The members of the malevolent faction not only knew the route I was taking, but had even anticipated my ambush... As soon as Zhang Yuanqing saw this, he immediately thought of the double agents from the Night Rose. Yet he couldn't figure out how these agents transmitted information. He could understand if they left coded signals along the way. But given the way the malevolent faction had responded—clearly knowing I would set up an ambush here, an arrangement that was only made at the last minute—it was impossible for the agents to have left any pre-established signals in the forest. The traitor must have used a method unknown to me. Reality demanded immediate action, and at that very moment, the eyes of the eight illusionists suddenly shimmered with an eerie vortex, radiating a power capable of consuming human souls. In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing's vision was renewed—countless swords and spears plunged toward him, flames engulfed him, and arrows rained down upon him... Though all these were mere illusions, they inflicted tangible damage upon his spiritual essence. The most fundamental and most promising skill of a spirit magician—Spirit Strike! Without even counting the top five spirit magicians on the roster, eight ordinary third-level spirit magicians working together would be sufficient to kill a night wanderer in its ethereal state. Under the combined assault of eight peers, Zhang Yuanqing's ethereal form rapidly weakened, emitting a silent, agonized roar. He had intended to set a trap, strike once, and then retreat—but instead, he found himself caught in a predicament, his own safety compromised. At that moment, the ghost bride's wedding gown fluttered gracefully, shielding her husband as she raised her red veil, which swept through the air with a sharp, piercing cry. Instantly, a wave of chilling阴 qi poured down like a winter storm, freezing the ground beneath, plunging the area into a severe winter. "Hmph…" He possessed such a powerful spiritual attendant! The eight spirit magicians were caught off guard, directly facing the ghost bride's cry, as if struck by a thunderous blow—red, warm fluids surged from their nasal passages. Their spells were instantly disrupted. The other evil professions, who had just intended to come to aid, felt their souls suddenly shaken, experiencing a strange, pulsing headache—as if they had drunk counterfeit wine. The plump young man endured the dizziness and headache, reaching into his inventory and grabbing a black glove, donning it, then sharply closing his fingers. This glove was a relic from his former boss, capable of amplifying a specific emotion within a target's inner being—it was one of the hallmark abilities of a spirit mage. Escape! Escape now! Don’t hesitate—I’ll die here… A sudden tremor passed through Zhang Yuanqing’s heart. Though he had originally intended to seize the life of the ghost bride with his blade, he now found himself driven by a sudden urge to flee, hesitating. As this thought formed, a surge of fear erupted within him. He completely lost the courage to fight, leading the ghost bride swiftly toward the edge of the mist. Ahead, the thin mist surged and rippled, and Bai Wu Bujin, barefoot, seemed to have been waiting all along, suddenly stepping forward to block Zhang Yuanqing’s path. "Master Yuan-Shi, you won’t make it!" He chuckled softly, and a twisted, strange rune shimmered deep within his pupils. Zhang Yuanqing's consciousness buzzed sharply, momentarily losing his ability to think. Compared to ordinary witch-guasha practitioners with mediocre spiritual strength, the signature ability of a spirit-harmonizing demon—capable of exerting a certain influence on spiritual bodies—was indeed potent. Seeing this, he stepped forward, drawing out a yellow bronze mirror intricately carved with dragons and phoenixes, and held it so that its surface faced the front. A bright, golden beam shot straight toward Zhang Yuanqing. The ghost bride once again stepped between her husband and the beam, raising her pale, delicate hand to form a barrier of negative qi. "Sssshh~" Ethereal mist rose, and the negative qi rapidly dissipated, though it also blocked the beam from reaching its target. Then came a steady, urgent series of footsteps—like a truck plunging through the mist—until a figure crashed through the fog, colliding with the young woman holding the mirror. The mist instantly cleared, revealing a young woman with refined features, her gaze cold and fierce, like a wolf or a tiger. My fate lies in my own hands, not in heaven—yet how could a sorceress, especially one of illusion, move faster than a spirit that bewitches? The Blood Rose surged forward, using her left leg as a pivot, twisting her waist and drawing her long legs like a whip. Thud! The young, elegant woman crossed her arms over her chest, taking a solid blow that instantly snapped her arm bones, her body inevitably flying backward. The beams of light from the bronze mirror dispersed. The ghost bride darted forward, her wedding gown swirling, transforming into a shadow and rushing toward "My fate lies in my own hands." At this sight, the seven surrounding illusionists simultaneously had their eyes turn into whirlpools, launching a mental assault to prevent her from reaching the young woman. Under the powerful surge of mental turbulence, the ghost bride's form was effortlessly torn apart, dissolving into mist. This was a mere illusion conjured by magic. Despite her only a level 4 in rank, the ghost bride had created a convincing facade that deceived the entire group of illusionists. Worse—scammed! The middle-aged man with tattoos covering his arms—“Human Nature Is Evil”—stiffened in surprise, and immediately a sound of “crack” echoed from behind. Several illusionists turned to see him raise both hands, pressing them firmly against the sides of his face, then forcefully twisting them in one direction. His head snapped hard against his back. Only the illusionists noticed that the back of Human Nature Is Evil was pressed against a ghostly bride, who was holding his hands and twisting her own neck until it snapped. Though mortally wounded, Human Nature Is Evil did not immediately die. Instead, in the dying state, he drew upon his latent potential, his fingers trembling as he reached out into the air, grasping a wooden bracelet. At this moment, the illusionists who had realized they had been outwitted saw swirling patterns form in their eyes, their spiritual energy expanding and surging, weaving into a powerful, concentrated attack directed specifically against spectral entities. This forced the ghost bride to release her hold and rise, drifting upward toward the tree canopy to evade the overwhelming and complex flow of spiritual force. By nature, human beings are inherently evil, and only by wearing the wooden bracelet could their healing effect be awakened. Yet at that very moment, a bright moonlight pierced through the tree canopy and fell upon Zhang Yuanqing. Suddenly, the once critically weakened man saw his vital energy surge step by step, rising not only back to its peak but surpassing it, breaking through all limits. He immediately broke free from the illusionary beast's control, wielding his bloodthirsty blade and charging forward. Crash! The unyielding blade pierced through the very crown of his mind—the seat of his innate evil nature. The middle-aged man, whose arms were adorned with intricate tattoos, his eyes suddenly widening in shock, then dimmed completely. The man ranked fourth on the wanted list perished instantly. At once, dark essence surged in Zhang Yuanqing's eyes. He opened his mouth and drew in the phantom's spiritual form, swallowing it into his abdomen, yet did not digest it immediately. Instead, he enveloped it with the power of the Yin. By consuming the spirit, he would suffer spiritual shock—unsuitable for use during battle. He could not endure prolonged combat; he must retreat swiftly. Seizing the advantage, Zhang Yuanqing immediately The fog obscured the view, compounded by the piercing shriek of the ghost bride, affecting even the less spiritually adept shamans, who couldn't arrive promptly for support. Yet if the situation continued, the ghost bride and he might escape—blood rosemary was absolutely doomed. Just then, one of the enchanting spirits pursuing Zhang Yuanqing suddenly rolled off his head. One minute! How fast? The evil-aligned characters were stunned, instinctively freezing in place. The ghost bride emitted another silent, high-pitched shriek, resonating through the souls of the on-site spiritual travelers. Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Yuanqing guided blood rosemary toward the dense forest. "Buzz! Buzz!" Suddenly, he heard a high-frequency fluttering sound, followed by a violent tremor in the mist. A gusht beast shot across the ground at high speed. Its amber eyes were hollow and cold, its body exuding smooth, powerful muscle lines, radiating a formidable sense of destruction—like a natural-born warrior—its features subtly hinting at the shadow of a refined young man. In an instant, he caught up with the Blood Rose behind. Ah, Zhang Yuanqing immediately prepared himself for a short-tail survival scenario—abandoning the shadow corpse and leaving with the ghost bride. Suddenly, a figure burst from the side, swift and urgent, colliding heavily with Gu Shi Ah Yi and tumbling out with him in a tangle. The man was handsome, with dark brows and bright eyes—none other than Kou Beiyue. Gusts of enchantment runes shimmered in his eyes, instantly commanding Ah Yi, as his sword plunged without hesitation toward his throat. Thud! Ah Yi merely blinked in bewilderment for a moment before regaining clarity, then slapped Kou Beiyue aside with a single palm. When he rose, all he saw was the silhouette of the Blood Rose fleeing into the dense woods. Ah Yi did not follow into the forest. Once inside, he risked veering off course and becoming lost in this peculiar woodland. Five minutes later, the thick mist began to thin. The evil faction's travelers gazed at the two bodies lying on the ground, silent in contemplation. By nature, human beings are evil—this fourth-ranked illusionist "I control my fate, not heaven's," he said, arms hanging limply and brows furrowed. "The intelligence is wrong—how could the Prime Celestial Sovereign have such powerful spiritual attendants?" If it weren't for that bride-gowned ghost woman repeatedly stepping in to absorb attacks on his behalf, he would have already been slain by the combined efforts of the illusionists. The plump young man exhaled, sighing helplessly. "We've failed. That's why the Prime Celestial Sovereign dared to remain alone in ambush—he had this strength as a reserve, well concealed, never drawn upon before." A-1 regained his composure, his gaze sharp and cold upon Kou Bei Yue. "Why did you obstruct me?" He hadn't lifted the curse yet—perhaps... he intended to kill a being that had bewitched him. Kou Bei Yue frowned. "I've been under illusion myself, and I've mistaken you for an enemy." This was the excuse he'd prepared before taking action, regardless of whether they believed it or not—he would firmly uphold it. "It must be the illusion cast by that ghost woman." The plump young man stood between the two, looking displeased as Ai Yi refused to back down. "This is no choice of mine," he said. "What's your attitude? Do you intend to actually fight me?" Ai Yi stared at him coldly. … "Wait a minute, Master Yuan Shi's points have now reached 348." The young lady named Mu Dan exclaimed with delight. As soon as she finished speaking, the colleagues who had been closely monitoring the leaderboard also noticed the update. "The 'Inherent Evil' entry has been removed... Wow, Master Yuan Shi has actually eliminated 'Inherent Evil'?" The boy who used to sell matches stared in astonishment. Upon hearing this, the official messenger, still immersed in joy over the point update, immediately searched the top ten list for 'Inherent Evil'—and found it had indeed been eliminated. Removal meant death. "I remember how much the reward for 'Inherent Evil' was—quite substantial, right? A premium item of extraordinary quality, and a Class C merit." At that moment, the atmosphere of concern and seriousness completely lifted. They began to exchange enthusiastic remarks, their expectations fulfilled and their morale greatly boosted. They had frequently checked the leaderboard not only out of concern for Master Yuan Shi's safety, but also because each of them had hoped he would defeat a top-tier opponent from the Evil faction. For instance, the top ten on the points leaderboard, or the top ten on the wanted list. These elite figures are truly capable of threatening and even defeating them. Removing one of the top ten on the wanted list brings them far greater joy than eliminating ten evil practitioners. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has achieved this, never disappointing them. Guan Ya gently exhaled, finally releasing the weight off her heart. At that moment, she saw Tian Xia Gui approaching. "... Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has reclaimed the top spot again." Yuan Ting, who had been closely monitoring the debtors, suddenly brightened with surprise. Zhao Chenguang, leading the group forward, paused and checked the points leaderboard. "They've clashed? Yet their teams are so far apart..." "Could it be that Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn attacked the evil faction? That's wonderful—having him bear the pressure, we can now focus entirely on navigating the maze. The one who fell is truly a person of inherently evil nature—what a relief!" "348 points... After reviewing the score list, Zhao Chenghuang suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency and said firmly, 'No more talk—just keep moving!' ... Guan Ya stopped, gazing at Tianxia Guihuo approaching with torches held high, her tone serious and laced with warning: 'You must stop—if you don't want your head to burst open.' Tianxia Guihuo indeed halted, standing seven or eight meters away, asking, 'Has he returned?' Guan Ya remained unyielding: 'That's not something you should be concerned about.' Shinoyama Reo sensed the shift in Guan Ya's tone and quietly advanced a few steps, positioning herself between the two, adopting a poised *kendo* stance with her sword handle pressed firmly against her grip. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing, who had been resting on Guan Ya's back, opened his eyes and fixed his gaze steadily on Tianxia Guihuo, smiling: 'He's back—don't worry! If you're worried about your bottle, then even more so—don't worry. I haven't lost it. I've simply placed it on the body of the Yin Shi. I'll return it to you once she Rei Shino and Guan Ya beamed with delight, and then Guan Ya felt Zhang Yuanqing's arms around her neck grow slightly tighter. He had reservations—she immediately grasped his implication and didn’t let go. “我不是为了瓶子才来的，” Tianxia Guihuo said, pausing for a few seconds and unconsciously lowering her voice, “there’s something I’d like to tell you.” Zhang Yuanqing lightly inhaled through the delicate skin of Guan Ya’s neck, adopting a smug, slightly indulgent tone as if he were reluctant to release her: “What’s that?” A faint layer of goosebumps rose on Guan Ya’s neck, and she managed to suppress it. Tianxia Guihuo glanced at him and said, “I think there’s something wrong with the little boy who sells matches.” Zhang Yuanqing arched an eyebrow, remaining neutral and asking, “The wood spirit? What’s wrong with him?” "Tianxia Guihuo said, 'I've noticed that he touches trees along the roadside at regular intervals—there's a clear pattern, not random.' Zhang Yuanqing thoughtfully replied, 'Do you think this might indicate any issue?' Tianxia Guihuo shrugged, his tone somewhat weighty: 'I'm merely relaying what I've observed. As for any problems, I'm not sure. You can consider this just idle chatter.' While speaking, he turned and walked briskly. 'Don't forget to return the props to me.' He then hurried off. After Tianxia Guihuo had walked a distance, Zhang Yuanqing's voice suddenly grew weak, and he whispered softly, 'Guanyá, my ambush has been exposed. I almost didn't make it back.' Guanyá's body tensed slightly, then relaxed. As she walked slowly, she responded quietly, 'It's impossible!' Then added, 'Unless that traitor has a special communication device—something like a mobile phone.' "Only then can real-time intelligence be transmitted, enabling the evil forces caught in thick fog to become aware of Yuanshǐ Tianzun's hidden ambush. Zhang Yuancheng sighed helplessly, "What kind of device might this be?" In this regard, he had learned the hard way—since becoming a spiritual realm traveler, he had never seen a device like a smartphone that could transmit information in real time over long distances. In today's highly advanced technological society, such devices are truly a mere afterthought. "Unknown..." Guan Ya gently wiggled his weak and lifeless limbs, furrowed her brows, and spoke softly, "Severely injured, is he?" Zhang Yuancheng nodded. His spiritual body had sustained serious damage, compounded by the effort of forcefully channeling the "Xiaoyue" technique, doubling his burden. He now suffered excruciating headaches, accompanied by intense dizziness and a strong urge to vomit. Thanks to his frequent history of chronic ailments, he had developed exceptional endurance for headaches—otherwise, most other night-watch deities would have fainted long ago. On the journey, guided by the sense of connection between his spiritual servant and his host, he returned to "Don't worry, I have the life essence. If anything truly goes wrong, I'll use it to recover." Zhang Yuanqing offered a reassuring remark. Guan Ya nodded gently and walked steadily behind the group, remaining silent. While resting, Zhang Yuanqing began to reflect, and a detail surprised him—Bai Wu Jian Bi had never used that secret item. The only possibility was that the item had specific conditions for use and wasn't always accessible for immediate defense. The more such specialized items, the more dangerous they became. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing inhaled the scent of Guan Ya and smiled with a sense of weariness and contentment. "Guan Ya, I've noticed something." "What?" she responded instinctively. Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "I didn't realize that the sweat on a woman's body is always fragrant." "...Guan Ya gave a light 'hmm' sound. "I only have the scent of sweat and the hormones released after long walks and physical exertion. Animals are particularly sensitive to the hormones of the opposite sex during mating season, and find them pleasant." So, you find me fragrant—not because my sweat smells good, but because you're experiencing something yourself." "Oh, what a credit to Guan Ya-jie—she's still able to speak such a bold, earthy thing at this moment!" Zhang Yuanqing was full of admiration. Guan Ya was growing increasingly irritated, grinding her teeth: "You're turning around and blaming me! Well, fine—don't worry about it. You're already half-paralyzed. Let's get down to business. I've been observing Tian Xia Gui Hu from the perspective of a scout, and he hasn't lied—at least, I haven't spotted any inconsistencies. "But there's a serious issue with what he said. Based on your experience, the traitor must have used more advanced tools, and the practice of marking the route along the way doesn't match what you've encountered. Moreover, it would leave them vulnerable—there are several scouts besides me in the group. "It simply doesn't make sense for the little boy selling matches to act this way." After listening carefully, Zhang Yuanqing asked: "So, you suspect Tian Xia Gui Hu is the traitor?" "Guan Ya nodded: 'If he's a traitor, once the counter-ambush fails, he'll realize that the existence of a traitor within the team can no longer be concealed. Therefore, he wants to act against you while you're still away. Perhaps you've returned too quickly, or maybe I'm overly cautious—he noticed me wearing a suit, protected by Shunoya Ryō, and thus couldn't find the right moment to strike. So he came up with a clever plan to divert attention away from himself.' She took a breath and continued analyzing: 'As you know, the Night Rose has unique concealment techniques; even lie-detection tools are ineffective. So, is it reasonable that I can't detect any lies from him?' Zhang Yuanqing nodded in agreement: 'In that case, your mask probably won't hold either, and the method of questioning one by one will no longer work. To determine whether Tianxia Guihuo is trustworthy, we need to see whether the little boy behaves as Tianxia Guihuo described. 'However, even if the little boy indeed exhibits unusual behavior as Tianxia Guihuo described, we still can't be certain he's a spy. If we mistakenly kill him, the consequences would be First, the accidental death of a teammate is a serious matter—officially, it's hard to overlook. After all, it's a life, a top-tier member, not something that can simply be dismissed with a suspicion of espionage. Second, killing a good person is inherently a moral and philosophical shock. Third, such actions erode trust among team members, cause the group cohesion to weaken, and ultimately make it impossible to lead the team effectively—this directly impacts future dungeon operations, becoming a matter of personal consequence. With that, Guan Ya now understands Zhang Yuanqing's decision: "Do you intend to wait for him to reveal his true nature?" "We've already covered two-thirds of the maze forest, and we're close to the summit. The traitor can't remain passive—he will surely act..." Zhang Yuanqing hadn't finished speaking when a familiar task notification sound rang out in his ears: 【Ping! You have entered the Forest of Reproduction. Please observe your surroundings carefully and leave as soon as possible.】 Forest of Reproduction... Zhang Yuanqing thought, the name itself unexpectedly sending a wave of unease through him. It wouldn't be that kind of forest, huh... He quietly tightened his arms around Guan Ya, murmuring, "Don't be afraid, Guan Ya. I'll protect you." "You—you get out of here!" Guan Ya's voice trembled. "The Forest of Reproduction?" Shina Ryō's face paled, as if mentally picturing something vivid, repeatedly gasping, "Yah-dah, yah-dah..." Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted ahead, cutting off Shina Ryō's mental image. The three turned to look. Under the dim night sky, the firelight illuminated the small fairy from Niu Lan Shan, her ponytail neatly tied, her cheeks flushed. Her once-flat chest now swelled like a balloon, pressing tightly against her garments. Astonishingly, in just a few seconds, she had risen from a plain A-rank to a truly exceptional presence. At the same time, the female Virides were softly sighing, their cheeks turning pink, their chests rising uniformly. They grew more graceful and fuller, as though entering the period of lactation. The men around them stared in astonishment, utterly taken aback by the eerie scene. Even more terrifying came next— their chests began to swell like balloons, pushing their clothes upward and gradually expanding, becoming fuller and more substantial. Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden itch on his chest, gazing down in disbelief, and exclaimed, "Wow! What in the world!"—a sentiment that echoed through the hearts of all the men present.