Predicament

"Trespassers upon the immortal sect's demon-sealing ground shall be slain without mercy?" Hearing this, Natsuki's Love's face changed in sudden shock. She glanced at the three colleagues beside her and murmured, "From the looks of it, the ancient tomb is a seal left by an immortal sect, and the bronze sculpture is a guardian. Have you noticed? This is remarkably similar to the world settings in the instances." Yu, Houde Zaiwu, and Saint of Fire all turned grave. The video's final words seemed to have struck them with profound impact. The sweet, endearing Deacon Yu knitted her brows. "Many instances in the Transcendent and Saint stages can be linked to corresponding historical sites or written records in reality, but those always felt like the instances drawing inspiration and reference from the real world. Things from the instances aren't supposed to appear in reality. What on earth is going on?" Houde Zaiwu kept a somber face, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings as he sighed under his breath. "Whatever the truth may be, this matter is far too bizarre. We have to report it to the Elders." As Saints, the intelligence and information at their disposal far exceeded anything accessible to walkers of the Transcendent stage. The concept of "immortal sects" appeared frequently in Saint-stage instances as part of the background world lore, but never in their wildest dreams had they expected an instance to manifest in reality. Guan Ya and Jiang Jingwei were completely bewildered. The red-haired girl blurted, "What are you guys talking about? I don't get it at all!" Neither of them had experienced a Saint-stage instance yet and had only just begun studying walkthroughs, so they had virtually no concept of immortal sects. Saint of Fire said in a heavy voice, "Little Princess, you've only just advanced to Saint. You know too little. Explaining all this is a hassle—we'll talk about it later." The Deacons from the Hang City branch didn't include the three newly arrived Saints from the Songhai Branch in their discussion. In truth, there simply wasn't time to explain so much to them. With three newly advanced Saints, it was enough for them to focus on playing a supporting role. Without looking at Yuanshi Tianzun's trio, Natsuki's Love addressed her colleagues with a solemn expression: "Setting aside the matter of instances for now, if the bronze sculpture is the guardian of the ancient tomb, then based on the meaning of that line from the video, a terrifying entity is sealed inside. Did the archaeological team open the tomb and release whatever demon was imprisoned within?" Yu's face changed drastically. "The threat rating of this ancient tomb incident might have to be raised... at least to the Dominator level..." "No, it hasn't reached that point yet," Zhang Yuanqing interjected. Natsuki's Love and the others turned to look at him. Saint of Fire frowned. "Yuanshi Tianzun, you don't grasp the gravity of this situation. It could very well overturn everyone's understanding of the Spirit Realm." Yu nodded in agreement with Saint of Fire. Zhang Yuanqing ignored the crude Fire Master and continued: "Let me share my view. According to the news reports, the experts estimated that the bronze sculpture's craftsmanship dates back to the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty corresponds to Saint-stage instances. In that era, the talent in the immortal sects was withering away, and Dominators were almost impossible to produce. Therefore, the 'demon' sealed in the ancient tomb cannot be terribly powerful. Furthermore, after the great cataclysm between heaven and earth, most of the big shots from the various immortal sects lived out their natural lifespans and died. A few managed to cling to life until the Ming Dynasty, but they still couldn't escape birth, old age, sickness, and death. Aside from those with tenaciously resilient vitality like Night Walkers, who could use secret techniques to slumber and sustain their life force, none of the other professions could survive. In summary, I believe the 'demon' in the ancient tomb is most likely already dead. The bronze sculpture is akin to an item, puppet, or yin corpse, not a true Bewitching Demon, which is why it has been able to keep functioning until now." The air suddenly grew quiet. Natsuki's Love, Yu, Houde Zaiwu, and Saint of Fire were all stunned. They sized up Yuanshi Tianzun over and over again. From the information Yuanshi Tianzun had just revealed, they could be utterly certain that this guy possessed vast amounts of classified lore. He was by no means faking knowledge. Going by his casual, confident tone, he might even know far more than they did. Natsuki's Love steadied her emotions, maintaining the cool composure of a female instructor. "How do you know so much?" Her gaze remained fixed on him. *The Old Crone told me...* Zhang Yuanqing smiled slightly. "I know far more than you could imagine." After a brief pause, he sighed. "Besides, I've already figured out why this ancient tomb appeared in reality." Those words scratched right at the itch in the hearts of the four Hang City branch Saints. Natsuki's Love's expression grew urgent, and she pressed, "You know? Tell us." Yu, in her one-piece dress, quietly moved closer, while Saint of Fire stared intently at Zhang Yuanqing, waiting for his answer. A short distance away, Jiang Jingwei and Guan Ya kept watch on their surroundings alongside the steady Houde Zaiwu. While guarding against threats in the dense fog, they pricked up their ears to listen. Zhang Yuanqing said slowly, "The instances in the Spirit Realm all originate from reality!" *The instances in the Spirit Realm all originate from reality?!* Such a simple sentence instantly stirred monstrous waves in the hearts of everyone present. Natsuki's Love and Yu's pupils contracted slightly. Deacon Houde Zaiwu, who had been scanning the perimeter, turned his head in shock. Including the gruff Saint of Fire, these experienced Saints understood just how immense the value of Yuanshi Tianzun's statement was. It further pulled back the mysterious veil of the Spirit Realm, and the chain of speculations and possibilities derived from it were truths many Saints might never touch in their entire lifetimes. A few seconds later, an expression of realization surfaced in Natsuki's Love's eyes. Combining this revelation with what she already knew, she seemed to connect the dots on several matters, sighing, "An astonishing secret. It clears up many things I couldn't understand before. Thank you for sharing. Yuanshi Tianzun, your knowledge of the Spirit Realm is truly breathtaking. Once this ancient tomb incident is resolved, I'd like to treat you to a drink and chat about the Spirit Realm." As she spoke, a smile graced her cold, gorgeous face. *If you were of the Desire profession, I'd definitely decline...* Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Guan Ya. Seeing her expression remained normal, he knew the female instructor genuinely just wanted to talk, rather than offering some sort of flirtatious innuendo. —If it had been an innuendo, with Guan Ya's insight, her face wouldn't be this calm! Zhang Yuanqing said at once, "The bronze sculpture doesn't appear to be here. Without further ado, let's get out of here quickly and report this to the Elders so they can handle it." This was his clever workaround: using the hidden secrets behind the incident to escalate its danger rating, thereby requesting an Elder to intervene directly. Speaking strictly of the bronze sculpture itself, it had not actually reached the point requiring a Dominator's personal intervention. However, going by the power it had currently displayed, it was at least Level 5, possibly even Level 6. Though it hadn't reached the heights of the Lust Divine General, it still posed a grave threat to everyone present. The slightest carelessness could result in casualties here. Dense fog was the domain of a Mist Lord. An orthodox class of the same level trapped in dense fog without the advantage of terrain was simply no match for a Mist Lord. What was more, the bronze sculpture's level was clearly higher than anyone present. Natsuki's Love stared at him for a few seconds. "All right!" Saint of Fire wanted to fight it out head-on, but seeing how his colleagues had suddenly begun taking Yuanshi Tianzun's words seriously and voiced no objection, he couldn't very well argue. Yu turned her bright, dewy eyes toward Yuanshi Tianzun. "Have you read our physiognomy?" Saint of Fire and Houde Zaiwu looked over as well. Zhang Yuanqing said, "Dark clouds overhead, draped in bloody radiance. Everyone faces a grave crisis. You could die, or be severely wounded." Natsuki's Love nodded. "That's normal. It fits our evaluation of the bronze sculpture. As long as it isn't a bloody calamity for all of us, we'll manage." Before entering the fog, they had known its threat level was extremely high and that the operation carried risks. Given the level of this incident, danger was inevitable. What mission didn't carry danger? Just then, Guan Ya, who had remained vigilant all along, called out an urgent warning: "Watch out! Something is approaching!" Their hearts jumped. Quickly looking all around, they assumed combat stances. However, the surrounding mist drifted slowly, showing no anomaly whatsoever. Only Natsuki's Love, being a fellow Scout, fixed her sharp gaze toward their front-left and said in a low voice, "Something's off over there." Hearing this, Saint of Fire directly formed a fireball in his hand and hurled it in the direction of Natsuki's Love's gaze. The fireball surged into the mist and struck something with a resounding boom. The dense fog shuddered violently, and in that split second, everyone saw the enemy within the mist clearly. It was a two-meter-tall bronze sculpture clad in armor, wielding a bronze longsword, its facial expression dull and lifeless. The thick mist rapidly closed back in, swallowing the bronze sculpture whole. Every nerve tightened. Each of them drew out their items, preparing for battle. At that moment, Guan Ya shouted to Deacon Yu, "Behind you, look out!" In the next second, the mist behind Yu churned, and a bronze longsword sliced through the vapor, cleaving down with ferocious momentum. The moment Guan Ya cried out her warning, Deacon Yu had already spun around and raised her right hand above her head. A vine shot out from the wooden ring on her index finger, coiling tightly to form a wooden shield. Clack! With unstoppable force, the bronze sword sheared the wooden shield in two. Its momentum unabated, it chopped clean through Deacon Yu's right arm. Her bloodied right arm hit the floor with a wet splat. Deacon Yu's face drained of color. Just as she was about to leap back, scarlet light flared within the bronze sculpture's eyes, revealing two twisted, sinister runes. Her mind jolted, her thoughts instantly scattering as she froze on the spot, dazed. The bronze sculpture's arm ground with an ear-grating rattle as it raised the bronze sword high to deliver another strike. In that critical instant, Houde Zaiwu charged the bronze sculpture like a wild bull. Bending his right arm, he raised it over his head, using his own flesh and blood to intercept the blow for Yu. Natsuki's Love seized the opening to dash forward, grabbed Yu by the shoulder, and yanked her back. Hum! A dense, earthy-yellow halo manifested and shattered immediately. The bronze sword carved a deep, bone-exposing gash into Houde Zaiwu's arm. Even an Earth Monster renowned for defense could not withstand the sword's edge. Fortunately, he was not fighting alone. Fury blazed in Saint of Fire's eyes as his muscles swelled. Flames erupted across his skin with a roar, and his legs seemed to ignite with thrusters, turning him into a streak of blazing fire as he hurled himself at the bronze sculpture. Bang! Flames blasted outward as a wave of heat washed over them. The two-meter-tall bronze form flew backward and vanished into the dense fog, followed by the deafening crash of shattering display glass. Saint of Fire roared and gave chase into the mist. Jiang Jingwei yelled and tried to follow, but Guan Ya held her back firmly. Natsuki's Love called out in panic, "Saint Fire, don't pursue!" The moment her words fell, Saint of Fire's blood-curdling scream echoed from deep within the mist. Natsuki's Love's expression shifted. She exchanged a swift look with Zhang Yuanqing, who understood immediately. The two plunged into the dense fog. They quickly found the bronze sculpture and Saint of Fire. The sword had impaled his chest, lifting him high into the air. The reckless Saint had paid a terrible price for his rashness. Yet the mortal wound only made Saint of Fire all the more furious. Gripping the sword blade tightly with both hands, he radiated searing heat that turned the bronze blade red-hot like a branding iron, scorching even the bronze sculpture's hands into a glowing red. Seeing this, Natsuki's Love summoned a short sword without hesitation. Her long, combat-booted legs sprinted forward with rapid thumps as she swung the short sword, channeling sword qi through the blade. Clink! The short sword, which should have sliced through iron like mud, left only a faint white mark. Fortunately, the force behind the strike staggered the bronze sculpture. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing grabbed Saint of Fire by the shoulder and wrenched him free from the blade. "Fall back!" Hauling Saint of Fire, he retreated along their original path. Natsuki's Love was a cool-headed Swordsman and immediately followed him back. The bronze sculpture did not pursue, merely watching them in silence with its crudely carved face. When Zhang Yuanqing made it back to Guan Ya's side, he saw that Yu had already reattached her severed arm. Her palms were pressed against Houde Zaiwu's arm, radiating a gentle green light as she treated his wound. "Save this one too, or he won't last five minutes," Zhang Yuanqing said, dumping Saint of Fire beside Yu. "Motherfucker... can't you be a little gentler?" Saint of Fire clutched his chest, grimacing in agony. *Why didn't you think of that when your blood rushed to your head and got yourself skewered like a lamb kebab?* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly. Yu trotted over hurriedly and pressed her palms to Saint of Fire's chest, treating his fatal injury. Gasping for air, Saint of Fire regained some color and said in a raspy voice, "I noticed something... That bronze sculpture didn't display any item information. It doesn't belong to the Spirit Realm; it must have been crafted by an ancient immortal sect. Could it mean... item attributes are added by the Spirit Realm just so Spirit Realm walkers can master their usage faster? Are all items actually magical artifacts in essence?" Yu frowned. "Stop talking. You'll live longer that way." Just then, Natsuki's Love returned. Taking one look at Saint of Fire's condition, her heart sank. Like most items belonging to Bewitching Demons, the bronze sword possessed a bleeding effect. This meant Yu had to maintain continuous healing just to keep Saint of Fire alive. That would turn both of them into sitting ducks. The enemy in the dense fog moved like a ghost, making it difficult enough to fight as it was. Even a Mountain God specializing in defense couldn't withstand the sword—how could they protect two helpless targets? Saint of Fire let out a breath and said, "I'm a dead man. You'd better leave me behind. Yuanshi Tianzun, lead them out of here and notify the Elders outside. I still have one breath left in me—I can buy you some time." *This reckless Fire Master actually has some loyalty to him.* Houde Zaiwu said in a deep voice, "Give me a little time to refine the museum, and we can win." Saint of Fire gave a miserable laugh. "You said it yourself—it takes time. I don't doubt you could handle it, but it might cost another life or two. It's not worth it. Besides, if Yuanshi Tianzun dies here, it'd be too big a loss." Everyone fell silent. Houde Zaiwu's lips twitched, but he remained silent as well, his expression heavy. Yu looked at Natsuki's Love. The latter hesitated for several seconds before making a grueling decision. "Let's go..." Zhang Yuanqing spoke up suddenly. "I have an idea. We could give it a try."