Master Yuan Shi... These words seemed to cut off the "call me queen" line, leaving her radiant face filled with astonishment and disbelief as she studied Zhang Yuanqing from head to toe. As a long-time forum participant, she had heard countless praises about this prodigy from the Songhai branch and had actively engaged in discussions about him. Though still only a Level 2 Night-Wanderer, he was a true star. Yet she had never imagined matching with him within the spiritual realm. "Master Yuan Shi? Really you? Really you?" the queen exclaimed, her eyes darting between Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya. Guan Ya nodded slightly. "It's him." "I've finally matched with you!" With confirmation from her colleague at Songhai Branch, the queen's excitement soared. "Once I return to the real world, I'm going to impress everyone on the forum by telling them I've matched with Master Yuan Shi." "Master Yuan Shi..." The fire-element army's eyes brightened, and with a slightly excited tone, they asked, "Is it the Master Yuan Shi from the Song Hai branch?" Unconsciously, I have now become a rising star among the transcendent realm—almost a household name... Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently, "I believe there's no other Master Yuan Shi in the entire spiritual realm." The plump, round-faced young man, who was a natural-born traveler, said curiously, "Master Yuan Shi, aren't you well-known? I'm not familiar with the official forums of the Five Elements Alliance—due to my relatively lower level, I don't have a strong information network—and I've never heard of Master Yuan Shi's name before. The queen immediately said, "He's our official prodigy—he's cleared two S-rank challenges in a row. When he was at Rank 1, he single-handedly defeated a Rank 3 Enchanting Spirit. At Rank 2, he faced off alone against a Rank 6 Wuzhu Specialist and triumphed. Recently, he fought alone against Li Xianzong and was nearly killed, yet he managed to survive against all odds..." Not at all—what about the final event? In her heart, Zhang Yuancheng felt a surge of satisfaction, but as she heard the last part, her expression slightly stiffened. To the earth monster, the words fell with a completely different resonance. As the story unfolded, the creature grew increasingly amazed, its mouth opening wider and its expression more grandiose, gazing at Zhang Yuancheng as if he were an unattainable master. Such a figure—could I possibly match him? Even the composed, serene "Lily on the original field," who had been quietly observing, found herself repeatedly glancing at Zhang Yuancheng. Faced with such an impressive record and such a distinguished career, despite being only a few years older, he could no longer ignore this peer. Clearing two S-rank spiritual realms... defeating a villainous profession at a higher level... Li Chunfeng immediately set aside his passivity and pessimism, excitedly saying, "I never knew there was a true master like you hidden within our team. With you on board, our chances of winning have greatly improved. This game is definitely going to be a success!" Call me queen. She pursed her lips and hummed, "Then it's up to you. If you make a misstep in command, I'll take over." She didn't press further. She wasn't sure just how much command was required to earn the guild's reward... Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at the town behind them. "We don't have much time. Let's go in." The group passed through the archway and entered the ancient town. Ideally, I'd match up with one of the top ten ranked officials in the official Transcendent Realm, eliminate one during the Spirit Realm trial, then return to defeat the Primordial Sovereign afterward—thus concluding this trial early and preparing for the mid-year副本. If everything goes smoothly, I'll accumulate a substantial fortune. The thin, somewhat awkward middle-aged man offered a self-conscious smile. "All I hope for is that there's at least one attractive woman in the Lawful faction—nothing beats humiliating them." He'd done this several times over the past several Spirit Realm expeditions. "Enough chatter—follow me!" Li Xianzong led his team through the archway into the town. The group of seven walked along the broad stone path, and soon a voice prompt began to play: 【Please locate Wang the Blacksmith's shop within the next ten minutes.】 "Wang the Old Woman?" the Fire-Star Army asked, puzzled. "How do we find her? We saw a herdsman tending cattle outside just a moment ago. Now she's gone—how did she disappear? Is this town completely empty?" The hint they received was to find Lady Wang's home within ten minutes. Now, they walk along the quiet streets of the ancient town, silent—no birdsong, no dog barks. The houses on either side are closed, and the town seems to have only them. Li Chunfeng, serious and precise, points out the fire master's mistake: "If this were an empty town, why would they have asked us to find Lady Wang?" The fire deity's army, unmoved by thought, simply asks: "Where exactly is Lady Wang? The town is so large—how could anyone know where she's hidden? We only have ten minutes. By the way, isn't she the Queen? Didn't you see the guidebook?" "Please call me Queen," she says, glancing around. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—Yin-Yang Town is a continuously evolving instance. The core theme of the main storyline—between the lawful and the chaotic factions—remains constant, but the journey changes. Among the several guidebooks I've reviewed, some focus on finding the blacksmith, others on solving a town-wide mystery, some on navigating a maze, and the most eerie of all is the one set during the night "Nighttime dungeon?" the young man with a round face, curious about lotus roots, asked, "Why is it the most terrifying?" The queen spoke with confidence. "If your match begins precisely at night, the dungeon will require you to stay at the inn overnight. Each night, one of you will die, and you must identify the murderer before you can leave. Skills cannot be used during this time." Seeing their teammates turn to look, Zhang Yuanqing seemed already aware, saying, "This isn't difficult—I've already got a plan, just waiting for you all to waste words." He took a deep breath and roared, "Wang Po! Where are you?" He called out several times, then six or seven, his voice growing stronger and carrying farther. His teammates stared at him, wide-eyed, exchanging puzzled glances, thinking, "Are we going crazy? Is this how you find someone?" At that moment, a silver-haired elderly woman stepped out from a small alley to the left and front, dressed in simple cloth garments, holding a walking stick, her movements trembling. Her face was deeply lined, her back slightly bent, and her voice frail, saying, "Who are you all? What do you want from me?" Really? The team members were stunned. The Fire-Star Army asked, "How did you know she'd come out just by being called?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled lightly, "I didn't know. I just tried it. In such a large ancient town, randomly searching everywhere, it's simply impossible to find one elderly person within ten minutes. The Spirit Realm wouldn't present an absolutely fatal challenge right from the start. The Fire-Deity Army suddenly realized: "Indeed, no wonder you're a master who's cleared two S-rank challenges." Zhang Yuanqing led the group forward. After waiting a few seconds, seeing no prompt from the Ling-jing, he said, "Grandmother, we're strangers here, just arrived. We're not sure if we can even get a cup of water, and our stomachs are hungry—we'll pay for it." Typically, in the absence of any prompt, the players must themselves trigger the narrative. "Strangers indeed..." With a slightly cloudy gaze, the old woman scanned the group and slowly said, "Guests who come from afar are welcome—come with me, and there's no need for payment." Then, trembling slightly, she turned and, holding her walking stick, walked into the narrow alley. Zhang Yuanqing and the others immediately followed. The alley's ground was paved with smooth stones, just wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Due to lack of sunlight and constant dampness, moss had grown thickly along the sides. Such alleys were numerous throughout the ancient town, densely woven like a spider's web. Guan Ya took a few brisk steps and whispered to Zhang Yuanqing at his ear: "Have you noticed that she's not wearing modern attire? I'm not very familiar with ancient history, so I can't quite tell which dynasty she belongs to." Guan Ya had grown up abroad as a child. "A bit like the Song Dynasty, yet also reminiscent of the Tang Dynasty," Zhang Yuanqing said, somewhat uncertain. Li Chunfeng, standing behind, added: "It's from the early Ming Dynasty. Ming Dynasty clothing evolved significantly—distinctly different in the early, mid, and late periods. In the early Ming, common people's attire was inspired by Tang styles, though with some subtle differences, making it easily recognizable. Moreover, the architectural style of this ancient town is quite typical of the Ming Dynasty—this doesn't match the Tang or Song styles." Indeed, a true scholar—how well-versed he is! Zhang Yuanqing quickly turned to Guan Ya and said: "I was just about to mention the early Ming." Guan Ya gave him a withering look and murmured: "The Yin-Yang Hermit's active period is set in the early Ming? That aligns perfectly with the background of the Three "Before Zhang Yuanqing could speak, Li Chunfeng added, "The settings of the transcendent-stage realms are either modern or Ming dynasty—only these two. However, as far as I know, the realms at the Saint-level often feature the Song dynasty. As for the reason, I'm not quite clear on it." The settings of the transcendent-stage realms are limited to modern and Ming dynasty, while the Saint-level realms feature the Song dynasty... Oh, by the way, during our last visit to the Lady's Temple on San Dao Mountain, the temple attendant once mentioned that she would reveal to the owner of the handscroll a secret concerning the rise and fall of a thousand years. I'm not sure whether this was merely a fabrication for the disciples' benefit or if there's any truth to it. The Yin-Yang Hermit and the old梆子 belong to the same era—perhaps he has left behind some information here. I also need to keep an eye on the hidden quest the Demon King mentioned, though I haven't yet spotted any traces of it. As they pondered, Wang Po led the group to the entrance of an old courtyard. The courtyard's gate was crumbling, its door hinges heavily rusted, and it was secured by a The architectural style of this manor is a classic courtyard house—rooms on three sides, with an open space in the center, where the eaves of the three side buildings form a square courtyard. The house immediately gives the impression of dimness and gloom. Added to this, the aging wooden structure bears signs of wear and decay, deepening the sense of solemnity and eerie atmosphere. Wang Po, holding a walking stick, crossed the threshold and glanced back into the shadows: "Come in..." Zhang Yuanqing hesitated slightly, while the officers of the Fire Star Army, with their straightforward demeanor, stepped over first. As the group entered the house and reached the courtyard, a spacious living room lay to the left, with a round table and several round chairs covered in dust, as if the space had been abandoned for many years. "Many years have passed since we've had visitors," Wang Po said, wiping the dust with her sleeve. "My mobility has been limited, so I haven't been able to keep up with the upkeep. Please make yourselves comfortable—I'll serve you tea." With that, she picked up her walking stick and, her back slightly bent, entered the room on the right side of the At this moment, Guan Ya lowered her voice and said, "Look up there..." Up there? The Fire-Deity Army instinctively raised their heads and gasped in surprise. Hanging from the beams above their heads were numerous cats whose skins had been peeled off—suspended like a forest of meat, their eyes wide and staring, eerie and terrifying. Why would Wang Po hang so many cats here? To make dried meat, perhaps? Zhang Yuanqing grew more alert. Guan Ya continued, "Did you notice something earlier? The door of the room was locked." "What's the issue?" the young man with a round face asked, eating lotus roots. Guan Ya shook her head, "Locking the door is not unusual, but when I passed by earlier, I estimated the distance—from the main street to here, only fifty to sixty meters. Wouldn't it be necessary to lock the door for such a short distance?" In a place like this, one would hardly expect any sense of security—Wang Po is physically limited, so why lock the door for such a brief journey? Call me queen. Having understood, she murmured: "Is she afraid that someone might slip in while she's away, or perhaps that something inside the room might quietly escape?"