"Truly a magician..." Li Chunfeng was startled, pausing to speculate, "Is it because of the story Wang Po told?" Zhang Yuancheng nodded. "In Wang Po's tale, the magician was hired by Zhao Yuan to assist in defeating the female demon who devoured human hearts and livers. By logical sequence, the magician should be stronger than both the blacksmith and Zhao Yuan himself. "It wouldn't make sense for the evil faction to face the strongest boss right from the start in the quest." Wang Po's story and Xu Xiuer's account mutually corroborate each other. In Wang Po's version, the female demon feeds on human hearts and livers, and Zhao Yuan hires a magician to drive her away. In Xu Xiuer's account, Wang Po's son and Zhao Yuan conspire to eliminate the descendants of Yin Yang Sanren. The common point is that both groups are targeting the descendants of Yin Yang Sanren. The difference lies in their respective motivations. The master of ceremonies must also be a real person, because if Zhao Yuanwai and Wang Po’s son had been able to jointly confront that unfortunate woman, they would have taken action long ago. Then the role of the master of ceremonies wouldn’t have appeared in Wang Po’s tale—instead, a different story would have been crafted. Of course, all of this was merely Zhang Yuanqing’s speculation prior to the appearance of the spiritual realm prompts. Moreover, he finally understood who had designed the arrangements within Wang Po’s household. It was the master of ceremonies! "That master of ceremonies is likely a witch-guerrilla practitioner," Queen suddenly remarked. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her—she had also realized it. With the confirmation that Xu Xiuer wasn’t the one responsible for the curse, the arrival of the spiritual realm prompts, and her recollection of Wang Po’s story, if she still hadn’t grasped it, then her rank as a Level 3 water spirit would have been entirely wasted. Li Chunfeng added: "Someone capable of weaving curses must be a witch-guerrilla practitioner. However, descendants of the Yin-Yang Hermit can also cast curses. Therefore, the Yin-Yang Hermit tradition appears to be an equally "The Queen shook her head: 'No one knows the identity of the Yin-Yang Hermit. Other storylines have mentioned him—townspeople say he can summon winds and rain, command blazing fire to drive off thieves. Now, with the curse added... it's likely the item's ability.' 'By the way, haven't we encountered this storyline before? Why isn't it listed in the official archives?' The Fire-Deity Army always assumed that the official records of the Five Elements Alliance should contain all the spiritual realm dungeons. The Queen explained: 'The number of extraordinary-phase spiritual realm dungeons varies greatly. Many people, from the extraordinary to the Saint stage, may have entered only a handful—sometimes even just twice—before reaching level two.' A woman's sign of affection for a man is simply that she often speaks to him. Guan Ya glanced again at her bright and elegant colleague. As she thought this, she turned to Yuan Shi and noticed him quietly thinking. The plot that the magic lord should have experienced is precisely the one we're currently following, so when he reviews it afterward, he clearly senses there's an underlying quest hidden within—the fact should be obvious, and I'd be able to identify it too. However, the color-embryo had already been given to Xu's widow and had slain the cat corpse, thus failing to trigger the hidden quest. Additionally, I now understand why the Yin-Yang Town's quest features multiple "routes"—due to the varying overall strength of each team. When teams encounter the cat corpse and Xu's widow, they often suffer total defeat, meaning each route corresponds to teams of differing strength. As he was pondering this, Li Chunfeng remarked, "Before we reach the town center, I believe we should plan our tactics. Don't worry—I think arriving a few minutes earlier or later won't affect the overall outcome." Given the difficulty of this quest, the main boss clearly cannot be defeated by any one side within just a few minutes. Due to the "triple-power balance," Li Chunfeng believed that if they didn't appear, the evil faction would likely hesitate to push the boss, as no one wanted to face threats from both front and back. His recommendation gained the approval of Captain Zhang Yuanqing: "Lingou can't fight now. Guan Ya, Queen, how much strength do you still have?" The Queen sensed her own condition: "Around seventy percent." Though unharmed, she had suffered significant depletion of vital energy—similar to Lingou—her diluted life essence had largely compensated for the loss; otherwise, her strength would have been only between thirty and forty percent. Guan Ya was different. Her leg wounds had stopped bleeding and were now slowly healing, but the most challenging issue was that the wounds and pain made her mobility impaired, greatly affecting combat effectiveness. "Physical combat skills at fifty percent, ranged attack output remains unchanged," she calmly concluded. The lotus root was wasted, the team reduced to six members. Li Chunfeng, a scholar, his modest physical enhancement considered nothing more than a liability in the eyes of the evil professions... Guan Ya was the "sniper"—the only ones on our side truly capable of direct confrontation with evil professions were now just four. Li Li Yuan Shang Cao was a level-2 wooden spirit, mainly serving in support roles. Zhang Yuancheng quickly analyzed the situation in his mind. Li Chunfeng was very self-aware, saying, "I can stay close to Guan Ya as her guardian. The sniper needs a protector. If necessary, I can also take over the sniper role. "As for combat skills, I'm not confident, but I've trained in archery and am proficient with most types of firearms." Zhang Yuancheng looked at the thoughtful, composed youth. "Are you skilled with firearms?" Li Li Yuan Shang Cao shook his head. He was a native spirit traveler from the wild realm. In a nation with strict firearm regulations, he had neither access nor networks to privately practice archery, and wooden spirits lacked natural aptitude in this field. Zhang Yuanqing then produced the explosive handgun and handed it to Li Chunfeng: "Take this item; it's quite powerful. You and Guan Ya will handle the ranged attacks." Everyone immediately turned their attention to the large-caliber handgun. Li Chunfeng was startled to receive it, checked the item details, and was filled with excitement: "What a strong item!!" Given Li Chunfeng's reaction, it was clear that the item bestowed by Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun was truly impressive—yet he had so easily entrusted it to someone else. Everyone was filled with curiosity and admiration, marveling at Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's generosity. Zhang Yuanqing chose the explosive handgun specifically because he knew he would need to engage the evil faction directly, meaning close-quarters combat. With one already possessing the Brutal Fighter gauntlets, if he also held the fire specialist's handgun, he might feel compelled to charge in and fight ten foes at once, disregarding all caution—effectively seeking his own demise. Zhang Yuanqing then produced the scarecrow, gave it to the earth monster to eat the lotus root, and said, "Stay out of sight from now on, and position yourself at a distance to use this item against the evil faction." Using the scarecrow requires several seconds of setup time and is difficult in close combat—giving it to the monster to eat is essentially putting it to good use. The lotus-root-eating monster received the scarecrow, reviewed the item details, and looked more amazed than Li Chunfeng. "This... this..." the slender young man stared, utterly stunned. "Is this one of the items I can actually use? I've never handled anything this refined in my entire life... How rich is this fellow? He's clearly giving away more than just a few items. I'd like one myself too." The queen's fire-star army members stood there, wide-eyed, watching their captain. "That's all," Zhang Yuanqing quickly waved him off. Indeed, after giving away two items in a row, he could only keep one for himself—there simply wouldn't be any more in stock! His teammates nodded in understanding. The brawlers' gloves grant me agility; my keen eyes allow me to anticipate my enemies' attacks; the bloodthirsty blade is a master in close combat; the Purifier staff neutralizes illusions and enchantments cast by spirits and illusionists. These four close-combat artifacts cannot be borrowed. The red slippers are the core item, the red veil the life-saving one, the disguise ring lacks offensive function, and as for the Heavenly Toad incense burner—should I poison myself or my enemies? Indeed, I have no items left. Li Chunfeng joyfully gathers the items and says, "Yuan Shi and the Fire-Deity army, along with the Queen, will engage the enemy directly. Lili Yuan will provide support and look for opportunities to strike. Guan Ya and I will handle ranged attacks. As for the lotus root—when you encounter the straw man, use your judgment based on his capabilities." ... At the center of the town. The river meanders, dividing the central open space into two halves. This open area in the town center is regularly used by the townspeople for drying grain, gatherings, events, and transactions. Along the slightly swift-flowing riverbank, there A figure in a black robe stood at the center of the open space, lifting his head to bask in the sunlight, as if deeply enjoying the sensation of reuniting with the sky. He had been trapped within the town for an extended period, and the days without daylight had driven him mad. In the southern open space, along the alleyways, a lively, curious ghost peeked out from behind, his dark, alert eyes scanning the surroundings with cautious vigilance. Deeper within, Zhang Yuanqing and his teammates pressed against the walls, speaking softly, "The mage is lingering in the open space. We haven't spotted any members of the evil faction yet. Li Chunfeng was right—our opponents are indeed subtle. Hmph. They're trying to watch the battle unfold from the sidelines, playing the long game. What a base move!" But we thought the same! the Fire Deity's army murmured. "Then let's wait a bit longer," the queen said, with cautious resolve. In another open space, along a narrow alley, an elderly, thin man pressed against the wall, peering out carefully before retreating. He returned to the deeper part of the alley and, along a moss-covered path paved with stone slabs and pe "The younglings of the Lawful Good faction are quite sneaky—they haven't shown themselves yet." The thin middle-aged man suggested. "Shall we focus on eliminating them first, before worrying about the wizards?" A three-way balance is the most stable—no one wants to be the expendable one; everyone hopes the others will take that role. The young man with a missing ear scoffed. "Right now, it's all about patience. I hope the Lawful Good faction has a Fire Mage." The well-dressed man in a suit shook his head. "Even if they do have a Fire Mage, they're likely already gone—most probably won't make it to the end. It's all about patience now." Li Xianzong paused thoughtfully. "Let's wait a while. Only the most patient ones can become hunters. I'll think of a way." Time passed, second by second. "Damn it! I can't take it anymore—let's go!" The last reserves of patience from the Fire Deity army were exhausted. Li Chunfeng and Li Liyuan, the grass on the original plain, held each other firmly on either side. "Be patient! Be patient!" Li Chunfeng Zhang Yuanqing pondered, "Let's wait a bit longer. We need to be hunters, not prey. If you truly can't bear the wait, then we'll retreat and search for traces of the evil professions." At that moment, Guan Ya analyzed, "Don't you remember the description in the strategy guide? The first team to reach the square receives a reward. The spirit realm hint just now urged us to kill the mage and initiate the grand battle. That means whoever kills the mage claims the reward." Zhang Yuanqing glanced around the group, saying, "I have an idea." "Can you instantly eliminate the mage?" the thin middle-aged man stared at Li Xianzong, astonished, "Are you certain you can defeat the big boss in one swift move? Based on the combat strength of the blacksmith and Zhao Yuanwai, this mage is likely at the Saint Realm level—perhaps even a Saint Realm 4, which is quite formidable." "Have you forgotten about this item?" Li Xianzong flipped his palm, and a steel needle stained with dried blood appeared before everyone's eyes. The young man with a missing left ear recalled the prop's details and brightened: "It can kill a mage; if not, it can severely wound one. With our combined efforts, we can swiftly dispatch a severely injured saint—no problem. Don't forget, Li Xianzong has already killed a saint." "I'll release a mist shortly to obscure the lawful faction's vision. Stay close to me, and we'll secure a swift victory," Li Xianzong said. "But first, give me a few minutes." He then walked to the side, donned a soiled, foul-smelling coat, knelt, and folded his hands in prayer: "Let me kill a mage, let my actions proceed smoothly... Let me kill a mage, let my actions proceed smoothly..." The wu-gu shi, a saint-stage artifact—this gaunt middle-aged man's expression grew eager. "Eliminate the mage before the evil faction reacts and claim the reward," Li Chunfeng mused. "This is a sound strategy, though quite challenging." Zhang Yuanqing spoke with confidence: "According to the difficulty level of Yin-Yang Town, magicians are likely to be sages—those in the transcendent stage would only be treated with regular disrespect by us. Well, even the strongest sage we could manage is a level four sage; if they're too strong, then both of us would be subjected to their constant disrespect, which would disrupt the balance mechanism." "If we work together and make targeted preparations, we'll have a strong advantage—especially if the enemy is unprepared. By the way, I have a device that can purify the curses of the witch-doctors, though it's not very effective against toxins." Li Li immediately added: "I have pills that can weaken the effects of toxins." Guan Ya thoughtfully remarked: "I can take cover by firing, and even if the opponent is a sage, they'll be injured by my bullets." Chi Ou quickly said: "I can use a straw figure to cast a curse upon him—while it may not be effective against witch-doctors, it will certainly have an impact." Li Chunfeng supplemented: "The rifle given to me by Yuan Shi has a penetrating effect; I can support Guan Ya in her shooting." After a thorough discussion and finalizing their plan, Zhang Yuanqing said firmly, "Execute!" "Execute!" Li Xianzong didn't remove his robe; he held the butterfly knife in one hand and the wooden box in the other, leading his team out of the alley. At that moment, as Li Xianzong just stepped out into the sunlight, he suddenly spotted a group of people emerging from the opposite side of the alley. Trouble! Were the evil faction's forces finally showing themselves? Good heavens—were the lawful faction's allies also making their move? Both sides were caught off guard, their expressions stiffening as they quickly halted in their tracks. It felt exactly like they'd spent so much effort setting traps for the other side, only to discover that the other side had been setting traps for them as well.