Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 47: Jinshui Amusement Park

A luxury apartment near the Public Security Bureau in the Wellness District. On a large bed covered with zodiac-themed stuffed animals, Guan Ya sat up abruptly, the last traces of sleep vanishing in an instant. “Yuan Shi, Yuan Shi...” She shouted his name several times but received no response. Frustrated, she scratched her head, thinking to herself, How unlucky can one get? How could that kid be so unlucky? For the average Spirit Realm traveler, encountering an S-rank might never happen in a lifetime—or perhaps it happens just once, and when it does, it’s for a lifetime... But that kid Yuan Shi—he’d barely survived a Bug-level trial mission, and now he’d turned around and jumped right into a multiplayer S-class one. Why on earth did he have to go and choose “Yuanshi Tianzun” as his name? Is that a name the average person can pull off? Guan Ya hung up the phone in a fluster and dialed Li Dongze’s number. “You never call me after work—let me guess what’s going on....” Li Dongze was just about to deliver a witty yet elegant retort when Guan Ya rudely cut him off “Yuan Shi’s in a dungeon—Jinshui Amusement Park.” “What?!” Li Dongze’s voice suddenly rose, all trace of elegance vanishing. Guan Ya heard a “clatter, clatter” coming through the phone—it must have been the squad leader rushing to his feet, bumping into the desk and knocking things over. “Oh, my God, my God...” Li Dongze muttered repeatedly to himself, his mind in complete disarray. Just as he’d feared, an S-rank had appeared in a Transcendent-tier multiplayer dungeon. Whether it was Sergeant Fu or Li Dongze, their original intention in giving Zhang Yuanqing the old guide was to play it safe. Better safe than sorry. Who would’ve thought this kid would actually end up in an S-rank dungeon? At that moment, Li Dongze was once again overcome by the fear and anxiety he’d felt when facing the “Sheling Tunnel.” Li Dongze took a deep breath, forcing down the surging anxiety and restlessness in his heart—along with the overwhelming urge to curse in a most unrefined manner—and whispered “I understand... “I’m just as worried as you are, but no one can help him. All we can do is pray—pray that he isn’t destined for an early death—and wait for dawn.” Dungeons at the Transcendent stage don’t take too long to complete, because Spirit Realm Walkers at this level still need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. If everything goes smoothly, the dungeon can be cleared within 24 hours. Otherwise, it means someone has perished inside. That’s why forum posts dare to claim that those official Walkers have already perished. “I understand,” Guan Ya sighed and hung up the phone. She flung herself onto the soft, large bed, spreading her legs and arms wide with her arms and legs spread wide, and stared blankly at the ceiling. Her purple silk nightgown clung softly to her delicate frame, tracing her gentle, shapely curves. The hem barely covered her thighs, revealing her long, milky-white legs—slender yet rounded. “This is so annoying...” she murmured under her breath. After hanging up, Li Dongze remained silent for a few seconds, then lit up his phone screen and dialed Captain Fu’s number. When the young captain had briefed him on the mission, he’d casually added, “If Yuanshi Tianzun enters the Spirit Realm, be sure to let me know.” Fu Qingyang had been swamped with the Black Wuchang incident lately, yet he still found time to keep an eye on that kid Yuan Shi—a clear sign of how seriously he took the matter. The villa. On the open-air balcony, Lingjun—dressed in a casual, carefree style—was lazily curled up on a single sofa, a laptop resting on his knees. He looked up from the screen at Fu Qingyang across from him and sighed “I heard from Elder Sun that the revived boss is the Third Mountain Goddess from the Mountain God Temple in the Sheling Tunnel. She went on a killing spree in the Night Wanderer Divine Realm, causing the power of high-ranking beings to leak out and infiltrate some lower-level dungeons, triggering changes to those dungeons. “Sigh, to be able to traverse the Spirit Realm—this Lady’s level is higher than we imagined.” Fu Qingyang held a stemmed wine glass in his hand, took a sip of the crimson liquid, and said calmly “How does the Taiyi Sect plan to respond? I passed on the intelligence from the Mountain God Temple to Uncle Sun immediately; you should have been prepared for this long ago.” Lingjun shook his head “We’re powerless against Spirit Realms whose difficulty levels have already been adjusted. We can only hope the Night Wanderers clear the dungeons as soon as possible and provide strategies. The Taiyi Sect still has plenty of talent, and there are many skilled players among the independent Night Wanderers as well. “As for that Lady of the Three Paths Mountain, it remains to be seen whether my father and the elders can encounter her within the Spirit Realm and cut off the source. Or perhaps they’ll encounter a scenario of equal rank to hers within the Spirit Realm, using one Spirit Realm to counterbalance another.” It’s rare for bosses in the Spirit Realm to traverse between different Spirit Realms, but it’s not unheard of—the authorities observed a similar phenomenon many years ago. This is also one of the factors behind changes to the Spirit Realm dungeons. Furthermore, given the rarity of this phenomenon, the developers speculate that traversing Spirit Realms comes at a significant cost, though this theory has yet to be confirmed. “Anyway, I’m just a Beast King—the Night Wanderer’s business has nothing to do with me,” Lingjun shrugged. Just then, a bunny girl with a slim waist, long legs, and a curvaceous figure walked over. She respectfully handed him a cell phone and said softly “Young Master, you have a call.” The playboy remarked with admiration, “Mr. Qian is surrounded by women, with one on each arm—truly enviable.” Fu Qingyang ignored him. Seeing that the call was from Li Dongze, his heart skipped a beat, and he answered “Go ahead.” “Centurion, Yuan Shi has entered Jinshui Amusement Park.” ...... For a split second, Fu Qingyang’s expression betrayed a hint of surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and said in his usual tone “Got it. Keep me posted tomorrow morning.” After hanging up, he furrowed his brow: “That Night Wanderer under my command has entered Jinshui Amusement Park.” Lingjun was taken aback for a moment, then offered comfort: “Take it easy, take it easy.” Fu Qingyang shot him a cold glance: “How do you know he won’t make it out alive?” Lingjun burst out laughing: “Then shall we make a bet?” Fu Qingyang fell silent. Lingjun didn’t press the issue. After a moment’s thought, he offered a serious analysis “He cleared the Sheling Tunnel and has experience earning an S-rank. Based on the Spirit Realm’s matching system, a traveler like him is more likely to be assigned to high-difficulty dungeons. But as soon as he fails a few times in a multiplayer dungeon, his rating will drop. It’s a shame—Jinshui Amusement Park is a ‘death-type’ dungeon, so he has no way out.” The scene before him shifted from blurry to clear, and Zhang Yuanqing found himself standing in the amusement park’s plaza. The first thing that caught his eye was the towering Ferris wheel—a massive, wheel-shaped structure rotating slowly, adorned with dazzling bands of light. Beneath the Ferris wheel lay an open-air bumper car track, with a giant pendulum and a pirate ship flanking either side of the track. Standing in stark contrast to the Ferris wheel was a steel track undulating like a dragon; the empty roller coaster screeched along the rails as if it were carrying passengers. His gaze slowly swept across the amusement park, taking in the carousel playing gentle music, the drop tower plummeting straight down, and a scattering of huts with sloping roofs. And there he stood in the center of the square, beneath the deep, dark night sky. The amusement park was aglow with dazzling lights, their interplay creating a dreamlike palette of colors. Every ride was in operation, music was playing—and though it was clearly deserted, it felt as if the place were teeming with people. Lonely yet bustling, dreamlike yet eerie. “It’s so beautiful...” Zhang Yuanqing heard someone murmur beside him. Following the sound, he saw that the speaker was a young girl. She wasn’t very old, with long, straight black hair cascading down her shoulders, a delicate, oval face, and eyes so large and bright that, reflecting the dazzling lights, they seemed like the most beautiful gems in the world. Her figure wasn’t yet full-bodied, but it possessed the grace of a willow branch in early spring. In this era when permed hair has become commonplace in every household, such naturally long, straight black hair is truly a rare treasure....... Zhang Yuanqing was astonished by the girl’s exceptional beauty, but he didn’t linger on it for long, instead turning his attention to the other Spirit Realm Walkers. There were a total of seven Spirit Realm Walkers who had entered “Jinshui Amusement Park” this time. At that moment, they looked around, some gazing at the attractions, their expressions grim. Zhang Yuanqing could understand their urge to curse. He cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention and called out loudly “Everyone, I’m delighted to be here at Jinshui Amusement Park. In the mission ahead, we’ll face dangers together, so even though we’re complete strangers, we’re our closest allies. “Why don’t we all introduce ourselves so we can get to know one another? I’ll go first. My name is Wang Tai. I’m an experienced Spirit Realm Walker who has completed four solo Spirit Realm expeditions and seven group ones. I’ve cleared an A-rank dungeon—heh, an S-rank? I’m actually curious to see just how difficult that will be.” His calm demeanor and confident tone seemed to be contagious; as he spoke, he gradually dispelled the panic in everyone’s hearts. At a time like this, a teammate who exudes such confidence can provide a strong sense of security. Zhang Yuanqing was a natural at socializing and knew exactly how to liven up the atmosphere and build rapport. He introduced only his name, omitting his class, because he knew classes were a sensitive topic; mentioning one in a self-introduction might cause wary players to reject the match. Seeing Zhang Yuanqing set the tone, someone immediately chimed in “Anyone who can enter an S-rank Spirit Realm isn’t a noob. If we all work together, we’ll definitely clear it—it’s no big deal. My name is Fire Demon.” The speaker was a young man with dyed red hair. He looked gaunt, with small, sharp eyes and slanted eyebrows, giving off an impression of impatience and roughness. “That must be a Fire Master…” the group thought in unison. A man wearing black pants and a black hoodie had a sullen expression as he said indifferently, “He Bo.” “My name is Xie Lingxi.” The girl with long, straight black hair spoke in a soft voice, a smile playing at the corners of her lips—innocent and sweet. The middle-aged man, with a blank expression and few words, raised his hand and introduced himself somewhat stiffly: “I’m ashamed to call myself a father.” What? While Lingjing usernames are bound to be all over the place, Uncle, your name is way too out there... Zhang Yuanqing was bursting with sarcasm, and he saw the others looking just as stunned. “What kind of name is that…?” muttered a young punk in Converse sneakers and skinny jeans, then lifted his chin and declared loudly “My name is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. You can just call me ‘Great Sage.’ ” Everyone turned to look at the last member of the group—a mature woman, 30–35 years old, with a full bust and a round behind, her lips painted a fiery red and her eyes lightly lined, making her look alluring and seductive. She was in her prime. Fire Demon and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven kept stealing glances at her, while He Bo, in his black hoodie, wore a sullen expression as he watched the meek “Ashamed to Be a Father” listen intently. She smiled sweetly and said, “My name is Xi Shi.” Her eyes, brimming with allure, swept over Zhang Yuanqing, her tone a mix of coquettishness and flattery: “Young man, please take me under your wing.” You’re older than my aunt, Xi Shi? With such a flashy name, aren’t you afraid you can’t pull it off? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, though his face radiated boundless enthusiasm “Don’t worry, we’re companions—we’re all on the same level.” At the same time, he gained a preliminary understanding of this woman’s style—she was someone who was very skilled at leveraging her gender advantages. After the introductions, the sense of awkwardness among the group eased slightly. Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to take the lead and said “S-rank dungeons are fraught with danger. Before the danger strikes, why don’t we discuss our strategy?” No one objected. Xi Shi swept her eyes across the group with a coy smile and asked in a sweet voice “Are there any members from the official organization here? I heard there were abnormalities at Jinshui Amusement Park—the difficulty has changed. It would be great if we had the old strategy guide.”