The lid of the coffin slid open slowly, revealing first a man with a face as radiant as jade, wearing a jade hairpin and a well-groomed beard. Though his appearance was youthful, he exuded a sense of dignity and gravitas, clearly someone who had weathered the storms of life. Beyond his looks, what struck the observers most was the attire he wore—a long robe of deep indigo, with crimson flames embroidered at the hem, and wavy patterns stitched in silver along the sleeves and chest. Both in appearance and fabric, it was no ordinary garment. In his arms, he held an ancient bound book, its cover yellowed and brittle, with elegant, clear script inscribed on the front: *The Record of the Sixty-Year Daoist Practice*. "Who is this?" the queen murmured, her eyes narrowing, forming a hunch in her mind, yet uncertain. She turned to her teammates. "The Yin-Yang Hermit!" Zhang Yuanqing stated without hesitation. The Yin-Yang Hermit... The teammates exchanged puzzled glances. Indeed, a true Yin-Yang wanderer. The official guide never mentions this. Isn't the Yin-Yang wanderer just a background story? As for when Yuan Shi actually triggered the hidden quest—I've been following him the entire time and completely missed it. Is this what it means to continuously achieve two S-tier victories? The Queen is both astonished and deeply impressed by Yuan Shi Tianzun. The hidden quest must have been discovered when confronting the Cat of Curse. He mentioned he wanted to conduct an experiment, yet how exactly did he identify the hidden quest? Li Chunfeng, proud of his intelligence and breadth of knowledge, could deduce the connection between the hidden quest and the Cat of Curse, but remained utterly puzzled as to how Yuan Shi Tianzun himself triggered it. How did Yuan Shi discover that the Cat of Curse could activate the hidden quest? He had previously instructed the Queen to investigate this region—hadn’t he already known that the coffin would appear here? At that time, the coffin should have been in a "hidden" state—it only "refreshed" and appeared after the evil mage was slain. Was the hidden quest tied to six characters? It simply didn't make sense. No matter how one thought about it, it didn't make sense. Guan Ya thought more deeply than anyone else. "Where is the item that enables the comeback?" Li Li asked. "This robe," Zhang Yuanqing said, lifting the Yin-Yang recluse from the coffin and gesturing, "Help me support him—I need to remove this robe." Guan Ya immediately stepped forward, refusing anyone else to intervene. Zhang Yuanqing promptly handed the Yin-Yang recluse over to Guan Ya and skillfully peeled off his robe himself. Throughout the process, he remained tense. Not worried about Li Xianzong arriving, but rather about the Yin-Yang recluse feigning a resurrection. He had developed a psychological phobia due to the old wooden creaker. Soon, Zhang Yuanqing removed the robe of the Yin-Yang Daoist and took full command of the artifact. Only then did he truly appreciate its full appearance: a deep black base, with crimson flames embroidered at the hem, silver water patterns woven across the chest and sleeves, and a black-and-white Taiji fish depicted on the back. ] [Note 3: Unfolding the robe activates a spell array that covers a radius of thirty meters. During the array's activation, outsiders are barred from entering, and the caster and the trapped individuals must remain in place for ten minutes. While the array is active, the caster will transform into a dual form of water and fire, becoming immune to physical attacks. If the array is not dissolved within ten minutes, the caster's physical body will be irreversibly compromised.] [Note 4: Maintain your desire for immortality; your personality may exhibit slight fluctuations, but do not be concerned—these fluctuations will last only for up to 24 hours.] Zhang Yuanqing stared at the item's attributes, his mind filled with a single thought: I've made it! This is a piece of equipment that combines the abilities of both a Fire Specialist and a Water Spirit, and it's an unprecedented set. Already, such a single robe is so powerful. One day, when the complete set is assembled, Zhang Yuanqing will surely be invincible in Songhai, capable of defeating each Dog Elder with a single strike! However, it has its drawbacks—especially against particularly strong opponents with thick defenses. Moreover, this item is specifically weak against Water Ghouls and Fire Masters. Well, that’s not a problem; if the attack isn’t sufficient, I can simply use other items instead. There lies the secret of immortality hidden within this item. The Yin-Yang Master founded this town, arranging its layout in harmony with Yin and Yang principles, corresponding to the Taiji fish pattern on the robe. He likely intended to replicate the array within the robe, constructing a larger one to achieve immortality. Yet, this plan seems rather unconvincing. Indeed, by his later years, the Yin-Yang Master probably suffered so heavily from the costs of the item that his desire for immortality drove him nearly mad. Additionally, the Yin-Yang Master found within the coffin resolved Zhang Yuanqing’s lingering doubts: why did the descendants of the Yin-Yang Master perish at the hands of the mage and a group of uncoordinated allies? Because they never actually mastered this powerful item—the Yin-Yang Robe remained worn by the ancestors. When the mage seized them, he failed to obtain the robe and consequently became enraged, leading to their deaths. Wang Boqi's involvement in this matter stems from his desire for the beauty of Yin-Yang's descendants. As for Zhao Yuan and Wang Tiejiang, Zhang Yuanqing has no idea—this is part of the subplot within the evil faction. However, it no longer matters. Zhang Yuanqing nodded, giving a affirmative response. Guan Ya and the others soon beamed with relief, exhaling a sense of ease. "By the way, return my props to me, and then you can all withdraw." Under Zhang Yuanqing's urging, the four carried the unconscious Ehu and the Fire Master, swiftly departing toward the distance. Turning his gaze back to his teammates, Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the scroll inside the coffin. "The Record of the Jiashi Daoist..." He picked up the scroll, opened the first page, and quickly scanned it, his expression filled with surprise and excitement. It detailed the journey of the Yin-Yang Daoist in his cultivation. This was indeed precious—information left by a strong figure of the same era as the old stage actor, offering insights into the spiritual realm and revealing hidden secrets beneath the surface of reality and history. "Hmm. Now isn't the time to examine this in depth. Let's see if we can store it in our inventory." With a thought, the scroll vanished from his hands and appeared in one of the inventory slots. At that very moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden movement in his ear, hearing the swift, rushing footsteps approaching—fast and urgent. He turned to see two figures emerging from the end of the cobblestone street: Li Xianzong, holding a darkly polished staff, and an old mouse-like humanoid hunched under his own weight. Behind them, the red ballet shoes trudged wearily, stubbornly launching a relentless pursuit. The enchanting spirit of the creature had the ability to "mark" its prey; once marked, escape became nearly impossible. This was precisely why Li Chunfeng believed that guerrilla tactics offered only a brief extension of life—nothing more. When Zhang Yuanqing first spotted the enemy, Li Xianzong also saw him and immediately quickened his pace, calculating the distance in his mind. As soon as he closed in on fifty meters, he would unleash a wide-area curse—leaving no room for the enemy to recover or create any lingering threats. "Boss, they're gone—there might be a hidden ambush," the mouse-like humanoid said, his large eyes scanning left and right. He had always been cautious, and though victory seemed within reach, he didn't want to fall at the final stretch. "The ones farther away are fleeing," Li Xianzong sensed the positions of the other markers. "Fleeing?" the mouse person blinked, chuckled, "He's going to stay behind alone to cover for his teammates, isn't he? So eager to be the hero—well, we'll make him the hero. Boss, let's finish this quickly. I can't wait to enjoy two beautiful ladies!" Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart in the chest violently contracting, then stopping, and the familiar sense of pain and suffocation surged—yet this time, the palpitations and discomfort lasted less than a second. The curse had been blocked by the yin-yang robe. Hmm? The curse was ineffective on him? Seeing Zhang Yuanqing unharmed, Li Xianzong's expression changed. Zhang Yuanqing looked at Li Xianzong across the distance, smiled, revealing a dangerous expression. "Swish—!" He removed the yin-yang robe and tossed it into the air. This action caused both Li Xianzong and the mouse-like figure to halt their rushing strides. The latter raised his bamboo tube, aimed it at Zhang Yuanqing, and blew out a toxic dart. *Pff!* The dart missed, and Zhang Yuanqing's form vanished into thin air. At that moment, the robe tossed into the sky suddenly unfurled, its sleeves and folds as if drawn out by lines, expanding to the full extent like a sheet of paper. The Tai Chi fish behind the robe spins, the black fish releasing clear, ethereal streams of water, while the white fish喷its blazing tongues of flame; both water and flame cascade down, forming a majestic Tai Chi fish that spans a thirty-meter radius. Fire on the left, water on the right. "What's going on? What's going on?" the mouse person cries out, "What kind of prop is this?" Immersed in the flowing waters, the mouse person feels a constant push and pull of unseen currents—like a leaf floating on water, struggling to stay upright, let alone fight. Li Xianzong feels a deep sense of unease, sensing something unfavorable. With no further delay, he immediately steps back, aiming to escape this strange zone. Whoosh! A transparent aura forms, blocking the two. They can't get out! "By the gods, we're trapped!" the mouse person pounds the aura with fists, sending out ripples of clarity. Li Xianzong maintained a serious expression, wielding his butterfly knife and stabbing it at the aura barrier. Compared to the slow ripples created by the mouse's punches, the knife tip generated rapid, rippling waves—yet still failed to breach the barrier. Veins on his temple bulged, and muscles in his arms tightened, intensifying the ripples. After a few seconds of stalemate, he retracted the butterfly knife, his face growing increasingly grim: "We can't get through!" Hearing this, the mouse's demeanor began to falter. Its large eyes darted around anxiously, teeth clenched, and it roared: "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, come out! Come out now! You think this will trap us? You think you can hold us for long?" After tirelessly defeating the boss, enduring a perilous struggle for the staff, and finally reaching the final stage with victory in sight, another twist had arisen—anyone would have their composure shaken. "Hah..." A light laugh echoed from the center where the ethereal water flowed: "Trap you? You're mistaken. I didn't come here to trap you at all." Li Xianzong and the mouse-man turned toward the sound and saw that in the central area, a shimmering stream of water slowly rose and coalesced into a humanoid form, its facial features subtly resembling those of the Prime Immortal. This figure held a large-caliber handgun and wore black-framed glasses. At the same time, a similar voice suddenly echoed again: "It is my purpose to kill you—have you prepared to kneel and beg for mercy?" Li Xianzong and the mouse-man swiftly turned their heads to see the area engulfed in flames. At the center, clusters of flames had solidified into a flickering, burning humanoid figure, holding a weapon of magical suppression and a blade of bloodthirsty prowess. Water and fire manifestations! Beneath the figure of the flame, a black-bodied speaker lies still, its speaker emitting a somewhat poignant song: "You are like that flame, a blazing warmth that warmed me; you are like that flame, a radiant light that illuminated me..." As the water-bodied form began to speak, "Li Xianzong, I said earlier..." the fire-bodied form immediately interjected, "Is there a possibility that today, the one who kneels and pleads for mercy..." The water-bodied form swiftly reclaimed the floor, "It's *you*!" Li Xianzong didn't say a word. He raised his staff high, and the gem at the top shimmered with a deep, dim glow. The two figures stood at a distance, motionless. The fire form chuckled, "Useless." The water form replied calmly, "The curse has no effect on me." Li Xianzong's expression was now completely still—no more pride, no more arrogance. His grip on the butterfly knife grew so tight that his hands slightly trembled. The mouse man screamed, "This can't be! You have this tool—why didn't you use it before? This simply can't be!!" He still refused to accept the present reality. *Crack! Crack!* The water form raised his gun and fired at the hunched-over mouse man. The mouse man was startled, bending low, ready to side-slide to the ground, but a surge of ethereal water rushed in from all sides, forming an invisible barrier that pushed against him, firmly sealing him in place. "By the gods! The mouse-man gasped, his body undulating like a fish, the sleek, glossy fur helping him deflect the force of the oncoming current. At the last moment, he narrowly avoided two deadly bullets. "Ah, so you're a water-waster!" the fire duplicate sneered, then lifted his foot. As the celestial and terrestrial robes in the air rotated, the water-fire grinding disk shifted positions, and Li Xianzong and the mouse-man were enveloped within the flaming half of the Taiji. "Hish-hish..." steam rose from the mouse-man's fur, emitting a smoky, charred odor, and he shrieked in pain. The fire duplicate vanished silently, reappearing behind the mouse-man, his bloodthirsty blade sweeping toward his hunched back. Li Xianzong took two swift steps, striking the fire duplicate's wrist with his staff, causing the flame arm to explode and the blade to fly free. "Thump-thump..." at a distance, the water duplicate turned his gun, firing a series of dark-red-traced bullets, maintaining steady pressure and forcing Li Xianzong to bend and dodge. The Fire Duplicate's arm reformed, choosing not to retrieve the Blood-Drinking Blade. Instead, it extended a hand into the roaring flames, grasping a long flaming sword, and swiftly swung it down. The mouse-like warrior was agile, using a powerful leap of his strong hind legs to evade the deadly blade. Yet before he could feel any relief, gunshots rang out at his side, and a sharp pain surged through his abdomen—bullets tore through his resilient skin, creating two dramatic wounds. The Water Duplicate, empowered by the Sight of the Observer, had anticipated his movement. The Fire Duplicate seamlessly advanced, raising the flaming sword from below and upward, delivering a powerful strike that sent a brilliant burst of flame erupting from the mouse-man's abdomen. Though no blood flowed, the intense heat created sealed wounds, yet his internal organs were nearly incinerated, and death was now inevitable. "It's impossible…" the mouse-man murmured, his voice filled with reluctant disbelief, as the light in his eyes slowly faded. Witnessing this scene, Li Xianzong's pupils constricted dramatically, as though struck by a powerful stimulus. Without thinking, he summoned the wooden box, snapped open the lid, and allowed the mist to envelop the area. The fire-bodied counterpart boomed with confident arrogance, "Useless! This is my territory, my home field." The water-bodied counterpart replied coldly, "Water is my eyes; fire is that man's aura." As soon as the words fell, both bodies launched their attacks— the water-bodied one firing precise shots into a specific point of the mist, while the fire-bodied one hurled a series of high-temperature fire balls, creating the explosive effect of hand grenades. Under the impact waves, the mist trembled and briefly dispersed. Li Xianzong emerged, clad in a soiled, foul-smelling coat, his knees pressed to the ground. The bullets passed him cleanly, while the shockwaves were deflected by the deep, dark glow radiating from his coat. Li Xianzong retrieved the wooden box and summoned a white chalk stick, drawing a circle around him. This was his final resort! A golden-yellow light beam descended from the sky, enveloping Li Xianzong. After a few seconds, the beam faded, yet he remained in place. ...A hint of despair appeared in Li Xianzong's eyes. At that moment, the Fire Body arrived, delivering a powerful slash with a flaming blade, its heat sweeping over him. Li Xianzong had to interrupt his "prayer," leaning back to avoid the flame blade, while crimson symbols glowed vividly in his eyes. The Fire Body suddenly froze. Then, his body exploded, sending out a powerful shockwave accompanied by scorching flames that cascaded in layers against Li Xianzong's chest. Pfft! Li Xianzong spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale. The Fire Body reformed at a distance, boasting, "Well, I'm glad I reacted in time and self-exploded." "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, you—you've discovered this item? How?" Li Xianzong gritted his teeth. He couldn't accept that a rookie he had once easily outperformed now displayed such outstanding performance in the quest, one that even made him feel envious. "Playing dungeons requires strategy—day after day, you just keep charging and fighting. When we were at Pingtai Hospital, you merely took advantage of my lower level. Now you really think you're a hero? I've put in half a month's worth of effort, and you've only managed half a year's worth—what are you, really?" The fiery duplicate growled angrily. The Water Form launched bullets and glasses, and said calmly, "You shoot!" As he spoke, he clenched his hands tightly, and a shimmering flow of darkness surged from all around, encircling Li Xianzong and holding him in place. At the same time, the Water Form glided across the surface of the water, rushing toward Li Xianzong, then leaped high in the air, driving his knees into Li Xianzong's chest. Crack! With a flawless dodge, Li Xianzong bent his torso and lowered his hips, placing his staff across his chest. The Water Form collided with Li Xianzong's chest, dispersing into a mist, and the impact caused Li Xianzong to gasp. Meanwhile, the Fire Form seized the opportunity, rapidly firing off a steady stream of bullets. Under the influence of the dark currents, Li Xianzong's movements were slightly delayed, and though he avoided most of the bullets, one struck his right chest. His face instantly paled, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Let's make this more interesting!" The Water Form snapped his fingers, and from several meters away along the riverbank, waves surged upward, These genuine streams of water were absorbed by the water-bodied form, transforming into a giant three meters tall who embraced Li Xianzong. Clack, clack, clack... The fire-bodied form rapidly fired bullets, one after another. The dark red trajectories covered Li Xianzong, who was completely enveloped in water and could not escape, piercing through the water-bodied form and striking Li Xianzong repeatedly, splashing blood in blossoms. The three-meter-tall water-bodied form was instantly stained red with blood. "Blub, blub..." Li Xianzong expelled a stream of bubbles from his mouth, his body littered with blood-soaked wounds. His consciousness rapidly blurred, with memories of the past flashing by like a carousel. He recalled his mother, who had abandoned her husband, and his father, gentle and kind yet often mistreated because of his goodness. He remembered the hard days they had shared as father and son. These memories ultimately transformed into a powerful surge of anger and resentment. His previously hazy consciousness suddenly cleared, regaining sharp clarity. I never thought I would die at his hands... Li Xianzong struggled, using his last ounce of will, to open his inventory. At that moment, the soiled, foul-smelling coat, the butterfly dagger in his right hand, the withered staff in his left, and the chalk pressed against his palm—all were returned to the inventory. Summoning and retrieving items was all accomplished with a single thought. After completing this, Li Xianzong slumped his head, allowing the flowing water to carry him, his breath at his nostrils gradually diminishing in volume and size. "Pop!" The fire duplicate struck once more, shattering Li Xianzong's head. Only then did the water duplicate dissipate into its "body form," letting the river flow cascade down. Immediately after, Zhang Yuanqing dissolved the spell. The Taiji fish on his robe reversed, flames rising in clusters and entering the white fish, while streams of ethereal currents returned to the black fish. The yin-yang robe settled precisely upon Zhang Yuanqing's body below. … In a small alleyway away from the riverbank, Guan Ya and the queen sat down, grasping time to recover their strength, while Lili Yuan cared for the fire master who had fallen into a coma from poisoning. Li Chunfeng stood at the entrance of the alley, keeping watch. Cai, who had just regained consciousness after eating lotus roots, slowly restored his energy, observing the silent, solemn group, and apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't manage to do much." No one acknowledged him. Everyone's hearts remained suspended—waiting for a message, for a verdict. Finally, several of them heard the familiar spiritual realm notification tone: 【Ding!