Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 49: A Dead End?

Do the rules for keeping your eyes closed no longer apply? Now that the amusement park has been upgraded to S-class, have the rules governing the rides changed? Everyone stared at River Lord’s body and the grim scene before them, their faces turning ashen. As the roller coaster came to a stop, the six Spirit Realm practitioners simultaneously received a notification [Next Round Start Time: 04:58:20] “The next round starts in five minutes...” The Monkey King, sitting in the back row, looked at River God’s headless corpse ahead of him, his expression tense “If the ‘close your eyes’ rule doesn’t apply, then someone among us will die when the next round begins. We need to figure out the rules quickly—has anyone discovered anything?” The Fire Demon’s face still bore traces of terror. He tossed the head out of the car, then turned his head impatiently and snapped “With our eyes closed the whole time, how could anyone possibly figure out the rules?” “Shame on Me as a Father” furrowed his brow “If the ‘eyes-closed’ rule has changed, then we need to figure out the new rule. Otherwise, more people will die in the next two rounds.” Xi Chi bit her fiery red lips. “Ever since we decided to ride the roller coaster, I’ve been paying close attention along the way, but I haven’t found any valuable clues or information.” No clues or information meant they couldn’t devise a targeted plan; they’d have to resort to the most primitive method—trial and error. But the cost of trial and error... The Great Sage Equal to Heaven looked grim “An S-level Spirit Realm—how could it possibly provide clear, explicit instructions on how to clear it? If it were that simple, would it even be considered S-level?” Xie Lingxi thought for a moment and offered her own perspective “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. We were misled by the outdated guide and missed an opportunity to figure out the rules.” Her eyes brimmed with tears; she looked pitiful and utterly remorseful. The Great Sage Equal to Heaven hurriedly said “It’s okay, it’s okay. There’s no point in dwelling on this now. Just because we don’t have information doesn’t mean there’s no solution. While we still have time, let’s discuss it...” He paused for a moment, then continued “If the rules for keeping our eyes closed have changed, there are only two possibilities: First, the roller coaster rule has changed to ‘one death per ride’—He Bo is proof of that. Second, by keeping our eyes closed, we missed our chance to observe.” Xi Shi’s eyes lit up slightly, as if she were looking at him with newfound respect: “So we can’t keep our eyes closed from now on.” Zhang Yuanqing listened to his companions’ discussion, his thoughts drifting far away... “First, let’s rule out supernatural elements. Although my active skills are sealed, as a Night Wanderer, I can still sense spirits. If a spirit from the amusement park were causing trouble, I wouldn’t have felt nothing at all.” “As far as we can tell, the roller coaster is still running three rounds. Since that hasn’t changed, why would the ‘eyes-closed’ rule have changed? Perhaps… it isn’t the rule that’s killing people…” Zhang Yuanqing’s heart skipped a beat as a possibility occurred to him. Could it be the work of an evil individual hiding within the group—someone who’s started stabbing people? But how did he or she manage it? Just then, “Ashamed to Be a Father” looked at the Fire Demon and suddenly asked “When He Bo died, why didn’t you warn us right away? Why did you wait until the car had stopped to say anything?” Fire Demon raised his eyebrows: “What do you mean by that!” The middle-aged man still looked plain and good-natured as he said calmly, “I’m just curious.” The Fire Demon glared at him and shouted, “Of course I felt it—that thing crashed right into my lap! But did I dare say anything? Did I dare open my eyes? What if I’d spoken up to warn everyone, and I’d have been the next to die?” “As a father, I’m ashamed,” he said, and said no more. Zhang Yuanqing asked, “When did he die? Or rather, when did the head fall into your lap?” The Fire Demon didn’t hesitate: “When we were charging up the second slope.” Zhang Yuanqing immediately turned to Xi Shi: “You were right beside him—did you sense anything was wrong?” Xi Shi shook her head. “I—I’m afraid of heights. I was so scared, I didn’t pay attention to what was going on around me...” Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow deeply. Judging by the seating arrangement, the most likely suspects are Xi Shi, Fire Demon, and “Ashamed to Be a Father.” The Monkey King, seated one seat away, could essentially be ruled out. With his superhuman physical abilities, it would be highly unlikely for him to unbuckle his seatbelt, climb over Fire Demon and “Ashamed to Be a Father” in the front row, and kill River God in the second row. Not to mention that he’d likely be spotted by those two; the roller coaster’s momentum alone would be enough to fling him out. With that in mind, he turned his gaze toward the petite girl. Given her height and arm length, she would have had to unbuckle her seatbelt to turn around and kill someone. So she was also unlikely to be the culprit. Next was to verify whether the Fire Demon had lied and confirm whether River God had truly died during that time frame... Before the second round began, Zhang Yuanqing closed his eyes and visualized his father’s silhouette in his mind. If River God hadn’t died while the roller coaster was speeding along, then the killer must have struck during the initial slow climb—when the roller coaster’s kinetic energy was minimal. And since he was the one who could capture the sound, he could directly pinpoint the killer. As his father’s facial features gradually came into focus, Zhang Yuanqing’s heart gave a sudden thud, and his mind raced as the scenes—beginning with his first entry into the Spiritual Realm—played back frame by frame. He mulled over these images while waiting patiently. Finally, they boarded the car. As the two-person roller coaster slowly started moving, Zhang Yuanqing could no longer see any images—because he had closed his eyes at that moment. But the sounds didn’t fade away; he could hear the heartbeats and breathing of all seven people. Then came Xi Shi’s short, startled scream. The roller coaster plunged straight down, hurtling toward the second steep incline amid a rumbling roar—and just then, a heartbeat from the back row vanished... “Ah, what’s wrong with you…?” Xie Lingxi gasped in alarm, staring in shock at her companion, blood streaming from her nostrils. The other members also stopped arguing and turned to look. “I’m fine, I’m fine!” Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand, wiped the blood from his nose, and, forcing a smile despite the throbbing pain in his head, said, “I’ve had a habit of getting nosebleeds since I was a kid—especially when I see pretty girls.” Xie Lingxi blushed slightly at his words. Xi Shi and the Fire Demon shot him suspicious glances, while the middle-aged man—a disgrace to fatherhood—merely gave him a cursory look. The Monkey King, standing in the back row, took the opportunity to sneak a few glances at Xie Lingxi’s face and Xi Shi’s chest. Zhang Yuanqing maintained a calm expression, though inside he was already cursing under his breath. The circumstances surrounding He Bo’s death proved that these evil villains possessed unique methods of killing! “Taking someone’s head without a sound, without making a single noise—that’s downright terrifying... We have to find a way to stop him. One person killed per round—after three rounds, only four people will be left in our group, and we still have at least one more ‘entertainment activity’ to go. How are we supposed to handle this?!” If it came to that, it would be a near-certain death. Even if it weren’t the villain but the roller coaster’s rules doing the killing, the outcome would be the same. The more Zhang Yuanqing thought about it, the more anxious he became; cold sweat was practically beading on his forehead. Everyone was a suspect, including Xie Lingxi right beside me and the Monkey King in the back row... Zhang Yuanqing’s gaze swept over the crowd. Xie Lingxi, frowning in deep thought; Xi Shi, looking uneasy; the silent middle-aged man; the Monkey King, whose eyes betrayed a hidden panic; and the Fire Demon, cursing under his breath. For a moment, he felt as though they were all putting on a show, each harboring their own ulterior motives. The danger in this dungeon lay not only in the amusement facilities but also within the Spirit Realm Walkers themselves... Yuanshi Tianzun cursed under his breath. At the same time, a doubt flashed through his mind once more: Why was it the River God who died? Were the villains killing at random, or was there another reason? “Suppose I were a werewolf and had one chance to kill someone at random—who would I kill?” With that thought, Zhang Yuanqing had his answer. Kill the smartest person in the group! “In that case, I’ll be the next to die...” Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill run down his spine.