Zhang Yuanqing was startled by her words. "What happened?"
An Dieqi spoke with frantic speed, anxiety clear in her voice. "The boss entered an instance yesterday—a Rank-S instance."
A Rank-S instance?!
Zhang Yuanqing's expression changed slightly. A Dominator-level Rank-S instance was considered the very ceiling of Spirit Realm instances. His uncle had warned him never to equate the difficulty of a Dominator-level Rank-S instance with that of an Extraordinary or Saint-level one.
Even with Yuanshi Tianzun's current foundation, entering a Rank-S instance would mean a slim chance of survival at best.
Although Zhai Cai had inherited the legacy of the Holy See, his foundation couldn't possibly run deeper than Zhang Yuanqing's. For the Solitary Knight, a Rank-S instance carried a ninety-eight percent mortality rate—tantamount to throwing his life away.
No wonder Dieqi was so anxious.
"The boss has always managed his hidden score carefully. Ever since advancing to Dominator, whenever he encountered a Rank-B non-lethal instance, he would forfeit the quest on purpose, preferring to lose exp. In all these years, he has never entered a single Rank-A instance... It's bizarre. There's no way he should have been matched into a Rank-S instance." An Dieqi said agitatedly, "Mr. Yuanshi, the boss once said that the backer behind you is a demigod of the Void class. I... I want to beg you to save him. Please!"
Zhang Yuanqing replied in a heavy tone, "I understand. Don't panic yet. He only entered the instance yesterday, so he should still be fine for now. I'll contact the President right away. Wait for my word."
After comforting An Dieqi with a few words and confirming the number of the instance the Solitary Knight had entered, he hung up the call.
Fu Qingyang, who had been listening in, frowned slightly. "That knight from the Holy See was matched into a Rank-S instance?"
Zhang Yuanqing gave a nod of confirmation and said with a hint of anxiety, "Boss, I need to make a trip back."
The Solitary Knight carried the key and map to the Holy See's treasure, so nothing could be allowed to happen to him. Moreover, having witnessed Chazo's noble sacrifice in the killing trial, Zhang Yuanqing held deep respect for the Knight class.
While filth and corruption festered within the orthodox faction, Knights were like a breath of fresh air.
Leaving Fujia Bay, Zhang Yuanqing rode his Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, swiftly flying back to his maternal grandparents' home, and banged loudly on his uncle's door.
In the eyes of his aunt and grandparents, his uncle was never home, remaining a good-for-nothing slacker despite his age. In reality, Uncle used singing, dancing, and rapping as a cover to roam the Spirit Realm or attend to serious business.
At any other time, Zhang Yuanqing might not have been able to find him immediately unless he was in mortal danger. But since it was almost mealtime, Uncle was definitely home.
He barely stayed home as it was; if he didn't even show up for meals, his aunt would probably divorce him.
"Yo, yo, useless Yuanzi..." Seeing his nephew visit, Uncle immediately launched into his monorhymes.
"Cut the crap!" In no mood to rap with him, Zhang Yuanqing dragged his uncle out the door and called out before his aunt could speak: "Auntie, Uncle and I are going out to the stairwell to talk about something!"
"What could you possibly need to talk about in the stairwell? Dinner will be ready any minute!" called Auntie, whose cooking was terrible but who insisted on stepping into the kitchen nonetheless.
"Badmouthing Grandma," Zhang Yuanqing said.
"Off you go, then!" Auntie replied cheerfully.
Stepping into the stairwell, Zhang Yuanqing rapidly informed his uncle about the Solitary Knight entering a Rank-S instance: "He went into Spirit Realm No. 16, Twilight of the Knights."
Uncle had roamed the Spirit Realm for years and entered many instances; as long as he knew the instance's number and name, he could quickly pinpoint its location.
"Sigh, useless Yuanzi, throwing another difficult problem at me." Uncle thrust one hand into his pocket and spread the other with a helpless shrug. "Fine, leave this to me. I'll bring the Solitary Knight back, but in a way you'd never expect."
"What way?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
Right then, Auntie called from inside the apartment, "Dinner's ready! Yuanzi, you stay and eat here too!"
"Coming, wifey!" Uncle scurried happily back inside.
*Leaving things half said!* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled under his breath before calling back loudly, "No thanks, Auntie! I'm going to eat Grandma's cooking—Grandma's cooking is terrible!"
Having said that, he made a swift exit.
His aunt's cooking was something even her own son refused to eat; as merely a nephew, there was no need to make such a sacrifice.
Uncle entered the apartment, shut the door, and slumped at the dining table like a lord of the manor. Lighting a cigarette, he pondered for a moment and muttered, "Are the glitches in the Spirit Realm's operations getting more and more severe?"
"What's getting more and more severe?" Auntie asked as she carried out a dish.
"My mother's menopause is getting more and more severe," Uncle replied offhandedly.
"Ptui! Your mother went through menopause twenty years ago!" Auntie spat.
***
The following morning.
At Victoria's villa, Miao Teng'er sat in the sunroom, which was as warm as spring. Through the glass walls, she looked out at the flowerbeds dusted with frost, where brilliantly colorful blossoms opened defiantly in the cold, as if endowed with the proud spirit of winter plums.
By late December, the Capital City had already seen several snowfalls.
Ordinary flowers naturally couldn't survive the winter; the blossoms and plants in the garden had been cultivated by Lingjun.
Yet as lovely as the flowerbeds were, they paled beside the young woman.
Miao Teng'er's demeanor and features were the epitome of refined elegance: lips like crimson vermilion, eyes like glistening lacquer, a fair and pretty oval face, and a straight, delicate nose.
A single glance banished all worldly thoughts.
Such a beauty could never wear makeup; makeup would only drag her down into the mortal dust.
"Why do you think Yuanshi Tianzun asked to meet my mother?" Miao Teng'er cradled her steaming coffee in both hands, looking curiously at her cousin across the tree-stump table.
To her knowledge, Yuanshi Tianzun had no overlap with her mother. Ever since the Demon Lord died, her mother—branded a disgrace to the family by Grandfather—had suffered a devastating blow, living in seclusion ever since and cutting off all social ties.
What business could Yuanshi Tianzun possibly have that required seeing her? And why choose Elder Victoria's villa?
Lingjun didn't answer. His gaze lingered on the tabletop for long moments, or drifted blankly toward the flowerbeds, clearly weighed down by heavy thoughts.
Down in the basement, Zhang Yuanqing sat upright in a high-backed chair, observing the mature woman seated across from him in another high-backed chair.
She was likely in her forties, but judging solely by her appearance, she looked more like an elegant woman between twenty-five and thirty, her face full of collagen and her skin smoother and softer than a maiden's.
Her features bore a forty-to-fifty percent resemblance to Miao Teng'er's, yet she was even more beautiful—yes, distinctly more beautiful.
She possessed the looks of a young woman, the sensual allure of a mature woman, and the curvaceous, well-proportioned, athletic figure unique to female Wood Monsters. Yet between her brows lingered a faint trace of sorrow, like a woman made of lilac.
The myriad qualities blended upon her without any clash, weaving together into a singular, intoxicating charm.
*Damn it, every single one of the Demon Lord's women is a breathtaking beauty...* While Zhang Yuanqing sized her up, the woman was also observing this renowned young man.
"Unlike that ungrateful Elder Miao, I only agreed to meet you today out of gratitude for saving Teng'er and Lingjun," Miao Fengyun spoke first. "Speak your mind."
Her voice carried a cool, assertive aloofness that warned strangers to keep their distance.
Zhang Yuanqing's very first words were, "I've listened to the audio recordings of you and the Demon Lord."
To Miao Fengyun's ears, exposing someone's private shame like this was exceedingly hostile. Her opinion of Yuanshi Tianzun plummeted instantly. Maintaining her indolent posture, she sneered, "Does Auntie's voice sound nice? Want me to moan a few times to get you off?"
*Don't try to flirt with me—Lingjun will cut ties with me!* Unfazed, Zhang Yuanqing replied smoothly, "Auntie, you aren't nearly as straightforward as Teng'er or Yin Ji. I didn't come to meet you today to embarrass you. Rather, through the recordings of you and the Demon Lord, I learned of something."
As he spoke, he placated Miao Fengyun's hostility and irritation.
Looking at Yuanshi Tianzun's handsome face and hearing his sincere tone, the annoyance in Miao Fengyun's heart quickly dissipated, and she forgave him. "What is it?" she asked.
Zhang Yuanqing got straight to the point. "I want the spirit plant cultivation method that Lingjun's mother left you."
Miao Fengyun was bewildered. "What do you want that for? It requires the spiritual power of a Wood Monster to work. Even if a non-Wood Monster got hold of it, it'd be completely useless."
*Auntie, don't be so curious. Curiosity gets people killed...* Zhang Yuanqing was about to manipulate her emotions to make her surrender the cultivation method when a sudden thought struck him.
Right now, this place had Lunar Concealment, and the cultivation method had to be wielded by a Wood Monster anyway. Why not bring the seed here and cultivate it right on the spot?
He could travel as a Night Walker to Elder Zhao's residence, retrieve the seed, and return here. That way, it would cut out several steps and stay far more secretive.
With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing covertly manipulated Miao Fengyun's emotions, elevating her curiosity, trust, and sense of urgency. Then he said, "I can't share the reason for now, but this matter is of vital importance. Wait here for a moment; I need to step out."
Finished speaking, he left the basement and met Victoria in the living room, asking her to perform a ritual to grant him concealment protection.
Once the ritual was complete, Zhang Yuanqing transformed into dreamlike starlight and shot out of the villa, flying through the sky toward Elder Zhao's residence.
The gale rushed against his face as skyscrapers spanned beneath his feet. The closer he drew to downtown, the more congested the traffic became.
Vast as the Capital City was, traversing the entire city did not take long for a Dominator. Before long, the cluster of old hutongs appeared before his eyes.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing watched the colors drain from the old hutongs, reducing them to a black-and-white photograph. This desaturation spread rapidly, engulfing the skyscrapers, vehicles, streets, and greenbelts alike.
In the blink of an eye, looking down from above, he saw the entire city turn into a monochrome photograph. The clear sky was draped in a black shroud, with only the sun stubbornly casting a feeble glimmer.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly realized: it wasn't the city below that had been affected, but himself.
He had been concealed, severed from the physical world.
Just then, a frigid, sinister chill washed over him, as if the gates of the Netherworld had swung wide.
From within that cluster of old hutongs, a pillar of yin qi surged skyward, spiraling up until it formed a colossal face in the heavens that blotted out the sky.
That face of swirling black smoke looked down impassively at Zhang Yuanqing.
In that instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt the three powers within him—Lunar, Astral, and Solar—freeze simultaneously, stripped of all vitality.
Danger signals flashed through his nerves to his brain, adrenaline surging wildly. Yet his muscles were spasming; no matter how his brain commanded his body, his limbs remained as stiff as a paralytic's.
"Ling... Ling Tuo..."
Through chattering teeth, Zhang Yuanqing forced out the name.
"Yuanshi Tianzun!" A faint laugh echoed across the heavens and earth. "Just like the Demon Lord, you truly are a petty clown."
Chapter 835