Sea of Yashan

[Introduction to Spirit Realm No. 012: Following the naval battle of Yashan, the Southern Song dynasty collapsed, and the realm was united under the Yuan. To prevent the embers of the Southern Song from reigniting, the Yuan commander ordered master occultists under his banner to lay down the Dragon-Locking Array, trapping the fallen heroic spirits and emperors within the waters of Yashan, condemned never to find release or rebirth.] Sea of Yashan? An S-rank dungeon. Zhang Yuanqing cursed silently, though he wasn't entirely surprised. In fact, he felt a measure of relief; after all, in a three-way lottery, the odds of entering the Ascension Secret Realm were only one in three. At least he had some intelligence on the Sea of Yashan. The remaining dungeon was a total unknown. Relatively speaking, landing in the Sea of Yashan was a blessing in disguise. He quickly sat up, fished out his phone from beneath his pillow, opened his messaging app, and sent Fu Qingyang a voice message: "Boss, my dungeon is Spirit Realm No. 012, Sea of Yashan, S-rank." He chose a voice message instead of a call because he knew Money Prince never kept his phone on his bedside table or by his pillow. Fu Qingyang, proud of his noble lineage, shared the common idiosyncrasy of wealthy scions: meticulous about everything. To him, a phone was merely a communication device, and a device belonged in its designated place—on a desk, or in an assistant's hands. Zhang Yuanqing worried Fu Qingyang wouldn't pick up in time, and he had only one minute. After sending the voice note, Zhang Yuanqing tossed his phone aside, rolled out of bed, slipped into his shoes, and strode over to the table. Resting one hand on Blood Rose's shoulder, he grabbed the cold leftovers from dinner with the other and frantically stuffed them into his mouth. Past experience had taught him that dungeons were scarce in food and water; stocking up on sustenance before entering was never a mistake. After wolfing down a few mouthfuls, his vision suddenly blurred, rippling like disturbed water. *Ding-dong!* Cool air hummed from the air conditioner. In the dark, cool master bedroom, the phone resting on the nightstand chimed loudly, its screen illuminating a face as handsome as a sculpted statue. Fu Qingyang opened his eyes, grabbed the phone, and checked the message. —Because Yuanshi was due to enter a dungeon soon, he hadn't let the phone leave his side these past few days. After a brief glance at the text, Fu Qingyang's face darkened. He sat bolt upright and, without bothering to put on slippers, strode barefoot across the plush carpet toward the outer sitting room. Sitting down at the desk by the bay window, he opened his laptop, logged into the official database, and searched: *012 Sea of Yashan*. "It really is this one..." Fu Qingyang's sword-like brows furrowed. The name Sea of Yashan had rung a faint bell; the Jianghuai branch and the Xie family had once posted bounties related to it. His memory hadn't failed him. It was the very S-rank dungeon that had claimed six Saints from the official factions and spirit realm clans—one that remained uncleared to this day. It had gone unconquered partly due to its extreme difficulty, and partly because it appeared so infrequently. The official organization and prominent clans had plenty of top experts who might well conquer the Sea of Yashan—Fu Qingyang himself included. Yet they didn't necessarily get the chance to roll this dungeon. *His performance in the Transcendent stage dungeons was simply too outstanding, so entering an S-rank dungeon was to be expected. But I never imagined it would be the Sea of Yashan. Yuanshi might be in grave danger...* Even amidst his concern, Fu Qingyang couldn't help feeling that the kid was practically blessed by the goddess of fortune. No sooner had he been demoted and disciplined than the Spirit Realm turned around and handed him an opportunity for tremendous merit. A clear guide for an S-rank dungeon, plus the bounties from the Xie family and Jianghuai branch—if he successfully cleared it, turning his fortunes around was guaranteed. *** Zhang Yuanqing's vision steadied, the scenery growing sharper. But before he could take it in, the first thing that hit him was the briny stench of the sea breeze, followed by a clear night sky. He stood on a gravel beach. Overhead, stars glittered across the heavens. In the distance lay pitch-black darkness, while ahead stretched a vast sea, the sound of waves rolling out of the gloom under a cool night breeze. Zhang Yuanqing looked around. Behind him was an open wilderness with indistinct mountain ranges looming in the distance. Beside him were his teammates for this dungeon run. There were six teammates in total: A cool, striking woman wearing combat trousers, an olive-drab tank top, and black combat boots. A young girl wearing a silver crown and a silver torque around her neck, clad in a teal, right-fastening crossed jacket with a silver girdle around her waist. A young man about 1.7 meters tall, with ordinary features, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. A handsome youth in red high-top sneakers, black three-quarter pants, a Dragon Ball graphic t-shirt, and silver stud earrings. A woman in an elaborate black gown, her hair falling like a waterfall, her lower face covered by a fine black mesh veil. Her eyes were deep and limpid, tinged with a melancholy shadow. Flanking her were two yin corpses, one male and one female. And finally, a plump woman with dyed blonde hair and plain features, dressed in black track pants and a white t-shirt printed with the flag of the Freedom Confederation. *Wait, Natsuki's Love is here too? What a coincidence! And that girl looks like she's from an ethnic minority, quite pretty—what the fuck, Yin Ji?!* As his gaze swept across the group, Zhang Yuanqing nearly cried out in shock. *Isn't she a Level 6 Saint? Why am I matched with Yin Ji?!* *Damn it, I'm not ready to meet the Demon Lord's 'widow'!* Zhang Yuanqing instinctively reached down and patted the Elvis speaker inside his waist pouch. *From this moment on, stay quiet, please.* The Demon Lord's women were the last people Zhang Yuanqing wanted to deal with. He had inherited so much of the Demon Lord's legacy; many items might be unfamiliar to the Demon Lord's enemies, but his women would recognize them in a heartbeat. Like the Disguise Ring, the Elvis speaker, or even the teleportation jade talisman and Long-Lasting Spray—well, his women probably wouldn't get a chance to see that last one here. In short, exposing any single one of them would arouse suspicion. Among those items, the Elvis speaker was the most uncontrollable. You never knew when it would suddenly blare out some ridiculous song to "hype things up." And that cheeky, shameless style was something the Demon Lord's women would definitely find familiar. While he sized up his companions, the others were also appraising their teammates. Yin Ji in particular—being a fellow Starlord—noticed Zhang Yuanqing almost immediately, a flash of surprise flickering in her sorrowful, limpid eyes. The young man in shorts and flip-flops raised his hand. With a *whoosh*, a pillar of fire surged into the sky, casting flickering light over the beach. "Damn it! Entering a dungeon in the middle of the night! I put soup on the stove to simmer until tomorrow morning, and now it's ruined, diu lei lou mou!" Cursing under his breath, he looked around at everyone and said, "Greetings, bosses! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Brother Red Chicken, the head honcho of the Lutou Gang in Soup Province, a Level 4 Fire Demon. Just call me Red Chicken." With that, he urged, "Come on, everyone introduce yourselves! Let's get acquainted." The first to answer was the ethnic minority girl wearing the silver crown. In a sweet, delicate voice, she said, "I'm Wu Yunmeng. You can call me Yunmeng. I'm from the Qinghe clan in Bagui Province, an official traveler with the Qinghe branch. I'm a Level 4 Beastmaster." She was remarkably pretty, with fair skin and bright, clear eyes. Her unpainted face radiated a pure, unpretentious innocence far removed from worldly vanity. Next came the handsome youth with silver stud earrings. Tilting his chin, he declared with supreme arrogance, "Xiahou Aotian, Level 5 Fangshi. Hearing my name, you ought to know which family I belong to." *Someone from the Xiahou family?* Zhang Yuanqing was startled, then inwardly frowned. He had bad blood with the Xiahou family. "Eagle of Freedom!" the plump woman in the confederation flag t-shirt said in fluent English. "I am from the Freedom Confederation, a Level 4 Plague God and a Second-Class Silver Enforcer of Heaven's Punishment." When mentioning the Confederation and Heaven's Punishment, her tone carried palpable pride, her eyes sweeping over the six of them with distinct condescension. "Damn it~" Brother Red Chicken picked at his ear and said, "Can you speak Chinese? I can't understand foreign babble!" Eagle of Freedom let out a disdainful snort. "She said she is a Level 4 Plague God and a Second-Class Silver Enforcer from the Heaven's Punishment organization of the Freedom Confederation," the cool female instructor translated, before introducing herself: "Natsuki's Love, Deacon of the Hang City branch in Jiangnan Province, Level 4 Swordsman." She turned toward Zhang Yuanqing and smiled faintly. "I didn't expect our second meeting to be inside a dungeon, Yuanshi Tianzun!" *Yuanshi Tianzun?!* Instantly, with the sole exception of Yin Ji, everyone turned their eyes toward him. "Yuanshi Tianzun... That name sounds so familiar. I think I've heard it somewhere..." The Qinghe girl tilted her head in thought. "The rising genius of the Five Elements Alliance who broke the points record for the Transcendent killing trial, Yuanshi Tianzun?" Eagle of Freedom scrutinized him. "Greetings, boss! Big boss!" Brother Red Chicken's eyes lit up. He dashed over in two or three strides and seized Zhang Yuanqing's hand. "Long admired your great name! Come visit Soup Province sometime, I'll treat you to some fine broth!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded and pulled his hand back, choosing not to say more to Brother Red Chicken, because Xiahou Aotian was already striding toward him with an unfriendly expression. "Yuanshi Tianzun, is it?" Xiahou Aotian raised his chin. "Xiahou Chi is my granduncle—my grandfather's brother. And Xiahou Tianwen is my cousin." "And?" Zhang Yuanqing said expressionlessly. "Should we fight to the death before the quest begins?" "Hah, quite the temper! Your mindset lacks righteousness; no matter how gifted you are, you'll never be the protagonist." Xiahou Aotian scoffed, speaking in an intensely conceited tone: "Xiahou Chi's branch was sinister, vicious, and full of evil deeds. They lacked justice and grandeur, which is why they were wiped out in Songhai. But I, Xiahou Aotian, act upright and honorable, endowed with peerless talent—a born protagonist!" The others stared at Xiahou Aotian in a mixture of bewilderment and shock, finding it hard to believe such childish, narcissistic words could come from a Saint. This completely threw Zhang Yuanqing off balance. "Xiahou Aotian: chuunibyou, arrogant, extremely rebellious and immature, spends all day fantasizing that he's a shonen anime protagonist. His only redeeming quality is that his moral character isn't entirely rotten," Natsuki's Love recited. Seeing Xiahou Aotian glare at her, she smiled. "That is the Five Elements Alliance's official assessment of you. Don't glare at me; I'm merely repeating the file." *Oh, a chuunibyou...* Zhang Yuanqing understood. A chuunibyou plus an anime geek—no wonder he talked like that. What a waste of such handsome looks; if only he were an overweight otaku, the picture would be complete. Just then, Yin Ji, who still stood apart without approaching the group, spoke in a soft voice: "Don't waste time. Let's discuss the dungeon. What are your main quests?" In the slightly briny night breeze, Yin Ji, dressed in her black gown, looked like an ethereal sprite of the night, her skirts fluttering, serene and beautiful. "Deacon Yin Ji, my main quest is to survive for 36 hours," Natsuki's Love said. Zhang Yuanqing and the other Level 4s nodded in agreement. Xiahou Aotian scoffed, "Weaklings, as expected. My quest is to eliminate the awakened monsters." Evidently, this was a dungeon where two higher-level members carried five lower-level ones. Because of the vast gap in levels, their main quests differed; the Level 4 travelers didn't have to face the boss head-on. "My main quest is the same as Xiahou Aotian's," Yin Ji's voice was gentle and melodious, like a warm older sister next door. "You Level 4s have relatively simpler quests that don't require confronting the boss directly. However, the difficulty of an S-rank dungeon is exceedingly high. Surviving for 36 hours is still catastrophic for you. Before the quest begins, we should talk through the dungeon thoroughly to raise our survival rate." Yin Ji continued: "There is no guide for the Sea of Yashan. The only recorded attempt saw the official organization and spirit realm clans lose six Saints here—a crippling blow. "Their items were left behind in the dungeon as well. For that reason, the officials and the Xie family posted bounties." She immediately recounted the bounty details, making everyone's eyes gleam. In particular, the Chinese-American Eagle of Freedom and Brother Red Chicken felt as though a treasure trove was beckoning to them. Natsuki's Love pondered for a moment. "Items lost in a dungeon might not remain here. There is a strong chance the Spirit Realm reclaimed them." According to observations gathered by major organizations, some items lost in dungeons became part of the dungeon itself, altering its difficulty. Other items were reclaimed by the Spirit Realm and redistributed into dungeons corresponding to their class. As to which items were reclaimed and which became part of the dungeon, no fundamental rule had yet been determined. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a certain tone: "Those items are still here, and they've become part of the dungeon." Everyone turned to look at him. Eagle of Freedom asked in English, "How do you know?" Zhang Yuanqing ignored her. Yin Ji asked softly, "How do you know?"