Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 13: Returning to the Mountain God Temple

“That terrifying Mountain God Temple...” Zhang Yuanqing leaned back, resting his entire weight against the chair’s backrest. He closed his eyes and, combining the information from the materials with his own firsthand experiences and the insights gained from playing the game, analyzed the Mountain God’s Temple in search of patterns. “The shoulder-clinging vengeful spirit can be banished with candlelight. Each banishment grants a fifteen-minute safety window, and you won’t take damage immediately after it latches onto your shoulder...” “Be careful of the locust tree in the eastern courtyard—you must not look back. Why can’t you look back? Under what circumstances is it forbidden? What happens if you do look back? Why doesn’t the documentation explain this clearly?” “We can’t say for sure yet whether the roar has anything to do with the locust tree. If it doesn’t, that adds another layer of danger. So, are those red dancing shoes actually props? Rule-based props—that sounds pretty high-class.” As it stands now, it’s highly likely that the construction crew members were trampled to death by the Red Dance Shoes, their bones crushed to pieces. “Even though I’ve picked up a bit of dancing thanks to my uncle’s training, if even a Level 1 Night Wanderer can’t handle it, there’s no way a kid like me could… If my uncle had run into the Red Dance Shoes, he’d probably have danced until the end of time…” This kind of thing should be left to my unreliable uncle—after all, he’s never done anything serious in his life; all he loves is singing, dancing, and rapping. Wait a minute! Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes suddenly lit up. According to the records, the fundamental reason for that Night Wanderer’s failure—aside from a lack of dance experience—was, most crucially, an inability to remember the complex and chaotic dance steps. That likely goes beyond the limits of what an ordinary person can memorize quickly. But he didn’t have that problem. As long as he pushed himself to the limit—causing his old condition to flare up and putting his brain into an overloaded state—everything he’d ever seen or heard would replay in his mind. Moreover, in an overloaded state, his brain’s control over his body far exceeded that of an ordinary person, so performing high-intensity movements would be no problem. “The problem is that only items from the Spirit Realm can be brought in. I might not be able to bring my medicine with me. Once my old condition flares up, without medication to suppress it, I don’t know what will happen to me.” There’s no need to overthink this on my own—I should just ask directly. Otherwise, what’s the point of joining an official organization? Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his phone, opened his call history, and dialed Guan Ya’s number. After a few rings, the call connected. “Have you gone through the materials?” Guan Ya was just about to rest. She was a woman who took good care of herself; she absolutely avoided staying up late and hated being disturbed while sleeping. But she was very tolerant of Zhang Yuanqing—who could bear to speak harshly to a boy with not much time left to live? Besides, he was handsome and had a pleasant voice. “I’ve finished reading them, but there are a few parts I don’t quite understand,” Zhang Yuanqing asked. “What are ‘rule-based’ items?” Guan Ya explained, “There are many types of items in the Spirit Realm, each with different functions. Our official organization has categorized them into three major types based on their characteristics: Cost-based, Rule-based, and a third type that’s not entirely clear—my rank isn’t high enough to access that information.” At this point, she added with a smile, “Rule-based and cost-based items are generally considered equal—after all, their functions vary, so they can’t be measured by a single standard. But one thing is universally acknowledged: rule-based items are more troublesome to handle and far rarer; every single one is worth a fortune.” She paused for a moment, then continued “The method for dealing with rule-based items isn’t a secret within official organizations: you must identify its patterns and decipher its rules. The incident mentioned in the documents—the Red Dancing Shoes inviting someone to dance—likely aligns with its rules. “If you can accept its invitation, there’s a certain probability of taming this rule-based artifact. Of course, it’s only a certain probability. It depends on many factors—such as whether it’s willing, or whether it’s ownerless, and so on.” “But just think of taming rule-based artifacts as a pipe dream—don’t take it too seriously…” she thought to herself. Zhang Yuanqing listened patiently and then asked, “One more thing—can I bring medicine into the Spirit Realm?” “Apart from regular clothing, the vast majority of items from the real world cannot be brought into the Spirit Realm. Medicines are allowed, but they must already have been ingested.” “What about holding them in your mouth?” “Well…” Guan Ya couldn’t answer that. Looks like I’ll just have to try it myself... Zhang Yuanqing said “I have no further questions. Thank you.” Guan Ya gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and smiled “Take care, little boy. By the way, today’s a lucky day for Scorpios.” Huh? Before Zhang Yuanqing could react, the call had already ended. He put down his phone and glanced at the time—it was already the early hours of the morning. Tomorrow morning, he would enter the Spirit Realm once again. The next day. Leaning on his cane and wearing a pair of gleaming leather shoes, Li Dongze entered the glass building behind the police station. As a high-ranking official not required to clock in, he was in the habit of arriving an hour late for work; sometimes he simply didn’t show up at all, living off the public payroll while slacking off, free and unrestrained. He was equally lax in managing the Spirit Realm practitioners under his command, letting them do as they pleased. First, aside from Guan Ya, none of them were members of the White Tiger Corps—they followed orders but not summons. Second, the death rate in Spirit Realm Walkers’ dungeons was extremely high; there was always a chance they might never make it out once they entered the Spirit Realm. Life is short; seize the day. Li Dongze arrived on the second floor and habitually scanned the office area. Beside the empty desks sat only Guan Ya, working diligently, and Wang Tai, researching and writing his thesis. “Guan Ya, did you give him the materials?” “I did.” Li Dongze nodded, said nothing, and turned to enter the luxurious office. Guan Ya didn’t pursue the topic either and lowered her head. Once inside, Li Dongze walked over to the liquor cabinet, poured himself a glass of vodka, squeezed in some lime juice, and took a big gulp. Just then, his phone went “ding.” He set down his glass, leaned back in the armchair, and opened his phone. Someone had tagged him in a group chat called “Kangyang District Spirit Realm Walkers Management Group.” Songhai City, a major metropolis, was divided into sixteen districts, each with ten teams of Spirit Realm Walkers led by a team captain. Li Dongze was the captain of the Second Squad; in the White Tiger Corps’ hierarchy, this rank was equivalent to a squad leader. The captains’ immediate superiors were the Stewards; there were three Stewards in the Kangyang District. Above the Stewards are the Elders, who typically do not get involved in day-to-day affairs; Spirit Realm Walkers of this rank are as elusive as a dragon—seen only in passing. Above the Council of Elders stand the Five Alliance Leaders—the supreme leaders of the Five Elements Alliance. The five Alliance Leaders are legendary figures whom Li Dongze has never met; he only knows that the Marshal of his own White Tiger Corps and the Palace Mistress of the Water God Palace are both women. Behind closed doors, the Five Elements Alliance hails these two Alliance Masters as the “Unparalleled Twin Beauties.” The “Kangyang District Spirit Realm Practitioners Management Group” consists of fourteen members in total: ten squad leaders, three stewards, and one Night Wanderer squad leader from the Taiyi Sect. Big Muscle Boss: “@Li Dongze, I heard you recruited a Night Wanderer?” How did he find out... Li Dongze furrowed his brow and replied “None of your damn business!” In the Five Elements, Fire overcomes Metal. Scouts from the White Tiger Army generally dislike the Fire Masters of the Red Fire Gang, finding them rude, hot-tempered, and impulsive. What? Li Dongze recruited a Night Wanderer?! The squad leaders in the group chat perked up like sharks that had caught the scent of blood. Qing Teng: “A Night Wanderer? Where has Squad Leader Li been burning incense and praying lately that he managed to recruit a Night Wanderer? I’m jealous.” White Dragon: “In the whole of Songhai City, excluding independent cultivators, there aren’t even ten official Night Wanderers, right? And they’re all from the Taiyi Sect.” Shuishangpiao: “Li Dongze, what kind of crazy luck did you step into? It’s making me so jealous I could die.” Three captain-level figures popped up all at once. [Tang Guoqiang sent a red envelope] The red envelope was snatched up in an instant. Li Dongze instinctively grabbed a red envelope and discovered that everyone else had received over a hundred, while he had only gotten a little over one yuan. Tang Guoqiang: “Squad Leader Li’s got some good luck.” The comments section was flooded with “Thank you, boss” emojis. Tang Guoqiang is not only a team leader but also the CEO of a construction company. He’s a wealthy man who doesn’t say much, but he’s quick to send red envelopes at the drop of a hat. Even this big boss chimed in because of the discussion about the Night Wanderer. Fist King: “What kind of memory do you guys have? Have you forgotten the agreement between the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect? Any Night Wanderers we recruit must be given priority for admission into the Taiyi Sect.” White Dragon: “Brother Fist, you’re the one with a bad memory. Have you forgotten about our Captain Fu? Given his ties to the Taiyi Sect, keeping one Night Wanderer shouldn’t be a problem.” The Fist King fell silent. The team captains who had chimed in were green with envy. Whether in terms of scarcity or professional potential, the Night Wanderer far surpassed other classes; if trained well, they would become valuable assets in the future. Qing Teng: “By the way, our Kangyang District Spirit Realm Walkers team hasn’t had a team-building event in a long time. Why don’t we set a date and get everyone together?” White Dragon: “Ooh, ooh, is that flirt from the Hundred Flowers Society trying to seduce someone again? But I’ve got no objections.” Shuishangpiao: “I’m not out on a boat right now, so getting together sounds good. Squad Leader Li, I’ve been wanting to grab a drink with you for ages. And by the way, invite that Night Wanderer along too.” Tang Guoqiang: “The team-building idea is great—let’s all get together. Since Li Dongze snatched my red envelope, consider this your agreement.” Li Dongze’s mouth twitched. He was already in a bad mood, so he sent a furious message “I see shamelessness, greed, and the sinister intent to poach people between the lines of your messages. I must have been cursed by the Spiritual Energy Association lately—bad luck just won’t leave me alone.” Big Muscle: “Are you just being a show-off?” Water Drifter: “I’d love to have that kind of bad luck.” Just then, the Night Wanderer from the Taiyi Sect chimed in. Yuan Ting “That Night Wanderer—we at the Taiyi Sect don’t want him. Have you forgotten? Qingming Festival just passed not long ago.” Qing Teng: “What do you mean?” Yuan Ting: “The Night Wanderer recruited by Li Dongze—his trial mission was the Sheling Tunnel.” The group chat fell instantly silent. Although they weren’t Night Wanderers themselves, as official Spirit Realm Walkers native to Songhai City, they knew a thing or two about the infamous Sheling Tunnel. Bai Long: “We can’t be that unlucky, can we?” Yuan Ting: “To save that poor guy, Captain Fu specifically asked our Elder Sun yesterday for detailed information on the Sheling Tunnel.” Big Muscle: “Uh… is there even a point in trying to save him? No rookie has made it through the Sheling Tunnel since the last century. You’re really in for it, Li Dongze. I can just imagine the look on your face when you found out the trial realm for the recruitment candidate was the Sheling Tunnel.” Fire Masters have always been blunt. You want to fight?! Li Dongze, sitting at his desk, almost grabbed his cane and stormed out of the office to take this guy on one-on-one. He quickly took a deep breath, repeating to himself over and over: Stay calm, stay calm..... Shuishangpiao: “I just got a last-minute order—I have to go out to sea this month, so let’s just forget about the team-building event.” Tang Guoqiang: “That’s a shame.” Qing Teng: “Got it. Poor newbie.” The “outspoken” muscle-bound firefighter from Normal University tagged Li Dongze again “You made Captain Fu waste a favor on you—did he give you a piece of his mind?” Li Dongze: “Shut up. One more word, and I’ll head to the gym right now and smash your damn head in.” He really had to rub salt in the wound. After all, the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance are two separate organizations; they don’t share intelligence with each other. For Captain Fu (the Steward) to obtain intelligence from the Taiyi Sect, he had to use up a favor. Big Muscle: “You can’t beat me anyway.” The other squad leaders didn’t respond; they seemed to have lost interest in the matter. Just then, Fu Qingyang, one of the Three Elders, sent a message “Are you guys that bored? Do you need to be sent back to boot camp for intensive training?” Li Dongze and Big Muscle immediately fell silent. A few seconds later, Fu Qingyang sent another message “Now that you’ve joined the ranks, you’re under my command. The White Tiger Corps never abandons a single comrade—that’s our creed, regardless of value.” Li Dongze sighed. He had indeed botched this matter. Centurion Fu might not say anything, but who knew if he’d taken it against him. At 10:30 a. m. , Zhang Yuanqing locked his door, tied his shoelaces, and drank two large glasses of water. Then, he unscrewed the bottle and placed five small blue pills in his mouth. Next, he lay down on the bed and waited silently for the Spiritual Realm to open. Time ticked by, second by second. About ten minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice echoing in his mind [Spirit Realm opening... ] [Ding, the Spirit Realm map has loaded. Welcome to “Night Wanderer—Sheling Tunnel,” ID: 0079. ] [Difficulty Level: S] [Type: Single-player (Death Mode)] [Main Quest 1: Survive for three hours (Completed). ] [Main Quest 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079. Current Exploration Progress: 20%] [Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in. ] [Good luck, Yuanshi Tianzun! ] The ceiling began to warp, resembling the surface of water ruffled by the wind. When the scene stabilized, Zhang Yuanqing found himself bathed in the dim candlelight of the main hall.