Chapter 12: She Ling Tunnel Detailed Information

 Chapter 12:  She Ling Tunnel Detailed Information

After Zhang Yuanclear's cousin finished his porridge and went to work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and took a nap.

Waking up from a nap, the ears were filled with dynamic sound effects. Opening the eyes, the room was illuminated by the flickering glow of a television screen; the ceiling light was off.

He sat up and looked towards the window. His cousin was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, playing with his PS5. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and tender arms, swaying her body left and right as she manipulated the game controller.

Yawning, Zhang Yuanqing got up, turned on the lights, and went behind his cousin to watch her play the game. She was playing a horror game with a gloomy art style and eerie music. The protagonist was an ugly little character carrying a bloody axe, slashing through levels and making blood splatter everywhere.

The fluorescent light from the TV reflected in her bright, watery eyes, adding a touch of excitement to her round, egg-shaped face.

"This game is good; it's perfect for playing at night. Quite therapeutic," said the cousin without even turning her head.

Zhang Yuanqing, feeling somewhat uneasy, reluctantly agreed, "Yeah, it's quite interesting."

His cousin turned her head back and glared at him, saying, "Why are you pretending to agree with me?"

She then turned back to continue playing the game and added, "Actually, this is a healing game. The ghosts and monsters in the game are all imagined by a little boy. He is a mental patient struggling not to be devoured by his inner demons. He fights hard, kills his way out, and finally finds the light. The ending is very touching."

As she spoke, Zhang Yuanqing had already poured himself a glass of water and responded while drinking, "The concept is good."

His cousin nodded twice and continued, "Each boss has a specific pattern to uncover. Even a little boy, as long as he pays close attention and observes, can defeat terrifying demons. However, the horrifying visuals and music often instill fear in people, causing them to lose their calm judgment."

"You should play too," she said.

Zhang Yuanqing wasn't in the mood to play games with his cousin. It had been almost 20 hours since he left the spiritual realm, and in about ten more hours, the realm would open again, and what awaited him might be death.

He thought it would be better to spend the last few hours of his life doing something meaningful, so as not to leave any regrets. Should he call his mother and scold her? Should he hug his cousin and cry? Should he spend the final moments rapping with his uncle?

Suddenly, he realized that he didn't have any particularly regretful moments or unfulfilled desires. As a college student from a relatively comfortable family, he didn't have too many worries in life.

Only those who have experienced life's vicissitudes have many regrets they cannot let go of.

"Come on, play with me!" His cousin swayed her waist and coaxed.

Looking at her lovely figure, Zhang Yuanqing's expression softened. He sat down beside his cousin and took the controller from her hand. If there were only a few hours left in his life, playing one more game with her wouldn't be so bad.

With his cousin munching on potato chips and giving lively instructions, Zhang Yuanqing successfully cleared the game. When he checked the time, he realized it was already 11 o'clock at night.

"Not bad, not bad, you're quite talented," his cousin praised, licking her fair fingers and patting his shoulder, inadvertently leaving some saliva on him.

"Yuck, gross, you're so dirty," Zhang Yuanqing said, looking disgusted.

"Pff, this is ambrosia, don't be ungrateful for the good fortune you're in," Jiang Yuer said shamelessly.

"Ambrosia? How much does it cost per pound?" Zhang Yuanqing snorted.

"I won't sell it at any price, but I can give you a few drops," Jiang Yuer pouted, looking like she was going to wipe her saliva on Zhang Yuanqing.

He leaned back and dodged.

Click! The doorknob turned, and their grandmother stood at the door, frowning as she looked at the two of them.

Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yuer immediately sat up straight, pretending to be well-behaved.

"Are you going to eat dinner or not? Sleeping during the day and playing games when you wake up? Do you think you're becoming immortal by acting like a human who wants to ascend to the heavens?" scolded the grandmother.

Zhang Yuanqing put down the controller. "Got it, I'll have dinner right away," he said.

His grandmother shot a cold glance at her daughter, and his cousin slinked back to her room dejectedly.

...

The dinner was kept warm all the time, and his grandmother reheated the cold dishes. Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly filled his stomach and returned to his room. He summoned his inventory and confirmed that the Corpse-Sealing Talisman was still there. He then examined his attribute panel.

While praying for good news from Li Dongze, Zhang Yuanqing also pondered about the details of the Mountain God's Temple.

During the game with his cousin, he had gained some new insights. If the spiritual realm was also a game, would there be rules to follow? If he could find those rules, even as a physically weak little boy, he might be able to successfully clear the trial.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, a jarring ringtone startled Zhang Yuanqing, causing his heart to skip a beat. He picked up the phone from the bedside table; it was an unknown number, and he answered the call.

"Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?" a sexy voice came from the speaker, and Zhang Yuanqing's face lit up with joy. He quickly asked, "Did you get the information about the She Ling Tunnel?"

Ye Hang's voice came through the phone, "The Captain has obtained more detailed information, and he asked me to send it to your email. I know young people rarely check their emails, so I thought of giving you a call."

Truly official business. Joining the official side was the right choice... Zhang Yuanqing's mood instantly brightened. He resisted the urge to rush to the computer to check the email and sincerely said, "Please thank Captain Li and thank you, Sister Ye. When I successfully complete the trial, I'll treat you both to a meal."

Successfully complete the trial... Ye Hang sighed inwardly. After a moment of hesitation, her voice softened, "Sure, we'll wait for you."

She had already seen the information sent by the Taiyi Sect. After reading it, she could only feel coldness and despair. No wonder Captain Li had been gloomy all day long. In his heart, this newly recruited Night Roaming God, Zhang Yuanqing, was probably going to meet his end in the trial.

After ending the call, Zhang Yuanqing pulled the ergonomic chair and eagerly started his laptop, logging into his email. He found the email sent by Ye Hang amidst the clutter of unread messages. He downloaded the attached document.

...

【She Ling Tunnel, Spiritual Realm No. 0079, Difficulty Level: S, Type: Single-player (Death-type)】

【Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours.】

【Main Mission 2: Explore the No. 0079 Spiritual Realm.】

Similar to my trial... Zhang Yuanqing's spirits lifted. This was a good sign; the more the content matched his trial, the better.

【The No. 0079 Spiritual Realm scene is not the She Ling Tunnel but an ancient temple from the Ming Dynasty called San Dao Shan Niangniang Temple.】

【Based on my speculation, this Niangniang (Goddess) is probably an extremely powerful Night Roaming God, no, maybe we can't even call her a Night Roaming God anymore. It's still uncertain whether there was such a peerless Goddess in the Ming Dynasty, or it might be entirely fictional in the Spiritual Realm.】

Then there was a lengthy description of the deeds of San Dao Shan Niangniang, which matched what Zhang Yuanqing had seen in the temple.

Continuing to read:

【The task of surviving for three hours is relatively simple. At first, after watching the note's content, I encountered a vengeful spirit. Its characteristic is to continuously drain the life force (yang energy) of a living being until the target dies.】

【Night Roaming Gods have a natural suppression on spirits, and I expelled it without much effort. However, when I tried to devour it, I encountered significant obstacles. This might be the Spiritual Realm's protection for the vengeful spirits.】

【Anyone who has seen the notes will be cursed and haunted by the vengeful spirit without end. Any method to drive it away is only temporary. Expelling the vengeful spirit once will give you about 15 minutes of safety.】

【It's worth mentioning that the main hall in San Dao Shan Temple is a very powerful prop, with the ability to suppress and purify evil. As long as you stay inside the main hall, it means safety. However, the cost is that the candles in the main hall will eliminate fear from one's heart. Prolonged exposure to the candlelight will make one fearless, which is lethal in such a dangerous Spiritual Realm. Additionally, the candles cannot be moved or taken out of the Spiritual Realm.】

【After staying in the main hall for half an hour, I suddenly heard a cry for help coming from the backyard, mixed with chilling roars that didn't sound like they came from living creatures. After hesitating for a while, I decided to explore the backyard.】

The main hall indeed served as a safe haven; Zhang Yuanqing confirmed it from his own experience. However, he didn't expect the reason behind its safety to be the candles; he had thought it was because of the beautiful Mountain Goddess.

The cries for help came from the large banyan tree, but he didn't hear the roars. The eastern courtyard seemed truly terrifying... Zhang Yuanqing's heart shuddered, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Taking a deep breath, he focused on reading further; the information about the other courtyard was crucial. Knowing its details in advance would allow him to avoid danger during his exploration.

【The large banyan tree is very dangerous, don't look back, don't look back...】

【This banyan tree seems to have consciousness, but why would it cry for help? As for the terrifying roars, I didn't find their source because they interrupted my exploration. It was a pair of... red dancing shoes.】

【It didn't attack me immediately but invited me to dance. Out of curiosity, I accepted its invitation...】

【I couldn't remember its dance steps at all; they were too chaotic and complicated. For someone without dance experience like me, it was an impossible request, and even someone with dance experience couldn't possibly remember those steps. I failed, and the red dancing shoes began to chase after me.】

【I managed to escape back to the main hall safely, but it broke two of my ribs. I think I've seen through its true nature; it's an extremely terrifying prop. Its tracking ability ignores terrain and obstacles, and it won't give up until it achieves its goal. Preliminary speculation is that it's a rule-type prop.】

【Unbelievable, there's actually a rule-type prop in this trial's spiritual realm. Now I understand why Qian Shouming carried a prop but still died in the Mountain God's Temple. I also know why no one has ever cleared this spiritual realm. It's a joke; those who can enter the She Ling Tunnel are either level 1 early-stage Night Roaming Gods or ordinary people. How could they possibly clear it?】

【I currently don't know the reason behind the decline of the Mountain God's Temple or the secret that involves its thousand-year rise and fall. I hope to successfully complete the second main mission and bring back the truth for the organization.】

The information ends here, with no follow-up. Zhang Yuanqing knows that this Night Roaming God most likely died during the second main mission.