A high-end apartment near the Public Security Bureau in the convalescent district.
On a large bed covered in constellation plushies, Guan Ya suddenly sat up, the last vestiges of sleep vanishing in a jolt.
"Primordial! Primordial!" she shouted several times, but received no response. Frustrated, she scratched her head, muttering, How could he be so unlucky? How could that kid be so unlucky?
An average Spirit Realm Walker might never encounter an S-Rank instance in their lifetime, or perhaps only once. Such an encounter would define their entire career.
Yet Primordial, that kid, had barely survived a Bugged Trial Mission before stumbling into a Multiplayer S-Rank instance.
Why did he have to choose the name "Primordial Heavenly Venerable"? Is that a name an ordinary person can handle?
Guan Ya hung up the phone in a panic and dialed Li Dongze's number.
"You never call me after work. Let me guess what happened," Li Dongze began, attempting to maintain his usual blend of humor and elegance.
Guan Ya cut him off brusquely. "Primordial entered an instance—Jinshui Amusement Park."
"What?!" Li Dongze's voice suddenly rose in pitch, all pretense of elegance gone.
Guan Ya heard a series of clattering sounds over the phone, likely the Chief scrambling to his feet, knocking over objects on his desk.
"Oh my God, oh my God..."
Li Dongze muttered to himself repeatedly, his mind a chaotic mess.
What you fear most always comes to pass. In the Transcendent Phase Multiplayer Dungeon, an S-Rank instance had appeared. Centurion Fu and Li Dongze had given Zhang Yuanqing the old strategy guide as a precaution, a safety net.
Better safe than sorry.
Who could have predicted the kid would actually end up in an S-Rank instance?
At that moment, Li Dongze was once again haunted by the terror and anxiety he had felt when trapped in the She Ling Tunnel.
He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the churning worry and agitation in his heart, along with the overwhelming urge to curse like a sailor. He said in a low voice:
"I understand.
"I'm just as worried as you are, but there's nothing we can do to help him. All we can do is pray—pray he's not destined for an early grave—and wait for dawn."
Transcendent Phase dungeons typically don't take too long. 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.
If not, it means someone has perished inside.
This was why the forum posts dared to declare the Official Walkers dead.
"Understood," Guan Ya sighed, hanging up the phone.
She threw herself onto the soft, king-sized bed, sprawled out in a starfish pose with her legs and arms splayed wide, staring blankly at the ceiling.
A purple silk nightgown clung softly to her delicate frame, accentuating her gentle curves. The hem barely reached her thighs, revealing long, smooth, ivory legs.
"So annoying," she murmured under her breath.
Li Dongze hung up the phone, paused for a few seconds, then lit up his phone screen and dialed Centurion Fu's number. The young centurion had casually mentioned during their strategy session that if Primordial Heavenly Venerable entered the Spirit Realm, he should be notified immediately.
Fu Qingyang had been swamped with the Black Impermanence Incident lately, yet he still found time to keep an eye on that kid Primordial. This showed just how much importance he placed on him.
At the villa, on the open-air balcony, Ling Jun, dressed in casual attire, lounged lazily in a single-person sofa, a laptop resting on his knees.
He looked up from the screen at Fu Qingyang across from him and sighed. "Elder Sun told me that the Revival Boss is the Goddess of Sandaoshan from the She Ling Tunnel Mountain God Temple. She's been wreaking havoc in the Nightwalker Spirit Realm, causing the High-Ranked Ones' power to leak into some low-level instances and trigger changes in those instances.
"Sigh, being able to traverse the Spirit Realm... this Goddess's level is far higher than we imagined."
Fu Qingyang swirled the crimson liquid in his tall-stemmed wine glass and took a sip. "Indeed," he said coolly.
"How does the Taiyi Sect plan to respond? I sent the Mountain God Temple's intelligence to Uncle Sun immediately. You should have been prepared for this."
Ling Jun shook his head. "There's nothing we can do about Spirit Realms that have already increased in difficulty. We can only hope the Nightwalkers clear the instances quickly and provide strategies. The Taiyi Sect still has plenty of talented individuals, and there are many skilled Nightwalkers among the wild ones too."
"As for the Goddess of Sandaoshan, it depends on whether my father and the elders can encounter her in the Spirit Realm and cut off the source. Or perhaps we can find a scenario of equal level within the Spirit Realm to counter her influence."
Bosses crossing between Spirit Realms is rare but not unheard of. The Official Organization observed similar phenomena many years ago, which is one of the factors that can cause Spirit Realm instances to change.
Furthermore, due to the rarity of this phenomenon, the Official Organization speculates that traversing Spirit Realms requires a significant cost, though this theory remains unconfirmed.
"Anyway, I'm just a Beast King. Nightwalker affairs have nothing to do with me," Ling Jun shrugged.
At that moment, a rabbit girl with a slender waist, long legs, and a curvaceous figure approached respectfully, offering a phone with a soft voice: "Young Master, your call."
Flower Young Master sighed enviously, "Money Young Master, surrounded by beauties, embracing left and right—truly enviable."
Fu Qingyang ignored him. Seeing Li Dongze's call, he answered with a flicker of interest:
"Speak."
"Centurion, Primordial has entered Jinshui Amusement Park."
Fu Qingyang's expression momentarily froze in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure, his tone remaining even as he replied:
"Understood. Report back tomorrow morning."
Hanging up, he frowned. "That Nightwalker under my command has entered Jinshui Amusement Park."
Ling Jun paused, then offered a perfunctory condolence: "My condolences."
Fu Qingyang shot him an icy glare. "How do you know he won't make it out alive?"
Ling Jun burst into laughter. "Care to make a bet?"
Fu Qingyang remained silent.
Ling Jun didn't press the matter. After a moment's thought, he offered a serious analysis:
"He cleared the She Ling Tunnel, which means he has experience with S-Rank instances. According to the Spirit Realm's matchmaking system, Walkers like him are more likely to be assigned to high-difficulty dungeons. However, a few failures in Multiplayer Dungeons would lower his rating. Too bad Jinshui Amusement Park is a death-type instance—there's no turning back."
The blurry scene before Zhang Yuanqing sharpened into focus. He found himself standing in the amusement park's central plaza. His gaze was immediately drawn to the towering Ferris wheel, a colossal, slowly rotating structure adorned with dazzling bands of light.
Below the Ferris wheel lay an open-air bumper car arena, flanked by the pendulum ride and the pirate ship on either side.
Across from the Ferris wheel, a steel roller coaster track snaked like a dragon. The empty coaster cars roared along the rails as if filled with riders.
His gaze slowly swept across the amusement park, taking in the carousel playing soft music, the vertical drop tower, and the haphazardly arranged tent-like structures.
He stood at the center of the plaza, the deep night sky stretching above him.
The amusement park glowed with dazzling brilliance, its lights weaving a dreamlike tapestry of colors. Every ride was in motion, music filled the air, yet despite being utterly deserted, it felt as if people were everywhere.
Lonely yet bustling, fantastical yet terrifying.
"So beautiful..."
Zhang Yuanqing heard someone murmur beside him.
Turning toward the voice, he saw a young girl with long, straight black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her delicate, oval face framed large, luminous eyes that reflected the dazzling lights like the world's most exquisite gems.
Though her figure was still slender, she possessed the graceful beauty of a willow branch in early spring.
In an era where perms were commonplace, such naturally black, long, and straight hair was a rare treasure. Zhang Yuanqing was struck by the girl's exceptional beauty, but he didn't linger too long, turning his attention to the other Spirit Realm Walkers.
Seven Spirit Realm Walkers had entered Jinshui Amusement Park for this mission.
They were currently surveying their surroundings, gazing at the park's facilities with grim expressions.
Zhang Yuanqing understood their frustration.
Clearing his throat to draw attention, he raised his voice:
"Greetings, everyone. I'm glad we're all here at Jinshui Amusement Park. In the upcoming mission, we'll face dangers together, so even though we've just met, we're now close partners.
"Let's introduce ourselves to get acquainted. I'll start. I'm Wang Tai, an experienced Spirit Realm Walker. I've completed four Solo Spirit Realms and seven Multiplayer Spirit Realms, and I've even conquered an A-rank instance. Heh, an S-Rank? I'm eager to see just how difficult it is."
His calm demeanor and confident tone seemed to infect the others, gradually dispelling their anxiety as he spoke.
In times like these, a confident teammate can provide a strong sense of security.
Zhang Yuanqing, skilled in social dynamics, naturally knew how to liven the atmosphere and foster goodwill.
He introduced only his name, omitting his profession, mindful of its sensitivity. Including it in his introduction might deter wary individuals from matching with him.
Seeing Zhang Yuanqing set the tone, others immediately chimed in:
"Anyone who can enter an S-rank spirit realm isn't a newbie. If we work together, we'll definitely clear it. No big deal. I'm Fire Fiend."
The speaker was a red-haired youth, seemingly as thin as a rail, with small, sharp eyes and sharply angled eyebrows that gave him a restless, crude air.
A Fire Master, no doubt, the others thought in unison.
A man in black pants and a black hoodie, his face grim, said flatly, "Riverlord."
"I'm Xie Lingxi," a black long straight-haired girl said softly, her lips curved in a sweet, pure smile.
A middle-aged man with a wooden expression and few words raised his hand awkwardly, introducing himself with restraint, "Ashamed Father."
"What?" Zhang Yuanqing thought, his mind overflowing with mock. Spirit Realm IDs are bound to be bizarre, but Uncle, your name takes the cake! He glanced around and saw the others wearing equally stunned expressions.
"What kind of name is that?" the young man in beanie shoes and skinny jeans muttered before tilting his chin and declaring loudly, "I'm the Great Sage, Heaven's Equal. Just call me Great Sage."
All eyes turned to the final member of their group, a mature woman in her early thirties. Her full breasts, rounded hips, fiery red lips, and subtle eye makeup exuded a captivating allure.
Ripe for the picking, Zhang Yuanqing thought.
The Fire Fiend and Great Sage, Heaven's Equal kept stealing glances at her, while the Black Hoodie Riverlord wore a grim expression as he listened intently to the earnest "Ashamed Father."
She smiled sweetly and said, "I'm Xishi."
Her gaze lingered on Zhang Yuanqing, her tone both coquettish and ingratiating. "Little brother, you'll take care of me, won't you?"
You're older than my Aunt, Xishi? Zhang Yuanqing thought, inwardly mocking. Aren't you afraid such a grandiose name will crush you? But his face radiated heroic resolve as he replied:
"Don't worry, we're all comrades here," Zhang Yuanqing reassured her.
At the same time, he gained a preliminary understanding of the woman's style: she was adept at leveraging her gender to her advantage.
After the introductions, the initial awkwardness between them eased slightly. Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to take charge, saying, "S-rank instances are fraught with peril. Before the danger arrives, why don't we discuss our strategy?"
No one objected. Xishi's eyes swept over the group, her voice soft and melodious as she asked, "Are there any members of the Official Organization here? I heard something went wrong at Jinshui Amusement Park, and the difficulty has changed. If only we had an old strategy guide from the previous version..."