Yuanshi Tianzun: Official Walkers, Assemble Here

What were the conditions to enter the second stage? Killing monkeys? Slaying tree demons? Clearly neither, or everyone would have entered the central forest long ago rather than staying trapped in the outer layer facing the Tree King's wrath. Zhang Yuanqing believed that the true condition for entering the second stage was choosing a faction. At first glance, the requirement to advance—satisfying the conditions—seemed entirely devoid of clues. The scattered, contradictory information, the monkeys and tree demons that posed no threat if left alone, the tangled web of hints, and the jarring mismatch between the apparent danger and the trial's official difficulty rating... All of it made the entire walkthrough process feel both baffling and remarkably easy. Easy enough that it felt like an ordinary mountain hike. Because the trial hadn't provided the Spirit Realm walkers with a focused, driving primary objective, most people were adrift in confusion at this very moment. *Satisfy the conditions? What conditions?* Yet if one gathered and distilled all the clues, they would find that every piece of information in the outer zone pointed toward a single truth: The conflict stemmed from divergent factions. The choices a Spirit Realm walker made in this primeval forest were, in fact, choices of allegiance. Two major factions existed within this trial: the Lost City and the Primeval Forest. Zhang Yuanqing had assumed he hadn't chosen a faction at all, having seen through this dynamic early on and refrained from hunting tree demons for points. Only upon seeing that recent notification did he realize that killing monkeys was no different from killing tree demons. *The monkeys are the guardians of the forest.* He was now in the same boat as those who had butchered tree demons for points: locked into the Lost City faction. So how were members of the Lost City faction supposed to satisfy the conditions to reach the second stage? The answer was right in front of them: eliminate the opposing faction's boss. Namely, slay the Tree King and the Monkey King. Even so, Zhang Yuanqing suspected that one's faction choice could be changed. Two points supported this theory: First, the requirements for the forest faction were absurdly strict. Thinking back, qualifying for the forest faction likely required adhering to every single rule on the noticeboards—not just one board, but all of them across the board. There had to be walkers who hadn't killed a single tree demon or monkey—such as those oddballs lingering at the bottom of the leaderboard with just three points. Yet those people hadn't entered the second stage either. From that, one could deduce that they had violated other notices, just as Zhang Yuanqing had spoken with the mountaineer. He hadn't sensed anything amiss then, but looking back, he had probably been branded with the Lost City faction the moment he spoke. Choosing the Lost City was effortless, while aligning with the forest was so difficult that not a single person had pulled it off. That made no sense. Second, faction confrontation. If this was a faction battle, there had to be opposing sides. Yet the reality was that no one could enter the second stage, and everyone belonged to the Lost City faction. Of course, one couldn't rule out the possibility that "faction confrontation" simply meant walkers fighting the trial's bosses. If factions could be altered, how would one do it? Based on the intelligence gathered so far, Zhang Yuanqing found a clue. *The noticeboards.* Among all the instructions, he had spotted two unique rules: *"During a long trek, if you feel unwell, you may gather wild fruit to satisfy your hunger."* *"If you encounter a mountain ghost, you may seek help from the monkeys."* Every other warning told you what *not* to do. Only these two told you what you *should* do. The mountain ghosts would only appear after dark, so they could be set aside for now. Gathering wild fruit to satisfy hunger, however, was something worth trying. He hadn't paid it much mind earlier because gathering wild fruit contradicted the instruction against eating brightly colored fungi and fruits. Yet the information gleaned from spirit questioning made him realize that "wild fruit" didn't refer to the fruits scattered across the woods, but specifically to those growing within monkey territory. That explained the contradiction: they were entirely different fruits. *I'm out of options anyway. Might as well try gathering the fruit. If that fails, I'll go help take down the boss.* With that thought, Zhang Yuanqing turned to the mature woman and young girl beside him, his voice low and steady. "I need to go test a theory. If it works, we should be able to enter the second stage." "Really?" A radiant look of joy spread across Peony Fairy's mature, gorgeous face, though a trace of doubt lingered in her eyes. Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "You and the guide dog stay here for now. Don't wander off." As soon as he spoke, he caught a flicker of gloom in Asano Ryo's eyes. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing added, "I'll leave this yin corpse behind to protect you. Don't underestimate her—she's stronger than you are." A smile returned to Asano Ryo's pure face. Realizing she hadn't been abandoned, she said gratefully, "Wang Tai, you really are an ally of justice." *Feels like I just got hit with a good-guy card...* With the cultural gap too wide to bridge, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't be bothered to explain. He gave a quiet hum, closed his eyes, and channeled Astral Travel. His spirit slipped out of his body, soaring through the canopy straight into the clouds, drifting higher and higher. He only stopped once he felt his spirit reach its ascent limit. Zhang Yuanqing gazed down upon the primeval forest. The lush canopy blanketed the earth, hiding nearly everything beneath an endless sea of green. Focusing his mental energy, he scanned the movement both near and far. Before long, he spotted a sizable pool several kilometers to the east. Nearby stood an orchard of fruit trees, laden with heavy clusters of red berries hanging from the branches. Tiny monkeys, scurrying like ants, frolicked merrily on the boughs and around the pool's edge. *Found it...* Delighted, Zhang Yuanqing drew back his gaze and turned toward the colossal tree. He noticed the Tree King's attack rate had slowed to an all-time low. Most of its six or seven dangling vines were striking at the base of its trunk, snapping trees one after another beneath their lashes to clear out a wide, unobstructed zone. Zhang Yuanqing could vaguely make out numerous figures converging toward the trunk, braving the vines constantly crashing down from above. *Planning to team up and raid the boss? That's not the right move,* he muttered under his breath. Of course, if eating the fruit failed to shift his faction, he would gladly rush over and join the raid. Zhang Yuanqing descended, returning his spirit to his body. Leaving behind the yin corpse Blood Rose with orders to protect Asano Ryo, he sprinted toward the east. *** Meanwhile, at the base of the Tree King, a large group of Spirit Realm walkers had finally joined forces after suffering several casualties. Upon arriving here, the aerial strikes had mostly subsided. Every walker had countered at least one attack, earning themselves a brief window of safety. The regrouped walkers gathered according to their respective organizations. Zhao Chenghuang led eight Night Walkers, including Sun Miaomiao, Maoshan Daoist, and Yuan Ting. A-Yi led a force of eighteen members of evil classes, including My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's; Human Nature Is Inherently Evil; Nothing Is Taboo; and Trampling the High Heavens. Kou Beiyue stood at the front of a grand total of... two people, the other being Good Minister Chooses His Master to Devour. Jiang Jingwei led twenty-four Five Elements Alliance members, including Crossing-River Pawn, Long Live the White Tiger, and The Little Match Boy. The Five Elements Alliance had lost four members along the way. Beyond them were rogue cultivators belonging to grassroots organizations or traveling alone—such as I Alone Am Supreme, All Under Heaven Is White, and Dropout Fish—as well as foreign walkers. They formed the largest group, numbering forty-four in total. Altogether, ninety-six walkers stood assembled. "Good Minister, why are you hanging out with a nobody?" Nothing Is Taboo asked with a slight frown. Before Kou Beiyue could speak, the chubby young man jumped out in fury and barked, "Insolent! How dare you speak to my boss like that!" *The fat guy's boss?* The surrounding evil class members turned to Kou Beiyue with looks that silently said, *You'd better pray for yourself,* and, *That's a walking corpse right there.* *I—I'm not his boss...* Kou Beiyue felt intensely uncomfortable under their stares. He wanted to explain, but teenage pride kept him from swallowing his words. "My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's," dressed in a forest-style mature chic aesthetic, swept her gaze across the Five Elements Alliance members, her brow knitting. "Where's Yuanshi Tianzun? Why isn't he here?" The moment she spoke, both the orthodox and evil factions turned toward the Five Elements Alliance contingent. Jiang Jingwei parted her lips, about to snap back with *"What business is it of yours?"* but Crossing-River Pawn held her back. Dressed in camouflage pants, the young man said flatly, "We haven't seen him since entering the trial." Looking at Abalone Through a Tube, stout and honest-looking, chimed in, "I searched all around just now, and there was no sign of Yuanshi Tianzun." Hearing this, walkers from both sides couldn't help feeling a wave of disappointment. Facing a Saint-stage boss, they desperately needed top-tier combat strength like Yuanshi Tianzun. "Don't tell me he was too scared and hid away?" "Probably waiting to reap the spoils without lifting a finger. Seems your official prodigy is nothing more than a despicable coward." Sarcastic jeers rose from the evil faction. "Looking to die?" Jiang Jingwei snapped, her eyebrows shooting up. She shoved up her sleeves on the spot, looking ready to charge through an entire army to take their heads. Jiang Jingwei was in a foul mood. Upon arriving, she hadn't seen Yuanshi Tianzun, nor had she found Sister Guan Ya. Everyone around her was just a half-familiar colleague. "Little girl, you're not very big, but you've got quite a temper. Let me teach you a famous phrase: Cuck—" When a Fire Master clashed with an evil class, the collision of two extreme temperaments almost inevitably ended in violence. Just as that evil walker was about to unleash the ultimate trigger phrase against a Fire Master, Zhao Chenghuang of the Taiyi Sect drew a black pistol and squeezed the trigger. *Bang! Bang!* The evil walker threw himself sideways, nimbly evading the bullets. With a chilling expression, Zhao Chenghuang swept his cold gaze over the crowd. "A bunch of rabble. Another useless word and we start the war right now!" Indeed, had that fellow finished that phrase, every Fire Master present would have declared war on him, leaving the orthodox and evil factions no choice but to fight. From the rogue group, I Alone Am Supreme said in a deep voice, "We don't have much time. Cut out the meaningless friction. Whoever provokes further trouble, I'll kill them first." He was clearly familiar with the Fire Masters' taboos as well. I Alone Am Supreme possessed refined features, yet they carried an overly delicate, sinister edge with a scowl etched between his brows. One look at his face gave the distinct impression of someone who walked the line between good and evil—fickle and volatile. Looking toward the Five Elements Alliance, I Alone Am Supreme continued, "I've never fought something this massive and don't know the best way to handle it. Which Wood Demon wants to step up and give us a breakdown?" As he spoke, everyone turned toward the Tree King. They couldn't see the full scope of the giant tree at all. Before them stood a trunk resembling an endless city wall, stretching far into the distance, its curvature barely discernible. The grayish-brown bark formed distinct, dense scales, pieced tightly together. A spirited young man among the Five Elements Alliance spoke up: "The best ways to handle a tree demon are fire attacks or logging. You can completely write off the latter. As for fire, it won't ignite this thing anytime soon—there's an immense amount of moisture beneath that bark. "The final method is based on the fact that once a plant gains consciousness, it's no longer purely a plant. A core housing its consciousness will form, which we call the tree heart. Find it, and destroy it." The crowd nodded along. The young Wood Demon walked over to the trunk, pressed his hand against it, and concentrated for a moment. "The tree heart is right above us, fifty meters up, hidden inside the trunk." At that moment, a rogue walker called out, "I suggest you act quickly. It's watching us." Everyone looked up. Across the wall-like trunk, pairs of lidless, emotionless eyes had opened, glaring down at them with eerie malice. The young Wood Demon said, "I still have three minutes until the next attack. That's enough to climb to the tree heart. Any other Wood Demons coming with me?" Spirit Realm walkers in the Transcendent stage lacked the ability to fly, making this the perfect opportunity for climbing-proficient Wood Demons to shine. Three Wood Demons—two men and one woman—immediately stepped out from the rogue group. The four of them began scaling the steep trunk. With practically no footholds, they relied solely on the grip of the uneven bark. Yet this hardly hindered their speed. Skilled at climbing, they ascended as swiftly and nimbly as geckos. The walkers below craned their necks, watching with bated breath. When the four reached a height of thirty meters, the scaly bark before their chests suddenly tore open into a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth, like the trunk itself had opened a bloody mouth. "Aahh—" Caught completely off guard, three of the Wood Demons were swallowed whole into the trunk, their screams cut short. The young Five Elements Alliance Wood Demon reacted the fastest. The instant the bark split, he decisively let go, falling backward to enter a free fall. He trusted that his companions below would catch him. *Smack!* A dark blur whipped across the sky, slamming brutally into the falling young man. His mortal flesh burst apart midair, and severed limbs, internal organs, and blood came pattering down. They rained onto the crowd, splashing across the Five Elements Alliance colleagues who had rushed to catch him. "Didn't he still have three minutes of safe time?" "What happened? Fuck, they're all dead..." Cries of alarm erupted everywhere. Even the evil faction wore grim expressions at the sight. Their answer came in the form of vines crashing down from the heavens. *Boom! Boom! Boom!* Trench after trench was gouged into the earth. The walkers scrambled, some relying on agility to dodge, others using items to parry. Yet the descending vines were simply too numerous and dense. Within an instant, three more people were whipped to pieces. On the trunk, the pairs of eyes looked down with cold indifference, regarding them as mere ants. Looking at Abalone Through a Tube dropped to one knee and slammed both palms onto the ground. With a rumbling roar, the earth buckled, and the soil coalesced into two giant arms, palms facing upward to shield the crowd beneath. Seeing this, the other Earth Monsters followed suit, using their earth-manipulation abilities to raise pairs of giant hands, opening palm after palm to the sky. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* A barrage of vines whipped furiously against the massive hands. Clods of dirt crumbled away in showers as the stone and soil rapidly fractured. "The boss's behavior pattern changed! The safe window is gone! Move it, we can't hold out long!" Looking at Abalone Through a Tube roared. "You badasses, if you don't step up now, when the hell will you?" Amidst his roar, a surging wave of yin energy erupted from Zhao Chenghuang. His skin turned a deep, bruised grayish-black, thick darkness flooded his eye sockets, and pitch-black claws sprouted from his fingers. His muscles bulged, black veins snaking across his entire body. Beneath his feet, frost spread rapidly, coating the ground in a pale layer of rime. *So strong...* Watching Zhao Chenghuang's transformation and feeling that overwhelming, bone-chilling aura, both the rogue cultivators and evil walkers felt a shiver run down their spines. If Zhao Chenghuang was already this terrifying, what kind of monster was the Yuanshi Tianzun who had defeated him? Zhao Chenghuang vanished from sight. Moments later, the crowd saw a trail of frosted footprints appear on the trunk, darting left and right in an erratic pattern. Mouths bristling with wooden thorns repeatedly snapped open across the bark, but they were always a beat too slow to catch Zhao Chenghuang in his Night Wandering state. Ten-odd seconds later, a dull *thud* echoed out. At the fifty-meter mark, a three-inch-deep fist impression caved into the wood, tearing through the tough, scaly bark and ripping into the dense fibers. *Tap!* Zhao Chenghuang landed steadily on the ground, blood pouring from his fist to expose pale bone. Breathing heavily, he said in a low voice, "The trunk is indestructible. We have to combine our strength to break through." As soon as the words left his mouth, A-Yi's pupils snapped shut into vertical slits, the whites of his eyes turning an amber hue. His skin keratinized, covered in a rigid carapace, while his legs transformed into powerful hind limbs. His back swelled, sprouting hardened elytra. *Buzz!* The thin wings beat fiercely, kicking up a gale as he shot into the sky. "Take me with you!" Jiang Jingwei shouted. She sprinted a few steps and leaped, trying to grab A-Yi's feet. A-Yi looked at her with hollow, emotionless vertical pupils and lowered his altitude, scooping her up by the arms and carrying her straight toward the sky. Throughout the ascent, he moved with the erratic agility of a fly, veering laterally and diving to dodge one thrashing vine after another. Before long, they reached the fifty-meter mark. A-Yi accelerated suddenly, flinging the red-haired girl toward the wide trunk while diving downward himself to meet a vine slashing toward his head. His hand morphed instantly into a bone blade, swinging skyward. A thick segment of the vine was severed, tumbling downward. This bought Jiang Jingwei precious time. With a fierce *whoosh*, the red-haired girl's body erupted in blazing flames. Resembling an artillery shell trailing fiery exhaust, she slammed heavily into the fist mark Zhao Chenghuang had left behind. *Boom!* A wheel of crimson fire burst open. The extreme heat instantly carbonized the bark in that area, while the horrifying shockwave tore away a massive chunk of dense fibers, expanding the fist print into a deep rupture. Inflicting harm on herself as much as her foe, Jiang Jingwei coughed up a trace of blood and groaned as she fell. Suffering a severe blow, a muffled, furious roar echoed from deep within the tree trunk, shaking the woods until the leaves rustled wildly. Countless vines whipped about like enraged tentacles, lashing at the ground and sweeping toward A-Yi and Jiang Jingwei in midair. Seeing the sky full of vines descending upon him, A-Yi decisively folded his elytra, curled up, and hugged his knees. The keratin over his body surged outward in a frenzy, wrapping around him to form a rigid bone sphere. *Crack! Crack! Crack!* The vines whipped relentlessly, spiderwebbing the hard bone sphere with cracks that oozed dark green blood. The sphere plummeted downward. Jiang Jingwei was also falling rapidly, clutching a yellow jade pendant in her hand. This Earth Monster item formed a defensive barrier while increasing her weight, accelerating her descent toward the ground. Though Jiang Jingwei wasn't the sharpest thinker, her innate combat instincts allowed her to naturally choose the right item at the right moment without needing to ponder it. "The breach is healing!" a Scout with remarkable eyesight shouted in warning. The crater Jiang Jingwei had blasted open was knitting back together at high speed. As a Saint-stage Tree King, it naturally possessed exceptional regenerative capabilities. At that precise moment, the effeminate I Alone Am Supreme held up a black seal in the palm of his hand. The surface of the seal was carved with rolling waves, its material somewhere between jade and stone. *Crash!* A water column several meters wide erupted from the seal, soaring skyward. I Alone Am Supreme's body turned semi-transparent, as if merging with the water. Riding the ascending torrent, he bypassed the whipping vines and quickly reached the breach Jiang Jingwei had created. His body solidified, and raising a hand, he summoned a long blade forged of blue ice crystals, driving it violently into the rapidly shrinking opening. *Crack! Crack!* A crust of ice coated the head-sized breach, spreading outward and effectively halting the regeneration. *Bang!* A deep, thunderous gunshot rang out from afar, echoing over the forest. The ice shell over the breach instantly shattered, accompanied by flying splinters. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Gunshots rang out in rapid succession, every bullet striking the exact same spot. Each shot drove the breach deeper and wider. The concealed marksman possessed not only a frighteningly powerful weapon, but also peerless marksmanship. At the foot of the tree, Maoshan Daoist produced a mourning staff wrapped in strips of white paper, tossed it to his yin corpse, and commanded it to charge the Tree King. Sun Miaomiao opened her mouth, exhaling a stream of vengeful spirits that wove together into an illusory whip. The mourning staff and the God-Striking Whip struck the trunk in perfect unison. The thrashing vines overhead instantly froze, then went limp and dangled down. Its soul wounded, the Tree King fell into a stupor. Seizing the chance, the Witch Doctors transformed into their insectile forms, spreading elytra and wings to carry Fire Masters and Bewitching Demons aloft toward the fifty-meter mark. In an instant, fireballs, fire spears, and flaming blades exploded one after another, rolling waves of heat and fiery light washing over the trunk. Meanwhile, the Bewitching Demons used armor-piercing weapons to inflict bleeding effects, suppressing the Tree King's recovery. The Spirit Realm walkers of both factions fought shoulder-to-shoulder in a rare display of unity, outputting massive damage through sheer cooperation. At the fifty-meter breach, wood splinters flew as the wound deepened and expanded. Crimson sap began to bleed out, the fibers thinning until tender red flesh was exposed. "I see the tree heart! It's wrapped in a fleshy wall, can't pierce it!" a Bewitching Demon yelled while descending rapidly. The next second, a vine smashed him to pieces midair. More and more Fire Masters and Witch Doctors were swatted like mosquitoes into bloody pulp. Breaking free from the effects of the God-Striking Whip and the mourning staff, the Tree King sensed imminent danger and lashed out in a frenzied counterattack. At the same time, human faces surfaced on the surrounding trees, glaring at the crowd with hatred as dense webs of roots and vines struck out to lash and entangle them. The rogue cultivators, powerless against the Tree King, did everything they could to hold off the attacking tree demons. "Get me up there!" a young man holding a straight blade in each hand barked. "Dropout Fish, it's on you..." Looking at Abalone Through a Tube pulled upward with both hands against the ground. The dirt beneath Dropout Fish's feet surged up, and a towering earth hand broke through the soil, carrying him skyward. The giant hand had only risen a dozen meters when several crisscrossing vines smashed down, shattering the stone-and-dirt construct into pieces. Dropout Fish leaped, threading nimbly through the gaps between the vines in a perilous maneuver before inevitably beginning to fall. *Whoosh!* A jet of water shot up, hitting Dropout Fish squarely to push him several meters higher while neatly evading a sweeping vine. At the same time, Jiang Jingwei strode forward, gathering a pale white fireball in her palm and heaving it upward like a shot put. *Boom!* The fireball detonated beneath Dropout Fish. The terrifying blast wave propelled him upward, though the chaotic turbulence threw him off balance, sending him tumbling uncontrollably through the air. Just then, his wounds freshly healed, A-Yi swooped in like a fighter jet, intercepted Dropout Fish, and carried him straight into a steep climb, depositing him directly inside the one-meter-wide breach. *Thud!* Dropout Fish planted his feet firmly on the edge of the opening. Drawing his back taut like a bow, his twin blades erupted with blinding white light. With the posture of someone chopping firewood, he drove both blades with all his might into the heart wrapped in the fleshy wall. *Squelch...* Vast geysers of blood erupted from the breach, drenching Dropout Fish in crimson. The thrashing vines overhead froze instantly, then dangled limply. The cold eyes embedded in the scaly bark slowly closed, receding back into the trunk. The surrounding tree demons lost their vitality as well, reverting into ordinary plants. *** Nearing the pool, Zhang Yuanqing activated Night Wandering, concealing his form as he crept forward. Soon, he spotted the pool and the fruit trees ringing its perimeter, heavy with clusters of berries. Yet Zhang Yuanqing didn't immediately move to gather the berries. It wasn't because of the mountain monkeys climbing the boughs or picking lice and playing by the water, but out of caution toward the Monkey King snoring loudly on a blue boulder by the pool. The Monkey King was roughly three meters tall, covered in thick, dense white fur, with black palms, fingers, and face. A yellow-furred monkey with sleek, glossy fur rested lazily against the white-furred Monkey King's chest, flicking its tail now and then with a soft chitter. Just then, a male monkey slightly larger than the yellow-furred one crept over quietly, grabbed the sleek-furred monkey, and dragged her several meters away. Then, raising its tail, it mounted the sleek-furred female monkey, thrusting rapidly. The female monkey had resisted at first, chattering a few times, but soon flattened herself against the ground, raised her rear, and yielded halfway. *That's pretty bold, sneaking around with the king's woman... And the Monkey King hasn't even woken up.* Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit more confident. Even so, a Saint-stage Monkey King would possess terrifyingly sharp senses. If he was spotted while stealthily picking fruit, he wouldn't stand a chance of escaping. Night Wandering masked scent and sound, but it couldn't hide physical disturbances, such as rustling leaves or shaking bushes while sprinting. *To be safe, I need a way to lure the Monkey King away.* With a sudden idea, Zhang Yuanqing retreated quietly. Once he had pulled back to what he deemed a safe distance, he deactivated Night Wandering and spat out Little Doubi. "Ah-ba!" Little Doubi sprawled on the ground, tilting his head to look up at his master. Zhang Yuanqing squatted down, patting the infant's sparse downy hair, and entrusted this months-old baby with a critical mission: "Crawl over there and pick a bunch of fruit. Once you grab it, run as far and as fast as you can." Little Doubi let out an "Ah-ba," paddled his limbs with practiced agility, and vanished into the bushes. Zhang Yuanqing activated Night Wandering once more and crept back toward the pool. Returning to his previous vantage point, he waited silently. About half a minute later, he saw a head with sparse downy hair poke out from the shrubs on the opposite side of the pool. Then, the little infant—shorter than an adult's arm—scrambled swiftly up one of the fruit trees. Zhang Yuanqing's gaze darted repeatedly toward the sleeping Monkey King. The reason he had chosen Little Doubi over using Astral Travel himself or summoning the Ghost Bride was precisely because Little Doubi had a faint, weak presence. Although the Monkey King wasn't a Night Walker, it was still a Saint. With its formidable mental power, there was no guarantee it wouldn't sense the other two options. *Excellent, it hasn't noticed him.* Seeing the Monkey King still sound asleep, oblivious to the tiny spirit intruding on its territory, Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. Under his watchful eye, Little Doubi crawled along the trunk to a branch, hugged a bunch of red berries, and snapped it off with all his spiritual might. *Snap!* The bunch broke free, dropping straight down. Little Doubi tumbled smoothly from the branch, balancing the fruit on his head as he paddled his limbs, fleeing at top speed. "Screeech!" Witnessing this, several monkeys in the trees were stunned. Pointing at the bunch of fruit flying away on its own, they let out sharp, frantic shrieks. The screeches drew the attention of more monkeys, which triggered even louder shrieks, finally rousing the slumbering Monkey King. A few meters away, the two monkeys engaged in fervent mating instantly froze. The male monkey stared blankly at the awakening Monkey King, scratching its head... "Roaaar!" The Monkey King roared in fury, baring sharp fangs. It clamped its jaws onto the neck of the male monkey—who was still deeply embedded inside the female—and gave a lethal, violent shake. Meanwhile, the surrounding monkeys jumped up and down, screeching and pointing into the distance. The Monkey King cocked its ear to listen for a few seconds. Rage flashed in its dark eyes, and spitting out the thoroughly dead male monkey, it let out a low rumble. Its massive, heavy frame leaped through the air, clearing the ten-odd-meter-wide pool in a single bound before thundering away in pursuit of the thief brazen enough to steal the tribe's rations. Only once their leader took off did the other monkeys dare follow in pursuit. *No time to lose.* Zhang Yuanqing dashed toward the pool, leaped up by the nearest fruit tree, and snapped off a half-meter-long branch bearing four clusters of red berries. The moment the branch broke, it vanished under the effects of Night Wandering. Without lingering, Zhang Yuanqing turned and bolted, simultaneously transmitting an order to Little Doubi to ditch the fruit and run for his life. A spirit servant had no physical form and produced no sound or disturbance; the Monkey King wouldn't be able to lock onto him. After sprinting hundreds of meters in one breath, he stopped with his back against an arbor tree. While waiting to rendezvous with Little Doubi, he examined the branch in his hands. "Whether this works or not, one bite will tell..." Zhang Yuanqing plucked a longan-sized red fruit and popped it into his mouth. Sweet and tart, the berry melted the moment it touched his tongue. A warm current flowed into his stomach before spreading through his limbs and bones, bringing a lazy warmth that washed away his fatigue. *Sizzle...* Wisps of illusory black smoke rose from his body, as though some foul impurity within him was being cleansed. *The berries have healing and stamina-recovering properties, which explains why the rules said to gather wild fruit when feeling unwell. But what's with this black smoke? It's like I'm being purified...* An idea struck Zhang Yuanqing: The purifying smoke likely meant his faction was being cleansed—or shifted. "Time to head back and test if I can enter the central forest." Soon, Zhang Yuanqing regrouped with Little Doubi, swallowed the little spirit servant, and returned to where he had parted ways with the guide dog and Peony Fairy. The area was a disaster zone: trees had toppled, deep furrows crisscrossed the ground, and massive clods of earth were overturned, looking as though a massive logging operation had torn through and left ruin in its wake. Asano Ryo lay on the ground drenched in blood, her chest heaving violently. Her Ice Soul Saber was stuck diagonally in the dirt beside her, and her left lower leg was bent at an unnatural angle, bone piercing through flesh as blood pooled beneath her. Blood Rose stood blankly to the side, caked in mud. The back of her T-shirt was shredded, and the nano combat suit beneath was torn open, exposing her snow-white back where flesh had split apart. Peony Fairy knelt beside Asano Ryo, pressing a hand gently against the leg wound as a soft green light flickered from her palm. This was the healing skill of a Recovery Cleric. It could rapidly stem bleeding and patch wounds, but when it came to mending broken bones, it fell short. "Looks like you made it through the second wave." Zhang Yuanqing walked over and inspected the scene, confirming the guide dog wasn't in mortal danger. Hearing the familiar voice, Peony Fairy felt a surge of joy. Turning her head, she stared dumbfoundedly at the branch in his hands. "Y-You were gone all that time, and all you brought back was a few bunches of red berries?" Zhang Yuanqing tossed down several berries. "Feed them to her." With that, he walked straight toward the distant noticeboard, paused beside it, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. This time, he passed the noticeboard with ease, encountering no invisible barrier. *[Ding! You have entered the central forest. Side Quest One completed. Reward: 20 points.]* *[Ding! You are the first traveler to satisfy the conditions. Reward: 100 points.]* *[Ding! Your faction is: Mountain God! Please keep your faction firmly in mind.]* *[Ding! Side Quest Two is refreshing... Please form a team...]* The notifications ceased. *I have to form a team to refresh the quest? Entering alone won't do?* Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then stepped back in front of the noticeboard. Glancing at it, he saw a map had appeared on the surface. An extraordinarily intricate maze. *With lines this chaotic, not even ten brains could memorize it,* Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, turning his gaze back toward the guide dog and Peony Fairy. Color had returned to Asano Ryo's pale face. Her twisted leg had straightened out, and leaning on her Ice Soul Saber, she limped over with a joyful beam. "My leg is healed! Wang Tai, I'll definitely repay you if we make it out of this killing trial alive... Wait, you just stepped into the second stage, right? I saw you go in! How did you do that...?" *Repay me? If it's the Yuki-onna kind of repayment, I wouldn't mind looking forward to it!* "Eat the fruit, and you can go in," Zhang Yuanqing explained offhandedly, turning toward the voluptuous woman. "Peony, did you eat one?" Peony Fairy gave a slight nod, staring at him with an exceedingly strange look. Just moments ago, she had seen Yuanshi Tianzun skyrocket to the top of the leaderboard. *No way... It can't be... The yin corpse doesn't match, the personality doesn't match either, but Wang Tai is so skilled at cracking trials...* Peony Fairy's heart thumped against her ribs, uncertain what she was even hoping for. She took a deep breath, about to voice the question burning in her mind, when the sky suddenly darkened. The last sliver of twilight sank below the horizon. Night had fallen. A trial notification chimed in Peony Fairy's ear: *[Ding! The mountain monkeys dwelling in the forest have been slaughtered by outside tourists. The Monkey King is consumed by wrath. Prepare to face its fury!]* *[Ding! Night has fallen, and the mountain ghosts lurking within the mountains are about to appear. Please flee this area immediately and enter the central forest.]* *The Monkey King... the mountain ghosts... It really is exactly as he deduced...* Peony Fairy couldn't help glancing at Wang Tai again. Just as she was about to speak, her heart sank, and she cried out in alarm: "Our colleagues from the Five Elements Alliance are in danger!" *** "Did we do it?" Watching Dropout Fish destroy the heart wrapped in the fleshy wall and seeing the surrounding chaos subside, the walkers below were overjoyed. They had pooled their diverse abilities and sacrificed over a dozen walkers, paying a grievous price. Fortunately, they had finally taken down the boss. With so many experts joining forces, even a Saint could be brought down. "Damn this killing trial. This is only the outer layer, but it's worse than an S-rank trial," a Fire Master spat. "W-Wait, why hasn't there been a quest notification? Where's the point reward?" a rogue cultivator asked in confusion. Hardly had the words fallen when the crowd saw Dropout Fish leap down from the canopy in a frantic scramble, looking as though he were fleeing from something terrifying. The next instant, the lidless, emotionless eyes across the scaly bark snapped open once more. The vines that had hung limply suddenly sprang back to life, thrashing violently. A Wood Demon cried out, "It's Resurgence! It even knows the Resurgence skill!!" Resurgence was the signature passive ability of the Wood Demon class, much like a Night Walker's self-healing. When on the brink of death, Resurgence could bring a Wood Demon back to life, albeit with halved health and in a weakened state far from their peak. The expressions of the walkers from both factions shifted. The Tree King was far more resilient than they had anticipated. It seemed many more lives would have to be spent before putting it down for good. Just then, the last trace of twilight faded, and an already terrible situation went from bad to worse. *[Ding! The mountain monkeys dwelling in the forest have been slaughtered by outside tourists. The Monkey King is consumed by wrath. Prepare to face its fury!]* *[Ding! Night has fallen, and the mountain ghosts lurking within the mountains are about to appear. Please flee this area immediately and enter the central forest.]* In an instant, the walkers went pale, despair welling in their eyes. "It's over..." "We have to fight three bosses? A single Saint-stage tree demon was already this hard to handle—three bosses will wipe us all out!" "What kind of joke is this? Isn't a killing trial supposed to pit the orthodox and free factions against each other? Why has it turned into the trial slaughtering all of us?!" The rogue cultivators' morale shattered completely. While the official and evil organization members managed to keep their footing, they were left flustered, their fighting spirit drained. Even someone as proud as Zhao Chenghuang and as callous as A-Yi wore rigid expressions. *Something is wrong with this trial. How could the difficulty be set like this?* *It's clearly designed to wipe us out in the outer zone.* "Did we... get the wrong idea from the very start? Taking down the boss wasn't the right path," Yuan Ting questioned aloud. The surrounding crowd fell dead silent. Just then, a booming shout echoed from far in the distance: "I am Yuanshi Tianzun! All official walkers, assemble here!"