Chapter 126: The Spirit Realm Opens

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White Dragon, dressed in racing gear, stood on the steps, looking down at Zhang Yuanqing, and taunted, "If you manage to enter the S-level Spirit Realm again this time, you'll definitely be able to take down Li Xianzong when you come out."

Qing Teng rolled her eyes coquettishly, "Stop jinxing me!"

Zhang Yuanqing replied, "I asked Wang Tai, and he said that based on the collected big data, there haven't been three consecutive entries into S-level dungeons."

Big Muscle Man was surprised, "Is there such data? Why don't I know about it?"

Zhang Yuanqing replied, "It's publicly available data; you can check it anytime. Oh, you're a Fire Master, so it doesn't matter." He smiled politely.

Tang Guoqiang sighed, "It's a pity you didn't take down Li Xianzong last time at Pingtai Hospital. Yuanqi, be careful during this time. I have a feeling he's up to something. We'll intensify the search and try to deal with him for you, but you know, hunting Spirit Realm travelers in the vast sea of people is not an easy task."

Qing Teng kindly reminded, "Be cautious when coming and going these days, don't get followed."

After the incident with the missing team members, they were all in a bad mood. They exchanged a few words and then dispersed.

Zhang Yuanqing returned to the restaurant, continuing to eat voraciously. At this point, Guan Ya had eaten half of her steak and stopped, nibbling on a piece of melon.

"Aren't you going to finish your meal?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

Guan Ya smiled dreamily, "I didn't do much exercise, so I don't need to eat too much."

Zhang Yuanqing moved her half-eaten steak onto his plate without hesitation.

The mixed-race beauty didn't find it inappropriate and teased, "If this were Jingwei, she would definitely jump up and beat you to a pulp for stealing her food. Well, I'm going to enter a dungeon soon too, and it's a multiplayer Spirit Realm."

Zhang Yuanqing chewed on his steak and said, "Maybe we'll match into the same dungeon. If Wang Tai were here, he would say, 'According to data analysis, the probability of this happening is even lower than encountering a girl you like on the street who happens to like you.'"

Guan Ya blinked, "Isn't that even lower than hitting the nail on the head?"

Zhang Yuanqing continued to eat his meat.

In the same city Spirit Realm, the chances of matching are slightly higher, but with the number of Spirit Realm travelers and dungeons available, the probability of meeting someone you know in real life and both getting matched to the same Spirit Realm is very low. If it does happen, it's probably fate.

After lunch, Zhang Yuanqing put on a duckbill cap and a mask, disguised himself as Wang Tai, and left Fujiawang for a night stroll.

He ran several hundred meters in one breath, using Nightwalk twice in between before revealing his true form. Then, he rented a shared bicycle and leisurely rode home.

He hadn't been to school for a long time, so he asked some classmates to report on his behalf.

If it weren't for the difficulty in explaining things to his family, Zhang Yuanqing would have dropped out of school long ago.

"I'll quit school next year when I've saved up enough money. Grandpa and Grandma shouldn't object. They haven't supported me all these years anyway."

He thought as he pedaled the bicycle.

As for his mother's opinion, Zhang Yuanqing didn't care. After all, he hadn't taken her money in all these years.

Back home, he took a nap and woke up in the evening. On the bedroom floor, Zhang Yuanqing saw Little Joking carrying his uncle's wallet, crawling around.

Lately, his aunt had been washing her lingerie frequently, either hanging it on the balcony or storing it in the closet, places Little Joking couldn't reach yet. So, he settled for the next best thing and brought money to his master.

As usual, Zhang Yuanqing took out three red banknotes and then let Little Joking return the wallet.

During the wait for dinner, he played a game, and Little Joking lay on his head, holding a game controller in one hand, staring at the TV screen as if he were playing too.

Zhang Yuanqing absentmindedly played the game, recalling the dungeon strategies he had been researching during this time.

His goals for the near future were clear: practice martial arts, study strategies for multiplayer Spirit Realms in the Superordinary stage, be vigilant against Li Xianzong's tracking and hunting.

As dinner approached, he heard the sound of the security door opening, followed by his aunt's voice:

"Mom, I'm hungry. Is dinner ready?"

"Not yet, wait a little longer," Grandma's response faintly echoed.

After a dozen seconds, the bedroom door opened, and Jiang Yubaituo poked her head in, seeing her nephew playing a game. She happily closed the door and entered, saying, "Let's play together!"

Jiang Yubaituo sat down next to her nephew and casually took the controller from his head, asking, "Why are you putting the controller on your head?"

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing sensed "unhappiness" and "anger" emanating from Little Joking.

But after a few seconds, Little Joking forgave his aunt, slid down from Zhang Yuanqing's back, crawled toward her, and hugged her thigh, resting his head on her leg while watching the TV screen.

Even a baby spirit longed for motherly love, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but feel moved.

At this moment, his aunt lowered her voice and said sneakily,

"I've been thinking about something recently."

"What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing focused on the screen, manipulating the controller.

"Your superpower is invisibility, right? You suddenly appeared in front of me that day."

"Sort of," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

"I just suddenly wondered," his aunt said while controlling the game, "Did you steal my underwear?"

Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit uncomfortable and turned to look at her, angrily saying, "How could you accuse me like that? I'm a top agent of the superpower special forces, a symbol of justice and righteousness. How could I stoop to the level of stealing my own aunt's underwear?"

His tone was extremely serious, as if deeply insulted.

Besides, why would I need to be invisible to steal your underwear?

His aunt glanced at him and said, "Oh, I must have been mistaken. My apologies."

Suddenly, she dropped the controller and pounced on Zhang Yuanqing's wardrobe.

"!!!"

Zhang Yuanqing displayed agility sharper than during his combat training. He kicked her, toppling her to the ground.

Jiang Yubaituo landed with a slap.

The two wrestled for a while, and eventually, Jiang Yubaituo gave in, saying, "I guessed right after all; it's you, the disrespectful brat, who stole my underwear."

She shouted, "Mom, Yuanshi stole my... sniffle."

Zhang Yuanqing covered her mouth and said, "It really wasn't me who stole them. Anyway, what do you want? Just say it."

Jiang Yubaituo sniffled twice and nodded.

Zhang Yuanqing released her hand.

"You should tell me more about superpowered individuals. Give me back my underwear. From now on, when we go shopping, you'll foot the bill. Aunt has been buying things for you for so many years; it's time to repay me."

"You've been eyeing my savings for a long time, haven't you? You're quite the elder, aren't you?"

"Are you being a good junior?"

After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing practiced martial arts for half an hour barefoot in his bedroom, then lay on the bed without washing his feet.

He summoned Little Joking and said, "Don't steal her underwear anymore, or I'll give you a spanking."

Little Joking crawled around on the bed, not knowing if he understood.

At this moment, Xie Lingxi called him. He paused his lecture to the child and picked up his phone.

"Yuanshi, it's been almost a month since we came out of the Jinshui Amusement Park. Are you going into the Spirit Realm soon?" Xie Lingxi's voice was crisp and pleasant. "I want to enter the Spirit Realm too, but unfortunately, the next dungeon is exclusive to Musicians."

"In the near future, probably today or maybe not. I've been studying dungeon strategies recently," Zhang Yuanqing casually replied, then asked, "How did the Chief treat you that day?"

Xie Lingxi said in a pitiful tone, "She hung me up and left me hanging for hours. But she went to the Northern Territory for something and won't be back for a short while."

"What is she doing in the Northern Territory?"

"Oh, she found clues about the massacre of the Chu family years ago. Recently, it seems like she's killed quite a few of the Bishop's followers. I hope she doesn't run into a Heavenly King-level powerhouse."

Although she was often bullied by the Chief, Xie Lingxi's concern was genuine.

"How terrifying are Heavenly Kings?"

"The Bishop is a Heavenly King, and his counterpart in the Five Elements Alliance is the Elder. Each Heavenly King is a formidable figure. From what I know, in the past few decades, only two or three Heavenly Kings who were officially besieged by the authorities have died, while more have died during Spirit Realm missions." Xie Lingxi's tone became involuntarily serious. "The strongest Heavenly King of the Bishop is known as the 'Dreadful Heavenly King.' I heard from our ancestors that even if he encounters the Alliance Master, the Dreadful Heavenly King can still come out unscathed."

Zhang Yuanqing mumbled to himself, "I remember Li Xianzong is the right-hand man of the Eye of Evil Heavenly King. How about this Heavenly King?"

His current clearance level still couldn't access information on "Heavenly King-level" powerhouses.

"Um," Xie Lingxi thought for a moment, not too sure, and said, "The Eye of Evil Heavenly King has a nickname, the 'Indignant Heavenly King,' I think. Yuanshi, I don't really know much else."

"Are you worried that if you kill Li Xianzong, this Heavenly King will come after you? How about this, I'll ask our ancestors later, and if you really want, I'll make a fuss and get you the information."

After expressing his thanks, Zhang Yuanqing ended the call.

He hoped that the third Spirit Realm would come soon so he could enhance his abilities. He couldn't remain passive like this. Zhang Yuanqing covered himself with the air-conditioned quilt, preparing to drift off to sleep.

Suddenly, he was awakened by a faint "sizzle" sound.

Zhang Yuanqing knew that the Cat King Speaker was about to play audio again. After several days of silence, it finally had some activity.

In recent times, he hadn't dared to carry the Cat King Speaker with him because this item would play music uncontrollably, often offending people. For instance, someone once commented that he always acted weak and cowardly.

He placed the Cat King Speaker on his desk, ready for any nighttime adventures, in case it suddenly played the process of the Demon King seducing women.

The "sizzle" sound soon stopped, followed by a low, hoarse voice.

"I heard from a senior that the Fallen Holy Grail can distort a person's mind, awakening their inner evil thoughts. The longer it's used, the less one becomes like themselves. No, it's about completely unleashing oneself."

"Cat King Speaker, you're the first item I obtained. You should record my words and experiences. If I ever lose myself, I can use you to find my former self."

At this point, the Demon King had likely been under the control of the Judge of Deception for a short while, and his mentality hadn't completely twisted yet. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but reflect on the later version of the Demon King, feeling a sense of melancholy.

The Demon King was a Night Roaming God, which belonged to the Lawful class. According to the selection mechanism of the Spirit Realm, anyone who could become a Lawful class wasn't a complete villain.

"The faction token is a great item. If I can build my own team, my chances of hunting down the Judge of Deception will be higher. Unfortunately, I missed an opportunity to obtain the faction token."

"I'm becoming more and more isolated, more and more distrustful of strangers. This won't work for obtaining faction tokens in combat-type dungeons. Even if I clear them, it won't count. I must become a leader and make my teammates trust me."

The hoarse voice of the Demon King continued, "Today, I cleared the dungeon in the Yin-Yang Town, Spirit Realm number 2273. I reviewed the details of the Spirit Realm and found that I missed a hidden quest. If I could resist the allure of beauty and murder, I might have triggered the hidden quest and obtained the item left by the Yin-Yang Hermit. Unfortunately, once you enter a Spirit Realm, you can't enter a second time."

2273, Yin-Yang Town, Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and recalled the relevant information about this Spirit Realm. It was a constantly changing multiplayer competitive dungeon, ranked A, usually involving battles between Lawful and Evil factions.

In the official database, there were about seventy to eighty guides for Spirit Realm 2273, but each one had different strategies. It was a very mysterious and highly challenging dungeon.

Of course, A-rank dungeons were expected to be difficult.

At this point, the "sizzle" of electrical current replaced the Demon King's monologue. After a few seconds, a new message rang out.

"Hey, today I hooked up with a field agent of the Goddess Association here on the mainland. Her name is Dael, a Level 4 Saint, and a tempting beauty. She has eyes as blue as the sea, beautiful golden hair, and a perfect figure. Her butt is the largest I've ever seen in a woman."

"She told me that the Spirit Realms are divided into three major regions, each with its respective Lawful and Evil factions. Spirit Realm travelers from the three regions won't encounter each other inside the dungeons."

"This is strange. Why are the Spirit Realms divided into three regions, and why specifically three regions? It makes me doubt that the Spirit Realms aren't purely supernatural phenomena. Furthermore, although Spirit Realm travelers from the three major regions don't meet inside the dungeons, in reality, all official organizations are allied, at the very least, on friendly terms."

"This makes it almost impossible for Evil organizations to unite with foreign official organizations to oppose the local Lawful factions."

"Dael also said that the Night Roaming God profession is special, but she doesn't know why. The President of the Goddess Association once ordered her to recruit Night Roaming Gods as much as possible."

"She invited me to her room tonight to have drinks and chat. I understood her implication, and I saw desire in her eyes. She wants me to sleep with her."

The message ended, and the sizzle replaced the Demon King's "monologue."

Zhang Yuanqing gradually understood that women with the Love and Lust profession possessed a skill that forced men who slept with them to fulfill one request. The young Demon King didn't know this, and he had fallen into a pit.

The message showed that he was young and inexperienced, not aware of the complexities involved.

As Zhang Yuanqing was pondering this, the Demon King's voice rang out again. This time, his tone was filled with anger and frustration.

"Damn it! I shouldn't have slept with Dael."

"Never sleep with women from the Goddess Association, damn it, never!"

"Huh? Weren't you craving Dael earlier? Didn't you say her butt was the largest you'd ever seen?" Zhang Yuanqing was puzzled, not understanding why the Demon King's attitude changed so suddenly.

Was it because she had an even larger one?

Moreover, you didn't stop there. You later slept with another woman from the Goddess Association and kept going back for more, even calling her an irresistible beauty.

The Demon King's voice came in angrily through the loudspeaker, "Sleeping with her once obligates me to fulfill one request? What a damn skill! Is the Love and Lust profession just a bunch of prostitutes in the Spirit Realm? I absolutely refuse to pay any whoring fee, and I will not agree to whatever she wants. Damn it, damn it!"

Zhang Yuanqing gradually understood that women of the Love and Lust profession had a skill that allowed them to forcefully demand payment for their services from those who slept with them.

The Demon King's message ended with his angry cursing, and there were no further sounds.

Zhang Yuanqing put away the Cat King Speaker and went back to sleep.

In a daze, he woke up again, but this time, it wasn't the Cat King Speaker that woke him up; it was the familiar sound of the Spirit Realm notification in his ear.

"Ding, the Spirit Realm map is opening. You will enter the Spirit Realm in 60 seconds. This time, you will enter the Spirit Realm of Yin-Yang Town, number 2273."

"Difficulty Level: A"

"Type: Multiplayer (Death)"

"Main Mission: Reach the central square of Yin-Yang Town and defeat the enemies."

"Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in."

"Spirit Realm 2273 Introduction: It is said that the founder of Yin-Yang Town was an accomplished practitioner known as the Yin-Yang Hermit. In his later years, seeking a breakthrough, he established Yin-Yang Town in an attempt to comprehend the grand dao and achieve immortality. Unfortunately, he ultimately failed."

In her apartment, Gwan Aya, wearing a pink t-shirt and soft sports pants, lay on her side in bed, breathing evenly. As an experienced Spirit Realm traveler, she knew not to wear revealing, silk nightwear before entering a mission. You never knew when the Spirit Realm might arrive at night, and entering a Spirit Realm in such attire would be a disaster,  especially given her awareness of her own beauty.

So, for the past few days, Gwan Aya had only taken off her shoes when sleeping, not bothering with nightgowns.

Suddenly, she woke up from her sleep, hearing the familiar sound of the Spirit Realm notification:

"Ding, the Spirit Realm map is opening. You will enter the Spirit Realm in 60 seconds. This time, you will enter the Spirit Realm of Yin-Yang Town, number 2273."

"Yin-Yang Town? An A-rank mission. This is going to be troublesome," Gwan Aya frowned, picked up her phone from under her pillow, and prepared to report to Li Dongze.

In the hotel room, the curtains were tightly closed, and Li Xianzong, half-awake, opened his eyes to the sound of the Spirit Realm notification:

"Ding, the Spirit Realm map is opening. You will enter the Spirit Realm in 60 seconds. This time, you will enter the Spirit Realm of Yin-Yang Town, number 2273."

"Yin-Yang Town, an A-rank Spirit Realm. It seems that fate wants me to significantly increase my strength before a large-scale slaughter mission."

(End of this chapter)

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PS. Queen Taylor wants to say 'Hi' 

can't get over with Eras Tour!