The atmosphere stiffened abruptly. After a few seconds of silent standoff, Natsuki's Love suddenly pressed her earphone, transmitting her thoughts:
"I have no objections. If not for Yuanshi Tianzun, at least half of us would have perished on the seabed—we might even have been wiped out completely. Besides, I contributed next to nothing from start to finish." Having said that, she glanced at Brother Red Chicken, who had contributed just as little.
The eager heat in Brother Red Chicken's eyes faded. He scratched his head vigorously. "Forget it, forget it. When running dungeons, loyalty comes first! I didn't do much either, so do as you please."
Yin Ji didn't "speak," merely offering a gentle nod.
Eagle of Freedom was deeply reluctant. An item with such bizarre and terrifying abilities was a supreme weapon at the Saint stage. To say she didn't covet it or crave it would be a lie.
Yet as an experienced enforcement officer of Heaven's Punishment, she knew how to assess the situation and had no choice but to swallow her frustration.
Yun Meng hesitated, words caught in her throat. She had contributed—she had sacrificed a life to test the answers.
Yet right now, no one brought it up, and Yuanshi Tianzun seemed to have forgotten her sacrifice as well. Feeling somewhat aggrieved but unwilling to stir up internal strife, she could only endure it in silence.
Just then, Xiahou Aotian's mental "shout" interrupted them:
"If you've dealt with the dial, hurry up and destroy the array eye! I've already ruined one item, and the one in my hand can barely hold on much longer! You bunch of useless bums—"
Yin Ji looked back, but what caught her eye was not Xiahou Aotian besieged by the horde of yin corpses. Rather, with the barrier gone, tens of thousands of yin corpses faced no further hindrance and had swarmed in from all directions to surround them.
As far as the eye could see, they resembled a ravenous school of piranhas.
With no time to inspect the item's details, Zhang Yuanqing quickly put away the Yin-Yang Dial and retrieved the Mountain God Scepter. With a vigorous swing, gentle green ripples washed outward. The seaweed floating around them mutated once more, forming a defensive net that fiercely coiled around the yin corpses.
Yet this could only slow them down slightly.
"Destroy the array eye, quickly!" Zhang Yuanqing urged, lacking wide-range area-of-effect attacks.
Everyone looked down at the warship, over ten zhang long, their brows furrowing in unison.
At that moment, Brother Red Chicken, who had been slacking off the entire time, stepped up to volunteer: "Leave it to me! Buy me three minutes."
He swam nimbly toward the deck, reached into the void, and pulled out an army-green backpack. Reaching inside, he produced a timed satchel charge, bent down, and planted it onto the deck.
Then he swam off the deck over to the left side of the hull, planting another explosive charge in the same fashion.
This item could produce nine satchel charges at a time with a twenty-four-hour cooldown. It was currently his most powerful item, but it had many drawbacks—it was suited for targeted demolitions and ambushes rather than improvisational combat.
'Times like this make me truly appreciate a Fire Specialist's destructive power...' Zhang Yuanqing withdrew his gaze and swung the Mountain God Scepter. With a wet thud, he crushed the head of a clawing yin corpse that had breached the seaweed barrier.
By now, several gaps had been torn through the defensive line of seaweed. Possessing immense strength and superb swimming prowess, yin corpses darted in like fish. Brandishing pale, swollen faces and baring pitch-black gums, they lunged at the Saints within the circle.
Staying close to Yuanshi Tianzun, Natsuki's Love brandished her sharp short sword, beheading one lunging corpse after another.
Against a small number, she could manage.
However, once the horde of corpses flooded the defensive perimeter en masse, packing the water tightly, a Swordsman fighting underwater would find herself severely constrained—a certain death sentence.
After enduring three bitter minutes of struggle, Brother Red Chicken's voice came through the earphones:
"Fall back, fast! I'm detonating them!"
He pulled a remote detonator from his backpack and slammed the red button.
Boom!
Blinding fire erupted in the murky ocean depths. Shockwaves carrying savage undercurrents swept through, flattening everything in their path with devastating force. Mud settled on the seabed billowed into sheets of underwater dust storms.
The sunken ships originally arranged in a specific pattern were swept up by the terrifying currents, colliding against one another. Rotten hulls fractured and shattered, sending broken timber flying in all directions.
In the midst of the chaos, the bare-chested Zhang Yuanqing wrapped his arms around the cool, glamorous female instructor, while strapping on the breastplate he had already retrieved.
A hazy yellow glow lit up, expanding into a safe zone.
Caught off guard by the man's embrace, Natsuki's Love instinctively raised her palms to push him away. Realizing in the next instant that Yuanshi Tianzun was shielding her, she pulled her strength back just in time, resting her hands limply against his muscular chest.
The chaotic, violent torrent raged for nearly half a minute before gradually subsiding.
Natsuki's Love hastily pushed Yuanshi Tianzun away, looking left and right to conceal her slight embarrassment.
"Is everyone all right?" Zhang Yuanqing pressed his earphone, calling out to his teammates.
A Night Walker could see through darkness, but not through turbulent, turbid currents.
"The array is broken. We can return to the surface," Yin Ji's voice came through the earphone. The others did not respond.
It was unclear whether they were heavily injured or had lost their earphones.
Zhang Yuanqing looked toward Natsuki's Love and pointed upward, gesturing to ascend. Then, with a kick of his legs, he shot rapidly toward the surface.
With her legs pressed tightly together, Natsuki's Love undulated like a mermaid, her trim, slender waist twisting gracefully. Her swim fins generated massive thrust, matching Zhang Yuanqing's speed.
The two quickly burst out of the silt-filled area and spotted Yin Ji, who had also emerged from the murky current, graceful and ethereal.
Zhang Yuanqing looked down. The turbid murk kicked up by the explosion spanned tens of meters and was still expanding. Around the edges of this zone floated swollen yin corpses in utter disarray.
Some hung upside down, others drifted horizontally, like withered leaves suspended in chaotic water.
Once the array's energy circulation was destroyed, these yin corpses had become genuine corpses, devoid of all spirituality.
After the three waited a moment, the murky soup churned, and the slightly chubby Eagle of Freedom shot out, reuniting with them.
She was uninjured; her earphone had merely been torn away by the violent undercurrents and lost at the bottom of the sea.
Right after, a black-scaled giant python emerged, its body slithering sinuously as it glided over like a kite.
The five gathered and waited several more minutes before Brother Red Chicken finally caught up, yet there was still no sign of Xiahou Aotian.
"Where's Xiahou Aotian?" Zhang Yuanqing transmitted his thoughts while gesturing to the teammates who had lost their earphones.
Brother Red Chicken understood his meaning, pointed toward the seabed, and made a throat-slashing gesture while sticking out his tongue, indicating that Xiahou Aotian had probably bitten the dust.
Natsuki's Love pointed toward the surface. "He wasn't hit by the explosion. He might have already fled to the surface."
'Did he really kick us out of his protagonist party?' Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly, agreeing with Natsuki's Love's assessment.
With the array destroyed, the yin corpses had lost their animation. Xiahou Aotian's predicament had been resolved, and since he was outside the explosion's blast radius, he couldn't have suffered an accident.
Leaving without a word meant he was sulking.
The fellow was quite petty after all.
Once the churned-up mud began to settle and visibility improved despite the lingering murk, Zhang Yuanqing pressed his earphone:
"Let's go check the dragon boat."
He accompanied his words with a gesture, pointing toward the dragon boat at the center of the sunken fleet.
"Go do what?" Brother Red Chicken asked, steadfastly upholding his fine tradition of asking whenever possible and never thinking for himself.
"According to my deduction, the previous batch of Spirit Realm walkers most likely triggered a hidden quest, which led to their annihilation. The place where they triggered it was either the dragon boat or Yashan Island." Zhang Yuanqing voiced his thoughts:
"Their main quest was to break the array and eliminate these yin corpses, so I believe the dragon boat is far more likely to have triggered the hidden quest. The monster Deacon Yin Ji and Xiahou Aotian need to deal with should be down there."
Hearing this, Eagle of Freedom swam upward without hesitation, making her stance clear.
She had no intention of risking her neck for someone else's quest.
Brother Red Chicken pointed to the seabed, then to himself, waved his hands frantically, and followed after Eagle of Freedom.
Unlike Eagle of Freedom, who simply refused to take risks, he was genuinely powerless to help. On land, a Fire Demon could dominate heaven, earth, and the very air; underwater, a Fire Demon could only bend over and take it.
"Natsuki, head up first," Zhang Yuanqing transmitted his thoughts. He then looked at the hesitant giant python and pointed to the surface.
Yun Meng breathed a sigh of relief and turned her sinuous body, swimming toward the surface.
"Yuanshi, be careful." Swaying her round hips and slender waist gracefully, her legs trailing a dense stream of bubbles, Natsuki's Love glided upward like a mermaid.
Zhang Yuanqing watched his teammates depart, then turned to the mature woman veiled in black. "Let's head down."
Yin Ji nodded gently and dove downward first. As her black dress flared, Zhang Yuanqing caught glimpses of two jade-like legs undulating beneath the hem.
He promptly averted his gaze and paddled his limbs to dive, marshaling layered undercurrents around him for propulsion.
The explosion hadn't reached this area, and the dragon boat rested quietly on the seabed.
Soon, the two touched down on the bow of the dragon boat. A thick layer of soft silt coated the deck. Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji proceeded with caution, treading across the slippery mud.
Behind them, they left two trails of footprints, one larger and one smaller.
This dragon boat was also a warship rather than a vessel for leisure and entertainment. The superstructure had only two levels. Inside, the cabin was gloomy and silent, similarly blanketed in a thin layer of muck, with discarded weapons, tables, and chairs strewn about.
There were no antique paintings, calligraphy, screens, or colorful drapes as one might have imagined.
After advancing for a short distance, the two came to a halt simultaneously, their gazes fixed dead ahead.
There stood a two-meter-long divan. Lying upon it was a young boy of seven or eight, dressed in a red imperial robe with black trimming at the collar and cuffs.
With his hands crossed over his lower abdomen, the boy lay stiff and straight.
'The young emperor of the Southern Song?' Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Yin Ji. As if understanding his unspoken thought, she stepped forward to the side of the divan. After examining closely, her soft voice came through the earphone:
"It is not a yin corpse."
Only then did Zhang Yuanqing step forward to stand beside her before the couch. "I recall that in the Battle of Yashan, the one who leapt into the sea with the young emperor strapped to his back was Lu Xiufu. That purple-robed yin corpse we dealt with earlier was probably him. Now the young emperor is here too. What do you think the dungeon's final boss is?"
Yin Ji shook her head slightly. "I don't know."
She tilted her head slightly, her lovely eyes gazing quietly at him. "Why did you come down to help me? If there is a boss here, with your level, the odds are heavily stacked against you."
Zhang Yuanqing kept his eyes on the young emperor's corpse, replying with his thoughts:
"If I don't help you, who else will? Can we count on that useless diviner? We're all official personnel, natural companions and comrades-in-arms. In such a dangerous dungeon, taking risks for a teammate is only natural, isn't it?"
His words held a bit of calculated cleverness, aimed at winning Yin Ji's favor and establishing an initial rapport with her.
Given Yin Ji's aloof disposition and tendency to keep everyone at arm's length, spouting flirty or ambiguous remarks would only invite disgust and drive her further away.
However, a response grounded in righteousness and organization loyalty—strictly professional yet infused with genuine camaraderie—was certain to win her goodwill.
When it came to interpersonal interactions, Zhang Yuanqing was well-versed.
Sure enough, those autumn-water eyes of Yin Ji instantly softened. "Thank you!"
Zhang Yuanqing was about to reply, but as his eyes remained on the young emperor's body, he let out a soft "Huh?" Bending down, he rolled the boy over.
A split had torn open at the nape of the young emperor's neck, extending down the spine and disappearing beneath the robe.
Yin Ji was taken aback.
Zhang Yuanqing tore open the official robe on the boy's back, finally getting a clear look at the slit. It ran from the nape of the neck straight down to the tailbone, like the shed molt of a cicada.
Lying on the couch was merely a discarded husk. Where was the true body?
The two exchanged a glance, their expressions darkening with gravity.
After several seconds of silence, Yin Ji took a deep breath. "Let's get out of here first and return to the surface."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Leaving the husk behind, he and Yin Ji half-walked, half-swam out of the cabin, manipulating the currents to ascend rapidly.
Splash!
They broke through the waves together.
By now, the sky hung in deep, dusky twilight; dawn was drawing near.
The paddle-wheel warship lay anchored not far away, rocking with the waves. Standing upon its deck were their five teammates.
Zhang Yuanqing and Yin Ji dissolved into dreamlike starlight simultaneously, materializing onto the deck.
"It seems you didn't run into any danger," Natsuki's Love said with a slight smile, immediately adding, "What did you find?"
Zhang Yuanqing took off the earphone and tossed it to the petty Xiahou Aotian, then recounted their discovery aboard the dragon boat to the team.
"That monster is already on Yashan Island," he judged, gazing at the distant silhouette of the isle.
Eagle of Freedom's face changed, and she spoke immediately:
"I won't be going to Yashan Island. Most of the dangers in this dungeon have been neutralized, and only a boss remains. That isn't our main quest, so there's no need to go throw our lives away."
At these words, Brother Red Chicken, Yun Meng, and Natsuki's Love all looked hesitant.
Xiahou Aotian's handsome face shifted in shock and anger. He lifted his chin stubbornly:
"This protagonist never counted on you supporting characters anyway, but you people have no loyalty! Yin Ji and I fought tooth and nail on the seabed to eliminate your worries, and you turn around and sell the two of us out?"
Eagle of Freedom, having long abandoned sticking to a foreign tongue, sneered back:
"Don't make yourself sound so noble and righteous. We all entered this dungeon together; nobody is doing favors for anyone else."
She glanced at Yun Meng and the other two, her tone laced with persuasion. "It wasn't easy for any of us to advance to the Saint stage. We all have family and friends. Why should we risk death for the two of your quests? Before tonight, I didn't even know who you were, okay?"
She was trying to rally a faction.
Her words were reasonable and struck straight to the heart, and the hesitation vanished from Brother Red Chicken and Yun Meng's expressions.
Xiahou Aotian ground his teeth in fury. Yin Ji hadn't uttered a word from beginning to end, but her delicate, exquisite brows furrowed slightly.
'Eagle of Freedom's words aren't wrong, but having such a troublemaker in a dungeon is truly an unstable factor. If we're not careful, it could lead to a team wipe. No—if the team splits up here, the only outcome will be a team wipe...' Having discovered the anomaly with the young emperor's corpse, Zhang Yuanqing had basically figured out the dungeon.
Natsuki's Love looked hesitant. "Yuanshi, what do you think?"
Brother Red Chicken and Yun Meng couldn't help looking at Yuanshi Tianzun as well.
Xiahou Aotian stared intently at him, and Yin Ji, ever aloof, looked over with implicit anticipation in her eyes.
Without realizing it, Yuanshi Tianzun had earned substantial prestige within the team through his actions and capabilities.
Zhang Yuanqing did not answer Natsuki's Love directly. Instead, he made a move that baffled everyone: retrieving three Evil-Breaking Talismans, he said:
"Yun Meng, down on the seabed there wasn't time to say it, but this is my compensation to you. They are more than enough to match your contribution in conquering the dial."
Pure-hearted Yun Meng was surprised and delighted, her lingering grievance vanishing in an instant. Curiously reaching out to accept the Evil-Breaking Talismans, she asked:
"Are these talismans? Consumables, right? Um, what do they do?"
Zhang Yuanqing explained:
"They contain Dominator-rank divine power of the sun. While they lack offensive punch, they can purify all negative effects—though slightly weaker when purging parasitic venom—and inflict fatal damage on resentful spirits."
Yun Meng's limpid eyes lit up brilliantly, as though filled with starlight.
'Purifying all negative effects... talismans like these are practically the bane of Alcoholics!' Eagle of Freedom stared fixedly at the three Evil-Breaking Talismans, unable to hide her envy.
Brother Red Chicken clicked his tongue repeatedly, marveling in his mind at how generous Yuanshi Tianzun was. 'Just how many apartment buildings does his family own?'
Once Yun Meng happily put the talismans away, Zhang Yuanqing stared at Eagle of Freedom and said:
"If we split up now, we will definitely be wiped out."
Eagle of Freedom wore a dismissive sneer, clearly disbelieving his words.
"How so?" Brother Red Chicken asked.
***
4:30 AM. The sky was a deep, dusky blue.
It was summer, and dawn was barely half an hour away. A black sedan drove through the quiet streets, cutting across the bustling CBD.
This district was packed with shopping malls and office towers. By day, people teemed like water and roads congested, but at night, it became desolate and deathly still, devoid of human presence.
Apart from the halos of the streetlamps, the towering high-rises stood in collective silence, their windows gaping dark and hollow without a single flicker of light.
The sedan pulled over outside a Western restaurant facing the street. On the entire road, this was the only establishment still illuminated, its doors open as if still in business.
The car door opened, and a shiny leather shoe stepped onto the pavement. Dressed in a tailored suit, Mr. Bill stepped out of the vehicle and stood on the roadside, his gaze fixed on the interior of the restaurant.
Scanning his surroundings and confirming no one was watching, he left the sedan behind and entered the restaurant.
The moment he stepped into the lavishly decorated restaurant, a rich aroma washed over him.
At a square table in the middle of the restaurant sat a man in a solid black suit, wearing a silver half-face mask. Knife and fork in hand, he was cutting into a small tomahawk steak.
"Very punctual. Sit. The steak has rested," the man said without looking up, gesturing toward the small tomahawk steak on the opposite side.
Mr. Bill walked forward slowly, pulled out a high-backed chair, sat down, and joined the man for the meal.
"After eating so many steaks, dry-aged Australian ribeye still suits my palate best." The man chewed huge mouthfuls of steak, eating like a reincarnated starved ghost.
Mr. Bill's dining manners were far more refined. He asked:
"President, how do you plan to deal with the Dionysus Club? If you prefer not to act personally, I can negotiate with the Five Elements Alliance to permit guild executives to come to Songhai and handle this matter on your behalf."
"Those old fogies know the Dionysus Club too well—so well that neither side can truly bring themselves to fight. To deal with that pack of drunkards, one must throw out the rulebook and catch them completely off guard." The man put down his cutlery, gestured to the black suit he was wearing, and asked, "Look, what is this?"
Mr. Bill, who had been waiting for the President to explain his tactics, was momentarily taken aback. He found himself perpetually unable to keep up with this President's eccentric train of thought. He ventured:
"Your broad chest?"
The man wagged a finger. "My chest is certainly broad—all the pretty girls who've snuggled up against it say so. But what I want you to look at is the suit, the solid black suit. I bought it yesterday specifically for this."
A suit? Bill didn't understand.
The man said helplessly, "You're a gentleman, but unfortunately lacking in humor. A solid black suit is only worn on two occasions: weddings, and funerals."
Bill finally understood, sounding both surprised and expectant:
"President, you mean you are going to personally see them to their graves? Do you know where they are? Do you require my assistance?"
The man didn't answer right away. He finished the last bite of steak at a leisurely pace before smiling:
"Your job was to lead them here, and you accomplished it splendidly."
Mr. Bill jolted in fright, whipping his head around to look out the window. At some unknown point, the streetlights outside had all gone out. Inside, the restaurant was brightly lit; outside, pitch-black and dead silent.
Chapter 353