Upon hearing the Master Yuan's words, all the companions turned to look at him instantly, and the intense combat among the Saint-level contestants momentarily lost its appeal. Was Master Yuan heading into a solo instance? Li Jun, Guan Ya, the Queen, and the White Guard officers were all energized—everyone was eager to see what level of challenge Master Yuan's second solo spiritual journey would present. Moreover, there was another factor at play: if Master Yuan could accumulate over 50% of his experience points before the Killing Instance began, his chances of successfully passing through and advancing to Saint status would significantly improve. After all, those who dared enter the Killing Instance were typically the top performers among the Tier-3 contenders. With such strong competitors thrown into a large-scale instance, if Master Yuan were specifically targeted, the situation could quickly turn dire—like ants biting a giant elephant. Therefore, the more experience and strength he gained before the Killing Instance launched, the greater his security and assurance. Solo missions can boost experience points and yield valuable items, significantly enhancing Yuan Shi Tian Zun's combat power. Guan Ya, Li Dongze, and the other scouts keenly sensed the anomaly through Zhang Yuanqing's tone and expression. No way... their hearts tightened. Won't it be another S-tier mission again? If so, they'd have to worry about a new issue: Yuan Shi Tian Zun's entrepreneurial journey cut short midway. Fu Qingyang furrowed his brows, "Another S-tier?" The group silently watched Yuan Shi Tian Zun, awaiting his response. Zhang Yuanqing silently counted the time before responding, "It's A-tier." A-tier... everyone had just exhaled in relief when he added, "The mission's name, 'Silent Village,' is not listed in the official guide." Not listed in the guide... Fu Qingyang narrowed his eyes. Such an occurrence either means the Taomen sect hasn't included it yet, or—just like the Shu Lin Tunnel case—its first victory is still pending. Regardless of which one it is, it means Yuan Shi is entering the spiritual realm blindfolded, having to navigate by feel. Given the severity of an A-tier spiritual realm, without a clear strategy—well, to put it plainly, a large number of people would have to perish just attempting to clear an A-tier dungeon. For an S-tier dungeon, the mortality rate would be even higher. "Too bad indeed," the Queen murmured. Guan Ya's expression grew concerned, her brows furrowed. Li Dongze suddenly slammed his forehead. Since recruiting Yuan Shi Tianzun, every time this young man enters a dungeon, it has become a heart-stopping challenge for him, as a team leader. The Baihui troops behind Fu Qingyang exchanged glances, their expressions serious. During their transcendent phase, they had encountered only a few A-tier realms—each time, they had faced life-threatening situations, even with a well-established strategy. Without one, the death rate would exceed 70%. Each time Yuan Shi Tianzun enters a dungeon, it becomes a matter of life and death. "There isn't much time..." Zhang Yuanqing silently counted the moments, glanced at the group, and said, "Good luck to me, everyone!" "Return!" His figure instantly vanished from the sight of Guan Ya and the others. … The coliseum. After witnessing Yuan Shi Tian Zun return, Fu Qingyang immediately rose, pulling out a deep-blue cloak and donning it over his shoulders. Swish— the cloak billowed dramatically, a spiraling current lifting Fu Qingyang into the air, carrying him toward the senior elders' bench. With his poised posture stepping steadily within the current, the flowing cloak trailing behind him, he looked exactly like a superhero from a film—remarkably striking. As soon as Fu Qingyang moved, the audience, who had been eagerly watching the battle, immediately turned their attention to him. "Hm, what is Master Qian up to?" "It seems he has important news to report to the elders." "Let's check with Bai Hui's guard." The dog elder shifted his gaze, now fixed on Fu Qingyang, studying him for several seconds before speaking in a measured tone: "What's happened?" Though Fu Qingyang usually maintained a stoic expression, the elder sensed a sense of gravity in his eyes. Several other elders turned to look or listened intently. Fu Qingyang spoke plainly: "Master Yuan Shi has entered the realm just now." "Dog Elder, observing the expressions of his trusted subordinates, had a sudden thought: 'Another S-rank?' When he uttered this, his emotions were complex—uncertain whether it was anticipation or concern. Fu Qingyang shook his head: 'A-rank, the Silent Village!' A-rank... Hearing this, the other elders breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a touch of disappointment. On one hand, an A-rank quest should not pose a challenge to the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. On the other hand, if the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign successfully cleared three S-rank quests during the transcendental stage, his achievements would surpass those of the Female Marshal, becoming the most distinguished performer in the history of the Five Elements Alliance during that phase. At this moment, Sun Elder furrowed his brows and said, 'The Silent Village? I don't recall the Silent Village listed in the archives of the Taomin Sect. Hongying, do you remember it?' As a senior elder, he was thoroughly familiar with the records of the sect's achievements at the transcendental, sage, and sovereign stages. The rational and gentle Red Luan Elder shook her head slightly: "I haven't heard of it..." Suddenly recalling something, she straightened her expression: "Could it be a quest that hasn't been conquered yet, or one that hasn't been recorded in Taimei's archives as an A-grade?" At this, the elders who had previously shown little enthusiasm turned to look at the speaker simultaneously. Conquering quests is the foundation of the official organization and a key method for attracting talent. The official leadership always values more conquests—more is always better. The Dog Elder finally understood why Fu Qingyang had looked so serious—Master Yuanshishen had gone to establish new territory. "It's actually a quest that Taimei has never recorded!" The eyes of Sun and Zhao Elders suddenly brightened. Whether or not it has been conquered, as long as it's not present in Taimei's official records, its value is substantial. The Covered-Plate Swordsman stroked the hilt of his sword, pondering: "Given Master Yuanshishen's caliber, the likelihood of it being rated A-grade is very high—there's no need to worry." On the contrary," he said, his dignified face breaking into a smile, "how much are you all willing to spend to purchase the guidebook?" The Red缨 Elder replied seriously, "If Master Yuan Shi can successfully clear the A-level raid, we at Taimei Gate will definitely buy it—our price is up to you." Branshen and Zhao Elders neither objected. "Interesting," remarked one of the Five Elements Alliance elders, smiling, "I recall that since Master Yuan Shi began at the Shē Ling Tunnel, he has been continuously enriching our Five Elements Alliance's database with guidebooks. It's truly the top-tier talents who are best suited for pioneering new expeditions." "Indeed, this time he's once again providing an A-level raid guide." At the same time, the news of Master Yuan Shi entering the raid spread swiftly among the audience. "Wait—Master Yuan Shi has entered the raid, and specifically to pioneer it?" "Isn't that rather unfortunate? He matched against a raid that wasn't even recorded in Taimei Gate's database." "Having cleared the S-tier, the A-tier should be a breeze. For the transcendent-phase dungeons, we’ll likely see results within a day. Ah, I’m really eager to find out how it goes." The excitement of the match on the stage suddenly dimmed. ... A gloomy day, with faint light filtering through the thin clouds, casting a dull, heavy atmosphere over the once-fragile village. Zhang Yuanqing stood at the village entrance, surveying the surroundings. Before him lay the silent, weathered village; behind him, the dark, fertile fields and the steadily standing mountains. At his side stood the still, motionless deceased No. 1. The village’s age was hard to determine—rows of stone houses, varying in height, stretched out toward the horizon, their roof lines aligned in a straight line, covered with weathered tiles. At the entrance, the path leading deeper into the village was a solid, compacted earth road, turning muddy and uneven during rainy days. "Compared to the architectural style of Yin Yang Town, this place feels much more eerie and solemn... Yet, the more solemn and quiet a place becomes, the more comfortable I feel—like I've finally come home." Zhang Yuanqing didn't immediately enter the village. Before stepping into the realm, he needed to clear his thoughts. "The main objective is to survive for 24 hours. As a survival-focused quest, this has a strong advantage in terms of flexibility—realm travelers can move freely and operate without constraints. "The downside is that the realm provides very few prompts. It doesn't tell you what to do; everything must be discovered and explored by you, the player. And along the way, you might face life-or-death crises—just like when I unexpectedly got possessed by a shoulder-pressing spirit of resentment back then. "According to the副本 information, the main boss should be the woman inside the ancient tomb, the one who followed Wang Xiao'er out..." So I need to push the boss, right? Yes—this is a proper, serious push! "The two key figures in this quest—Lady Ghost of the Ancient Tomb and Wang Xiao'er—let's start by looking for Wang Xiao'er. If he's still alive, that would be great." With this thought in mind, Zhang Yuancheng led the deceased No. 1 along the well-compacted earth road into the village. The houses in the village were primarily stone-built, with compacted earth walls and thatched roofs. There was little greenery at the corners and roadside—only dead wild grass and dried moss. As they walked, Zhang Yuancheng suddenly sensed that someone was watching him. He swiftly turned his head and spotted a thatched house on his left. Through the only square window in the wall, a pair of eyes was fixed upon him. When noticed, those eyes quickly disappeared into the darkness. "Is it a person or a ghost?" Zhang Yuancheng instantly became alert. If it was a person, he could engage in conversation; if it was a ghost, he would have to face it and absorb information—either way, he could gather intelligence. The worst scenario would be to find the village completely deserted, with no encounters for hours, only to suddenly face a major opponent around the corner. He immediately walked around to the front of the compacted-earth house, where a small courtyard lay. He stopped at the wooden gate, raised his arm, and gently pressed his fingers against the door. The dry, dark wood emitted a steady "thud, thud" sound under the pressure of his fingertips. Zhang Yuanqing knocked for a long time, but the courtyard remained silent—no one answered. Then he decided to climb over the wall. He instantly directed his shadow body to leap over the two-meter-high compacted-earth wall and enter the courtyard. At the same time, he established communication with the imprint within his consciousness, taking full possession of the shadow body's form. Through the shadow body's perspective, he surveyed the courtyard and spotted the stone mill, stacks of firewood, and a row of persimmon trees. Directly opposite the courtyard gate stood the compacted-earth house, while a simple small shed was located to the west. Zhang Yuanqing stepped toward the shed and peered inside—this was a dry toilet. "The dry toilet... I think the village's architectural style is from the north. I remember from my textbooks that persimmons in the north are especially sweet." Zhang Yuanqing speculated that the village was northern, as a college student of his age born in Songhai, he was quite unfamiliar with rural life, especially the era of this village, which seemed distant—there was hardly any modern infrastructure here. No power poles, no streetlights, no bus stops, no solar panels. After circling the courtyard, he didn't hesitate and walked straight to the earth-floored house, knocking on the door. Still, no one answered. Zhang Yuanqing then kicked open the wooden door with a loud thud, dust swirling gently as the heavy door crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Inside, the light was dim, yet it did not impair the night wanderer's vision. His gaze swept over the furnishings, pausing finally on an elderly man leaning against the wall, holding a spade, his face filled with alarm and caution. "Mr. Zhang?" Zhang Yuanqing softly试探ed, "Ah-ah-ah~" The elderly man emitted the distinct sounds of a mute, waving his hoe several times to make a repelling gesture. Not speaking? Seeing the elder's reaction, Zhang Yuanqing immediately understood the meaning of the "mute village." If the villagers couldn't speak, then the living people would lack value—why not kill the spirit-being and ask the spirit to refresh? That thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, but then was dismissed. The elder's expression and demeanor were no different from those of a regular person. He simply couldn't bring himself to kill an elderly man who seemed ordinary. Unless the elder transformed into a monster swirling with resentment the very next moment. "Grandfather, do you know how to write?" Zhang Yuanqing asked again. Yet the elder paid no attention, persistently waving his hoe and emitting "ah-ah" sounds as a form of threat. Well then, Zhang Yuanqing gave up. Though the old man couldn't communicate, his very presence was itself a clue—the women in the ancient tomb hadn't slaughtered the villagers, nor had the situation been particularly perilous. After ignoring the old man's threats, Zhang Yuanqing walked around the room, finding nothing of value, then returned to the outer chamber and asked, "Grandfather, do you know where Wang Xiao'er lives?" The old man remained stubborn and unresponsive. Now Zhang Yuanqing was at a loss. He thought hard, then suddenly had an idea. He picked up a stool and shouted, "What's with you, old man? I asked you where Wang Xiao'er lives—just answer that, and then act all stiff and formal! Do you think I'm going to shave off your head and let you go flat on your back?" Upon hearing this, the old man pointed his hoe toward the west. "Got it, Grandfather—goodbye!" Zhang Yuanqing dropped the stool and stepped out of the room. In the courtyard, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a way to gather information about the quest items. The Cat King speaker! If the realm he enters has been previously cleared by the Magistrate King, then, in accordance with the Magistrate King's style, the Cat King speaker would certainly have recorded it. Not only that—even if no recording exists, as long as the Cat King speaker has once entered this realm, it must possess some knowledge of what's happened here. The Cat King speaker seals the soul of the Cat King, a tangible object endowed with self-awareness and capable of communication. It will proactively record certain details. Just as when, at Jinshui Amusement Park, this speaker once revealed information about the Three-Mountain Lady—back then, no one had recorded it.