Indeed, they arrived! Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. This time, he no longer let the shadow corpses lead the charge; instead, he rushed straight toward the radiant glow. A few seconds later, he spotted the armor glowing within the radiance—a thick skirt armor, its shield-shaped plates connected by red threads, exquisitely crafted. A full set of armor consisted of just a few components: the arm guards, chest armor, and weapons had already taken shape, while the remaining elements were either skirt armor or helmets. As he ran, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized something was off—his distance to the skirt armor remained constant, as if he were running toward a mountain and would never reach it. He abruptly stopped, realizing he had been ambushed. This familiar sensation was precisely the "ghost wall" phenomenon. Zhang Yuanqing looked around and called out, "Zhao Chenghuang or Sun Miao-miao?" The "ghost wall" was a mesmerizing spell of the Night Wandering Spirit class, and only Sun Miao-miao or Zhao Chenghuang—both level 3 Night Wandering Spirits—could affect it. It would have to be through some physical object or tool. "Hi, Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun! I didn't expect to have to wait for you!" A clear, lively voice rang out. Zhang Yuanqing turned to follow the sound and spotted a graceful figure slowly taking shape some fifteen meters away. Wearing a black t-shirt and black short skirt, her smooth, white legs, full bust, round face, and glossy dark eyes exuded a sweet, refined charm. Her finely curled hair and the distinguished aura of a Night-Wanderer deity made her look like a little princess. "Wait for me?" Zhang Yuanqing asked the charming young woman, "How do you know I'd be the one coming?" Sun Miao Miao giggled playfully. "I don't know, actually. Since entering the arena, I've just stayed here. The components refresh randomly, and each contestant can only receive one piece. So as long as I hold onto a specific area, I'm guaranteed to get at least one." "A very clever strategy—instead of wandering aimlessly, just wait and see. That's why I've never managed to spot her. Zhang Yuanqing glanced around casually, saying, 'You're truly a master at ghostly looping; you've managed to keep me trapped.' Sun Miao Miao flashed her white teeth, proud, 'This is a mesmerizing spell I've crafted using my spiritual servant, a servant forged from the essence of a spirit mage.' Zhang Yuanqing instantly understood. That explained it—how Sun Miao Miao's spell could so effectively deceive him. After all, spirit mages are the ideal material for creating such servants. A servant born from a spirit mage's essence possesses truly extraordinary abilities. 'Impressive!' Zhang Yuanqing praised, though he quietly activated his 'Soul-Devouring' skill, black, viscous energy flooding his eyes and filling his entire field of vision, transforming his demeanor into something eerie and regal—like a king of the underworld or a duke of the bloodline. As he scanned the surroundings, everything appeared normal. He couldn't detect any trace of her spiritual servant. 'Are you looking for my spiritual servant?' Sun Miaomiao pointed behind her and smiled, "She's right here." Behind her, a terrifying shadow emerged—a woman dressed in an old nightgown, her hair flowing freely, the nightgown stained with dark blood. She had died in a most惨 scene, radiating strong resentment and anger. "Night wanderers chase night wanderers," she patiently instructed. "The proper way to use spirit servants is to channel their power through yourself. Don't treat them as mere tools for frontline combat—you understand, don't you?" Zhang Yuanqing paid no attention. He quietly reached out to the spirit corpse, though he could clearly sense its presence nearby—yet he simply couldn't see it. The spirit corpse remained under his control, but when Zhang Yuanqing issued the command to attack Sun Miaomiao, the spirit corpse responded with—no target! Had even Spirit No. 1 been similarly baffled by ghostly delays? Though it was a mere inanimate object, it possessed spirit. With spirit, it would be deceived by illusions. Should the ghostly corpse fail to find its target—without a moment's hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing summoned the bursting pistol, raising the barrel and firing directly at Sun Miao Miao. Pock-pock! The dark red trajectories tore through Sun Miao Miao's body, and she shattered like a shadow, only to reappear again at a distance. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink. "In the illusion, you can never reach me," Sun Miao Miao said, her hands behind her back, smiling with the grace of a carefree young girl. Zhang Yuanqing retorted, "The greatest weakness of illusion lies in its fragile balance. Everything is false—within the illusion, you may bewilder me, lure me, even cause me to injure myself. But you cannot actively harm me. Once an outside factor disrupts the balance, your illusion collapses on its own." Sun Miao Miao’s large, bright eyes curved like a crescent moon as she said, “All I need to do is hold you captive. You have the highest points. Once the other contestants arrive and find you in a trance, they’ll attack you together—soon enough, you’ll be eliminated.” “Master Yuan Shi, you’ve ruined my grandfather’s reputation. Taking advantage of this tournament, I’m determined to humiliate you in front of the official emissaries outside. My grandfather doesn’t need you—he simply has such an abundance of talent in the Taomen Sect.” "There's nothing remarkable about having a well-behaved granddaughter!" the Dog Elder said, with a touch of sourness. The Dog Elder had lived a solitary life, orphaned at a young age, raised in a small fishing village in Fujian on the meals of many households, with only a yellow dog as his constant companion. Now, at the halfway mark of his life, he remains single. The elders who had been mocked now looked rather displeased. ... Indeed, the magic arts that rank among the top three are truly formidable—several of them have real skill. With the Yin-Yang robe and the red slippers, I no longer fear being instantly defeated. However, neither of these items possesses the ability to dispel the illusion. I could attempt to unfold the array of the Yin-Yang robe—using the array to break the illusion, countering it with a counter-attack. Zhang Yuanqing felt somewhat pressed, retorting, "Wasn't it Yuan Ting who ruined your grandfather's reputation? What does that have to do with me?" Sun Miao Miao ignored his objection, hesitating before speaking, "Master Yuan Shi, I'd like to offer you an opportunity. How about we make a deal?" "A night's stay "Zhang Yuancheng finished speaking and waited for Sun Miaomiao to burst into rage, then summon her yin-yang robe to strike unexpectedly. Sun Miaomiao was taken aback: "What does that mean?" "…What do you want to trade?" Sun Miaomiao's expression brightened instantly: "How about I take your little spiritual servant, and in return, I'll help you defeat Zhao Chenguang, securing your victory?" Zhang Yuancheng chuckled coldly: "Please give me a reasonable reason for delaying." "No, I'm serious—I can dissolve the illusion right now," Sun Miaomiao said. Before Zhang Yuancheng could respond, dark, viscous energy surged in her eyes, transforming her aura into one of cold elegance and regal grace. She gently opened her mouth and drew in a breath. The terrifying shadow behind her dissolved into a mist, drifting gracefully into her cherry-red lips. Zhang Yuancheng felt an invisible force unraveling, and then he saw another Sun Miaomiao standing amidst the ruins, holding her skirt armor. The illusion had truly been lifted… Zhang Yuancheng was stunned—what exactly was this woman up to? At that moment, Sun Miaomiao's ear twitched as she turned toward the distance and said, "Someone's arrived. Let's move to another spot to talk." Immediately, the two of them默契ly carried the shadow corpses and each began their night journey, leaving the current location. A moment later, two figures rushed swiftly toward them—Qing Songzi, the warm and outgoing young man, and Tian Xia Gui Huo, holding a narrow-mouthed long knife. Behind them, the one with a poor sense of music, wearing a breastplate, struggled to keep up. "They've already arrived," Tian Xia Gui Huo leapt onto a wall and surveyed the surroundings, saying, "There's no sign of battle here. It seems someone just happened to be nearby—good luck." With so many broken walls and ruins scattered around, and given that Tian Xia Gui Huo wasn't a scout, it was difficult for him to locate the bullet holes left behind by Zhang Yuanqing in the chaotic wreckage. Qing Songzi looked disappointed. Among the three-person team, only he had not received any equipment. ... In a certain ruin. Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a stream of Taiyin energy, its cold, crisp aura rolling out. Before it reached the ground, he caught it mid-air and settled it on his shoulders. This was to prevent Sun Miao Miao from being unkind—stealing a march on the little comic. The Taiyin energy coalesced on his shoulders, forming a plump, round infant. After the little comic appeared, it naturally crawled onto the owner’s head, its belly pressing gently against the owner’s forehead, its large, bright eyes fixed on Sun Miao Miao as they both observed her together. “Ah, it’s him! It’s him!” Sun Miao Miao leapt lightly, her own dark, lively eyes glowing with excitement and fascination. “So adorable!” she murmured, enchanted. Wait—does she work with copper? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow, testing the waters. He had to admit, after the ghostly wall was lifted and he didn’t flee at night, it was precisely Sun Miao Miao’s phrase—“Help you win the championship”—that had won him over. So I'm going to probe a bit and find out exactly what's going on with Sun Miaomiao. Even if she shows up with another case of ghostly wandering, it won't be any worse than what happened just now. "I particularly like the little spirit servants—the smaller ones, the more I like them. They're so cute and endearing. In my grandfather's courtyard, there are several spirit servants living in the locust trees, and I go find them every day to play with them." While speaking, Sun Miaomiao kept her gaze fixed on the lively one. "I'll help you defeat Zhao Chenguang and secure your victory. In return, I'd like to receive the spirit servant from you. You don't have to rush to say no. If you're worried I might deceive you, I can swear on my grandfather's reputation—never to lie." Your grandfather's reputation is already in tatters, and yet he claims he's not lying! Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "No way!" "The After-Soil Boots are a sacred-grade item—how can they be matched against just one spirit servant?" "He's not a spirit servant—he's my own child." "Then we're through, aren't we As the third-ranked contender, even without any assistance, she would unhesitatingly challenge Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, showing no hesitation or fear. Zhang Yuancheng shifted his tone: "If you're truly sincere, we can adjust our arrangement—such as having this child stay with you for a period after the competition concludes. Perhaps you could relocate to Songhai, so he can play with you every day." Sun Miao Miao's eyes sparkled, clearly intrigued. She thought for a moment and proposed, "May I give him a hug first?" "Of course," Zhang Yuancheng replied, "but you'll have to pledge the illusionary master servant as collateral. I'm sorry, but until I have sufficient trust, I won't let the child go on such an adventure." In terms of value, the illusionary master behind Sun Miao Miao was no less precious than the lively, cheerful child. And in terms of strength, he far surpassed the infant-like, unweaned child. If Sun Miao Miao agreed immediately, Zhang Yuancheng would believe she genuinely cared for the young servant. If she hesitated or declined, he would simply depart—this entire conversation would then be "Great!" Sun Miaomiao immediately agreed. She waved her hand, and the terrifying shadow behind her drifted toward Zhang Yuanqing. The little cheerful one, startled, tucked herself behind her master's head, too afraid to look at the sleeping gown ghost. Zhang Yuanqing, seeing this, exhaled a stream of Taiyin energy to envelop the ghost while simultaneously lifting the little one by the nape of her neck and tossing her toward Sun Miaomiao. Sun Miaomiao hurried forward, opened her arms to catch the little one, and began giving her a series of passionate kisses. "My dear, my dear~" The little one had originally tried to resist, but the soothing Taiyin energy radiating from her body was so pleasant that she simply settled against the soft pillow, allowing Sun Miaomiao to keep kissing her. "My dear, can you speak now? Can you call me 'sister'?" "Oh, so adorable!" After a few minutes, Sun Miaomiao finally lifted her gaze and turned to Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn. "I'm very satisfied with this child. Then it's settled—I'll help you secure the championship, and you'll have him stay with me for a while. Now, tell me "It's a bit unreal—how did we manage to bring in Sun Miaomiao like this? Zhang Yuanqing still finds it hard to believe, yet feels no loss at all. He explains: "You've been lingering in this area, encountering no other contestants. Therefore, you may not be fully aware of the situation. Allow me to outline what's happening. Among the eight contestants, Tianxia Guihuo has the lowest score—only three points. Qingsongzi, Yuan Ting, Zhao Chenghuang, and the one with the poor sense of music each have four points. The Land God has seven points, you have ten, and I have thirty-plus. "What kind of reporting rules have you developed?" Sun Miaomiao asked curiously. The "pants-off rule"... Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, saying, "Something like this..." As soon as he finished speaking, his consciousness transferred to the little comic, replacing his own, and then he lifted both hands, pressing firmly onto Sun Miaomiao's full, soft chest. "Ah!" Sun Miaomiao gasped, then became furious, raising her hand to deliver a sharp blow to the little comic's head, which was sparse with fine hair, and scolded, "Get out of here!" The blow landed, and the power of Tai Yin suddenly surged. Zhang Yuanqing's will was forcibly pushed out of the little comic's body. The little comic was hit and began to cry out loudly. "Baby, baby, be a good girl," Sun Miaomiao quickly soothed, her face full of affection. Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "Just like that—now you can report me for being crude with you." Sun Miaomiao rolled her eyes. "How utterly embarrassing! I feel like I've lost so much." To report, one has to sacrifice one's Sun Miaomiao rubbed the small, quirky one's head, briefly set aside the topic, and said thoughtfully, "If we're conducting a guerrilla campaign, our greatest adversary is Zhao Chenghuang. He has a 4-tiered yin corpse that can surge into a powerful state through 'shen-hua' transformation. In addition, I've heard he possesses a particularly unique spiritual servant—though I've never seen him put it into action. As for equipment, he has four or five items of extraordinary quality. With Yuan Ting's support, if we encounter Zhao Chenghuang, the outcome will be uncertain. We'll need to secure another ally." Sun Miaomiao hugged the little cutie, nodding. "Then let's try to win over the Earth God, clear out Tianxia Guihuo and their allies, seize their points and battle armor, then eliminate Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenguang with our advantage. Finally, I'll take care of the Earth God myself." Yuan Tian recalled the retreating figures of the three and analyzed: "Clearly, those three have formed an alliance. Their next move will simply be to gather more battle armor, accumulate strength, and then deliver a decisive blow—either against us or against Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn." "Why not against Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn?" asked Zhao Chenghuang. Yuan Tian offered his reasoning: "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has an exceptionally high score, while most of our participants have only four points. To eliminate him would require a heavy price, one we'd end up paying dearly—effectively letting us reap the benefits without much effort. If instead they choose to ally with Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, letting him use his points to gradually drain ours, they can eliminate our Tai Men contestants with minimal cost. Beyond points, the most crucial factor is that Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has only one representative, while this round's objective is to reach the final two." "That is to say, as long as we three are eliminated, the final spot will be allocated among the members of Tianxia Guihuo, and with proper off-field compensation arranged, there will be no issues. Yet we have three representatives from Taimei, only two spots available—so they have to worry about being abandoned once they're in the game." Zhao Chenghuang nodded slightly, "That makes sense!" At that moment, a faint shadow drifted back and landed on Zhao Chenghuang's shoulder. The shadow had dark lips and bright white eyes—exactly the spirit servant that had once drawn upon Jiang Jingwei's vital essence. Yuan Ting was taken aback, "You sent out the spirit servant?" He hadn't noticed. Zhao Chenghuang offered a casual explanation, "I just checked the surrounding situation." As he spoke, a brilliant glow surged upward from afar. Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang concluded their conversation and glanced toward the distant light. The glow remained for several minutes before gradually fading away. Then, a voice from the game interface reached their ears: 【Ding! The cold-iron helmet is now equipped—Land God! All armor has been summoned! "Too bad, they're so far away," Yuan Ting lamented. At the same time, he learned the armor's composition: five pieces in total—the breastplate, arm guards, helmet, weapons, and the skirt armor yet to be worn. Zhao Chenghuang's composed face broke into a rare smile: "Then let's go. It's time to conclude this stage."