At this moment, the female ghost clad in a vivid red bridal gown, her skirt and veil fluttering, returned to Yuanshi Tianzun's side. Meanwhile, shrouded in swirling black mist like a ferocious specter, Zhao Chenghuang led Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting, Crossing-River Pawn, and several other experts as they stormed into the stone temple.
Fierce sounds of combat erupted from the temple entrance, punctuated by gunfire.
Outside, the Mountain Ghost faction and the Order faction members had engaged in battle.
The Mountain Ghost faction members, who had originally intended to wage a desperate fight to contest the staff, hesitated upon hearing Nothing Is Taboo's call to retreat. Gritting their teeth in reluctant frustration, they faced off against Zhao Chenghuang and the others while backing toward the entrance.
Although they were closer to the staff than Zhao Chenghuang's group, that slight gap in distance could be closed in a split second and was hardly an advantage.
Furthermore, after being thoroughly harassed by the boots and the robe in turn, the black jade doll in Yuanshi Tianzun's hand made them wary.
This was why Nothing Is Taboo had called the retreat: the resolve of the Mountain Ghost faction had wavered, and they had lost the momentum, courage, and determination needed to press the attack.
Zhao Chenghuang glanced at Yuanshi Tianzun not far away and at the Mountain God statue behind him. Seeing the staff held securely in the statue's grasp, his expression visibly relaxed. Without needing any prompt from Zhang Yuanqing, Zhao Chenghuang tacitly allowed the Mountain Ghost enemies to withdraw.
Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting, and the others also breathed a sigh of relief, their tension easing as though a heavy boulder had been lifted from their chests.
All along the way here, the only thing they had prayed for was: *Hold on just a little longer, Yuanshi Tianzun!*
To their astonishment, he had actually held the line, single-handedly fending off twenty-two formidable experts. As for Guan Ya, the Taiyi Sect crowd automatically disregarded her.
After all, she was relatively unknown and had given an unremarkable performance during the arena tournament.
Suppressing the whirlwind of emotions in their hearts, Sun Miaomiao and the others concentrated on confronting the Mountain Ghost faction.
Finally, Nothing Is Taboo and his group successfully exited the stone temple, and the clash outside ceased immediately after.
The enemies of the Mountain Ghost faction retreated into the Labyrinth Forest.
Outside the temple, Zhao Chenghuang's team swarmed inside. Together with the eight Night Walkers inside the temple, there were eighteen people in total: three unaffiliated spirit walkers, eight Night Walkers, and five official personnel from the Five Elements Alliance.
Seeing the enemies retreat and the staff intact, their faces lit up with excitement.
"That was a close one! I almost thought we were done for."
"If the Mountain Ghost faction had seized the staff, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Thanks to Yuanshi Tianzun! How did he manage that? It's incredible..."
After waiting a few more minutes, World Returns to Fire hurried back first, leading Peony Fairy, Asano Ryo, and the others.
The official spirit walkers of the Five Elements Alliance had been watching the map the entire time. After Yuanshi Tianzun teleported away with Guan Ya, they had sprinted like madmen, retracing their earlier route.
Along the way, they checked the map every two or three seconds, terrified that the tracking blips representing Guan Ya and Yuanshi Tianzun would blink out, terrified that the Mountain Ghost faction would secure the staff and plunge the Mountain God faction into an irreversible disadvantage.
Yet as the seconds ticked by, the emotions of Peony Fairy and the others underwent a tremendous shift—from desperate prayers at first, to shocked disbelief, and finally to: *He actually held them off.*
When they reached the summit again, alongside the joy of surviving a crisis, they felt a profound sense of security.
The kind of security normally only experienced in the presence of Deacon-level leaders.
And now, Yuanshi Tianzun, someone of the exact same level, had provided it.
Shortly after, the team led by Peeping at Bao Through a Tube and Undead Knight finally reached the mountaintop.
This squad, composed entirely of unaffiliated spirit walkers, had suffered heavy casualties; their original group of twelve had dwindled to seven.
Yet there was not the slightest trace of defeat or dejection on their faces. Instead, they looked thrilled, their fighting spirit soaring.
Looking around the crowd, Peeping at Bao Through a Tube called out loudly, "Yuanshi Tianzun, you're something else! How on earth did you hold off that pack of bastards from the Mountain Ghost faction? Uh, which one of you is Yuanshi Tianzun? I haven't met him yet..."
As he spoke, his gaze landed on the young man surrounded by the Five Elements Alliance members, and he understood at once.
Facing Peeping at Bao Through a Tube's question under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Zhang Yuanqing gave an earnest explanation:
"First, I utilized the Houtu Boots, a reward item from the arena tournament..."
He rattled on, detailing his plan, his items, and all the tactical considerations down to the finest points, laying it all out honestly for everyone.
Those who didn't know Yuanshi Tianzun listened enraptured, realizing the sheer gulf between them. They thought to themselves, *Yuanshi Tianzun truly lives up to his brilliant reputation. This calm, methodical planning and tactical depth are far beyond us.*
However, those familiar with him wore bizarre expressions.
Given Yuanshi Tianzun's personality, at a moment like this he would either act pretentious or brag to the heavens. Why was he being so completely honest?
Once Zhang Yuanqing finished, Zhao Chenghuang spoke in a deep voice:
"Except for me, Sun Miaomiao, Guan Ya, Yuanshi Tianzun, Yuan Ting, Maoshan Daoist, and World Returns to Fire, everyone else exit the Mountain God Temple and guard the clearing. Wood Demons, patrol the surrounding forest to ensure the Mountain Ghost faction doesn't sneak back.
"Let's work together to protect the staff. Once the temple gates close in sixty minutes, our mission will be accomplished."
He laid out his deployments methodically, deliberately assigning Peeping at Bao Through a Tube and Undead Knight to positions by the doorway so he could keep them in sight at all times.
These two were standouts among the unaffiliated spirit walkers, and Undead Knight in particular was a wild Night Walker.
With Dark Night Rose being a clandestine organization headed by Night Walkers, any unaffiliated Night Walker had a strong probability of ties to them. A precaution was necessary.
Once everyone assumed their positions as instructed, Zhao Chenghuang turned to those inside the hall whom he deemed the core of their faction and said, "The Mountain Ghost faction left so cleanly. I can't shake the feeling that they have another card to play."
World Returns to Fire immediately said, "The next stage should be entering the Lost City. The tasks in the forest were mainly tied to the Mountain God, so the tasks in the Lost City will be about the evil cultivators. That's the Mountain Ghost faction's home turf. I suspect they intend to turn the tables using the Lost City."
"Which is why they retreated so decisively instead of fighting us to mutual destruction," Sun Miaomiao agreed with a slight nod.
World Returns to Fire pointed to the murals inside the temple. "These murals are intriguing. They're related to the Lost City—most likely clues provided by the instance."
The four Night Walkers of the Taiyi Sect walked up to the murals and inspected them closely.
Zhao Chenghuang frowned. "The evil cultivators sacrificed the essence and blood of a vast number of ordinary mortals to something... or were attempting to summon something?"
Yuan Ting thought for a moment and said, "A sacrifice... As far as I know, our Sect Master seems capable of accepting sacrifices from sect disciples. Can other classes do that too?"
The Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect could accept sacrifices from his disciples? World Returns to Fire, Guan Ya, and Zhang Yuanqing were stunned by the revelation.
This was something they had never heard before.
Sun Miaomiao cleared her throat. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that beings capable of accepting sacrifices are supreme entities. An instance at our level wouldn't throw a boss with that kind of divine stature at us, surely?
"It might just be background lore. We won't uncover the truth until we enter the Lost City."
Then Sun Miaomiao pursed her lips and turned toward Zhang Yuanqing with an eager gaze. "Yuanshi Tianzun, could you lend me that child to hold for a bit?"
"Oh, of course!" Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a breath of lunar energy. A wisp of curling yin energy settled onto the ground, coalescing into a chubby, adorable baby with sparse peach fuzz.
Sun Miaomiao was overjoyed. With starry eyes, she strode over, scooped Little Doubi into her arms, and showered him with kisses.
At the same time, she felt a trace of surprise: Yuanshi Tianzun was exceptionally accommodating today.
After leaving the Mountain God Temple, the Mountain Ghost faction reentered the Labyrinth Forest. Rather than venturing deep inside, they chose a fork in the path to rest and recuperate.
Nothing Is Taboo surveyed his silent companions and spoke loudly: "It's time we discuss our next steps. But before that, do you need a few minutes to lick your wounded pride?"
At his words, everyone glared at him.
Nothing Is Taboo sneered. "Learn from A-Yi. He never gets discouraged, never feels fear. No matter how tough the battle, he sees it through without batting an eye. That's why he's top of the leaderboard.
"Now look at yourselves. Hit one tiny snag, and you act like stray dogs."
Dropout Fish, who had the air of an ancient bladesman, said coolly, "Cut the crap. Get straight to business."
Nothing Is Taboo gave a slight nod. "The staff wasn't an absolute necessity for us. It wasn't worth risking a total wipeout. Even if we had stayed back there—think about it. This instance has two main camps: the Primeval Forest belongs to the Mountain God faction, while the Lost City belongs to ours.
"It's been less than twenty-four hours since we entered the instance, and the main quest is to survive for three days. Going strictly by time, only a third of the instance has elapsed. The true deciding factor was never at the Mountain God Temple.
"The Lost City is our key to turning the tables. Furthermore, we have two secret weapons: one from an item, and one from the instance itself. Heh, I'll keep that to myself for now, but you'll see when the time comes."
Hearing this, the dejection on everyone's faces vanished, replaced by eager questions about what the secret weapon from the instance was.
Nothing Is Taboo merely smiled without answering.
*This guy is good. In just a few words, he restored everyone's confidence. A secret weapon from the instance? I need to find a way to warn Yuanshi Tianzun...* Kou Beiyue's mind raced.
Inside the stone temple, Guan Ya lowered her voice: "What was with you just now? Why did you talk so much?"
She was referring to how he had laid out every detail of how he stalled the Mountain Ghost faction.
Zhang Yuanqing's expression stiffened for a moment before he said helplessly, "The price of the Houtu Boots makes the user become honest. An honest man doesn't lie..."
The moment the words left his mouth, he saw Guan Ya's eyes light up brightly.
*Yuanshi Tianzun became an honest man...* Sun Miaomiao, Zhao Chenghuang, and the others instantly wore peculiar expressions.
The veteran tease's eyes darted with a rare glimmer of sly cunning. Just as she was about to speak, footsteps approached. Yuan Ting walked over, his eyes burning with intense curiosity.
"Yuanshi Tianzun, it's time you paid me my compensation."
"What compensation?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, bewildered.
"You really did forget!" Indignation surfaced on Yuan Ting's ordinary face. "To help you, I betrayed my organization and was thrown into the training camp, suffering until now! And yet you forgot your promise to me!"
Hearing that, Zhang Yuanqing remembered. "Oh, you mean that gossip? Sorry, I was lying to you back then. I can't reveal those secrets."
He honestly spoke his true thoughts.
"???" Yuan Ting's eyes went wide with rage. "Damn it! Are you trying to force me to defect to the Mountain Ghost faction? I'm telling you, I'm capable of anything!"
His expression was as though his fiancée had run off with Neighbor Lao Wang; the raw fury and despair were enough to move anyone.
Sun Miaomiao rolled her eyes thoughtfully and adopted a solemn expression. "Yuanshi Tianzun, that's not right. Since you made a promise, you can't go back on your word."
World Returns to Fire, Zhao Chenghuang, and the others couldn't help but glance at Sun Miaomiao.
A second later, World Returns to Fire chimed in, "Sun Miaomiao is right. A person without integrity cannot stand. As the leader of the team, you need to command respect, and the first step to building prestige is honesty."
Zhao Chenghuang wore a stern face, yet nodded with utmost solemnity. "Indeed!"
*These guys are all letting personal grudges slip into this...* Guan Ya inwardly criticized their unscrupulous behavior, before adding, "I also believe one should be honest."
Zhang Yuanqing looked troubled. After a brief struggle, he said, "W-well, all right then. I can share a few secrets. But you must promise never to leak them."
Everyone inside the hall nodded in unison.
Chapter 264