"Shh—!" Along with the tattered cloak flung out, a magnificent robe emerged—black in base, with flame patterns embroidered along the hem and sleeves, and waves woven at the chest. The two cloaks danced through the air, spiraling toward each other. At Zhang Yuanqing's side, the Yin-Shi Blood Rose suddenly halted, then rose into the air, taking the Yin-Yang robe and donning it over her shoulders. As she landed, she shed the tattered cloak, completing her attire. Now, clad in both garments, she moved like a graceful, athletic female leopard, charging directly toward the surging fog. Throughout this movement, two delicate streaks of deep red light emerged before her, flowing and swirling, following the curves of the Blood Rose as it advanced. After circling her feet once, they adhered to her soles, transforming into a pair of fresh, elegant dance shoes. Could the Prime Celestial Sovereign truly sacrifice his Yin-Shi body to hold the monster in place? Could it really work? A warm surge of emotion stirred within the observer's heart—almost touching. He knew that the Yin尸 was the night wanderer's right hand and left arm—of great significance; losing the Yin尸 meant losing an entire limb. In this perilous instance, when everyone else was only focused on survival, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun willingly "sacrificed" his Yin尸 to help resolve the crisis—demonstrating true leadership. As a peripheral observer of an independent practitioner, he now first felt genuine recognition and admiration for this official legend. Immediately, the red slippers propelled her into the air, leaping forward like a startled deer by several meters. I've been attacked... Zhang Yuanqing turned around, and as the thick mist parted, a tall figure emerged. The figure stood about two meters high, its body shriveled, resembling a withered corpse, with tangled hair like straw falling loosely over its shoulders. Its cheeks were sunken, and its bright red eyes bulged outward. This was a corpse. Yet unlike a typical corpse, the vivid, fierce gaze within those bulging eyes—full of wrath and bloodthirst—was clear and focused, not dull or lifeless. The corpse, having failed in its surprise attack, simply stared at Zhang Yuanqing with a blank, motionless expression before turning and walking away without hesitation. As a spirit that enchanted others, it had evidently recognized Zhang Yuanqing as a kindred being, one lacking in blood value. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing gathered a ball of fire in his hands and deliberately struck the monster's back of the head. "Boom!" The flame erupted, instantly igniting the straw-like hair on the monster's back, which now glowed brightly like torches. Yet the monster paid no heed, pressing on. The mist gathered thickly, and soon it seemed destined to swallow it whole. The strategy of drawing the tiger away from the mountain had failed. Zhang Yuanqing grew slightly anxious, his thoughts racing. Soon he came up with a plan and shouted, "You useless lump! You trash! You deserve to be crushed by the mountain deity—deserve to become a mere ghost of a warrior!" "Duang～" A sudden burst of yellow light flared behind him, accompanied by the sound of heavy objects striking tempered glass. Had the red slippers not reacted at all? Zhang Yuanqing was struck dumb, his body launched into the air. The red slippers' evasive ability wasn't a rule-based skill—it had physical limits. Beyond a certain threshold, it simply couldn't respond. As he flew, the shadow remained close, delivering relentless close-range attacks—punches, kicks, elbow strikes. The tattered coat only held for a few seconds before the thick yellow light exploded with a thunderous "boom," shattering completely and reducing the coat to scattered fragments. Wow, that's incredibly strong! Zhang Yuanqing nearly called out, "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt—please, forgive me..." At the very moment his defensive item shattered and he landed, he was about to deploy the agility and speed he'd long prided himself on, to make a swift escape. Yet, at that instant, two strange, distorted characters suddenly appeared within the crimson eyes of the monster beside him. Zhang Yuanqing’s mind erupted in a thunderous roar, his consciousness torn into fragments, leaving him temporarily unable to think. Yet instead of becoming a helpless lamb, he executed a graceful spin, spin, and side-step, skillfully evading the monster’s relentless barrage of attacks under the guidance of the red ballet shoes. "Bang!" Seizing the moment, the red ballet shoes planted a foot firmly on the monster’s chest, leveraging the rebound force to propel both the useless host and the lifeless corpse into the depths of the mist, fleeing in haste. At this point, Zhang Yuanqing’s will returned, and without hesitation, he formed a fire ball and hurled it toward the left. Almost simultaneously, a sonic boom akin to a fighter jet’s engine roar echoed from behind. "Boom!" The fire ball exploded at a distance, casting a magnificent orange-red hue over the surrounding mist. Zhang Yuanqing’s figure was then engulfed by the surging crimson flame, vanishing from his original spot and reappearing several dozen meters to the left in the glow of fire. Fire flows! Dashing forward, Zhang Yuanqing stepped swiftly on the red ballet shoes, his pace quick and determined. He reclaimed the initiative from the Red Dance Shoes, as the Red Dance Shoes' speed was slower than the blood rosebush, a seductive spirit whose corporeal form was more agile. Zhang Yuanqing had barely traveled a hundred meters when the thick mist ahead trembled, revealing a figure two meters tall—dry and shriveled, with sunken cheeks and bulging eyes. Could it move instantly within the mist?! Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes narrowed slightly. With a firm resolve, he didn’t slow down—he actually accelerated toward the creature. “Splish! Splish!” As Zhang Yuanqing collided with the monster, he was thrown into a surge of white foam, splashing like a wave. The water spirit’s passive ability! The splashing waves quickly coalesced behind the monster, restoring its human form. Zhang Yuanqing continued to flee, simultaneously using the fire-controlling skill of his Yin-Yang robe to hurl fireballs in all directions. “Boom! Boom! Boom…” The fireballs kept exploding, their thunderous sounds making it seem as though they were in the midst of a battlefield. Using the blazing light from the explosions, he continuously unleashed the Fire Element, achieving a effect akin to instantaneous teleportation, while constantly cursing: "Trash! Waste! A disgrace to the Deceiver-Ape!" ... Outside the thick mist, the spiritual practitioners of the Mountain God's faction gradually slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. They were amazed as the mist receded and spread in the opposite direction—faster and more vigorously than when it had initially pursued them. They had never imagined that the Yin-Shen corpse of the Primordial Sovereign held such a strong attraction to the monster. "Well, well, we're saved..." With a softening of his knees, Guan Zhong Kai collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Though his physical strength had not been greatly drained, the emotional strain left him utterly exhausted. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned toward the Primordial Sovereign and smiled, saying, "You really have a gift—thank you, I owe you my life." He would have to find a way to escape soon, or he'd suffer serious losses... Zhang Yuanqing silently watched the mist recede further and further, praying. "Oyster, your prop's out." Guan Zhong Kui Oyster looked genuinely distressed: "I expected that..." He firmly corrected: "I'm Guan Zhong Kui Oyster, not Oyster." You chose an awkward ID—so you should've been prepared for that... Zhang Yuanqing nodded seriously: "Understood, Oyster!" "...” At that moment, the leading wood spirit and fire master hurried back. "It's you again, Yuan Shi Tian Zun—I was about to have a heart attack!" Jiang Jingwei leaped up, patting Zhang Yuanqing on the shoulder. Roll over, you fake fire master—you and all the others behind you are complete fakes... Zhang Yuanqing nodded expressionlessly: "Next time you're running for your life, remember to carry me. Now, just go and leave me alone." He then turned to the gathering group, observing their visibly shaken and apprehensive expressions, and spoke solemnly: "I'm sorry—I made a command error just now, which affected two of my colleagues." "Pfft!" "Regarding the first objection, the one who said we should engage the monster directly remarked: 'If we fight that creature, the casualties won't stop at just two people.' Zhao Chenguang, his expression not very encouraging, asked: 'What is the monster's strength like? Have we gathered any new information about it?' This marks the first time among the eight Night-Wanderers dispatched by the Taiyuan Sect to enter the killing arena that a sacrifice has been made—this has weighed heavily on Zhao Chenguang's heart. Everyone immediately turned to Yuan Shishen, their expressions serious, waiting for his response. Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a low, solemn tone: 'The monster possesses exceptional intelligence—it doesn't fight merely on instinct, but rather with deliberate strategy. In addition to the mist, it still retains its ability to mesmerize and influence others. Its speed and strength are at the level of a Sage. 'I've been controlling the Yin corpse, using every means at my disposal, yet I can only barely escape—there's essentially no chance of engaging it in combat.' The spiritual beings of Ling-jing realm grew grave, recalling the scene where they had been pursued by the thick mist, and felt a renewed sense of apprehension. At the same The night wanderers of Taimei stared at each other, unable to conceal their sorrow and anger. Zhang Yuanqing said, "We should not stay here any longer—we still have many matters to discuss." Next, the group moved toward the city center according to the map, locating the four seals that guarded the blood pool. These were: a dilapidated bank building; a vast, abandoned park; a large shopping mall; and an abandoned subway station. Unfortunately, none of these locations could be entered. The quest prompt indicated that entry into the array required obtaining the task items. During their exploration, Zhang Yuanqing managed both the perilous escapes of the Blood Rose and the overall progress, until she reached a sewer system, where, leveraging the water spirits' ability to control water, she successfully evaded the monsters' pursuit amidst the murky, wastewater-filled "underworld." The interconnected, waterlogged sewers were the water spirits' natural domain. Even if the monster can leverage the thick fog to seep into the sewer system, the Blood Rose can still dive into the water and perform water-based maneuvers. However, as soon as she leaves the sewer, the fog rushes in from all directions. Thus, Zhang Yuanqing draws another conclusion— the monster possesses the mark-ability characteristic of a mesmerizing spirit-being. "Marking" is a passive ability of the mesmerizing spirit-being, one of the most troublesome and terrifying abilities in this profession. Any prey marked by it becomes perceptible to the spirit-being, regardless of how far they flee, and is always tracked. A top-tier hunting skill. When Zhang Yuanqing shared the intelligence with his companions, Yuan Ting expressed astonishment: "So it seems the monster is truly a master of fog, possessing all its pre-death abilities, perhaps only at a slightly reduced level—its skills are fully intact..." The danger level immediately escalated. "And it also has the trait of biting down on its prey and refusing to release it," Zhang Yuanqing added. Of course, he wasn't sure whether the monster's persistent focus on the Crimson Rose stemmed from his own clumsy remarks—or whether it was truly a characteristic of the monster. "Wait a minute," observed Guo He Zhu, keenly picking up on the inconsistency in his words, "how did the Shanggui faction manage to escape?" ... The abandoned factory. The Shanggui faction's spiritual travelers stood there, each draped in wide, sunshade-like cloaks, for four or five hours. Kou Beiyue called out, "I can't stand it anymore—I need to go out!" The stocky young man quickly reassured his leader, "Just hold on a little longer, just a little longer..." Kou Beiyue grumbled, "Even if I can still stand, my bladder is giving out!" The cost of the props was immobility—he had been holding his urine for an hour, and finally couldn't bear it anymore, his legs nearly going numb from the strain. The Shanggui faction members were now deeply disappointed. Since the plan to divert the crisis eastward failed, initially, when they saw the number on the standings decrease and learned that two members of the Mountain God's faction had fallen, they were quite enthusiastic. They had been counting on the Mountain God's faction to fight the monsters until both sides were exhausted, after which they would step in to clean up the aftermath. But their excitement didn't last long—soon, the numbers on the standings stabilized, indicating that after losing two members, the Mountain God's faction had successfully broken free from the monsters' grasp. Based on their experience, the monsters possessed a tracking ability: once they locked onto a target, they would pursue relentlessly, like an ever-present shadow, unless the target was killed or managed to turn the tables. This suggested that the Mountain God's faction, too, had similar tools—such as the Night-Wanderer Robe—that could shield their presence from detection. Calmly, Only I Am Supreme said, "Just go ahead and urinate whenever you feel like it—no one will stop you. I'll handle the waste and transfer it elsewhere." As soon as he finished speaking, one of the Wu-Gu scholars murmured, "I'm almost holding it too—I'll count myself in." Several other malevolent figures also stepped forward, expressing their intent to address the physiological challenges. "Still, I stand alone," said Hong Wei (My fate is mine, not theirs), one of the few female travelers in the group: "This can't go on. We can endure five hours, but we're not sure if we can make it ten. And we still don't know exactly how the Mountain God faction shields their presence. "If we keep pushing forward, we'll inevitably suffer losses." Bai Wu Jian listened carefully and asked, "Then, what do you suggest we do?" After a moment's reflection, Hong Wei proposed, "We should form an alliance with the Mountain God faction, tackle the main antagonist first. I believe they'd also welcome progress on the mission." Tian Xia Jie scoffed, "The idea is sound—so who will go?" Bai Wu Jian thought for a moment and said, "I recall that the Wood Spirit can command animals to relay messages. Could that be feasible?" On the other end, the Nine-Leak Fish shook his head: "This cloak functions similarly to the Night-Wanderer's invisibility. When the Night-Wanderer becomes invisible, they cannot use skills or attack—otherwise they reveal themselves. This item, however, directly blocks the use of skills. 'As long as the Wood Spirit remains inside, it cannot control the animals.' Red Wei pondered for a moment, then said, 'We need to send someone to contact the Mountain God's faction.' A silence fell among the group. Besides the risk of being spotted by monsters once they leave, what if the official representatives refuse to form an alliance? Then it would be like throwing a steamed bun at a dog—going with no return, simply turning the alliance points into someone else's. At that moment, someone volunteered, saying, 'I'll go and contact the Mountain God's faction!' The evil-aligned characters thought to themselves, which hero would dare to show such selflessness? Looking in the direction of the speaker, they found it was none other than the newly appointed leader of Liangchen, the once-fragile, now-assertive figure who had recently chosen his own path. It wasn't surprising at all. None of Liangchen