Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 21: Different

Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, there were two loud knocks on the office door. The three of them looked up to see Wang Tai standing in the doorway, holding his laptop, and saying “Can I come in and listen?” After saying that, he remained silent, waiting for a response. Li Dongze paused for a moment, then nodded and said “Come on in. While you’re at it, help Yuanshi finish that strategy report.” Wang Tai breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t one to seek out the limelight, but the S-rank Sheling Tunnel—a glitch within the Night Wanderer’s Trial Realm—was such an intriguing subject that he simply couldn’t resist the temptation to listen in. Zhang Yuanqing paused to consider his words. Once Wang Tai had taken his seat, he began to recount his experiences in the Mountain God’s Temple in detail. He omitted the specifics of the Demon-Subduing Mace’s functions, simply describing it as an item capable of countering Yin entities. As for the Red Dancing Shoes, he similarly glossed over the details, explaining that he had been trained by his uncle since childhood and was proficient in singing, dancing, and rapping, with a phenomenal memory—which is why he had barely managed to figure out the rules of the Red Dancing Shoes. Of course, he also omitted the matter of the character card’s exclusive reward, as that would reveal that he had obtained the Red Dance Shoes. Withholding certain key details was a tip he’d received from Guan Ya. Rule-based items are exceptionally valuable; while it’s unlikely the Five Elements Alliance would trade an item for just 500 yuan and a small silk banner, you still have to be on guard. As for the revival of the Goddess of San Dao Mountain, he planned to bring that up separately later for a thorough discussion. Throughout this, Wang Tai listened while rapidly typing away to take notes. Li Dongze listened patiently until the end, then ran his fingers over the handle of his cane and said “That item that counters Yin entities must be a reward for clearing the level, and it’s definitely a high-level item.” Guan Ya quickly laughed and said “You little rascal, this is an S-rank trial mission—there’s no way it would only reward a little experience.” She was teaching Zhang Yuanqing a lesson: when lying, mix nine truths with one falsehood—don’t go overboard. Zhang Yuanqing’s smile didn’t waver: “Oh, I forgot to mention the item. That item is indeed the reward for clearing the trial.” He didn’t bat an eye. Li Dongze didn’t think much of it and continued “It looks like the difficulty level of the Sheling Tunnel is going to be lowered.” “Why do you say that?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, puzzled. Li Dongze explained patiently “We joke that the Spirit Realm is a game, but jokes are just jokes. In the Spirit Realm, items are extremely rare, and each one is unique—they cannot be replicated. “Since you’ve brought that item out, the part where you have to kill the tree demon might disappear in the future, so the difficulty of the Sheling Tunnel will naturally decrease.” While Li Dongze was taking a sip of his drink, Guan Ya added “Let me tell you a bit about Spirit Realm dungeons. They’re constantly adjusting. For example, if you clear the Mountain God’s Temple and take an item from it, its difficulty will inevitably drop. Or, if you die in the Spirit Realm and your item is acquired by one of its entities, making it even more powerful, the Spirit Realm’s difficulty will increase—the Red Dancing Shoes are the best example of this. “One more thing: even within the same Spirit Realm, the quests you receive vary depending on your level. I once entered a wilderness survival-style Spirit Realm. I’d read the guide beforehand, and in that instance, the veteran player was a hunter whose mission was to hunt down nine criminals in the jungle. But when I entered the Spirit Realm, I discovered I was just one of the nine criminals, and my objective was to survive for 36 hours—this was because my level was lower than that veteran’s. So, guides should only be used as a reference to help us understand the dungeon and be aware of some basic information and dangers.” “It won’t decrease,” Wang Tai said. “Because the Red Dancing Shoes are still here.” Guan Ya and Li Dongze exchanged a glance with Zhang Yuanqing and remained silent. Wang Tai, oblivious, continued “It’s a bit strange. With these stats, these rewards, and this information, it doesn’t match the difficulty of an S-rank dungeon. Are you holding something back?” That’s way too direct—you’re making everyone feel awkward… Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat “I’m not hiding anything. I was just about to say that a tree spirit appeared in the cave, along with a stone coffin.” “A stone coffin? What’s inside it?” Li Dongze leaned forward, pressing the question urgently. Wang Tai also stopped typing. Guan Ya’s face was full of curiosity. S-class Spirit Realms usually come with important information—it could very well be a earth-shattering secret. Official organizations, civilian groups, and even evil organizations—half of their understanding of Spirit Realms comes from observation and identifying patterns. The other half is based on information obtained within the Spirit Realms themselves. In this way, they gradually unlock the secrets of the Spirit Realm. No Spirit Realm traveler could resist this temptation. “The Goddess of the Three Mountains lay in the stone coffin, and after I opened it, she… she awoke…” Even now, as Zhang Yuanqing recalled the incident, he still felt a chill run down his spine. Li Dongze’s pupils contracted slightly, and he blurted out “She awoke?” He sprang to his feet, as if he could no longer sit still, and began pacing the office with his cane, his brow furrowed. After a long moment, Li Dongze said with a grave expression “Perhaps we were all wrong. Based on the information about that Goddess, she must be a high-level Night Wanderer. Now that she has awakened, there are only two possibilities. “First, the Mountain God Temple will undergo a complete transformation—it will no longer be a spiritual realm for Night Wanderers’ trials, but rather a high-level spiritual realm dungeon. “Second, the Mountain God Temple will still be downgraded, but given that Lady’s rank, a new, high-level spiritual realm dungeon is bound to emerge. “For the high-ranking members of the Taiyi Sect, this information is of the utmost importance, as it concerns the evolution of the spiritual realms central to their profession.” Guan Ya felt a pang of envy and said “The more important the information, the greater the reward the organization gives you.” “More money?” Zhang Yuanqing was initially delighted, but then grew anxious and said “That old hag who’s been dead for hundreds of years was actually smiling at me. I just have this feeling she’s going to come looking for me—I can’t shake this uneasy feeling.” If the Banyan Tree Spirit wasn’t lying—and if half of the Empress’s yang soul is sealed within the Demon-Subduing Mace—then she will definitely, absolutely, and without a doubt come looking for him. However, Zhang Yuanqing didn’t mention this to his colleagues. Wang Tai offered sincere reassurance “Don’t be so confident—at your level, you wouldn’t even cross paths with a big shot like that.” If you don’t know how to speak, just shut up... Zhang Yuanqing nodded gratefully, indicating that his words had comforted him. Guan Ya asked with a smile “So, is the Empress beautiful?” Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head to look at her: “She’s prettier than you.” Wang Tai added earnestly from the side “She’s also more interesting to study than you.” The Old Si Ji flew into a rage “Get lost.” The capital, a siheyuan courtyard. The sun shone brightly, bathing the large locust tree in its rays, its leaves shimmering with a dazzling rainbow of colors. A breeze blew, causing the branches and leaves to sway, accompanied by the giggles and laughter of children. Elder Sun, sitting beneath the locust tree, fanned himself with a rush fan as he rocked gently in his rocking chair; on the tea table beside him sat a tea set and an old-fashioned radio. A middle-aged man dressed in black hurriedly stepped over the threshold into the courtyard and reported in a low voice “Elder Sun, news has come from Songhai that someone has cleared the Spirit Realm of the Sheling Tunnel.” The swaying fan paused abruptly. The gray-haired old man’s eyes snapped open, shooting out two brilliant golden beams of light. The children in the locust tree seemed startled, letting out a gasp before falling silent together. The old man sat up in his rocking chair and fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man. “The Night Wanderer that the Fu family’s young man recruited?” The middle-aged man nodded. The old man froze for a moment, then slammed his fan against his thigh and cried out in anguish “I misjudged him, I misjudged him...” The last time the middle-aged man had seen Elder Sun so distressed was when he was trading stocks. The old man fell silent for a moment, then said “I recall that the manager in Kangyang District, Songhai City, is named Yuan Ting. Pass the word down: this matter must not be made public. Otherwise, where would I hide my old face?” “But...” “But what?” Just as the middle-aged man was about to answer, his cell phone in his pocket rang. He pulled it out, glanced at it, and said “It’s Elder Heishan calling.” “Answer it.” The call connected, and the moment the old man took the phone, a roar came from the other end “Old Sun, what are you playing at? It’s bad enough that you secretly gave away the copy of the Sheling Tunnel, but you actually promised Fu Qingyang you wouldn’t take that Night Wanderer? Do you have any idea how big a mistake you’ve made?” Elder Sun froze for a second: “How did you, of all people, find out?” “It’s none of your business how I found out. Do you know how long the Taiyi Sect has gone without recruiting a Night Wanderer of such exceptional talent? I’m going to the Sect Leader right now to complain.” The call ended. Veins throbbed on Elder Sun’s forehead. Just then, the phone rang again. The middle-aged man looked at the screen “Elder Hongying.” “Answer it…” “Uncle Sun, I heard the Sheling Tunnel has been cleared? That Night Wanderer—you specifically said you didn’t want him?” “Uncle Sun, you’re going to have to make amends for this.” “Elder Sun, I heard you turned away a Night Wanderer prodigy?” “You good-for-nothing—since when is it your place, as a mere steward, to come here and accuse me?” “Ah, Elder Sun, please don’t misunderstand—I’m just curious.” “Elder Sun, I heard that you....” “Get lost!” In the space of a few minutes, he received five or six phone calls. The middle-aged man in black watched Elder Sun in silence; the last time he’d lost his composure like this was when he’d traded stocks on margin. Elder Sun took a deep breath and picked up where he’d left off, asking “What was that you just said?” The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment. “If Yuan Ting knows, that means everyone knows.” Elder Sun’s blood pressure shot up instantly. The phone rang again. Elder Sun was about to hang up when he saw that the caller was Fu Qingyang. He took a slow breath to calm himself and answered the call “You little brat, are you calling just to make fun of an old man?” “Make fun of you...” A cool, clear voice came through the phone, enunciating each word distinctly. “I wouldn’t do something so boring. I’m here to return a favor. The reconnaissance report on the Mountain God Temple is finished; I’ve sent it to your email.” Fu Qingyang said indifferently, “I believe this intelligence should be very important to your Taiyi Sect.” Elder Sun’s interest was immediately piqued. He hurriedly hung up the phone and turned to the middle-aged man: “How do I access my email?” The middle-aged man silently took the phone, logged into the email account, opened the file, and then silently handed it back. Elder Sun narrowed his eyes as he read through the contents word by word. He read with great composure, his expression unruffled. For an Elder-level Spirit Realm practitioner, a Trial-level Spirit Realm challenge was nothing more than child’s play. But when he saw the news of the Lady of the Three Peaks’ revival, his expression changed abruptly. Squeak~ Elder Sun leaped to his feet from the rocking chair, his expression grave. “Elder?” the middle-aged man asked, looking utterly stunned. “The ancient Sun-Roaming Deity has awakened...” Elder Sun’s grave expression was tinged with worry as he transformed into a beam of golden light, shot into the sky, and vanished. That was the direction of the Sect Master’s residence. A two-story building. Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk, skillfully booting up his computer. Following Guan Ya’s instructions, he opened the Five Elements Alliance’s official internal forum and browsed through the pinned posts one by one. They were all basic information about Spirit Realms. He first looked up “Spirit Realm Types.” Just as Li Dongze had said, Spirit Realms were divided into “Single-Player” and “Multiplayer” types. Single-Player realms typically featured realms unique to a specific class; for example, the Single-Player Spirit Realm for a Night Wanderer at the Transcendent Realm was of the Supernatural type. Multiplayer realms fall into two categories: team-based combat and team-based adventure. In the former, Spirit Realm Walkers battle each other within special Spirit Realms; in the latter, they face dangers within the Spirit Realm—some of which are “death-type,” while others are “non-death-type.” The penalty mechanism for non-death instances is the deduction of experience points. In addition, multiplayer Spirit Realms feature a wide variety of scenarios, and their “gameplay” varies greatly. Next, he read the post titled “Level Classification,” which was very straightforward Transcendent Stage: Levels 1–3. Saint Stage: Levels 4–6. Note: For stages beyond the Saint Stage, please click the link below. Zhang Yuanqing clicked the link, only to be told he lacked the necessary permissions. I really hate these permission-grubbing systems... He muttered resentfully to himself, then reluctantly browsed other posts. “Complete Guide to Spirit Realm Wanderer Classes” Lawful Classes: Night Wanderer, Scout, Wood Demon, Water Spirit, Fire Master, Earth Spirit, Musician, Scholar. Evil Classes: Seducer, Witch Doctor, Illusionist. If I remember correctly, Wang Tai is a Scholar, but what kind of class is a Musician...? Are there only three evil classes? No wonder Guan Ya said that only the official organization counts as Hunters... Zhang Yuanqing scrolled down and saw something astonishing. [Note: To look up foreign classes, click the link below. ] As expected, his permissions weren’t sufficient. “Are there Spirit Realm Walkers overseas too? Do they have classes different from ours?” Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the back of Guan Ya’s head in front of him. Does this damn game even distinguish between the Chinese server and international servers? The veteran player turned her head and smiled “Why do you think only our country is special?” Well... Zhang Yuanqing was actually at a loss for words. He had no choice but to revise his understanding of the Spirit Realm once again. If the Spirit Realm spanned the entire globe, and if there were other Spirit Realm Walkers and other professions abroad, then the structure of the Spirit Realm—whether in dungeons or in reality—was far more complex than he had imagined. “Spirit Realm practitioners have a strong sense of territoriality. There’s almost no interaction between official organizations in different countries, except when it comes to combating evil organizations. So for now, you don’t need to worry about Spirit Realm practitioners abroad—that’s not something you, as a Transcendent Realm practitioner, need to concern yourself with,” Guan Ya said. Zhang Yuanqing gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and tapped on “Night Wanderer” to read the description of his class. “Night Wanderer, a favored child of the Dark Moon, a spirit of the night, skilled in assassination and commanding shadow entities. The class emblem is a black crescent moon. It ranks among the top classes in the Order of Guardians and boasts extremely formidable combat power. “Every Night Wanderer is a natural-born assassin, and their ability to command Yin entities makes them even more formidable. ‘Night Wanderer’ is the class name for the Transcendent stage; you can change classes after reaching Level 3.” Note: To view the class names for Night Wanderer specializations, click the link below. Zhang Yuanqing tapped away for a while, only to be met with a “Insufficient Permissions” dialog box. Damn permission system! He almost let out a string of curses. Wait a minute—something doesn’t feel right here. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly froze, reread the description, and realized where the problem lay. The class emblem is a black crescent moon? But I clearly saw a black full moon on my forehead that night. What’s going on? Is my character card different from everyone else’s? Zhang Yuanqing instinctively looked up at the back of Guan Ya’s head, about to ask her.