Since the cursor directly revealed their coordinates in real time, setting up an ambush was out of the question. Hearing this, Jiang Jingwei called out loudly:
"Then let's not ambush them! Let's just wait right here and fight the evil faction to the death. At worst, we'll delay their progress. We still have two other teams anyway—as long as they reach the mountaintop, it'll all be good!"
Her words drew loud praise and applause from the Fire Masters.
"The little princess is brilliant!"
"As expected of our Fire Masters' chief intellectual! What a promising future she has!"
"Those evil faction bastards must be out of their minds to pick the same path as us. Do they have a death wish or something? Little princess, lead us and wipe them out!"
Soaking in the Fire Masters' flattery, Jiang Jingwei rested her hands on her hips and thrust her chin up proudly.
*Well, to be fair, she did analyze the situation in her own way. Knowing that delaying the enemy and fighting the evil faction to the death here could secure a path to victory for the orthodox faction...*
Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, appreciating her courage in using her brain.
However, staying behind for a battle to the death against the evil faction simply would not work.
For one thing, the official team's overall strength was lacking. Of the fourteen people currently in the group, none were truly top-tier besides World Returns to Fire, Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and Tone-Deaf.
Well, Asano Ryo could rival top-tier experts when unleashing her ultimate move, but she couldn't maintain it for long.
Furthermore, while these official walkers were decent, who were they up against?
A band of maniacs from the top ten of the wanted list—evil classes at the peak of combat prowess. On top of that, there were rogue walkers led by "Only I Am Supreme" and "Dropout Fish."
How could they fight that?
For another, no one would be willing to sacrifice themselves just to pave the way for the other two orthodox teams.
They merely shared a faction; they weren't brothers bound by blood.
Besides, if they really went through with it and all the Transcendent-stage walkers of the Five Elements Alliance died here, the Songhai Branch would skin him alive once he returned to reality.
As their leader, Zhang Yuanqing patted the girl's head.
"A very nice idea, but no," he said.
Hearing that, the others collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
They had genuinely worried that Yuanshi Tianzun might act on impulse and accept the Fire Masters' suggestion. If things came to that, the team would have dissolved on the spot.
Fortunately, their worries were unfounded. With Yuanshi Tianzun's intellect, how could he ever buy into such a brainless plan?
World Returns to Fire pondered for a moment before offering a sound proposal:
"There are three ways. First, lay traps along the way—standard jungle traps coated in poison—and wait for the evil faction to stumble into them. I happen to have a bottle of poison on hand.
"Second, leave behind spirit servants and yin corpses to mount an ambush. Given the quality of your yin corpses, they might not take down the top dogs, but trading them for a few decent experts won't be an issue.
"Third, combine traps with yin corpses and spirit servants. With any luck, we could take out a whole batch of them."
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up with inspiration. He couldn't help glancing at the nearby Fire Masters, thinking, *Look at him. See? Now that's the real intellectual among Fire Masters.*
Peony Fairy shook her head. "Poison is useless against Witch Doctors, and they can neutralize toxins anyway. Besides, setting up traps takes too much time—the losses outweigh the gains."
Zhang Yuanqing fell into thought.
Guan Ya, who had made the initial suggestion, gave an amused scoff. "Still haven't figured it out? Since I suggested it, I naturally have a way. But before that, let me take a look at your reward item."
Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the mist spider and handed it to Guan Ya gingerly. "Be careful. Don't blow it away."
Cradling the mist spider, Guan Ya read its item information and smiled charmingly.
"Just as I thought. That makes it simple. First, we need to verify whether the cursor's tracking coordinates are bound to your physical body or your spirit body.
"If it's the former, the ambush plan is canceled. If it's the latter, I'll take your body with me, while your spirit body stays here to wait for them. As soon as the evil faction breaks out of the fog, use this consumable immediately to trap them again.
"To escape the fog, they must have figured out the rule, so they definitely won't dare to move. That makes them sitting ducks for you to strike at will. Besides, in your spirit state, you won't need to fear the mist spiders in their hands.
"The only ones you need to watch out for are the Illusionists in the evil faction. They possess immense mental power, and their methods for dealing with spirit bodies are second only to Night Walkers."
With that, the experienced woman tapped him lightly on the head and chided, "You suddenly went dense on me."
*This plan is viable. Plus, I have the Ghost Bride as my trump card. Teaming her up with Blood Rose and the mist spider, I might just be able to bag one of the top ten wanted fugitives...* Zhang Yuanqing smiled and took Guan Ya's delicate hand.
"Who would've thought that our tiny Kangyang District Second Team could produce such a pair—a Sleeping Dragon and a Fledgling Phoenix... ah, no, a fledgling phoenix and me."
Guan Ya rolled her eyes at him flirtatiously.
Yet unlike before, she uncharacteristically didn't pull away, letting him hold her hand.
Holding Guan Ya's hand, Zhang Yuanqing turned to the group and said, "Everyone, go on ahead. I'll catch up shortly. If you encounter any fog-like dangers up ahead, hold up and wait for me."
None objected, merely advising, "Be careful yourself."
With that, the group resumed their march.
As Peony Fairy and the other women filed past the two of them, their eyes lingered on their clasped hands. Some wore sour expressions, some pouted, and some rolled their eyes, all showing varying degrees of displeasure.
It was just like watching one's idol get intimate with another girl—irritating beyond measure!
World Returns to Fire, who had plain features but a tall, muscular frame of excellent proportions, stopped in front of Zhang Yuanqing. He produced a black glass vial and held it out.
"Apply the venom in this vial to your blade. As long as it breaks through their defense, anyone in the Transcendent stage will be paralyzed within ten seconds, completely immobilized within a minute, and dead within five. Against a Night Walker, the potency is halved, and it won't prove lethal. It's ineffective against Witch Doctors.
"Of course, all of this assumes the target doesn't employ any means to neutralize it."
*Good stuff!* Zhang Yuanqing's eyes sparkled. Taking the pocket-sized black glass vial, he grinned. "Why not just gift it to me?"
*Bah, dream on.* World Returns to Fire shot him a sideways glance. "To think there exists a man so shameless in this world!"
Zhang Yuanqing watched World Returns to Fire quickly catch up with the group. Only then did he release Guan Ya's hand. Opening his mouth, he spat out Little Doubi and placed him on Guan Ya's shoulder. Stroking the infant's sparse baby hair, he said, "Stay with Auntie!"
Guan Ya felt a sudden chill on her shoulder. She immediately activated her Eye of Insight, her eyes glowing with a faint white light to trace the small baby's outline.
It was a hazy, chubby silhouette with a round face, a bare head, and faint strands of fine baby hair.
*Isn't this the little fellow who saved me back in Yinyang Town...?* Guan Ya reached out gently to pat its head, but her fingers passed through empty air; she lacked the ability to touch spirit bodies.
"With him around, I can use our mental link to regroup quickly," Zhang Yuanqing said. He exhaled another breath of yin qi toward Blood Rose, secretly instructing her to remain silent and hide in the woods.
Blood Rose—or rather, the Ghost Bride, Bai Lan—obediently walked into the dense forest, concealing herself behind a tree.
*Good thing the Ghost Bride is obedient. Otherwise, if she called out 'husband,' the ship of friendship between Guan Ya and me would capsize instantly...* Zhang Yuanqing wrapped his arms around Guan Ya's neck from behind, draping himself over her back.
He then retrieved the Bloodthirsty Blade and the mist spider before casting Astral Travel, allowing his spirit body to leave his physical shell.
Guan Ya naturally hooked her arms under Zhang Yuanqing's knees, bouncing him slightly onto her back before taking off in pursuit of the departing team.
Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body lingered where he stood, watching the experienced woman's receding figure until she turned a bend and vanished behind the lush greenery. Only then did he pull back his gaze and open the map.
By now, the red cursor had entered the dense fog and ground to a halt.
Meanwhile, no marker appeared at his current location.
*As expected, the tracking marker is anchored to the physical body...* Zhang Yuanqing closed the map. Wrapping his spirit around the Bloodthirsty Blade, he drifted into the woods and came to the Ghost Bride's side.
"Husband, who was that woman?" the Ghost Bride asked with a plaintive tone and a melancholic gaze.
One had to admit, that delicate, sorrowful demeanor coupled with Blood Rose's breathtaking beauty almost made Zhang Yuanqing lose his composure.
*She's my concubine. She has to call you Big Sister,* Zhang Yuanqing transmitted through mental waves.
"Oh, so she's just a concubine." The Ghost Bride instantly cheered up.
She didn't mind a concubine.
A concubine was no different from a handmaid; she posed no threat to the principal wife's status.
*She sure is easy to fool...* Not wasting any more words, Zhang Yuanqing set to work on the traps.
Lacking materials and tools, most jungle traps were out of the question, but there was one foolproof design.
The very trap Guan Ya had fallen into in the outer layer.
—A wooden spike pit.
He chopped fresh branches in the forest, carving them with the Bloodthirsty Blade into spikes twenty centimeters long and a finger wide. Then he had the Ghost Bride take the blade and dig four or five shallow pits in the center of the path.
He drove the spikes into the bottom of the pits, coated them with the venom from the glass vial, and covered the openings with leaves.
To make the traps less noticeable, he channeled his spirit power to stir up dead leaves across the woods, scattering them over the entire path.
Ever since his experience surpassed fifty percent, the duration of his Astral Travel had increased substantially. He could now leave his body for forty minutes; only beyond that limit would his physical shell perish.
*I need to kill at least one top-ten wanted expert. That would push my score close to three hundred points. Otherwise, breaking the female Grand Marshal's record is pure fantasy.*
*Completing the side quest granted me a hundred points. Following this pattern, even if I clear the trial, I'll earn at most three hundred points. In the end, it still comes down to killing. No wonder they call it a killing trial...*
The night hung heavy, torches flickering through the dense woods and casting pools of light.
After catching up with the team, Guan Ya called out to the Japanese schoolgirl, "Asano Ryo, over here!"
The pure and lovely "guide dog" jogged over, holding her Japanese sword.
—She had been sticking close to Peony Fairy the whole time.
Guan Ya offered a gentle smile. "There might be other dangers in the labyrinth. I'm carrying Yuanshi Tianzun, so I'm worried I won't be able to react in time if trouble arises. Can you guard us?"
Asano Ryo nodded repeatedly. "Please, allow me to protect you!"
Guan Ya smiled warmly.
Before entering the killing trial, she had spoken on the phone with Fu Qingyang. From her cousin, she learned that a pawn of the Dark Night Rose was hiding among the official walkers, plotting against Yuanshi Tianzun.
And right now was the ideal opportunity to strike.
Guan Ya couldn't bring herself to trust any of her colleagues from the Five Elements Alliance. In a situation like this, it was far better to suspect everyone than to take any chances.
Asano Ryo, being Japanese, was ironically the most trustworthy of them all.
The group advanced in silence as scouts continuously reported the route. Guan Ya noticed that from time to time, people would turn their heads to glance at Yuanshi Tianzun, or let their eyes glaze over as they checked the map and leaderboard.
The official walkers' attention was entirely focused on Yuanshi Tianzun.
They anticipated his move, yet dreaded what might happen.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing watched the red cursor's pattern. He keenly observed that the group moved in disciplined intervals, stopping and advancing with methodical precision through the thick fog.
They were already nearing the exit.
*Too fast... Even faster than us.* Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank, but he quickly understood. *There's a Bewitching Demon in the evil faction. They must be familiar with a Mist Lord's methods and definitely know how to counter them.*
*I underestimated them!*
After a grueling wait, Zhang Yuanqing finally saw the red cursor reach the exit of the dense fog. Clattering footsteps echoed from the trail ahead.
A moment later, wild laughter rang out through the thinning mist:
"We're out! Step on it, brothers! Catch up to those orthodox brats!"
"The distance between us isn't far. Hurry! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Take out Yuanshi Tianzun, and our mission for the organization is complete!"
*Huh? How do they know I took this path?* Zhang Yuanqing was caught off guard.
Before he had time to dwell on it, the mist churned, and silhouettes began to take shape. The walkers of the evil faction came sprinting out of the fog.
Among the crowd, Zhang Yuanqing spotted many faces that were both familiar and strange—familiar from portraits, but strange because he had never seen them in the flesh. It took him a moment of scrutiny to identify the top-ranked A-Yi.
A youth with delicate features and hollow eyes... His traits were unmistakable.
Having locked onto A-Yi, Zhang Yuanqing didn't act immediately. He waited for someone in the group to trigger the trap.
Completely unaware of the ambush lying in wait, the evil walkers picked up their pace the moment they burst through the mist, eager to pursue the orthodox faction ahead.
A middle-aged man running at the front stepped into empty air. His foot crashed into a pit, throwing him off balance. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his mangled calf in agony.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing raised the mist spider in his palm and blew a breath of icy chill upon it.
The mist spider instantly dispersed, drifting toward the crowd like azure smoke. It swelled rapidly, churning into a billowing expanse of thick fog that engulfed the incoming evil walkers and orthodox rogue cultivators.
Caught completely unprepared, cries of panic erupted everywhere.
"What's going on? Didn't we already escape the fog?!"
"Careful! Don't move! Everyone stop!"
"Fuck, does this ever end?!"
Amid the clamor of curses, Zhang Yuanqing wrapped his spirit around the Bloodthirsty Blade and drifted forward soundlessly alongside the Ghost Bride, slipping into the fog straight toward A-Yi.
Targeting A-Yi had been a calculated choice.
First, as the top ranker, his point value was exceptionally tempting. Second, he was a Witch Doctor—not a Bewitching Demon skilled at mental manipulation, nor an Illusionist equipped with potent means against spirit bodies.
Finally, with the Ghost Bride and the mist spider at his side, even if A-Yi possessed remarkable prowess, Zhang Yuanqing was confident he could dispatch him in an instant.
Following his memory, he soon spotted the vacant-eyed A-Yi. The formidable Witch Doctor was indeed standing frozen in place, not daring to move.
Zhang Yuanqing slipped quietly behind him. The moment the Ghost Bride slammed into A-Yi's body and completed her possession, Zhang Yuanqing drove the venom-coated Bloodthirsty Blade swiftly and accurately into his heart.
In the next instant, A-Yi's body shattered like an illusion.
*An illusion?!* Zhang Yuanqing's pupils contracted.
At the same time, an enraged shout echoed nearby: "You set me up—"
The voice was abruptly cut short.
Immediately after, the mist parted, and several figures completely encircled him and the Ghost Bride.
A chubby young man with black-rimmed glasses; an intellectual, mature beauty with cascading dark hair; a burly, middle-aged man in a tank top... A full eight people.
*A Worthy Minister Slays His Lord, My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's, Human Nature Is Inherently Evil... Numbers two, three, and four on the wanted list—all Illusionists... That scream just now was someone being used as a scapegoat to break my mist spider...*
*I walked right into a counter-ambush!* Zhang Yuanqing was gripped by sheer dread, a bone-chilling terror causing his very spirit body to tremble.
Chapter 256