An Unexpected Dungeon

Inside the high-tech, empty conference room, light reflected off the long peach-wood table, keeping the surface immaculate and bright. *Beep, beep—* On the ceiling, arrays of black projectors lit up with yellow power-on indicator lights. Soundproofing arrays engaged automatically, and the high-tech floor-to-ceiling windows transitioned into frosted-glass mode. Life detectors scanned for any mosquitoes, flies, or other creatures that might have slipped into the room, while an Eight Trigrams mirror hanging above the door was primed to reveal wraiths and astral spirits. After flashing for three seconds, the yellow lights turned green. Slender sensor probes extended from the devices, casting beams of fluorescent blue light around the conference table. The projections of headquarters' Nine Elders materialized, their gazes turning in unison toward Fu Qingyang's seat. Fu Qingyang had convened this meeting. Upon receiving the Money Prince's invitation, the Nine Elders had experienced a mix of wariness, awe, shock, and helplessness. They knew Fu Qingyang had entered a dungeon over a month ago, and they knew he was currently in the S-rank dungeon "Fighting Alone." Once he cleared it, combined with his prior accumulation, he was certain to become a Level 9 Dominator. Yet none had expected him to finish so quickly, nor that he would truly succeed in clearing it. A Level 9 Dominator could comprehend and control rules. Fu Qingyang's martial craft, already bordering on the Dao, would break through to an entirely new level. With the support of that cloak even the Grand Marshal coveted... Once the Money Prince stepped into Level 9, he would only need a rule-based item matching his tier to stand on equal footing with old monsters like them, who had lived for a century. Compared to Yuanshi Tianzun, a fully realized Fu Qingyang inspired far more wariness and vigilance—though also a welcome surprise. From the perspective of the bigger picture, having another Level 9 Dominator in the orthodox faction was undeniably beneficial. At Fu Qingyang's seat, however, the fluorescent blue light condensed into a figure that was not the snow-white-clad Money Prince, but rather the defiantly haughty Yuanshi Tianzun! The Nine Elders froze. "Yuanshi Tianzun?" Elder Miao, half-man and half-tree with hair writhing like serpents, eyed the young man in surprise. "Has Fu Qingyang sunk to sending a proxy even for meetings now?" "The boss is still in the dungeon. I was the one who called this meeting," Zhang Yuanqing said, leaning lazily against the high backrest. The Nine Elders exchanged glances, displeasure written across their faces. Fu Qingyang had actually granted his account, password, and permissions entirely to Yuanshi Tianzun? Fu Qingyang's authority represented the pinnacle of power in District Two. A single command from him could alter the course of events. Sharing such supreme authority with someone else was utterly absurd—more absurd than sharing a wife. Taking in the expressions of the Nine Elders, Zhang Yuanqing maintained his relaxed, undisciplined posture and announced, "First, an update for everyone: I've reached Level 8." The Nine Elders were not surprised, their faces calm. Headquarters had already anticipated this. "Next, let's discuss the main topic of this meeting," Zhang Yuanqing said. "I want to know how to enter the Sun dungeon!" At those words, the Nine Elders looked at him in silence, their eyes filled with ridicule, pity, and sympathy, as if looking at an overimaginative child. Elder Miao shook his head with a chuckle. "Yuanshi Tianzun, the Lord of the Sun is far beyond your reach. Abandon these unrealistic notions." The red-haired Great Elder of the Red Fire Gang spoke bluntly: "Your tier is too low to enter a demigod's dungeon. Forget you—even we cannot enter. Besides, even if you did enter, what could you do other than throw your life away? Do you truly believe a Level 8 can contest the sun against the Lord of Taiyin and the Lord of the Stars? Your level, power, items, and experience are beneath mention before a demigod. The Void demigod chose to compromise precisely because he saw no hope in you. Wait in peace. The day the Lord of the Sun is born will be the day the evil faction turns to ash." His words brimmed with utter confidence in the Lord of the Stars. Elder Di Hong spoke the most gently: "In truth, the Sun dungeon only permits the two demigods of Taiyin and Stars to enter. While a peak Day Wanderer theoretically possesses the potential to become the Lord of the Sun, the Spirit Realm has not granted them qualification in practice. Yuanshi Tianzun, reaching Level 8 Dominator within a single year proves your unmatched talent, but your target should be peak Dominator. There is no need to reach for the impossible." Zhang Yuanqing glanced around the Nine Elders, fixing his gaze on the Great Elder of the Sword Pavilion, who had white eyebrows and a white beard. The elder, who looked like a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, gave a slight shake of his head. *None of them know...* Zhang Yuanqing fell quiet for a few seconds. He wasn't particularly disappointed; he had merely confirmed what he already suspected. "Understood. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to humor me." The projection probe above his head went dark and retracted, leaving an empty high-backed chair behind. *** At the Xiahou family residence. Zhang Yuanqing rode the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon down into the premier estate of the community. Calling the residence of Master Xiahou a villa was inaccurate; it was an estate. It boasted three gardens alone, along with a small parking lot, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, more than six magnificent buildings, and a main manor luxurious enough to resemble a castle. Guided by security personnel, he entered the four-story main building and found the white-haired, scholarly old man in the underground crafting chamber. Master Xiahou stood before a smithing bench, holding a small black iron hammer as he struck a fragment of an item. Beside him, several crystals of varying colors were being roasted in a furnace. Perched atop his head was a black jade Pixiu. Now and then, it turned its head to inhale a mouthful of the excessively fierce Samadhi True Fire from the furnace; at other times, it swallowed a piece of "scrap metal" from a junk pile, regurgitating it as pure crystal or iron free of impurities. Zhang Yuanqing stared intently at the lifelike Pixiu. It appeared completely alive, like an aristocratic pet rather than an item possessing spiritual awareness. Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun enter, Master Xiahou chuckled while hammering the iron. "Using the Sky Swallowing Beast for battle was a pure waste. I endowed it with living traits, and it now possesses the intelligence of a ten-year-old child. It can help me break down materials, purify quality, and bypass the step of remelting materials. It can even help me monitor the furnace's heat. Yuanshi Tianzun, why not sell it to me?" Zhang Yuanqing hastily took out the Pure Jade Bottle and tossed it onto the table. "Don't try to pull a fast one! I never asked you to give it intelligence; you did that on your own." After a pause, he added, "If you insist on buying it, you must pay according to its current grade." Master Xiahou thought for a moment and nodded. "Fair enough! What item do you want?" To a craftsman, a handy utility tool was worth more than any other item—at least in his eyes. Zhang Yuanqing pondered. "It must combine offense and defense, with armor-piercing, bleeding, poison, and paralysis effects. Ideally, it should also incorporate sealing, escape techniques, illusions, and control... The more functions, the better..." Master Xiahou looked at him blankly. "Even that rebellious son of our family wouldn't dare make such an outrageous demand. With your current level and item reserves, even peak Level 8 Dominators are no match for you. The only ones who pose a threat to you are high-ranking Level 9 Dominators. Do you need an item capable of withstanding a Level 9 attack, or an item capable of injuring a Level 9 Dominator?" Zhang Yuanqing tested the waters: "Can't I have both?" Master Xiahou stared at him expressionlessly. "What do you think?" Zhang Yuanqing considered it and said, "I'll choose one that can injure a Level 9 Dominator." Master Xiahou immediately opened his inventory, pulled out a double-barreled shotgun, and handed it over. "An item I crafted in my early years. It fires two rounds at once, and the bullets possess explosive and incineration properties. After the target is struck six consecutive times, the seventh shot will detonate the fire-attribute spiritual power from the preceding six shots, triggering a massive explosion. It can severely injure an early Level 9 Dominator, and cause light injuries to a mid-Level 9. However, the burn damage is continuous; as long as you keep shooting, you can turn light injuries into severe ones." Against a late Level 9, naturally, it would deal no damage. "The cost of using it is the recoil. If you activate the Blazing Sun Wargod state, you can fire three shots. After three shots, your arm bones will shatter completely." After explaining its functions and costs, Master Xiahou added, "Bullets must be purchased from me. Ten million cash per round, or one Extraordinary item." The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. "You took my Sky Swallowing Beast, and now you want to fleece me too?" Master Xiahou said placidly, "I'll throw in twenty rounds for free!" Zhang Yuanqing said, "Great-Uncle is truly magnanimous! If that rebellious son ever offends you again, I'll teach him a lesson on your behalf." Taking the meter-long double-barreled shotgun and reviewing its item information, Zhang Yuanqing received twenty large-caliber bullets from Master Xiahou. These bullets were crafted from red metal. Instead of gunpowder, they were filled with powder from a Dominator-grade material. The bullet heads were densely engraved with intricate runes. Under a magnifying glass, they were crisp and distinct, like a dragon boat carved into a walnut. Zhang Yuanqing had good reason to choose an offensive item. Defensively, he possessed electromagnetic protection, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon shield, and the Purple Gold Shield, the last of which could trigger rule-based defense. It could weather a blow or two even from a Level 9 Dominator. Offensively, aside from the Blessing of the God of Light and the Thunder God Set, he had no means of subduing a Level 9 Dominator. Furthermore, the Blessing was a consumable, and the Thunder God Set had a time limit. "I want twenty more rounds, paid in cash," Zhang Yuanqing said. Master Xiahou produced two more boxes of ammunition. "Pay my eldest son on your way out." Stowing the two boxes, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Great-Uncle, do you have any way to enter the Sun dungeon? Scholars are learned and resourceful—surely you have better ideas than those low-intelligence Spirit Realm walkers." Master Xiahou glanced at him. "If Xiahou Aotian spoke half as well as you, he wouldn't be despised by everyone. But entering the Sun dungeon has nothing to do with intelligence; it's about power. Your chances of entering right now are zero, but you can wait—wait until the struggle for the Lord of the Sun concludes. If both Taiyin and Stars inflict mutual destruction and perish inside the dungeon, your chance will come. Alternatively, if either Taiyin or Stars falls, the demigods will inevitably fight over the authority. When that happens, you can demand an opportunity to become a demigod from them." Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred. *So this is why Uncle told me to proceed according to plan and advance to Level 9?* *And why Uncle chose to enter the Sun dungeon to join the demigod free-for-all!* Just like the battle for the Bright Compass back then, his uncle had exhausted his fortune to fight three opponents alone and seize the compass fragment. If either Taiyin or Stars truly fell, he could secure a share of demigod authority for his chosen successor, breaking open this deadlock. With this realization, Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts cleared. After paying the two hundred million balance, he left the Xiahou residence, crushed a teleportation jade talisman, and arrived once more in the Windy City of the Free Federation. He headed straight for Diana's office. His little aunt was organizing a meeting with the executives of the Association of God of Beauty. Seeing him appear out of thin air, she showed no surprise, smiling faintly. "You may all step outside for now." The alluring white women gathered their folders and filed out, casting flirtatious glances at Yuanshi Tianzun along the way. Once they were gone, Zhang Yuanqing said, "I want to enter another guild scenario. An S-rank one." A smile blossomed across Diana's exquisite face. "Has your Three Powers Pill been refined?" *Uncle tells you everything, yet he insists there's nothing between you two...* Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I evaluated it, and the Three Powers Pill alone isn't enough for me to break through to Level 9. I need the support of a high-difficulty dungeon." Diana thought for a few seconds before offering her suggestion: "My recommendation is to enter an A-rank dungeon; it's relatively safe. If you insist on an S-rank, then choose 'Birth of the Smoker.'" "That one, then!" Zhang Yuanqing said. Diana stood, walked to her desk, and sat before the computer. "Wait a moment. I'll notify the elders." A few seconds later, the Spirit Realm notification chimed beside Zhang Yuanqing's ears: [Ding! Spirit Realm map opening. Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. The Spirit Realm you are entering this time is "Shushan," ID: 21.] [Difficulty: S-rank] [Type: Solo (Death type)] [Main Quest: Dispel the Yin energy shrouding Shushan's main peak.] [Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in.] [Introduction to Spirit Realm No. 21: Ever since the Shushan Sect Master brought back a coffin, the mountain has been shrouded in bizarre anomalies. Seven days later, not a single living soul remained on Shushan—only the wailing of ghosts!] *Huh?* Zhang Yuanqing looked utterly bewildered. The Association of God of Beauty's guild scenario was Shushan?! The next second, it hit him. This wasn't the Association of God of Beauty's scenario. His first solo Day Wanderer dungeon since becoming a Dominator had arrived!