The cursor will directly indicate its position, enabling real-time localization—hiding and ambushing is simply not feasible. Hearing this, the jade-essence Jiang Jingwei stepped forward and proposed loudly, "Then let's not hide. We'll stay here and engage the evil forces in a final, decisive battle. Even in the worst case, we can at least slow them down. And we still have two other teams—we just need them to reach the summit!" The fire commanders were greatly impressed by Jiang Jingwei's words, clapping enthusiastically. "The young princess is truly brilliant!" "The young princess truly lives up to her reputation as the intellectual leader among our fire commanders—her future is bright." "Those people from the evil faction must be out of their minds—how dare they march along the same path as us? They must be hoping for a slower death. Young Princess, lead us and defeat the evil forces!" Listening to the praise and admiration from the fire commanders, Jiang Jingwei crossed her arms and proudly lifted her head. Well, from a certain perspective, she did conduct a thorough analysis—understanding that by delaying the enemy's advance and fighting to the death within the chaotic faction, she could create favorable conditions for victory for the lawful faction. Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, expressing his appreciation for Jiang Jingwei's initiative and strategic thinking. However, the strategy of staying behind to fight to the death against the chaotic faction is not viable. On one hand, the overall quality of the official side falls short. Among the current 14-member team, only Tianxia Guihuo, Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and the one with poor musical ability stand out as truly elite; the rest are not quite at the top tier. Indeed, Shallow Wild's powerful spell-caster can match the elite, but lacks endurance. Moving on—the official's rowers are certainly competent, but who are their opponents? They face a group of tenacious outlaws ranked among the top ten on the wanted list, representing the peak of chaotic faction combatants. Moreover, there are a few independent practitioners, led by figures such as "The One Who Reigns Supreme" and "The Nine-Leak Fish," who further complicate matters. How can they possibly win? On the other hand, They're all in the same camp, but not blood relatives. Moreover, if they really went that far, the transcendent beings of the Five Elements Alliance would have to perish here, and upon returning to the real world, the Songhai branch would strip me bare. As the leader, Zhang Yuanqing gently stroked the young woman's head. "A very good idea—but not feasible!" he said. At this, everyone else breathed a collective sigh of relief. They truly feared that Yuanshǐ Tianzun might, in a moment of passion, adopt the fire teachers' proposal and, once it came to that, the alliance would dissolve. Fortunately, they had overthought it—how could such a wise figure like Yuanshǐ Tianzun embrace a suggestion that required no real thought at all? Tianxia Gui Chen paused and offered a sound, practical proposal: "There are three approaches. First, set up traps along the route—common jungle-style traps, laced with poison, and wait for the forces of the evil faction to stumble upon them. I happen to have a vial of poison ready. Second, leave behind spiritual servants and shadow corpses as hidden forces. With the quality of your shadow corpses, though they may not be "Third, with the trap coordinated by the shadow corpse spirits, luck permitting, we could eliminate an entire area." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up as he listened, inspiration striking him. He turned to glance at the fire masters around, thinking to himself: "Now, now—this is truly the intellectual backbone of the fire masters." Mu Dan, shaking her head, replied, "The toxin has no effect on the witch-guerrilla practitioners, and they possess the ability to expel toxins as well. Moreover, setting up traps is time-consuming and ultimately not worth the effort." Zhang Yuanqing pondered. The one who had first proposed the idea, Guan Ya, laughed and chided, "Can't you see that? Since I suggested it, I must have a method in mind. But before that, I'd like to see the reward item you've prepared." Zhang Yuanqing then produced the mist spider, carefully handing it over to Guan Ya, saying, "Handle it gently—don't let it dissipate." Guan Ya held the mist spider, reviewed its information, and smiled, "Indeed, as I expected. Then it's straightforward. First, we need to verify whether the cursor's positioning is based on the physical body or If it's the latter, then I'll take your physical form, and your spirit will remain here, waiting patiently like a hare by its stump. Once the forces of evil break free from the mist, you'll immediately use this consumable to trap them again. "They will surely have figured out the rules by now when they escape the mist—once free, they'll be paralyzed, making them easy targets, completely at your mercy. Moreover, your spirit form won't fear their mist-spiders. "The only thing you need to watch out for is the illusionists among the evil faction—they possess strong mental prowess, and their methods against spirits are only second to those of the Night Wanderers." With that, the elder Si'ji gently tapped his forehead, scolding, "Suddenly, you've gone all dull." This strategy works, and I have the Ghost Bride as a strong card—combined with the Blood Rose and the mist-spiders, I might even take down one of the top ten fugitives on the wanted list. Zhang Yuanqing smiled, holding tightly onto Guan Ya's hand: "I never thought that such a modest Kangyang District Second Squad could produce two talents like us—well, two young phoenixes, at that. Guan Ya gave him a graceful, slightly sulky look. But unlike in the past, she rarely broke free from Zhang Yuanqing's grasp, letting him hold her hand instead. Zhang Yuanqing held her hand and looked at the group, saying, "All of you, go ahead first. I'll follow shortly. If there's still any kind of misty danger ahead, you can wait for me." The group agreed without hesitation, adding, "Take care of yourself!" Then they continued on their way. The female figures, including the Peony Immortal, glanced at the two as they passed, some expressing mild displeasure, others rolling their eyes or pursing their lips—clearly showing their reservations. It was just like seeing a favorite idol getting cozy with another girl—how could they not feel annoyed? The five senses are ordinary, yet he has a well-proportioned, sturdy, and tall build. Standing before Zhang Yuanqing, he produces a black glass bottle and offers it, saying, "Apply the venom from the bottle to the blade. As soon as the defense is broken, the extraordinary realm will be affected: ten seconds of paralysis, one minute of full-body paralysis, and death within five minutes. Against the Night-Wanderer, the effect is halved, and he will not be killed by the poison. It has no effect on a Wuzhu (Wu-Gu) practitioner. Of course, all this assumes the opponent does not employ any means to neutralize it." What a great item! Zhang Yuanqing's eyes gleam as he takes the compact, vase-like black glass bottle, smiling and saying, "Keep it!" Hmph—don't even think about it... Tian Xia Gui gives him a sharp glance, exclaiming, "Indeed, there are people in the world so utterly ungracious and shameless!" Zhang Yuanqing watches Tian Xia Gui quickly join the group and move away, only then loosens his grip on Guan Ya, exhales a little, and gently places the small, playful "Guan Ya felt a coolness on her shoulder and immediately activated her Insight Eye, her pupils glowing with a soft white light, capturing the outline of the infant on her shoulder. A blurry shape—plump, with a round face and a bare head, faintly streaked with sparse downy hair. This was the little one she saved in Yin-Yang Town last time... Gently, Guan Ya reached out and touched its head, only to feel nothing but air—she lacked the ability to interact with spiritual beings. 'With it, I can sense its presence and quickly reunite with you,' Zhang Yuanqing said, then exhaled another stream of yin energy toward the Blood Rose, silently instructing her not to speak and to hide within the woods. The Blood Rose, no longer just a flower but the Ghost Bride Bai Lan, obediently stepped into the dense forest and took shelter behind the trees. Fortunately, the Ghost Bride was so attentive; otherwise, her single remark of 'my husband' might capsize the little boat of friendship between me and Guan Ya. Zhang Yuanqing wrapped his arms around Guan Ya's neck and settled himself on her back. Then, he drew forth the Blood-Drinking Blade and the Mist Spider, Guan Ya, seizing the opportunity, lifted Zhang Yuanqing's thigh and gave it a few upward jolts, then pursued her toward the growing distance of the main group. Zhang Yuanqing's spirit remained in place, gazing after the old Si Ji's silhouette until she rounded a bend and was swallowed by the dense forest, at which point he turned his gaze back, opened the map. At that moment, the red cursor had entered the area covered by mist and then stopped motionless. His own location, however, bore no mark. Indeed, the positioning was based on his physical body... Zhang Yuanqing closed the map, wrapped himself in the Blood Blade, and drifted toward the forest, arriving beside the Ghost Bride. "My lord, who is that young lady?" the Ghost Bride asked, her tone melancholy and her expression sorrowful. It must be said that her delicate demeanor, paired with the regal beauty of the Blood Rhododendron, nearly overwhelmed Zhang Yuanqing. "That is my concubine—she shall be your sister," Zhang Yuanqing conveyed through subtle mental vibrations. "Ah, so she is a concubine!" the Ghost Bride brightened immediately. As for the concubines, she didn't care much. They were merely servants, incapable of threatening the main wife's status. Truly easy to manipulate... Zhang Yuanqing said no more and began setting traps. Under conditions of limited materials and tools, most of the jungle traps could be safely overlooked. But one type remained universally effective—the very trap Guo Ya had encountered during her outer journey. The wooden spike trap. He cut fresh branches from the forest, shaped them into slender spikes using his Blood-Blade, each measuring twenty centimeters long and one finger wide. Then, he had the Ghost Bride hold the Blood-Blade while he dug four or five shallow pits along the central path. He inserted the spikes into the bottom of each pit, applied the toxic liquid from the glass bottle, and covered them with leaves. To make the traps less conspicuous, he summoned the power of the spirit, gently blowing the dry leaves across the forest floor, spreading them to cover the entire path. Since raising his experience level beyond 50%, his ability to float independently has greatly improved—he could now remain detached from his physical body for up to forty minutes. Beyond that duration, his body would begin to perish. "At least I need to defeat one of the top ten fugitives on the wanted list so my points can reach close to three hundred. Otherwise, breaking the female marshal's record seems utterly out of reach. Completing side quests has awarded me one hundred points. Following this pattern, even if I clear all副本, I'll only accumulate up to three hundred points—still, I'll have to fight. That's what makes it a 'slaughter quest,' after all." ... The night was deep, and torches moving through the forest brought light and warmth. After catching up with the group, Guan Ya called out to the Japanese college girl: "Shinoya Ryō, come here!" The elegant, youthful guide dog, carrying a Japanese sword, trotted back, following closely behind the Peony Immortal. —She had always stayed by the Peony Immortal's side. Guan Ya smiled and said, "There might still be other dangers within the maze. Since I'm carrying the Prime Immortal, I'm worried I won't be able to react quickly enough in case of emergencies. Can you protect us?" Shinoya Ryō nodded enthusiastically, "I'd be honored to protect you all." Before entering the killing instance, she had spoken with Fu Qingyang on the phone, learning from her cousin that the pawns of the Night Rose were hidden among the official guides, and that they posed a threat to Yuan Shi Tian Zun. The current moment was precisely the optimal opportunity to act. Within the Five Elements Alliance, no colleague could be trusted—she preferred to doubt everyone rather than rely on hope. Shina Ryō, being a native of the island, was the most reliable. The team moved in silence, with members constantly reporting their route progress. Gu Ya noticed that from time to time, people would turn to glance at Yuan Shi Tian Zun, or stare blankly, checking their maps or the leaderboard. The official guides' minds were entirely focused on Yuan Shi Tian Zun—anticipating his actions, anxious about them. … Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing was observing the movement patterns of the red-marked individuals, keenly noticing that they moved with consistent rhythm, pausing and resuming in a well-organized manner, steadily navigating through the mist. They were nearly reaching the exit. Too fast! Faster than us... Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink, then realized: there were妖s among the evil faction who could sway the others—they must be well aware of the Fog Master's tactics, and certainly knew how to counter them. He had underestimated them! Zhang Yuanqing saw many faces that were both familiar and unfamiliar—familiar because he had seen their portraits, yet still somewhat strange since he had never met them in person. It took a moment for him to recognize the top-ranked figure, Ai Yi. A young man with refined features and an expression of emptiness—his characteristics were unmistakable. After identifying Ai Yi, Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately act; instead, he waited for someone among the group to trigger the trap. The evil-aligned professionals, unaware of the hidden ambush, rushed forward out of the mist, eager to pursue the lawful-aligned forces ahead. One middle-aged man leading the charge suddenly lost his footing, stepping into the trap. He staggered, then cried out in pain, clutching his leg that had landed in the shallow depression, his face contorted with agony. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing raised his palm, where the mist spider rested, and exhaled a breath of cold energy. The spider instantly dissolved, drifting like a mist toward the crowd and quickly expanding into a dense, swirling fog that enveloped the advancing evil professionals and the lawful wandering practitioners. Everyone was caught off guard, voices rising in alarm. "What's going on? We thought we had already escaped the mist!" "Be careful! Don't move! All of you, stay still!" "Damn it, is this ever going to end?" Zhang Yuanqing moved silently to the rear, waiting until the ghost bride collided with Ai Yi's body and completed the possession. Then, wielding a bloodthirsty blade laced with a potent toxin, he swiftly and precisely pierced the enemy's heart. The next instant, Ai Yi's body shattered like a phantom. Illusion? Zhang Yuanqing's eyes narrowed. At the same time, he heard angry shouts nearby: "You've ruined me..." The voice cut off mid-sentence. Then, the mist surged, and several figures encircled him and the ghost bride. They were: the stocky man wearing black-framed glasses, the poised, elegant woman with flowing black hair, the broad-shouldered man in a button-down shirt—eight in total. Liang Chen chooses his sovereign to kill, my fate is mine, not theirs, human nature is inherently evil... The top two, three, and four spellcasters on the wanted list... The cries just now were those who had been sacrificed as pawns—my mist spider network had been broken. I've been ambushed! Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened, feeling his spiritual essence trembling, a cold shiver running through him.