a day before they finish. Ah, I really want to know the outcome." Suddenly, the matches in the ring lost their luster. An overcast sky. Weak daylight filtered through thin clouds, casting gloomy light over the dilapidated mountain village along with an indescribable sense of oppression. Zhang Yuanqing stood at the village entrance, surveying his surroundings. Ahead lay a dead, decrepit mountain village; behind him were black-soil fields and silently looming mountains. At his side stood Corpse No. 1, standing stiff and vacant. It was difficult to judge the era of this village. Stone houses of varying heights stretched to the edge of his vision, their straight ridges paved with weathered tiles. At the village entrance, the path leading deep into the village was a packed dirt road—the kind that turned into a muddy morass whenever it rained. "Compared to the architectural style of Yinyang Town, this place looks far gloomier... but the gloomier and deader the place, the more comfortable I feel. It almost feels like coming home." Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately enter the village. Before plunging in, he needed to sort out his thoughts properly. "The main quest is to survive for twenty-four hours. For survival-focused quests like this, the advantage is high operational flexibility; the Spirit Realm walker can move around freely without restrictions. "The disadvantage is the lack of hints. The Spirit Realm won't tell you what to do. Everything has to be discovered and explored by the 'player' themselves. And during exploration, you might run headfirst into a mortal crisis at any moment—just like when that shoulder-perching vengeful spirit possessed me out of nowhere back then. "According to the dungeon information introduction, the ultimate boss should be the woman from the ancient tomb, who followed Wang Xiao'er out..." So am I going to take down this boss? Yeah, taking down in the strictly proper sense! "The two key figures in this dungeon are the female ghost from the ancient tomb and Wang Xiao'er. Let's go look for Wang Xiao'er first, assuming he's still alive." Thinking this, Zhang Yuanqing led Corpse No. 1 along the packed dirt road into the village. Walking along, the village buildings were predominantly stone houses, rammed-earth walls, and thatched huts. There was no greenery along the base of the walls or the roadside, only withered weeds and desiccated moss. As he walked, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly sensed a gaze watching him. Snapping his head around, he saw a rammed-earth house on his left. In the only small square window on the wall, a pair of eyes was staring at him. Seeing that they had been spotted, the eyes swiftly retreated into darkness. "Human or ghost?" Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up. If it was human, they could communicate; if it was a ghost, he could devour it. Either way, he could obtain intel. What he feared most was a desolate wasteland where he met nothing for hours, only to turn a corner and bump right into the final boss. He at once circled to the front of that rammed-earth house. In front was a small courtyard. Stopping before the wooden door, he raised his arm and knocked with his knuckles. The dry, blackened wood rattled with a thumping sound under his knuckles. Zhang Yuanqing knocked for a long time, but the courtyard remained dead silent. No one paid him any attention. "Then I'll just climb over the wall..." Zhang Yuanqing promptly commanded the yin corpse to scale the two-meter-high rammed-earth wall and leap into the courtyard. At the same time, he channeled the imprint in his sea of consciousness, taking possession of the yin corpse's body. Surveying the yard through the yin corpse's vision, he saw a millstone, a woodpile, and a jujube tree. Directly opposite the courtyard gate was the rammed-earth house; to the west stood a crude shack. Zhang Yuanqing walked over to the shack and poked his head in to look—it was a dry latrine pit. "A dry toilet... The village's architectural style should be northern. I remember a textbook saying northern dates are sweet and ripe..." Zhang Yuanqing guessed that Mute Village was a northern village. A college student of his age, born and raised in Songhai, was very unfamiliar with the countryside, especially since Mute Village seemed to be from an era long past. Not a trace of modernity could be seen here. No utility poles, no streetlights, no bus stops, no solar panels... After doing a lap around the courtyard, he wasted no time and walked straight up to the rammed-earth house, knocking on the door. Still no answer. Zhang Yuanqing simply kicked the wooden door open. Amid a loud crash, dust drifted down in plumes as the rather heavy wooden door slammed onto the floor, kicking up dust. The interior was very dim, but that posed no hindrance to a Night Wanderer's vision. His gaze swept across the room's furnishings one by one, finally settling on a white-haired old man. The old man was pressed against the wall, clutching a hoe in his hands, staring at him with terror and vigilance. "Old mister?" Zhang Yuanqing probed in a low voice. "Ah, ah, ah~" The old man made the distinctive sounds of a mute, waving the hoe a few times in shooing gestures. He can't talk? Seeing the old man's reaction, Zhang Yuanqing understood the meaning behind 'Mute Village.' Unable to speak, living people in the village lacked value. Should I just kill him and question his spirit? It's just a Spirit Realm NPC anyway, it'll probably respawn... The thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, only to be rejected immediately. The old man's expression and demeanor were no different from an ordinary person. He couldn't bring himself to murder an old man who seemed completely normal. Unless the old man turned into a grudge-shrouded monster the next second. "Old mister, can you write?" Zhang Yuanqing asked again. Yet the old man ignored him completely, frantically waving his hoe and uttering threatening "ah, ah" grunts. "Fine!" Zhang Yuanqing gave up. Although the old man couldn't communicate, his very existence was a clue in itself. The woman from the ancient tomb hadn't slaughtered the village, so it seemed things weren't that deadly... Ignoring the old man's threats, he looked around the room. Finding nothing, he returned to the outer room and asked: "Old mister, do you know where Wang Xiao'er lives?" The old man was stubborn as a mule and paid him no heed. Now Zhang Yuanqing was in a pickle. He racked his brains, thought for a moment, and had an idea. Snatching up a wooden bench, he barked aggressively: "What's your deal, old man? I asked you where Wang Xiao'er lives—just tell me! Keep acting up with me, and see if I don't knock your skull so hard your brains fart out!" Hearing that, the old man pointed his hoe toward the west. "Right on. See ya, old man!" Zhang Yuanqing tossed the bench aside and exited the house. Stepping back into the yard, a flash of inspiration hit him—a way to obtain information on the dungeon. The Cat King Speaker! If this dungeon was one the Demon Lord had previously cleared, then knowing the Demon Lord's style, he would definitely have recorded something with the Cat King Speaker. No, even if there was no recording, as long as the Cat King Speaker had been here before, it would certainly know some intel. Sealed inside the Cat King Speaker was the soul of the Cat King—an item with its own will and the ability to communicate. It would proactively record things on its own. Just like back at Jinshui Amusement Park, when this fellow had let slip information about Lady Sandao even though nobody had made a recording at the time.