After fully interpreting the third fortune, Hongwei and the young fat man beamed with joy. Rules-based items guarantee a future that won't falter—they will successfully place the Blood Jade into the Blood Pool during the third fortune, summoning the unseen presence. The third fortune sets the stage firmly; the fourth fortune will no longer be needed. Of course, the fourth and fifth fortunes won't cease simply because the user no longer requires them. The Five Star Fortunes form an integrated whole, and by the time the user first reads the first fortune, the fifth fortune is already destined to appear. This means that using this item inevitably brings counter-effects. Therefore, the user must pay close attention and strive to eliminate their adversaries before the fifth fortune. Finally, finally—victory is within reach! The battle has been so exhausting, it feels as though they'd like to end it immediately. Wu Wei Du Zun didn't waste a single word, stepping over the six-meter-tall sculpture with just a thin layer of waves (most of the water still unmelting), kicking up dust and grass fragments, and charging straight toward the blood pool dozens of meters away. "Buzz~" Ai one unfurled his elytra, vibrated his thin wings, and sent a gust of wind rushing forward, following the script as the second to advance toward the blood pool. As he took off, Zhang Yuanqing had already drawn out a small, grayish mirror. An intangible force radiated from the mirror's surface, rippling outward in waves, sweeping through the surroundings—seeming as though nothing in the park had changed. Yet, in reality, a vast illusion had already taken shape. "Swish-swish~" The plump young man methodically raised six small black flags; the flags fluttered with the wind, their black ripples rippling in response. The illusion created by the ghost mirror instantly dissolved. Indeed, he had anticipated my use of the ghost mirror—so the ghost doll must have been expected as well. Unfortunately, the latter is a rule-based artifact; even if anticipated, it still proved effective. Watching Ai one glide past the mountain deity statue, past the open space, and nearing the blood pool, Zhang Yuanqing's body moved faster than his thoughts—he immediately donned his yin-yang robe and, emulating Jiang Jingwei, controlled fire to form a bow, aiming a flame The fireball couldn't keep up with the witch-doctor, but the arrows could! The arrows whistled forward, and as they reached half their distance, Zhang Yuanqing activated the Fire Element, leaping to within thirty meters of Ai Yi amidst the blaze from the exploding arrows. The Yin-Yang robe was launched skyward, unfolding the Water-Fire Array that encased Ai Yi. My maneuvers were likely within their expectations, but the barrier formed by the Yin-Yang array—something Ai Yi simply couldn't breach... One blood jade remained on Ban Ya's body; I hope Guan Ya and Zhao Chenghuang can hold on. Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts raced, a sense of anxiety and concern growing. Theoretically, Guan Ya and Zhao Chenghuang should be able to hold, yet the enemy possesses foresight. He had never encountered such a capability—every move and response of his, anticipated in advance—under such a terrifying power, any strategy became mere empty talk. "Thud! Thud! Thud!" The Water Form summoned a bursting pistol, firing a dense barrage of bullets toward A-I, while the Fire Form carried a flaming sword, ready to strike. He couldn't idle either—he had to reclaim the Forest Heart from A-I's grasp. "The last Blood Jade is on Bai Wu Jian's body. Jing Wei, Zhao Chenguang..." Guan Ya called out, then leapt forward with the agile grace of a female leopard. At the same moment, Jiang Jing Wei's body erupted in flames, her hair spreading out like flames, each strand wrapped in elemental fire. She then launched herself like a projectile, aiming directly at Bai Wu Jian. Zhao Chenguang moved slightly later, his expression pained as he strained to boil his Yin energy within, his skin turning dark blue, his muscles swelling, and his fingers growing sharp, claw-like. Bai Wu Jian seemed entirely prepared—spinning, drawing his bow, and releasing the string. *Crash!* The arrow, destined to strike, hit Jiang Jing Wei squarely, causing a violent explosion of flame and blood, sending a powerful gust of wind surging outward. Bai Wu Jian didn't look back—he turned and aimed his bow directly at Zhao Chenguang and Guan Ya. Crack…crack…crack… The blood-red bow kept drawing back, and Bai Wu Jinui seemed utterly unconcerned about the depletion of his life force, pouring his essence into the arrows as if it were free—launching one after another at a high frequency. Each arrow could severely wound a Level 3 Walker, yet under the relentless assaults, Zhao Chenghuang, now empowered by the ghost transformation, and Guan Ya, protected by her set of armor, managed to surge forward and withstand the explosions. Still, Bai Wu Jinui’s draining strategy effectively held them at bay. As a peak-level spirit of persuasion, a top-tier combatant, and a top-five-ranked hunter on the wanted list, his life-draining attacks could indeed stall them for several seconds. During the brief intervals between drawing the bow, Bai Wu Jinui retrieved a blood-jade and tossed it toward the younger, plump figure. The latter leapt gracefully, catching the jade in his hands. As soon as he secured it, the Ghost Bride materialized behind him, attempting to attach herself. Tink…tink…tink… Under Zhao Chenghuang’s command, four-level阴尸 surged forward like an armored vehicle, charging with The six small flags suspended in mid-air surged forward, thudding with sharp puffs, embedding themselves in his front, back, and sides, forming a perfect circle. The ghost bride, who had just completed her fusion with the young man, was instantly propelled away from behind the fat figure. Then, with a crisp snap of her fingers, he directed the nearby spectral corpse to pivot sharply and crash into a large tree beside him, splitting the trunk—its girth sufficient to encircle a person. While ten such spectral corpses could easily outmatch him in close combat, a sorcerer need not engage in such physical duels. Creating a false form to deceive a spiritually impaired spectral being was, for the young man, a mere matter of ease. The ghost bride, now expelled from the host body, immediately raised her head, her crimson headdress fluttering, and emitted a piercing cry. The closest young man felt a sharp pain in his head, with warm liquid flowing from his nasal passages. Those farther away—Bai Wu Juxing, Guan Ya, and others—experienced varying degrees of disturbance, ranging from dizziness to headaches. At the very farthest end, observing from the sidelines, Hóng Wēi was gradually torn apart Guan Ya, with her keen insight, was the first to detect the anomaly. Her heart instantly tightened, and she immediately halted, scanning the surroundings to locate Hong Wei. Then, her pupils constricted sharply, her face pale with shock— Finally, under the watchful eyes of all, Hongwei launched the blood jade from her hands. "Plip~" The jade fell into the pool of blood, splashing water and sending ripples outward. This time, the response from the Shanggui faction was no longer a quiet, gentle settling of ripples. At the still center of the blood pool, a vortex suddenly emerged, surging with powerful currents. The vortex, initially about ten meters in diameter, continued to expand, spreading steadily toward the shore. The female marshal silently gazed at the killing quest of the Transcendent Realm, at the swirling pool of blood within the small world. She said nothing. Yet the Dog Elder found it hard to control his emotions, gritting his teeth and asking, "The Seven Star Scrolls? What is the relationship between this artifact and the Seven Star Scrolls?" He was one of the few present who knew about this artifact. The Seven Star Scrolls were a rule-type artifact of Saint-tier quality, considered a top-tier item among those of the Saint Realm. There was a record backup of this artifact in the Taimei Academy's archives. Since the Hundred Blossom Assembly had close ties with the Taimei Academy, the Dog Elder had seen it before. By all logic, an artifact of this caliber should not have been used in a killing quest of the Transcendent Stage. Indeed, the Seven Star Scrolls used by those younglings were somewhat different from the original version—for instance, they only had five scrolls instead of seven. The King of Fear was more than willing to answer his questions, "It's a consumable item—rumored to have been obtained by the Elder of Night Rose during her early days in the Star Official instance. She has always longed for the genuine Star Constellation Seven Seal, yet despite reaching the rank of Sovereign, she has never succeeded." The Dog Elder snapped her teeth in anger, rarely showing such passion. She held the Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun in high regard and truly believed he could rival Fu Qingyang. To see such a gem of potential perish in the Killing Instance was truly a great loss. Not only Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun, but Jiang Jingwei, Tian Xiang Gui Huo, Guan Ya, Zhao Chenghuang—these elite figures at the Transcendent Realm level—seemed all destined for misfortune. The Dog Elder could already envision the impact this Killing Instance would have on the official narrative. The entire spiritual realm of the Travelers would be shaken, foreign organizations would take notice, though most likely with mockery. The King of Fear turned to the white-haired female Marshal and smiled, "That is precisely why I said it could never be obtained by anyone." "Consumables certainly won't be retained—they're used up and vanish once consumed. The young senior of the Chìhuǒ Sect, gripping his fists with an evident struggle to contain his fury, stated, "Either Fu Qingyang or the Prime Immortal must die. So, you chose the Prime Immortal." The master of the formless sect, constantly shifting in form, now settled into the image of a small clown with a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, remarked, "The operational flexibility and control in the transcendent-phase quest are actually greater than in the Sage Realm. Therefore, items with special functions—like the Star-Constellation Seven Sign—can, to some extent, exploit system bugs and are permitted to be used within the quest environment. Take the Prime Immortal's item with purification capabilities, for instance. With a smile that transcends age and gender, the clown said, 'The quest environment is perfectly aligned with the Star-Constellation Seven Sign. The Prime Immortal's demise in the combat quest today was both timely and fated.' At this point, verbally challenging the official seniors yields better results—yet the master-level figures find no need to do so." At this moment, the female marshal lifted her gaze to the leading figures of the evil organization and said, "After the副本ends, I will personally hunt and eliminate you all." She paused, gazing deeply at the transcendent-stage killing副本before turning her eyes toward the saints engaged in battle. Yet the Lady of San Dao, dressed in an ancient-style long gown, showed no interest in the saints' combat—her eyes were fixed solely on the thieves stealing her supplies. With a furrowed brow, she murmured, "What kind of monster is that?" The King of Fear instantly grew serious, his voice steady: "That is the very essence of the 'Enchanting Spirit' profession—the true invincible, a magnificent being whose name cannot be spoken, whose presence is an indescribable will, now manifesting." ... At the bank headquarters, the official travelers—Mudan the Immortal, Bai Hu the Ever-Long-Living, and eleven others—stood at the edge of the rooftop, gazing down upon the pool of blood. A vortex began to form at the center of the pool, gradually expanding outward, spreading toward the shore. At the heart of the vortex, the surface sank downward, The atmosphere within the vortex was profound, mysterious, terrifying, and majestic, sending the people on the terrace trembling from the very core of their beings. Their faces grew pale, filled with fear and uncertainty. "Wait—what's happening?... Did the Primordial Celestial Sovereign and his companions fail?" "Why haven't they held on? All three array formations have been activated—everything pointed to them as the final piece, the one that should have sealed the prison... yet they've failed..." The official pilgrims were overwhelmed, their emotions unraveling. The Peony Immortal Princess opened her mouth to offer words of comfort, but her heart was heavy with despair—her voice faltered, unable to find strength. Now, with all that had happened, what lay ahead was only extinction. Who could face death with composure? Then, as the vortex continued to expand, it finally reached the shoreline. The people on the terrace watched in awe as the collapsing center of the vortex extended a massive, blood-red hand—its palm spanning the size of a basketball court. Then, a second, a third, a fourth... one after another, eight arms, eight colossal hands, emerged from the pool of blood. "Boom The entire blood pool surged skyward, forming a colossal wave over a hundred meters high, then the blood poured down like a grand downpour of blood. From the pool emerged a blood-red deity. Half of His body remained submerged in the pool, while the portion rising above the surface measured nearly sixty meters in length. His body, as strong and sturdy as a tower, bore eight muscular arms, with deep red skin, finely carved features, a composed and impassive expression, and golden, radiant pupils. A mysterious black symbol adorned His brow, radiating outward from this center to form an intricate network of symbols that spread across His entire form. These symbols were both individual and unified, so that merely witnessing them caused a profound sense of mental disarray and spiritual contamination—seeming to seep into the soul and render it irretrievably polluted, compelling one to tear and destroy oneself. A terrifying, majestic, and solemn aura surged forth in all directions. The Peony Immortal Princess sat down with a sudden crash, trembling violently throughout her body, her delicate, graceful face now pale as paper, stripped of all color. The official attendants around her either clutched their heads in agony, or lost their senses, or had incontinence—chaos reigned. ...In the city's central shopping mall. Sun Miaomiao was immersed in the betrayal of her fellow disciples, her expression somber. Her bright, lively eyes, once full of sparkle, now dimmed. She sat cross-legged by a stone statue, her head bowed, silent. Suddenly, an indescribable sense of unease surged through her, her heart beating faster, as though it would burst from her chest, the thudding rhythm echoing like drums in her ears. What was happening? Sun Miaomiao looked up in astonishment to find Tianxia Guihuo, Guohe Zhu, and numerous other disciples all collapsing to the ground. It only then struck her—her physical sensations stemmed from fear. Tianxia Guihuo murmured, "Lost. Lost. The Yuanshish Tianzun and their allies have lost—the monsters in the blood pool have awakened..." "Lost?" The face of the undead knight changed, instinctively turning to the body of the Moshan master at his feet. His gaze grew increasingly complex— He had never had the power to choose, no matter who won or lost. Did they lose? Yuan Ting, the most optimistic of all, had initially been shaken, but quickly regained composure. Fortunately, he had secured the promise from Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun—many confidential revelations had been unearthed, and thus, he could die at peace. Not quite. There remained a lingering regret: he couldn’t share so many pivotal revelations with the world. He didn’t know whether this killing quest would be permanent or temporary. Would the secrets he carried here eventually be discovered by someone in the future? … The abandoned subway station. It was now in complete disarray. After hearing the scene from the wood spirit—the blood pool had begun to boil—everyone’s spirits collapsed. The blood pool monster had awakened. That overwhelming pressure emanating from the high-ranking beings, that palpable sense of dread—undoubtedly, no one could survive against such a boss. Everyone would perish within the killing quest. So, had they truly lost? "Didn't Little Fairy Niulanshan say the third array was supposed to activate according to plan? Then why are we still losing?" "Master Yuanshishen has lost—he might even be dead..." "We too must die—we all must die..." "Frustrated! Not willing to accept it yet!!" Despair settled over everyone. ... Likewise, Guo Ya, Jiang Jingwei, Zhao Chenghuang, and Zhang Yuanqing, who was within the Yin-Yang array, were all overwhelmed by despair. When the monster emerged from the blood pool and when they felt the unprecedented pressure, they knew the situation was beyond reversal—death seemed to be their only fate. Battles across the battlefield ceased simultaneously, even the resolute Zhao Chenghuang lost his determination to fight. Guo Ya stared in stunned silence at the demonic deity rising from the blood pool, her heart filled only with despair. "Mmm…" Then, she pressed her forehead, staggering backward. If she gazed upon the deity's form for more than three seconds, her spirit would suffer severe contamination, causing mental confusion. Bai Wujin, Xiao Zhaofu, Jiu Lou Yu, and the others likewise suffered severe headaches and mental disorientation due to the incantations enveloping the magical deity, their minds warped and bodies overwhelmed. They immediately turned away, unable to bear the sight. Bai Wujin's eyes were cloudy, his face pale as paper, holding his bow and leaning against the tree trunk, gasping for breath. His life essence was nearly depleted—he was like a candle flickering in the wind. Yet it didn't matter. As long as he achieved the rank of Saint, everything would be worth it, everything would be compensated. He glanced once at the rising, terrifying presence and then quickly shifted his gaze. A smile, uncontrollable and spreading, formed on his lips. It was over! The grueling, soul-draining battle quest finally reached its conclusion. Reflecting on the past few days, Bai Wujin felt this would remain one of the most indelible nightmares of his life. He hadn't faced hardships without precedent, but an experience as intense and overwhelming as this battle quest—something he had never encountered before in his life. Only someone who had lived through it could truly grasp its dramatic twists and heart-stopping intensity. He couldn't help but glance at the slightly plump young man and Jiu Lou Yu nearby, seeing in them a deep sense of weariness, and a quiet relief—relief born from the difficulty of their victory. Bai Wu Jinui knew well that his own complexion must be much the same. "By the gods! By the gods! Is it truly my case that I shall perish right here?" The fiery duplicate, furious and agitated, raged on, completely losing his composure and ability to think clearly. Meanwhile, the calm water duplicate, though struggling to suppress his inner fear, drew upon his survival instinct and quickly went through all his strategies and reserves. In the end, he came to a desperate realization: none of his tools or assets could save him. The saint-tier soil boots could handle opponents at the transcendent level, but against the senior figure in the blood pool, they were as ineffective as a rifle hitting an aircraft carrier—just a gentle tickle. The perfect human skin could absorb the karmic consequences of the transformed one, perhaps allowing him to reenact the scene from the mute village. Yet the shadow corpse would soon be slain, and the karmic debt would return to the original The main quest of the combat arena is to survive for 72 hours. Surviving even one extra moment makes little difference. "What should I do? What should I do?" At the brink of death, his mind races, and suddenly a thought emerges. Could I go back to the temple to retrieve the Mountain God's staff? Although the temple gates are now closed and cannot be reopened, what if I guide the monsters from the blood pool there? Could they destroy the stone temple? In that case, if the Mountain God's faction fails to claim the staff, I'll have Kuo Bei Yue fetch it instead. With this idea forming, his eyes light up with hope—only to realize immediately that the park's array has already been deactivated, making entry and exit impossible. The path to hope is now sealed. His newly sparked hope fades instantly. "I can't just wait to die—I must do something. Clearly, the monsters in the blood pool are enchanting spirits, at least at the Sovereign level. To survive, I'll need power of the same level. But where in the combat arena could such Sovereign-level power possibly come from?" Zhang Yuanqing felt a spark of inspiration, recalling the sacrificial rite he had learned in the village of silent speech. The rite described that by following the procedures recorded on the sheepskin scroll, one could borrow power from an unseen presence. At the heart of the rite lay an object imbued with the power of the Sun God—a force inherent to the Night-Wanderer class, a master-tier strength. To achieve such a rite, the unseen presence could hardly be weaker than master-tier. With this realization, he felt a sudden surge of exhilaration, as if the path had suddenly opened up. The only concern remaining was whether the combat副本 would obstruct the arrival of this power. But now, there was no choice. He immediately drew back his Yin-Yang robe, returned to his physical form, and swiftly opened his inventory, retrieving one by one the twelve materials he had purchased through official loans: Yin jade, Yin body fluid of Saint-tier quality, blood stone, soul crystal, and others. What was he doing? Seizing the moment to break free from the water-and-fire array, he glanced at Yuanshǐ Tian's maneuvers, instinctively alert. Guan Ya and the others also noticed Zhang Yuanqing's actions; hope instantly flared in their eyes. For someone in despair, any effort from a companion became a lifeline. Ai Yi cautiously retreated to the edge of the formation, simultaneously glancing at the bamboo stick in his hands. He didn't believe the Yuan Shi Tian Zun still had a chance to turn things around, but he couldn't rule out the possibility that the Yuan Shi Tian Zun might drag him down with him in his final moments. The characters on the stick quickly appeared, and the future scenes unfolded in the minds of the five holders, presented in the form of characters. "Star and Constellation Fourth Stick: Outstandingly auspicious!" "The Yuan Shi Tian Zun, now in a dire situation, breaks the formation and prepares to make a final, desperate stand, offering a sacrifice to an unseen force, hoping to be granted strength. "Ai Yi, of course, would not allow the enemy to complete the sacrifice. He launched a determined assault on the Yuan Shi Tian Zun without hesitation. "However, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, well-prepared from the start, once again employed the rule-based artifact, the Yin Yu Baby. The Wu Gu master lacked effective means to counter spiritual beings, and Ai Yi was entangled by vengeful spirits, unable to halt Yuan Shi Tian Zun. "Yuan Shi Tian Zun completed the sacrifice, praying to the supreme entity beyond the veil for strength—unfortunately, the ritual failed, as that entity could not manifest through the act of slaying the designated avatar." Upon reading the divination scroll, the five members of Bai Wu Wei Jin all exhaled in relief. Yuan Shi Tian Zun indeed possessed a rich array of trump cards, even mastering an unprecedented sacrificial ritual. Fortunately, he had not succeeded. In the slaying avatar scenario, whoever sealed the entity (summoned the monster) first secured victory—this principle remained unshaken. If victory could be achieved through external forces, then the spiritual realm would indeed be nothing short of a farce. Ai Yi continued to follow the scroll's instructions, unfolding her back wings and gliding low toward Yuan Shi Tian Zun. "Get out of my way!" Zhang Yuanqing roared. He swiftly pulled out the Yin Yu Baby from The sole, unyielding presence, desperately entangled with a terrifying spectral entity, suddenly felt a lightness throughout his body, as the oppressive, strange force pressing upon him vanished. Instantly, a fresh, clear, and childlike laughter echoed behind A-one. The twisted shadow climbed up his back, causing the swiftly flying A-one to roll and crash to the ground. Before he could rise, his limbs and torso gave way under the force, emitting crisp cracking sounds and bending dramatically in exaggerated reverse curves. A-one, no longer able to passively transform into water as his sole strength, had to rely on his own power, struggling desperately to maintain control of his body and wrestle the spirit entity. Soon, Zhang Yuanqing arranged the sacrificial ritual, placing the twelve materials in a circle with the magic staff at the center. He then took out a parchment and placed it atop the staff. "Hoo!" The magic staff ignited the parchment, sending up a golden flame. The parchment burned swiftly and turned to ash, yet no other marvels occurred in the heavens or earth—except that the magus slowly rose from the pool of blood, still barely visible. "Master Yuan-Shi, let's stop wasting our efforts." "Bai Wu Jin Ji declared firmly, 'Accept your fate.' The spark of hope in Guan Ya's eyes dimmed and faded. Zhao Chenghuang sighed gently. Jiang Jingwei grew increasingly anxious, fidgeting with his hands. The stocky young man turned to Kou Beiyue, speaking with solemnity, 'Older brother, as long as you abandon your current stance and join us, you'll remain a loyal comrade. I'll welcome you back wholeheartedly. The matter of shattering Lingxiao—let's simply set it aside.' Kou Beiyue: '...' He preferred to hear cold remarks and threats from the stocky one, rather than this offer. 'It's impossible,' Kou Beiyue said firmly. 'I'm different from you. I despise your complacency and contentment. I admire Yuanshish Tianzun—no matter what, even if I die, I will never be among you.' 'Older brother...' The stocky one was about to continue persuading him, when at that very moment, the last bamboo stick in his hands began to glow with written characters. He immediately fell silent, gazing at the text. In his mind, a vivid vision of the future "Secrets within the Vumò Chariot are little known—it harbors the yang spirit of a high-ranking Sovereign, which awakens under the influence of the summoning ritual. The awakened yang spirit resonates with an entity in the unseen realm, breaking through the restrictions of the slaughter quest and allowing that entity to pierce the barrier, sending forth a divine consciousness to reassert control over the yang spirit. That is… the Ancient Golden Sun! In the next instant, the Vumò Chariot erupts in an unprecedented surge of golden light, spreading out suddenly to form a towering golden column, dozens of meters in diameter, soaring straight into the heavens. Majestic, intense, and powerful, a purifying aura of radiant heat permeates every corner of the quest realm."