The tidy desk reflected the cool, pure gleam of the fluorescent light. The air conditioner blew a pleasant, cool breeze, while outside the window lay a blood-red setting sun and an azure sky, with clouds frozen in place—half bathed in golden twilight, half pristine white. Sitting at the desk, Zhang Yuanqing remained in the same posture he had held when entering the dungeon. His clothes were in tatters, and it was only thanks to the Yin-Yang Robe draped over him that he avoided an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.
"We're back!" He stretched his back and let out an emotional sigh.
Then he turned his head to look. Guan Ya stood by the bed, with Commandery Princess Yinyao clinging to her like a koala.
The princess had her arms wrapped around Guan Ya's neck, her slender, jade-like legs hooked tightly around the veteran driver's waist. From her waist pouch came audio from the Elvis speaker:
"I was scared to death back then!!"
The voice was hilariously cheeky and sounded familiar. Zhang Yuanqing listened for a moment before confirming it was an audio meme that had gone viral on the internet a few years ago.
She must have recorded it back when she followed the Demon Lord.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at the princess.
An exceedingly displeased, deeply indignant snort came from the princess's small speaker, after which she dissolved into starlight and returned to the adjacent bedroom.
Now that Zhang Yuanqing had moved into Guan Ya's room, his original bedroom had been taken over by the princess.
"What's wrong with her?" Zhang Yuanqing was completely baffled.
"She's sulking, obviously." Guan Ya curled her lip. She took off her jacket, gripped the hem of her tight tank top, and pulled it up, exposing her fair body clad only in a black lace bra before her boyfriend. "You didn't take her with you when leaving the dungeon. She had to throw her arms around me so she could come back."
"I saw she was next to you and knew you'd bring her back." Zhang Yuanqing admired his girlfriend's voluptuous figure, clicking his tongue. "The princess's temper is getting stranger and stranger. I still preferred her initial cold, aloof self."
Even though he had seen it many times, her figure remained immensely attractive to him. Her skin was fantastic—delicate, smooth, and fair—and coupled with the soft contours unique to a woman's body, her pale flesh was exceedingly alluring.
Her lower abdomen was flat and taut, with tantalizing and sexy mermaid lines and defined abs.
"That princess has quite a malicious streak. She's always egging Queen and Lingxi on to oppose me, without the slightest care about the consequences if they fail. A pure troll looking for fun. But she's still fairly loyal to you." Guan Ya unbuckled the belt of her camouflage pants. The loose trousers slipped down her long legs, fully revealing the fullness of her hips and the curvaceous shape of her legs.
She didn't remove her lace lingerie, but swayed her hips as she walked toward the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower."
Zhang Yuanqing licked his lips. "Together, together..."
Quickly stripping off his clothes, buck naked, he chased Guan Ya into the bathroom.
The shower head sprayed hot water with a whoosh, washing over the two entwined bodies. Guan Ya slumped lazily in her boyfriend's embrace, her pointed chin resting on his shoulder.
Basking in the afterglow, she said:
"Being able to clear an S-rank dungeon this time had some element of luck. I really don't recommend you drag them into S-rank multiplayer dungeons again.
"Aside from World Returns to Fire, all these guys have considerable backgrounds. If they really died in a faction dungeon, their elders might not blame you openly, but how could they not hold a grudge deep down? There will definitely be hard feelings.
"They are much more useful to you alive."
Zhang Yuanqing took a dollop of body wash and rubbed his hands over Guan Ya's delicate body to wash her, replying, "Got it, got it."
Guan Ya slapped him on the back and scolded playfully, "Don't just brush me off."
Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "But once they survive, the rewards are enormous, aren't they? The Spirit Realm's difficulty adjusts according to the team's strength. Every S-rank is a trial to unlock their potential, but it won't be an insurmountable death trap. Speaking of which, it's thanks to you; otherwise, the main quest would probably have failed."
There were far too few clues given about the truth behind the Mohist Sect's downfall—only a few stone steles and an ultimate treasure that could never be found.
With Zhang Yuanqing's intellect, he would certainly have figured it out eventually, but the Spirit Realm gave very little time. Thus, the puzzle-solving of the main quest had truly hinged on Guan Ya.
Insight and logical deduction were the exclusive talents of Scouts.
"Ah..." Guan Ya suddenly let out a soft moan and scolded gently, "Let me rest a moment... Mmh, that's just how multiplayer dungeons are, blending elements of various classes. I merely played to the Scout's strengths. By the way, it's early September now. You have to enter a solo Spirit Realm this month, right?"
"Yeah, it's September!" Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice.
He only had two months left to live. According to the Magic Mirror's prophecy, he would die in late October or early November.
Guan Ya couldn't see her boyfriend's face, or else she would have noticed the solemn gravity upon it.
After showering, the two changed into dry casual clothes and returned to the bedroom.
Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone screen, logged into the "Return of the Dead" chat group, and typed a message:
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Check in after you finish showering. We have business!]
Except for Sun Miaomiao and Asano Ryo, everyone else replied.
After waiting another ten minutes, Sun Miaomiao and Asano Ryo came online one after another.
Once everyone was present, Zhang Yuanqing sent a message:
[Yuanshi Tianzun: A Level 2 Faction Token gives three dungeons. We've cleared one. If you can still handle it, we'll continue exploring tomorrow.]
[Zhao Chenghuang: No problem!]
[World Returns to Fire: Sounds good!]
The two most ambitious members had tasted the sweetness of success and agreed immediately without a second thought.
The others hesitated for a few seconds before chiming in with their agreement as well.
Although they dearly wanted to slack off in reality for a few days to adjust their mindset and enjoy life, the Mohist Mechanism City dungeon was simply too sweet, visibly elevating the strength of the faction members.
No Spirit Realm walker could resist the temptation of leveling up.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Good. In five minutes, I'll activate the second faction dungeon.]
After sending this message, Zhang Yuanqing tapped on Asano Ryo's avatar and typed:
[I put the Yata no Kagami in the faction storage. Apply to use it later and return it to the Thousand Cranes Group. For the second item, I choose Ame no Murakumo.]
[Asano Ryo: Ame no Murakumo is kept by the group leader. I heard the leader cherishes this item dearly, viewing it as precious as his own life; no one has the authority to use or touch it. But since you've spoken, Yuanshi-kun, the leader will definitely agree.]
*Nonsense. Refusing would mean breaching the agreement, and your leader doesn't have the guts...* Zhang Yuanqing curled his lips. He scooped Guan Ya up from the edge of the bed and set her on his lap.
"Guan Ya, the sword Fu Qingyang gave you is damaged. The island nation's Ame no Murakumo is a Dominator-stage Scout item with a one-month usage period. Take it to play around with for now, and later I'll get you a top-tier blade to make up for it."
"Tsk, tsk. I thought you'd send it to Fu Qingyang." Guan Ya smiled brilliantly. "You finally look a bit like a boyfriend."
During their idle chatter, Zhang Yuanqing opened the White Tiger Guards' faction storage and requested back his Dominator-stage materials, the Yata no Kagami, and the Five Elements Power Trial Card.
He placed the Yata no Kagami into the "Return of the Dead" faction storage. The next second, Asano Ryo sent a "request to use."
Zhang Yuanqing selected "Approve", then opened the faction interface and chose to generate a dungeon.
[Ding! Spirit Realm generating, please wait...]
[Faction Spirit Realm generation complete.]
[Number: 367 — Prairie Shadow.]
[Difficulty Level: B]
[Type: Multiplayer (Non-death)]
[Main Quest: Repel the Mongol scouts.]
[Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought inside.]
[Description for Spirit Realm No. 367: Following the fall of the Jin, the Southern Song sought to reclaim lost territory while the Mongols withdrew. However, the Southern Song's military was weak, and the attempt ended in failure. Using this as a pretext, the Mongols launched their first southward invasion in 1235 AD. When two armies clash, the scouts lead the charge. Valiant warriors, crush them!]
"Oh? A non-death B-rank. Pretty good luck," Zhang Yuanqing said with a smile.
He wasn't disappointed by it being a B-rank dungeon. After all, S-rank dungeons were only matched to a tiny handful of monstrous prodigies; most geniuses, such as the Official Four Young Masters, generally entered A-rank dungeons.
As for elites like World Returns to Fire and Zhao Chenghuang, the dungeons they matched were mostly B-rank, with an occasional A-rank.
In the chat group, Asano Ryo was the first to speak:
[Asano Ryo: Awesome! I love this kind of dungeon—high experience points and no risk of dying.]
[Sun Miaomiao: We can treat it as entertainment after an S-rank dungeon. If we can achieve a perfect clear on a non-death B-rank dungeon, it should give around an 8% boost to experience.]
[Zhao Chenghuang: Not bad.]
[Xiahou Aotian: Why isn't it S-rank? The current me wouldn't even bother looking at a dungeon below A-rank. Um, what time do we enter tomorrow?]
The faction members were slightly disappointed, but felt far more relief; if they really had to enter another S-rank dungeon, their scalps would probably go numb with dread.
With a non-death B-rank dungeon, they had no mortal peril to worry about and could gain a substantial amount of experience points—why wouldn't they want that? Even if they failed, they would only lose experience points.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: We'll still enter at ten o'clock tomorrow, but I won't participate this time.]
[Sun Miaomiao: Why?]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: I've never played a dungeon below A-rank. Not interested.]
Everyone: "..."
***
Wuhen Hotel.
Inside the two-bedroom suite, Xiao Yuan sat sideways at the table wearing a bathrobe. Her head tilted as her cascade of black hair spilled down, and she carefully dried her hair with a towel.
A laptop sat on the desk before her, its screen displaying the "Return of the Dead" faction chat interface.
She would definitely take part in tomorrow's faction dungeon. A Level 2 faction could unlock three Saint-stage dungeons, and she wouldn't miss a single one; only then could she return to her peak in the shortest possible time.
Having finished the serious business, several order-aligned class members in the group chattered excitedly about their gains from the Mohist Mechanism City and casually chatted about gossip and interesting tidbits within the official organization.
Xiao Yuan closed her laptop, opened the wardrobe, changed into her uniform, and walked down to the ground-floor lobby.
It was 6:30 p.m. Kou Beiyue sat on the lounge chair behind the front desk, operating the mouse with rapt concentration as he gamed.
The hotel needed someone to watch over it, so he hadn't gone out to deliver takeout today.
Hearing the familiar click of high heels, Kou Beiyue looked up pleasantly surprised. "Xiao Yuan, you're back!"
Xiao Yuan gave an "Mm." "Go deliver your takeout."
"There's no rush for that," Kou Beiyue said. "How much experience do you have now? Are you back to Level 5?"
Xiao Yuan nodded. "Level 5, 22%."
Kou Beiyue froze. "Why so much?"
He knew Xiao Yuan had previously had a full experience bar at Level 4, but what kind of dungeon could grant a 22% increase all at once? After all, he, the grand Kou Beiyue, was currently only at Level 4 with 32% experience, and that had taken three dungeons to accumulate.
"An S-rank dungeon!"
"S-rank..." Kou Beiyue's eyes widened in shock, followed immediately by lingering fear. An S-rank dungeon meant Xiao Yuan had struggled repeatedly on the brink of life and death today.
"Tomorrow I'm entering another faction dungeon. It's a non-death B-rank this time, but it might take a few days," Xiao Yuan said. "While I'm away, you're responsible for watching the hotel. If anything happens, look for Master Wuhen."
Hearing this, Kou Beiyue slapped his forehead. "I almost forgot to tell you! Master Wuhen entered a dungeon today. Before he left, he relayed the message to me in a dream."
"Today?" Xiao Yuan realized. Master Wuhen had told them that he would enter the Spirit Realm soon, with an unknown return date. For experts at the Master's level, a single dungeon could sometimes take a month, or even longer.
"Understood." Xiao Yuan stepped behind the front desk, closed Kou Beiyue's game, and said calmly, "If anything comes up, reach out to Yuanshi Tianzun. If nothing happens, watch the shop properly. Now go deliver food."
"We were just about to push the nexus..." Kou Beiyue muttered. Under her stern maternal glare, he grabbed the helmet from the table and trotted eagerly out the hotel entrance.
***
Taiyi Sect.
Leaving his courtyard house, Zhao Chenghuang hopped onto his little electric scooter at the front gate, speeding like the wind through the old hutongs toward his great-grandfather's residence a kilometer away.
Taiyi Sect's upper echelon lived in this old district. Every household was a siheyuan courtyard house with gray bricks, black tiles, red-lacquered gates, and a pair of stone lion statues.
In the early days after the country's founding, Taiyi Sect's headquarters had been located right here. Elders lived in large siheyuans, while deacons lived in smaller ones.
Zhao Chenghuang and Sun Miaomiao had grown up here during their childhood, tearing through the alleys like the wind alongside the sect's other children. One day they would sneak over to a certain elder's courtyard to secretly learn martial arts; the next day, they would go to another elder's place to imitate shamanic dances.
Wherever they ran, yin corpses and spirit servants protected them at their side.
With rapid economic growth, the Taiyi Sect acquired a new headquarters. Courtyard residences gave way to sprawling luxury flats, and the old district was transformed into upscale, stylish communities.
People had gradually moved over, but the aging elders still lived in the hutongs, nestled in courtyard houses brimming with history.
They had lived here for nearly a century, just as weathered as the courtyards themselves.
Arriving at his great-grandfather's siheyuan, Zhao Chenghuang braked, parked the electric scooter at the entrance, and knocked on the courtyard gate.
*Creak—*
The courtyard gate swung open on its own. The spirit servant standing behind the door bowed to Zhao Chenghuang.
Night had fallen. In the old courtyard reminiscent of the 1980s, Elder Zhao sat beneath a tree, playing a game of Go against an equally gray-haired old man.
"Great-Grandfather!" Zhao Chenghuang bowed.
Elder Zhao gave an "Mm." "Old Qian, you head back inside first."
The gray-haired old man nodded slightly, then dissolved into a wisp of dark smoke and floated into the house.
Elder Zhao pointed across from him, gesturing for him to sit, his gaze never leaving the board. "You're back?"
Zhao Chenghuang nodded. "The haul was considerable. I'd like to ask Great-Grandfather to prepare materials for me—I want to refine a Level 5 yin corpse."
"What dungeon?"
"S-rank!"
Elder Zhao finally lifted his head and chuckled. "For you, an S-rank dungeon is still too dangerous. But following Yuanshi Tianzun inside makes it alright. When hanging around a monstrous freak, one can always catch a bit of his monstrosity."
In the past, had his great-grandfather praised Yuanshi Tianzun like this, Zhao Chenghuang would certainly have felt defiant.
Gradually, however, he felt nothing of the sort anymore. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to it, or perhaps as their camaraderie deepened, he was no longer jealous.
Elder Zhao said, "There's no rush to refine the corpse; we can talk about that tonight. Take a look at your great-grandfather's board."
Pointing at a black stone, he asked, "What should be done with this? Should I continue playing stones around it, or abandon it to its fate?"
Zhao Chenghuang looked closely. That black stone was thoroughly surrounded by white stones, with only a single escape route remaining. However, in at most two moves, it would be strangled by the white stones.
After pondering for a moment, Zhao Chenghuang said, "If you continue placing stones, I'm afraid you will lose two more."
Elder Zhao sighed. "Indeed, it would cost two more stones. Little Sun must be fretting over this as well."
***
"Stop associating so much with Yuanshi Tianzun!" Beneath a locust tree, Elder Sun reprimanded.
Holding a little girl in her arms, Sun Miaomiao gripped her phone in her other hand. While chatting, she shot back at her grandfather:
"None of your business."
Chapter 546