The calling voice poured into his ears like demonic music, instinctively evoking worry and anxiety within Zhang Yuanqing, as if the person trapped inside the coffin were his dearest kin, his flesh-and-blood brother.
Standing before the glass partition, the yin corpse instinctively took a few strides forward, raised its fist, and assumed an attacking posture.
The fist raised in the air suddenly froze. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes cleared, and he scoffed, "Impressive. It can even affect me."
He was a peak level 6 Illusionist, skilled above all in manipulating emotions. His Night Walker spirit body was immensely powerful and equally adept at illusions. Yet even with the dual classes stacked, he had nearly fallen prey to the Buddha corpse's trick.
"Were you hypnotized?" Commandery Princess Yinyao deduced what had happened to Yuanshi Tianzun from the yin corpse's actions.
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "The Buddha corpse inside is quite wicked. I was almost swayed by it."
As for why it had precisely spoken the ID "Yuanshi Tianzun"—mental spells were often rooted in the target's own subconscious. Forget Yuanshi Tianzun; it was entirely possible he could have heard "Zhang Yuanqing."
Looked at from another angle, hearing "Yuanshi Tianzun" rather than "Zhang Yuanqing" showed that the Buddha corpse couldn't reach into the deepest recesses of his soul.
Commandery Princess Yinyao nodded, propping the little loudspeaker against her chin. "A bit dangerous. I suggest leaving it alone for now."
*Like I needed you to tell me.* Zhang Yuanqing controlled the yin corpse to lead the way as they continued forward.
Having gained an initial grasp of the artifacts' behavior, the two refrained from touching any display cases and picked up their pace. After walking for about fifteen minutes, they finally saw a staircase entrance appear ahead.
*That easy?* Zhang Yuanqing stopped a long distance away and directed the yin corpse to press forward.
The Night Walker's advantages were displayed to the fullest here: they never lacked cannon fodder to step on landmines.
The yin corpse strode forward, drawing closer to the staircase. When it reached within twenty meters, Zhang Yuanqing, sharing the yin corpse's vision, narrowed his eyes. He saw two mangled corpses lying by the staircase entrance. Their heads and chests were blasted into smithereens splattered all over the floor, while their bodies from the waist down remained intact.
Two level 6 Saints had died at the staircase entrance. Their blood was half-congealed; they hadn't been dead for more than half an hour.
*There's danger by the stairs. It really isn't that simple,* he thought.
Suddenly, darkness rushed before his eyes, and he lost his vision.
The next second, his consciousness returned to his body. Thirty meters away, the yin corpse collapsed to the floor, its head and chest obliterated, intact from the waist down.
Exactly like those other two corpses.
Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao looked up toward the ceiling at the same time.
Half of his consciousness had been in the yin corpse and half in his true body; just a moment ago, both he and Commandery Princess Yinyao had clearly seen a streak of blood-red light descend from above and strike down the yin corpse.
Beneath the fifty-meter-high ceiling, an elk with golden antlers trod on empty air high above, bearing on its back a woman in rustic hunting garb, crowned with woven thorns.
In her hand, she held a golden bow, and on her back hung two quivers—one filled with golden arrows, the other with blood-red arrows.
Both the woman and her golden-horned mount possessed an ashen, stony texture, like sculptures endowed with life.
No, they were statues.
As Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao studied her, the female statue also turned her head. Her unpainted face and eyes were pale and hollow, exuding a cold, rigid stiffness.
The female statue only glanced at them before looking away, sitting motionless upon her mount once more.
Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao quietly retreated. The former said in a deep voice, "The red light I saw during stargazing must have been an arrow shot by her. I knew it wouldn't be that simple. Turns out there's a boss guarding the stairs."
Commandery Princess Yinyao suggested, "Charge through! Unless it's Dominator rank, we can steamroll anything."
*What if it really is Dominator rank? Wouldn't that be suicide? No, even if it's just rule-based, that'd be more than enough to give us hell...* Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "We entered a killing trial, not a Fire Specialist trial. Whenever you can use your brain, never prioritize brute force! Let me deduce the outcome first."
He took out the Daluo Astrolabe, ignited the starlight points upon its surface, and began deducing the outcome of forcing their way through.
A full fifteen minutes passed before he opened his eyes, his expression far graver than before.
In the stargazing divination, the Star Escape Technique couldn't bypass the staircase, the electromagnetic barrier of the Thor set couldn't block the arrows, and Night Roaming couldn't conceal him from the female statue in the air.
Even Astral Travel would be shot dead with a single arrow.
With the offensive power the female statue displayed, Zhang Yuanqing didn't know if Huang Taiji could block it, but he definitely couldn't survive it himself unless he used the Purple Gold set—yet Dominator-level items and materials were sealed by the Spirit Realm.
The female statue's attack power was genuinely at the Dominator stage, supplemented by dungeon mechanics that completely nullified escape arts.
"Enduring it directly is impossible, and escape arts are useless..." Commandery Princess Yinyao frowned, pondering the chances of taking down the statue if she joined forces with Yuanshi Tianzun.
Although the statue's offensive power was at Dominator strength, as long as its speed and defense hadn't reached the Dominator stage, there was still hope if they worked together.
The experienced Zhang Yuanqing understood in an instant. Pointing to the display cases, he said, "Now do you see why these artifacts are important?"
Commandery Princess Yinyao had accompanied her master through several instances after all. Hearing this, she had an epiphany. "You mean these artifacts can be subdued and used against the gatekeeper statue?"
"Just a guess. We'll know once we try." Zhang Yuanqing rose, led Commandery Princess Yinyao away from the staircase, and headed west.
Exhibition Hall 3 was enormous, its boundaries stretching beyond sight on either side. With rows of display cases obstructing their view, they didn't encounter any other Spirit Realm walkers for quite some time.
Occasionally, however, sounds of battle drifted from far away.
Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao didn't deliberately seek them out. After browsing for a while, their eyes settled on an artifact.
It was a heavily oxidized, rust-pocked bronze club, thirty centimeters long. Simple patterns and barbs were carved into the handle, while the striking end terminated in a goose-egg-sized bronze sphere.
[Name: Bronze Shu]
[Era: Qin Dynasty]
[Rank: Level 3]
[Description: Originating in the Warring States period, this weapon was wielded by elite military combatants. It possesses formidable lethality—three strikes are certain death for an ordinary person. During the Qin Dynasty, due to its complex craftsmanship, it became an exclusive weapon of the imperial guards, later lost to history following the fall of the Qin.]
Looking around, the artifacts in the display cases were categorized into three tiers: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Level 3 was the weakest.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped before the display case and threw a downward punch. With a loud crash, the tempered glass case shattered into pieces, sending shards scattering.
The seal was broken.
The bronze club lying quietly inside tilted up by its spherical head, took flight into the air, and struck fiercely toward Zhang Yuanqing, its shrill whistling tearing through the air.
Holding her loudspeaker, Commandery Princess Yinyao exclaimed, "Whoa, it's alive! It's a magic tool with self-awareness."
She hadn't sensed any wraith aura from the club.
Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head to dodge, reached out, caught the handle, and held it firmly in his grasp.
The bronze club vibrated violently like an electric wand, fighting desperately against his grip.
Zhang Yuanqing's entire hand trembled, the muscles in his forearm bulging as he wrestled with the club.
Frowning, he said, "I can hold on to it, but this thing can't be used as a weapon at all."
Instead, it was an extra burden.
If the artifacts couldn't be tamed, the idea of using them against the female statue wouldn't work. Would he have to team up with the other Spirit Realm walkers in the instance?
Yet if the artifacts couldn't be mastered, what was the point of placing so many sealed artifacts throughout the exhibition hall?
As thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhang Yuanqing recalled the artifact's item description. An idea struck him, and he released his grip on the bronze club.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
The moment the Bronze Shu broke free, it unleashed a heavy, thunderous combo on Zhang Yuanqing.
Zhang Yuanqing raised his bent elbow to block. Across three ferocious impacts, his elbow bone fractured, reduced to mangled flesh and blood.
Yet after delivering those three strikes, the bronze club shuddered like a spent man, completely losing all energy and vigor, clattering to the floor.
*Just as I thought...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately grasped the museum's mechanics: break the artifact seals, subdue the artifacts, and then go take down the big boss.
The gimmick wasn't hard to figure out. As long as one wasn't a Fire Specialist, anyone could decipher it in short order. Of course, the second and third floors might feature even tougher challenges.
As he thought this, he bent down to pick up the bronze club. Suddenly, a twang echoed from the distance, followed immediately by an arrow screeching straight toward him.
He hastily twisted his waist, dodging to the left. The tile where he had just stood shattered as an arrow impaled it.
*Twang! Twang! Twang!*
The bowstring snapped repeatedly in rapid succession. Arrows pursued Zhang Yuanqing, thudding into the floor one after another and shattering the ceramic tiles.
These arrows were inscribed with armor-piercing runes and their tips were coated with deadly venom. Not only did they possess terrifying lethality, but their speed was so blistering that even Zhang Yuanqing found them tricky to dodge.
While Zhang Yuanqing was driven back by the arrows, a tender pink, slippery tongue whipped out from nearby, wrapped around the bronze club, and retracted with a whoosh.
From behind a display case a dozen meters away, two figures emerged.
A man in dark combat fatigues stepped out from behind the display case, holding a vintage repeating crossbow made of cast iron and wood.
He was a burly Westerner with a blonde crew cut, pale blue eyes, a square jaw, and an expression brimming with malice.
The other figure had a wide mouth, slit pupils, puffy cheeks, and a face covered in pustules and warts—grotesquely ugly, looking remarkably like the toad demon from the Calabash Brothers cartoon.
Gripping the bronze club, the toad demon chuckled gleefully. "A Level 3 artifact is worth ten points. We'll gladly take it off your hands."
With that, he stowed the bronze club into his inventory, establishing ownership and receiving the Spirit Realm notification for earning ten points.
The blonde crew-cut man grinned. "Well now, you actually dodged them!
"This repeating crossbow is a Level 2 artifact. Ordinary level 6s couldn't dodge it. You've got good skills—interested in teaming up with us?"
Even as he spoke, his hand subtly raised the crossbow, aiming it straight at Zhang Yuanqing.
"A Witch Doctor and a Toxic Chemist," Zhang Yuanqing murmured, sizing up the two and identifying their classes.
An Alcoholic carried the stench of booze and had drunk eyes, while those of the Eternal Night class had pale skin and always looked half-asleep. The blonde man's aura was definitely closer to a Toxic Chemist.
As for the Witch Doctor, there was no need to guess; Gu Transformation was their signature skill.
"Sharp eyes," the blonde man said with a shrug. "Let me guess: you're an orthodox class."
"Since you know I'm an orthodox class, you should know that we're on opposing sides," Zhang Yuanqing replied, also shrugging.
"Didn't you read the mission carefully? There's no factional conflict in this killing trial. You get points just by hunting Spirit Realm walkers," the toad demon rasped harshly, puffing out his cheeks.
Zhang Yuanqing remained silent.
The blonde man spread his hands. "Looks like you don't know what's good for you. Then we'll kill you for points. That woman can be kept around, though. It's rare to see such a pretty bitch."
With that, his gaze turned ruthless. "Move!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, five meters to Zhang Yuanqing's left, a middle-aged man in plain black clothes suddenly materialized, holding a half-person-tall silver crucifix with both hands.
Upon the crucifix, an illusory figure slowly formed, pinned to it like Jesus, its face contorted in agony—it was none other than Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body.
Zhang Yuanqing's physical body instantly went blank and slack.
"Fool. If you had retreated sooner, we might have just walked away." The blonde man raised the repeating crossbow and pulled the trigger on the enemy whose spirit body had been extracted.
That crucifix was also an artifact—a Level 1 artifact capable of capturing souls.
Their strategy had been to send two people to buy time while their Night Walker companion waited nearby for the crucifix's channeling duration; capturing a soul required aiming the crucifix at the target for thirty seconds.
Amid the twang of bowstrings, three arrows pierced the enemy's chest, forehead, and abdomen.
Yet no notification chime for scoring points rang in their ears.
*Huh?* The blonde man instantly sensed something was wrong. Immediately following that came a wet squelch from beside him. He whipped his head around and saw a middle-aged man with a short white ponytail decapitate the toad demon with a blood-red saber.
The blonde man's heart lurched. Before he could react, a scorching agony tore through his chest as a brilliant blue spear of lightning thrust out through his front.
Terrifying lightning spiritual energy instantly shredded his internal organs, giving him no time to even undergo aberration.
He had been ambushed.
A soft chuckle sounded in his ear: "Handing your points over to me counts as fighting side-by-side, too."
With great effort, he turned his head and saw the very young man he was supposed to have shot dead.
*How could this be...* The blonde man's throat bobbed. With his lungs and windpipe carbonized, he couldn't make a sound. He could only let his consciousness sink unwillingly into boundless darkness.
He suspected he had run into a peak Saint, but it was already too late for regrets.
On the other side, the Stargazer, who had also fallen into a daze, had his chest sliced open by Commandery Princess Yinyao's knife-hand. She crushed his heart, and her whip lashed his spirit body into pieces.
[Ding! You received 13 points.]
[Ding! You received 44 points.]
[Ding! You received 36 points.]
Hearing the Spirit Realm notifications chime in his ears, Zhang Yuanqing opened the leaderboard and glanced at it. His rank shot straight to ninth place.
None of the three was a peak Saint, making them child's play to kill. Zhang Yuanqing had chosen the easiest method: using conversation to stall for time, weaving an illusion bit by bit to pull all three into it simultaneously.
Then he flanked them from behind for a clean, one-hit kill.
He took off the Armor of Thunder. The skin and flesh on his chest and abdomen were severely scalded, but for a Stargazer, injuries like this would heal themselves within two minutes.
Right then, he heard hurried footsteps approaching from the distance. Looking in that direction, he saw a squad brandishing weapons converging on his location.
Chapter 782