Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 42: The Lady of San Dao Mountain

The next day, Zhang Yuanqing received a text message from Guan Ya “Wang Qian’s identity has been verified; there are no issues. Since it was an accident, it doesn’t count as illegally refining a spirit servant.” “Got it.” “Go to the hospital and have Wang Qian fill out a ‘Spirit Realm Walker Profile’ and a written pledge. Bring them back for our records—after all, this is your case.” “Okay.” “You’re such a good boy. Here’s another piece of advice from your big sister: you’ve been with the official organization for a while now, so it’s time to expand your network and connections. The Palace of Cease-Killing is a fairly influential civilian organization in Songhai. You could try recruiting Wang Qian as an informant—who knows, you might even be able to forge a relationship with the Palace of Cease-Killing in the future.” “Great idea. That way, my future wife won’t have a difficult labor.” “Haha, you’re so funny… Um, speaking of which, isn’t it almost time for your second entry into the Spirit Realm?” “I hope it isn’t another S-rank.” “It probably won’t be, but statistically speaking, it’s not impossible. Both the Squad Leader and I are really looking forward to seeing how you perform in your second Spirit Realm.” “Why?” “The solo Spirit Realm tests your natural talent, while the multiplayer Spirit Realm hones your skills. The dungeon might not be as dangerous as the solo Spirit Realm, but you’ll encounter other Spirit Realm travelers there, which adds a lot of uncertainty. That’s when a person’s overall capabilities really come to the fore.” Amid the casual, off-and-on chatter, Zhang Yuan finished washing up and sat down at the dining table. “Who’s that little vixen you’re chatting with?” his aunt asked, huffing as she leaned in. “None of your business.” Zhang Yuanqing pressed his hand against her forehead and shoved her away. Jiang Yuerr angrily challenged him to a duel, and Zhang Yuanqing accepted the challenge without flinching—only for both of them to be subdued by their hot-tempered grandmother. After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing put on a baseball cap and a mask, headed out, and took a taxi to Pingtai Hospital. In the outpatient office, Zhang Yuanqing looked at the young doctor, who appeared downcast, and smiled “You don’t look too happy.” After a moment of silence, Wang Qian said with a somber look in his eyes “He’s vanished. I can’t sense him anymore...” Poor guy! Zhang Yuanqing offered comfort: “He was already doomed from the start; it was only a matter of time before we parted ways.” Wang Qian, feeling downcast, said “He was my sister’s first child and my first nephew. To take better care of my sister, my mom quit her job. Long before he was born, she’d already bought a stroller, pacifiers, and clothes… Our whole family was waiting for him to be born, and we were all getting ready to welcome the next generation.” “After the miscarriage, my sister was devastated; she cried all day long. My mom would also sneak away to wipe away her tears—she blamed herself, thinking she hadn’t taken good enough care of her daughter. “For the past half a month, I’ve been terrified of sensing his presence at the hospital—it reminds me of my own helplessness and the pain my family is going through. But I can’t help wanting to be near him, to be there for him. He’s so little; he must be so lonely...” Zhang Yuanqing offered no further words of comfort, simply listening silently as she poured out her heart. “In the future, if you behave well, I’ll let you see him—provided you agree to be my informant.” Once Wang Qian had regained her composure, he said “I’ve called you here today for two reasons. First, to fill out a form and a pledge. From now on, you’ll be an officially registered Spirit Realm Walker. The authorities won’t interfere with you too much, as long as you don’t break the rules or use your abilities for evil. “Second, are you interested in becoming my informant?” “The first thing is fine, but as for the second...” Wan Qian eyed him closely. “I don’t act as an informant for just anyone. Besides, I need to report this to my superiors and get their approval.” The Palace of Cease-Killing maintained reasonably good relations with official organizations, so he didn’t object to serving as an informant for the authorities—especially if it were that woman from yesterday, whose moves were so sharp and ruthless; he’d have no qualms about it. As for the man standing before him, though he appeared younger than Wang Qian, Wang Qian didn’t feel any sense of deference toward him. “That’s no problem,” Zhang Yuanqing nodded. “What’s your Lingjing ID? I need to know who you are,” Wang Tai asked. Every time I give my ID, I’m afraid I’ll get beaten up... Zhang Yuanqing’s expression turned solemn as he enunciated each word clearly “Yuanshi Tianzun!” “Yuanshi Tianzun? That’s quite a grand name, but I’ve never heard of it...” Wang Tai shook his head and casually composed a text message to report the matter to his superior. The Palace of Cease Killing and the authorities kept their distance from one another; their relationship was passable, but after all, there was a distinction between the government and the people, and the organization did not want to see its members getting too close to the authorities. Therefore, his superiors would never approve. Besides, even if they were to make contact with government officials, it would have to be at the captain or steward level. That young man was clearly a low-level operative; if he were a well-known Spirit Realm Practitioner, Wang Tai would certainly have heard of him. But Wang Qian had absolutely no recollection of the name “Yuanshi Tianzun,” and he saw little point in dealing with such an official practitioner. He then focused on his work. After seeing a few patients, his cell phone rang. The caller ID read: “Love-Crazed Great Sage.” Wang Qian answered the call, and a deep male voice came through the speaker “Master Healer, are you saying the person assigned to you is called Yuanshi Tianzun?” Wang Qian’s ID was “Divine Healer.” “Yes, Team Leader,” Wang Qian said. “I didn’t agree to it; I turned him down subtly.” At the same time, he found it a bit odd—for something like this, a text message would have sufficed. Why did the team leader feel the need to call? “Things won’t be peaceful in Songhai anytime soon. We need to keep a close eye on official developments. Agree to it,” said the Love-Crazed Great Sage. “All right… I’ll reply to him,” Wang Qian agreed in a subdued voice. “While you’re at it, keep an eye on him—I’m talking about Yuanshi Tianzun.” “Huh? Why...?” Wang Qian was taken aback—he was just an ordinary official practitioner. “I learned through a confidential source that a newcomer recently cleared the Sheling Tunnel, breaking the record, and just a few days ago, he also killed a Level 3 Bewitching Demon.” “Could it be...” “His ID is Yuanshi Tianzun.” Yuanshi Tianzun... Wang Qian recalled the expression on that young man’s face when he introduced himself. He felt a deep sense of respect! The full moon hung high in the sky, and the abandoned ancient temple stood silently bathed in moonlight. A beautiful woman dressed in an ancient silk skirt stood proudly on the roof of the main hall, gazing at the full moon in the sky. This beauty had a delicate, oval face, eyes as clear as autumn water, eyebrows like distant mountain ridges, and sensual, full lips—her cool demeanor tinged with an indescribable radiance. “This isn’t the Great Ming. Who was it that, after I fell asleep, dragged me into this ‘Mustard Seed Mount Sumeru’?” She furrowed the delicate tips of her eyebrows and murmured to herself. After a moment’s contemplation, she fixed her gaze on the full moon. Two brilliant beams of golden light shot forth from her beautiful eyes, striking the moon in the sky. “Hum...” The entire space shook violently as the golden light struck an invisible barrier, scattering blinding golden sparks that bathed the surrounding world in a magnificent gilded glow. The two beams of golden light persisted for half a quarter-hour before slowly fading away. Crimson blood flowed from the Lady of the Three Mountains’ eyes, trickling down her fair cheeks. “Unless I retrieve the other half of the Yang Soul, I cannot break through this place...” She raised her slender hand to gently wipe the blood from her cheek, then snorted coldly: “Since I cannot return, I shall wreak havoc in this realm.” The Lady of San Dao Mountain swiftly formed hand seals, her fingers shaped into a sword, and suddenly pointed toward the sky. Whoosh! A terrifying sword energy surged from between her fingers, shooting into the sky and melting a hole in the heavens that collapsed inward. The Lady of Sandao Mountain transformed into a golden light and vanished into the rift in the sky. The capital, a traditional courtyard house. Under a locust tree, Elder Sun lay comfortably in a rocking chair, while the sound of Peking Opera drifted from the radio on the coffee table. Suddenly, a golden sun appeared between his eyebrows. The blazing sun trembled violently, emitting a scorching heat, and a colossal pressure radiated from the mark of the sun. “This…” Elder Sun sprang to his feet, his expression grave. At that moment, an ethereal yet authoritative voice echoed deep within Elder Sun’s mind “There has been a change in the Night Wanderer’s Divine Realm. Notify all disciples across the regions that recent missions may encounter anomalies. Should any be discovered, report them immediately.” “Yes, Sect Master.” Mu Qiu is a Level 2 Night Wanderer of the Taiyi Sect. As a top-tier combat class, his combat prowess—excluding the use of items—is fully on par with that of Level 3 practitioners in other classes. As such, he was a team leader-level figure in the Flowing Sands District of Hangcheng. “Captain, there’s an email from the Hangzhou branch of the Five Elements Alliance. Please check it.” His assistant brought over a laptop. Mu Qiu glanced at the screen and said casually, “Reply to them and tell them to find a Night Wanderer from another district.” The email asked him to go and consult the spirits. Recently, the Five Elements Alliance’s various branches had been frantically arresting and interrogating independent Spirit Realm Walkers to screen for potential Fallen Ones. For die-hard resisters, they were adopting a shoot-on-sight policy. Nine out of ten of these “wild” Spirit Realm practitioners who were killed were scum who deserved to die; those who obeyed the law and had a clear conscience did not resist contact with official organizations. They do not join official organizations simply because they do not want to be constrained. Only those with criminal records fear being “invited in for a chat.” Mu Qiu refused to perform spirit divination, not because he feared the aftereffects of spirit-devouring, but because he was a man of principle. He believed in fulfilling the duties of his position; since he had chosen this path, he should shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. But he couldn’t do that these past few days, because his solo Spirit Realm dungeon was about to open—very soon. By clearing this solo Spirit Realm, he would be able to advance three levels and join the ranks of those at the peak of the Transcendent Realm. Over the past few days, he’d applied for a large number of solo Spirit Realm instances for the Level 2 to Level 3 progression. Although the Spirit Realms change in real time, they do follow certain cycles, and the Taiyi Sect’s speed in compiling guides outpaces the rate of these changes. Therefore, these guides are extremely useful and can significantly increase the success rate. Just then, Mu Qiu heard the familiar Spirit Realm notification sound [Ding, Spirit Realm map loading. You will enter the Spirit Realm in three minutes. The Spirit Realm you are entering is “Night Wanderer—Minghu Town,” ID: 0128] [Difficulty Level: S] [Type: Single-Player (Death-Based)] [Main Quest: Investigate the cause of the townspeople’s mysterious deaths. ] [Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in. ] [Introduction to Spirit Realm No. 0128: For reasons unknown, the town’s residents have been dying one after another, and no one knows why. Some say it’s because fishermen pulled a coffin out of the lake; others say it’s because a cat’s head was hanging from the locust tree at the village entrance; still others say it’s because a strange snake with a woman’s face appeared on the hill behind the village; and some say it’s because the widow at the village entrance mysteriously became pregnant. ] [Shh, don’t say it, don’t say it—they’re coming....... ] Mu Qiu’s face was as white as paper, his eyes filled with despair and bewilderment. When did Minghu Town become an S-level mission?