Prelude

Zhang Yuanqing pressed a hand against his throbbing temple and reined in his emotions. Drawing deep breath after deep breath, he resisted the wash of chaotic, conflicting wills. As he did, his expression inevitably twisted, cycling through joy, fury, sorrow, and delight. Several minutes later, he opened his eyes and silently let out a breath. "I've pretty much probed my current limit..." For Spirit Realm walkers of the same level with under 50% experience, his limit for a single sitting was devouring five, and his overall maximum was ten. Beyond ten, his mind would inevitably fracture and collapse, spawning a second personality or dramatically altering his temperament until he no longer resembled himself. Notably, those five dead spirits had granted Zhang Yuanqing a 6% boost in experience—2% from the Illusionist and 1% from each of the other four. *My experience is at 64% now. With the Demon-Subduing Pestle, I could devour indefinitely without worry. Based on the rule that the higher your experience, the slower it climbs, I'd probably need to devour the spirit bodies of eighty more contestants to push it past 90%... The trial only has 183 participants in total. Pulling that off would be harder than breaking the female Grand Marshal's record...* Zhang Yuanqing set aside the matter of grinding experience and focused on extracting and compiling the information from the remnant souls. Most of their noticeboard rules were redundant, but Zhang Yuanqing still found three new guidelines. From the Illusionist: [4: The forest is perilous. Please do not consume brightly colored fungi or fruit.] From the Bewitching Demon: [5: During your long journey, if you feel unwell, you may gather wild fruit to stave off hunger.] From the Fire Specialist: [4: Beware of mountain ghosts after dark.] *Now even the rules on the noticeboards contradict each other... The outer zone isn't as simple as it looks. Although nearly two hours have passed, I haven't run into any real danger.* *Beware of mountain ghosts after dark? The outer zone has to be cleared within five hours, well before sunset. By all rights, that warning should only appear on a sign leading into the central area...* Zhang Yuanqing sank into thought. Based on his current information, he formed two deductions regarding the outer zone's mechanics: First, the warnings on the noticeboards were tied to hidden quests. They could be investigated, but investigating was optional. Second, the rules on the noticeboards were connected to the mechanics of the central forest. Deciphering the hidden truth behind them would grant a distinct advantage upon entering the central area. *That island-nation schoolgirl ought to be dead by now. I'll go collect her remnant soul and see what rules she has.* Zhang Yuanqing parted the dangling vines in front of him and retraced his steps. Weaving through the dense trees, sidestepping clusters of shrubs, and treading upon soft, damp soil, he returned to the "battlefield." To his surprise, the girl was still alive. Though she was soaked in blood and her back was crisscrossed with torn, weeping lash marks, she had stubbornly protected her vitals, barely clinging to life beneath the relentless barrage of whipping vines. Zhang Yuanqing glanced over her slender frame. The vines had shredded her uniform, exposing large patches of fair, tender skin across her back, and even the straps of her undergarment had snapped. Just as Zhang Yuanqing was considering whether to possess her spirit body to finish her off or simply wait for her to exhaust her strength and die at the hands of the tree demons, the girl spotted him. She rolled aside to dodge a thrashing vine, turned her head, and cried out for help: "Help me! Please help me!" Her eyes lit up with delight, assuming this Night Walker from the mainland had come to rescue her. Zhang Yuanqing stood beside a tree, channeling Fu Qingyang with an aloof, expressionless face. "Why should I save you?" Apart from Annie and Mr. Bill, he had never met any foreign walkers, so he did not mind conversing a bit to gather intel. Hearing this, Asano Ryo froze for a second. "We both belong to the orthodox faction. We're allies of justice. Isn't helping each other only natural?" *Allies of justice, my foot. Who told you orthodox stands for justice? Are you naive, or do you take me for a fool?* Zhang Yuanqing drew his Explosive Pistol. "Wrong answer. Prepare to meet your end!" Asano Ryo was stunned. She clearly had not expected such a perfectly normal answer to yield this result. *The orthodox faction is about helping each other! We're allies of justice!* That was the belief drummed into her since childhood by her education and environment. A few seconds later, the reality sank in. Blushing with indignation, she knit her delicate brows. "I understand now. You're a degenerate! A vile, corrupt degenerate! Go ahead and shoot! I won't ask for your help ever again! When I die, someone righteous will avenge me! "Entering a killing trial, I was already prepared to die an honorable death!" *What is she on about...?* Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to use the situation to extort benefits, probe for information, and extract her noticeboard rules. He hadn't expected this dainty, pure-looking high schooler to possess such an unyielding, fiery spirit. *Fine, I'll extract it by force then!* Keeping his pistol aimed at her, Zhang Yuanqing watched the girl struggle through hair's-breadth escapes against the encroaching vines and branches. "I can save you, but you must answer a few questions... What is your name?" If the island-nation girl maintained her die-hard stance, Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't pull the trigger, but he would stand by and watch her die. While he felt no hesitation in executing three members of the evil classes, killing someone from the orthodox faction still gave him psychological pause. After all, most orthodox walkers were decent people. Killing a villain caused mild discomfort at most, without any deep guilt. But wrongly executing a good person would leave a knot in any normal person with a conscience, creating a moral hurdle they could not easily clear. "My name is Asano Ryo!" the girl shouted cooperatively. *Hey, what happened to your unyielding backbone as an ally of justice?* Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Tell me the rules you know. The ones from the noticeboard." Without hesitation, the girl once again followed her instinct to survive and answered readily: "One: Please do not bring fire starters, knives, or dangerous items up the mountain. Two: Please do not make loud noises in the mountain... Four: Beware of animals, especially monkeys. Five: If you encounter a mountain ghost, you may ask the monkeys for help." *Beware of animals, but if you encounter a mountain ghost, you can ask the monkeys for help? Now that's an interesting rule.* After a few seconds of thought, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Did you chop a tree earlier?" "I didn't chop it, my companion did! He casually struck a tree, and several tree demons appeared all around us. Luckily there weren't many at the time, so we managed to escape." Asano Ryo stole a glance toward the two distant corpses and said, "They were companions I met after entering the dungeon. Mainland walkers. When they heard I was from the island nation, they were very welcoming... Everyone ought to help one another; they were allies of justice too." *They were just drooling over your body...* Zhang Yuanqing scoffed inwardly. Through their brief exchange, he pieced together a preliminary picture of Asano Ryo's background. She hailed from the Asano Zaibatsu, a prominent island-nation conglomerate and a quasi-Spirit-Realm clan. Every generation or two, a few Spirit Realm walkers would emerge from their bloodline. Asano Ryo was one of only three walkers in this generation. Her master was the vice chief of the Thousand Cranes Group—the official organization of island-nation walkers—and a Level 5 Saint. Thanks to her outstanding talent and that connection, the family elders held her in high regard, breaking protocol to name her one of the Asano clan's heirs. Notably, the backing behind the Asano clan was Heaven's Punishment, the overseas organization known as the strongest orthodox faction in the world. Additionally, Zhang Yuanqing learned about the structure of walkers in the island nation: there were no rogue cultivators. On one hand, walkers were exceptionally rare due to unfavorable conditions. On the other hand, the country's landmass was small, its population dense, and the zaibatsus held a tight grip on society. The moment a rogue walker appeared, they were instantly discovered and absorbed into the official apparatus. Consequently, the island nation had only one government-affiliated organization: the Thousand Cranes Group. Aside from that, there were only scattered quasi-clans. *They really never developed a massive organization. Compared to the Five Elements Alliance or the three major evil organizations, the Thousand Cranes Group is basically just a boutique club.* Zhang Yuanqing had a clear grasp of the situation now. *Smack!* A vine struck Asano Ryo across the lower abdomen. She let out a muffled groan and clutched her stomach, her face draining of color as she gasped feebly, "P-Please honor your promise!" *She's so exhausted she can't even activate her passive ability?* Zhang Yuanqing raised a brow, leaned against the tree trunk, activated Night Walk, and sent his spirit body whistling forth, wielding the Bloodthirsty Blade. *Squelch, squelch, squelch!* The gleaming willow-leaf blade traced nimble arcs of silver through the air, severing the vines and roots lashing toward Asano Ryo and carving out an escape path for her. Seeing this, Asano Ryo swallowed down the pain and weakness, drawing on every drop of latent strength she had left. Under the cover of the Bloodthirsty Blade, she scrambled out of the tree demons' encirclement. *Thud!* She collapsed heavily against the base of a tree blanketed in rotting leaves, panting in ragged gasps. Her clothes were in tatters, exposing her fair midriff and dainty navel. Yet the gory, open lacerations turned what might have been an alluring sight into something rather pitiful. Asano Ryo's chest heaved violently, her overtaxed heart hammering as her body hungrily gulped down oxygen. She had no energy left to care about her exposed skin. Only when her breathing somewhat steadied did it dawn on her that she was, after all, a celebrated beauty whose looks and figure held tremendous appeal for young men. She abruptly held her breath, clutched her chest, and warily surveyed her surroundings. Just then, an article of clothing fluttered through the air and landed over her face. Moments later, foliage rustled nearby, and the ordinary-looking yet aloof Night Walker stepped out. "Put that on and come with me," Zhang Yuanqing ordered coldly. "W-What else do you want...?" Asano Ryo realized she had been taken captive; this mainland Night Walker had no intention of letting her go. Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a detached tone: "You're a pretty girl. Pretty girls always get special treatment. I won't hurt you." Just as Asano Ryo exhaled in relief, she heard him add: "From now on, you're my jungle guide dog!" *Guide dog my foot! That's just cannon fodder!* Asano Ryo's face froze. *** Crimson blood trickled down a tree trunk, seeping into the black soil. The stench of blood hung heavy in the windless thicket. With the battle having just concluded, a group of people sat sprawled on the ground, wheezing and panting to recover their stamina. "Turns out killing these tree demons triggers our berserk ability too." "Yeah, bagged ten points from this batch. Not a bad haul." "There are still three hours before the deadline. No rush to head to the central forest. Let's hunt down more tree demons and mountain monkeys to rack up our points." "We can hunt down the orthodox dogs too. Oh right, Taboo-Free, I know where a monkey king is in this outer zone. Why don't we hunt it together? With you and A-Yi leading us, making twelve in total, we could even take down a Saint!" The burly men chattered incessantly, their eyes all turning toward the two leaders standing nearby. Taboo-Free, a Bewitching Demon of around twenty-six, had sharp features and prominent brows that radiated a ferocious aura. Yet his attire clashed completely with that fierce presence. He wore a black T-shirt, patterned board shorts, and flip-flops. He looked less like someone on a deadly trial and more like a tourist on vacation. A-Yi, on the other hand, had the appearance of a delicate youth. His gaze was hollow and icy, like an emotionless automaton—or a wild beast devoid of feeling. The two groups had crossed paths an hour ago. After a brief discussion, they had concocted a plan to hunt tree demons for points, keeping at it until now. Everyone's score had risen by at least ten points, making for a bountiful harvest. "Taboo-Free, what are you zoning out for?" a burly man asked in annoyance upon seeing him stay silent. "I'm checking Yuanshi Tianzun's score," Taboo-Free replied without looking back. Hearing that, the group startled, hurriedly opening the leaderboard. Then they let out collective sighs of relief. "Pfft, I thought Yuanshi Tianzun's score had exploded and taken the top spot." "He's still at 20 points! He even dropped a rank to 23rd." "Our A-Yi is already at 100 points. Could this Yuanshi Tianzun be an overhyped fraud? The Five Elements Alliance bragged that he was a dungeon-clearing prodigy." "Haha! At the summit, Elder Thousand Faces hyped him to high heaven. I thought the kid was something special. Throw him into a killing trial, and his true colors show immediately." "Whether he's a mule or a thoroughbred, you only know once you take him out for a run." The men burst into laughter. Taboo-Free frowned. "So, you really think it makes sense for Yuanshi Tianzun's ranking to be this low? You think his track record was just hot air? Could an overhyped fraud beat Zhao Chenghuang?" That barrage of questions cut the laughter short. Wiping the grins from their faces, they stared at Taboo-Free in bewilderment. *** Somewhere else in the forest, a young man with twin sabers strapped to his back strode forward alone. His eyes were fixed on the empty air before him, somewhat unfocused as he scrutinized the leaderboard. *Something's not right. There's no way Yuanshi Tianzun's rank should be this low. Did he run into trouble, or is he deliberately holding back on collecting points?* Dropout Fish had lost count of how many times he had checked the leaderboard. He hadn't paid much attention to Yuanshi Tianzun at first. But as time wore on and he realized earning points wasn't difficult, he noticed with surprise that Yuanshi Tianzun's ranking had barely moved. A dozen minutes ago, his score had jumped briefly, but that was it. It defied all logic. *What game is that guy playing?* *** In a relatively open mountain hollow, Sun Miaomiao, the Maoshan Daoist, and Yuan Ting stood atop a moss-covered boulder, looking down at the battle raging below. Behind them stood their yin corpses. Rushing water had flooded the hollow, creating a small lake. Perched on a rock protruding from the surface stood Zhao Chenghuang in his hideous, ghost-transformed state. White frost crept from beneath his boots, forming a thin sheet of ice along the edge of the stone. His opponent lurked beneath the water. It was "I Alone Am Supreme," ranked first among the rogue cultivators. Sun Miaomiao furrowed her brow. "That item of his is indeed extraordinary. He can create home turf for a Water Ghost anytime, anywhere. He didn't claim the top spot on empty boasts." Beside her, the Maoshan Daoist chuckled. "Water can't harm spirit bodies, though. With strong enough spirit servants, this guy can be countered. Zhao Chenghuang should be able to finish him." The Taiyi Sect's Night Walkers had swapped spirit servants prior to entering the dungeon. Using the telepathic link between servant and master, they had quickly regrouped. Minutes ago, they had run into the lone wolf, I Alone Am Supreme. Arrogant beyond measure, he had actually intended to hunt all four Night Walkers single-handedly. Zhao Chenghuang, eager for a worthy opponent, had waved Sun Miaomiao and the other two aside to fight him one-on-one. Seeing that the battle would not end anytime soon, Sun Miaomiao glanced at the dazed Yuan Ting and complained, "Yuan Ting, this is a killing trial! Why are you always daydreaming? Did they break your brain in the training camp?" Yuan Ting groaned in agony: "Where is Yuanshi Tianzun... Where on earth is Yuanshi Tianzun..." The Maoshan Daoist exchanged a glance with Sun Miaomiao and muttered, "The guy's possessed." "Well, Yuanshi Tianzun does owe him a blood debt!" Sun Miaomiao remarked, then frowned. "Speaking of which, why is Yuanshi Tianzun's score so low?" The Maoshan Daoist shook his head. "Probably ran into trouble." There was a hint of gloating in his voice. Sun Miaomiao didn't reply. Her large, dark eyes lowered to stare at the rock by her feet as she pondered: *Given Yuanshi Tianzun's abilities, if he actively collected points, he'd be in the top three at least. There's no way he'd trail this far behind. Is it deliberate? Did he discover something...? I really want to find him and ask...* *With him delaying on gathering points, the Five Elements Alliance people must be worried sick by now.* *** Beneath a colossal pine tree, "My Fate Is Mine Not the Heavens" tilted her head, her silken hair cascading like a waterfall as she looked at the two figures standing a dozen meters away. "I ran into a mountaineer earlier. From our conversation, I figured out that two opposing factions are hidden within this forest. "Yet from the rules you provided, it's clear the noticeboards can contradict one another. Does that mean the noticeboards belong to different factions as well? But that wouldn't make sense." The two figures standing a dozen meters off were the burly World Returns to Fire and the effeminate Tone-Deaf. The two sides had just fought to a draw. At World Returns to Fire's suggestion, they had called a truce and sat down to exchange intelligence. Truly intelligent individuals did not let faction alignments blind their thinking. Even on opposing sides, reasonable cooperation in the absence of a life-and-death clash was the mark of wisdom. World Returns to Fire replied impassively: "First, we can't be sure whether the contradictions in the noticeboard rules are genuine contradictions. Second, even if noticeboards contradict each other, that doesn't necessarily mean they belong to different factions." My Fate Is Mine Not the Heavens pondered for a few seconds before breaking into a radiant smile. "Makes sense! "I imagine that's why Yuanshi Tianzun is hesitating too. But we realized it too late and have already made our choices." World Returns to Fire sneered. "That's you people, not me!" *** Asano Ryo scouted forward with extreme caution, moving at a snail's pace. The Night Walker behind her constantly urged her on: "Hurry it up. You won't die." Their current objective was to find the noticeboard leading into the central forest. *If it won't kill me, why don't you walk in front, you baka...* Asano Ryo grumbled meekly in her heart. Behind her, in addition to the young Night Walker, walked a tall, voluptuous woman and an older sister with an exquisitely flawless face. Upon seeing that the Night Walker had companions, Asano Ryo had abandoned all thought of running away. Behaving obediently might keep her alive; trying to flee would only invite all three to hunt her down, and not even perfecting the art of the humble bow would save her. "Wang Tai, is Wang Tai really your name?" Asano Ryo asked as she walked. "How come I didn't see you on the leaderboard?" She had been searching for the name Wang Tai on the leaderboard all this time, to no avail. *This girl really has zero emotional intelligence...* Zhang Yuanqing replied flatly, "What's it to you?" Wang Tai was an alias, something he was sure Peony Fairy had realized long ago. But an experienced woman was an experienced woman; she had weathered the turbulent waters of society and possessed plenty of maturity and tact. Throughout the journey, she had never once asked why Wang Tai wasn't on the leaderboard. Zhang Yuanqing didn't care if his fake name was seen through. He had altered his appearance, stowed away the items he had used in the arena tournament, mimicked Fu Qingyang's demeanor, and most crucially, swapped out his yin corpse. There was no way Peony Fairy could pinpoint his identity through mere guesswork. As they walked, Peony Fairy suddenly let out a startled sound, her expression souring. Zhang Yuanqing glanced over. "What is it?" Peony Fairy shook her head, speaking with unease: "I just feel something isn't right. Not with us, but with Yuanshi Tianzun. His... his ranking is far too low. "He must have run into some kind of trouble. He's one of our official organization's key pillars—nothing must happen to him." They were only two hours into the dungeon, yet Yuanshi Tianzun, who carried such immense expectations, had already fallen behind Zhao Chenghuang, the evil classes, and the rogue cultivators. Peony Fairy could not help but feel anxious.