The quest was complete?! She had deliberately spilled that information earlier to draw his attention. On the surface, she was testing him, but in reality, she was stalling for time to feed someone to the coffin... Zhang Yuanqing's sense of crisis detonated within him.
He knew better than anyone just how formidable the monster in the coffin was.
Once that monster broke free of its seal, he stood no chance against it. Combined with Yi Chuanmei, a peak Level 6 Dream Master, the Yellow Banner Escort Agency faced only one possible outcome:
A total wipeout!
This was Zhang Yuanqing's first time matching wits and brawn against a Level 6 evil class inside a dungeon, and the experience was abysmal.
In gaming terms, Yi Chuanmei was a long-established pro player, worlds apart from ordinary Saints. Facing someone like her, pulling off an upset as the weaker combatant was absurdly difficult.
If the Shame of Fire Specialists were in this dungeon too, the two of them working together might have stood a chance of punching above their weight.
His thoughts churned rapidly, but his movements didn't lag in the slightest. Zhang Yuanqing gave a sharp snap of his fingers and barked:
"Star Escape!"
He planned to abandon the side quest and flee this place.
Torrents of rain poured down amidst the howling gale; his voice was swallowed instantly by the storm.
No starlight rose. He remained standing right where he was.
Zhang Yuanqing froze, then quickly came to his senses, his expression darkening to an ugly shade.
He had been pulled into a dream again!
Standing under the eaves, Yi Chuanmei was momentarily taken aback as well. She exclaimed in astonishment:
"Falling into a dream in an instant... You really are an insect. Don't tell me you aren't even Level 5? How did a worm like you get matched into this dungeon?"
An instantaneous descent into a dream only occurred through level suppression.
*So what if you're a higher level?* Zhang Yuanqing's face tightened as he realized he had lost his connection with the Commandery Princess.
Fortunately, the Commandery Princess was a yin corpse endowed with an independent persona. Once she arrived, she would be able to forcibly wake him up.
Abandoning the side quest and heading to Divine Sword Manor to look for his teammates was his only remaining shot. Since the enemy was Yi Chuanmei, his teammates had to be elite experts.
The sinister entity had already broken free of its seal and was probably going on a massacre inside the mortuary right now. There was no relying on the people of the Yellow Banner Escort Agency.
Yi Chuanmei pondered for a moment, then mused:
"How could a Level 4 Night Walker possibly match with me? No matter how high your hidden rating is, it shouldn't be possible... Let me guess. Not only is your hidden rating absurdly high, but you probably have a hoard of top-tier treasures in your inventory..."
At this point, Yi Chuanmei narrowed her eyes, raking her gaze up and down Lin Ci, and probed:
"Are you... Zhao Chenghuang or Yuanshi Tianzun?"
A Level 4 Night Walker with a sky-high hidden rating and a vast collection of treasures in their inventory—the only two people she could think of who fit the bill were those two.
Zhang Yuanqing gave a defiant tug at the corner of his lips. "Guess!"
Yi Chuanmei's eyes sparkled. She licked her red lips and said excitedly:
"Zhao Chenghuang is the prized seed of the Taiyi Sect, and Yuanshi Tianzun is the darling of the Five Elements Alliance. Whichever one you are, conquering you will bring immense satisfaction.
"How about this: hand over your treasures, and I might consider making you my slave, letting you taste ecstasy every single day."
Zhang Yuanqing's cheek twitched. For the first time, he was experiencing what peerless beauties in novels went through.
The villain would lick their lips and say: *I haven't tasted the realm's greatest beauty yet.*
Nevertheless, since she was showing even a shred of interest, Zhang Yuanqing wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to stall for time. He sighed and said:
"Back at the goulan, the reason I turned you down wasn't because morality forbade it, but because I'm exceptionally gifted in that department. I can go for a whole day and night and still be full of vigor. On top of that, I have severe sadistic tendencies—I love tormenting women inside and out.
"I could only refuse back then so Chen Wei wouldn't suspect anything. Of course, you aren't really Chen Wei. We entered this dungeon in our true bodies, and you're merely wearing her face.
"If I'd known it was you earlier... heheh."
His words were tailored straight to her tastes, and he wasn't afraid of her seeing through it. For someone consumed by intense lust and desire, such words were the most intoxicating temptation.
It was like a peerless beauty telling a villain: *I simply adore your sexy, scruffy stubble, I love your musky scent after two weeks without bathing, I love the stink of salted fish on your feet, and I love your big yellow teeth—you can ravish me however you please.*
The villain wouldn't care whether the first half was true or false, because the only thing that mattered was the final sentence.
"A whole day and night? A penchant for brutality?"
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Yi Chuanmei licked her lips eagerly once more, a ravenous look in her eyes as she giggled:
"I know now. You aren't Zhao Chenghuang, you're Yuanshi Tianzun! Zhao Chenghuang is like Fu Qingyang—both of them are iceberg beauties."
Her expression suddenly chilled:
"What a pity. If this were the real world, I would never pass up the chance to enslave you. But this is a dungeon, so I think it's better to kill you."
With that, she hoisted a man-portable rocket launcher onto her shoulder.
For a master of dreams, any absurd fantasy could be manifested within a dream.
As long as one's level was high enough, summoning a falling meteor or conjuring the apocalypse was child's play.
"Time is short, so I won't waste time conjuring zombies to play with you. Let's just blast you into smithereens. Ah, to think the official factions finally produced a prodigy with the potential of an Alliance Leader, only for him to die at my hands." Yi Chuanmei sounded both wistful and thrilled.
"I look forward to claiming the bounty for your head from the three major Free Organizations once I leave the dungeon."
With that, she pulled the trigger.
Flames spewed out as the rocket surged from the tube with a shrill shriek, striking Yuanshi Tianzun at point-blank range with pinpoint accuracy.
One could still dodge or maneuver around a monster's attacks, but the velocity of modern firearms far exceeded the reaction limits of a mortal body.
Boom!
The rocket detonated. Expanding flames illuminated the entire courtyard brightly, and the shockwave vaporized the rain, whipping up a violent gale within the small courtyard that rattled the doors and windows with loud clatters.
Yi Chuanmei stood proudly amidst the smoke and flames, her charming face flushed with excitement.
Suddenly, the delight on her face vanished, replaced by stunned disbelief as she stared forward.
Amidst the slowly dying fire, a figure stood tall within the billowing smoke, wearing a blue opera mask symbolizing indomitable courage and defiance. Scorched marks and wisps of smoke covered his body, making him look just like a shonen protagonist who had weathered a full-power Kamehameha from the enemy.
"Heh!" Keeping his head bowed and a finger pressed against his forehead in a cool pose, Zhang Yuanqing sneered:
"A trivial trick unworthy of mention.
"That rocket launcher packs too little punch. Why don't you try rubbing together a nuclear bomb?"
In essence, the missile was a mental strike conjured by the Dream Master, and the Blue Face could grant immunity to three mental strikes.
Yi Chuanmei's expression turned grave as she glared at his mask. "A Saint-quality item from the Illusionist class... I underestimated you."
She pondered briefly, then raised her dainty hand and flicked her fingers three times.
Instantly, within the small courtyard and amidst the veil of rain, three figures materialized: Fu Qingyang, clad in white with a cold, aloof expression; a youth in black with ordinary yet fiercely haughty, sinister features; and a burly, buzz-cut mature man with scarlet eyes.
Incisive sword qi, boundless yin energy, and tangible malevolent aura flooded the courtyard.
Fu Qingyang, the Demon Lord, and the Silver Moon Divine General.
Yi Chuanmei smiled. "These three are the most exceptional and terrifying figures of the Saint stage. You might withstand one attack, but can you withstand a siege by all three?"
Zhang Yuanqing gave a soft snort. With a gentle tap of the finger against his forehead, brilliant gold lacquer rapidly spread out, painting an imposing, dignified golden mask.
Immediately afterward, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers three times in succession:
"Banish!"
"Banish!"
"Banish!"
The figures of Fu Qingyang, the Demon Lord, and the Silver Moon Divine General collapsed, dissolving into nothingness.
Having effortlessly dispatched the three big shots, Zhang Yuanqing lifted his gleaming golden visage, his voice booming with majestic authority:
"Nothing more than that. Whatever other tricks you have, bring them on!"
*Why isn't Commandery Princess Yinyao here yet? The three Mental Strikes are all used up. I can't hold out long in this dream on my own! Hurry up and save the junior your revered master is fond of...* On the surface, Zhang Yuanqing was as calm and steady as an old dog, but internally, panic was setting in.
Yi Chuanmei's gaze grew increasingly serious. After watching Yuanshi Tianzun for a few moments, the corners of her mouth curled upward:
"I understand how your item works now. Different masks have different functions, and they can't be used indefinitely. You're bluffing to stall for time."
Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill run down his spine.
In the next second, he saw Yi Chuanmei's figure shoot up rapidly—two meters, three meters, five meters... In the blink of an eye, she grew into a giant towering level with the mortuary's roof ridge.
An indescribable pressure surged toward him like mountains collapsing and seas overturning.
"Within a dream, I am invincible."
Looking down upon Yuanshi Tianzun from on high, she reached out with a colossal palm.
*S-So strong... I can't contest this at all...* The golden mask on Zhang Yuanqing's face wavered violently, nearly shattering.
He immediately switched masks, changing to the Blue Face to activate the mental strike immunity skill.
Yi Chuanmei's palm was immediately obstructed, halted in its tracks. But in the next instant, the invisible shockwave gave way, and the Blue Face shattered.
Zhang Yuanqing was seized firmly in her palm.
"You may have plenty of items and plenty of treasures, but inside a dream, you are nothing more than an ordinary mortal. Crushing you to death is as simple as squashing an ant," Yi Chuanmei said with a sweet smile.
"Even if you possess a Saint-quality Illusionist item."
Zhang Yuanqing felt her hand silently exerting force, hearing the continuous cracking and splintering of his own bones.
He instantly changed masks, switching to the earthy-yellow Yellow Face.
The attribute of this mask was aggressive bellicosity, boosting physical constitution, skills, and soul strength by thirty percent.
"What an irritatingly hard bug." Feeling the enemy in her grip suddenly stiffen and harden, Yi Chuanmei wasn't in a hurry at all. Her lips curved up:
"Are you still waiting for that souled yin corpse to come rescue you? Don't you find it strange? She wasn't far from the mortuary, so why hasn't she arrived after all this time?"
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.
Yi Chuanmei chuckled softly:
"During the day, I wore Chen Wei's guise as a Fire Specialist. That served as both protection and restraint for me, so I couldn't use my own class skills in daylight.
"However, my instincts as an Illusionist remained. On the very first day we entered the dungeon, I sensed emotional fluctuations from your yin corpse, realizing she possessed an independent soul. At first, I thought it was just a special trait of the character Lin Ci."
Wracked with agonizing pain all over, Zhang Yuanqing recalled what Chen Wei had said on the morning they first entered the dungeon: *Next time we do it, don't leave your yin corpse standing by the head of the bed.*
*She noticed the Commandery Princess's anomaly back then? Then my backup plan...*
"Think about it again: why did your yin corpse see nothing on the night Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle died?" Yi Chuanmei said with a beam.
"She was trapped in an illusion back then, just like she is right now."
With that, her beautiful eyes glanced toward the mortuary gates. "Right now, she's just walking in circles outside the mortuary."
Illusionist was an extremely specialized class: weak as dogs in melee, yet terrifying as gods in trickery and sorcery.
Even Night Walkers, who were likewise adept at illusion arts, lagged far behind Illusionists in this domain.
"Die!"
Yi Chuanmei's palm abruptly tightened with tremendous force.
Zhang Yuanqing felt his consciousness plummet into boundless darkness, his soul-formed body collapsing in an instant.
*If only the Commandery Princess had the Ghost Mirror... maybe she could see through the illusion...* Zhang Yuanqing thought in despair.
Just then, a shrill, agonizing scream from Yi Chuanmei suddenly rang in his ears.
Immediately after, he felt the colossal hand loosen, and the bone-crushing pressure vanished.
Surprised and bewildered, Zhang Yuanqing looked up, only to see the tip of a blade protruding through the front of Yi Chuanmei's chest, its razor-sharp edge stained with fresh blood.
Amidst her heart-wrenching screams, her gigantic body rapidly collapsed.
The colossal hand dissolved, and Zhang Yuanqing's body plummeted from midair.
He snapped his eyes open, and the scenery before him shifted.
It was still the mortuary courtyard, but the wind and rain were subsiding. Yi Chuanmei—in the guise of Chen Wei—stood beneath the eaves, blood dripping from her chest where the tip of a blade jutted out.
Behind her stood Chen Xuedao, his temples frosted with white hair and his face stern without a trace of a smile.
Yi Chuanmei's figure popped like a bubble and reappeared a dozen meters away. Clutching her bloody chest, her pale face stared at Chen Xuedao in shock and disbelief.
"You... didn't die?" Yi Chuanmei's expression shifted slightly, and she immediately looked toward the mortuary.
Through the open latticed doors, the escorts could be seen sitting cross-legged around the dim bonfire, their heads lowered in deep slumber.
Not far behind them, the black coffin sat quietly in the corner, beside which lay a corpse whose chest was soaked in fresh blood.
Seeing this, Yi Chuanmei's pupils contracted slightly.
The sinister entity hadn't broken out at all.
The escort intended as food for the entity had been slain in advance.
The scream hadn't been triggered by someone being devoured by the sinister entity, but rather by Chen Xuedao striking down the sacrifice.
Chen Xuedao said impassively:
"Of course I didn't die. I've been waiting for you to make your move all along. I do happen to have an item capable of breaking dreamscapes."
The moment these words left his mouth, both Zhang Yuanqing and Yi Chuanmei shuddered, their faces filled with utter shock.
Zhang Yuanqing was wild with joy. "Foster Father, you're a Spirit Realm walker too?!"
Chen Xuedao glanced at him.
"The roleplay is over. It's a bit awkward if you keep calling me Foster Father.
"Though, having Yuanshi Tianzun call me Foster Father doesn't feel too bad. How did you manage to get matched into a Level 6 dungeon anyway, kid? Did you stash a Dominator-grade item in your inventory?"
With that, he turned his gaze to Yi Chuanmei. "Just as I suspected, you're the evil class in our group."
Yi Chuanmei's expression flickered.
"Just who are you?"
Chapter 473