The King Cat speaker has once again become aloof, ignoring Zhang Yuanqing's inquiries and gentle taps. After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuanqing opens his phone and plays a random song: "Make you go wild, make you indulge, think you'll one day be touched—about the rumors, I've pretended to be indifferent~" What kind of puppy-love anthem is this? Zhang Yuanqing almost wants to switch tracks, yet decides against it—after all, it's just a matter of being indifferent to the King Cat speaker. Lying in bed, he listens to the song filled with childhood memories. The continuous night walks earlier have drained his energy, and a song lasting three to four minutes is just the right amount to restore his strength. As the music fades gently, the song concludes. Zhang Yuanqing quickly rises, grasps the King Cat speaker, and begins the night walk. A familiar hum follows—then, a breathless exclamation of frustration comes through the speaker: "All thanks to Shen Gongbao, this stubborn fool! He insists on triggering a hidden quest, nearly wiping us out. No, it's *me* who's the fool—*I* have to pretend to be composed in "Good news—before the hidden quest activates, we're about to wrap up the main storyline: defeating the ghost ship. The hidden quest isn't mandatory; I simply need to survive the sixty seconds it takes to return to reality, and then I'll be back here. This time, the entire army has been wiped out—only I remain. Heh, the official faction and the spiritual realm families have lost six Saint-level figures. So, I've met my monthly task targets, even if it wasn't exactly what I intended. Unfortunately, the premium items and quest rewards stayed behind in the instance. A few hold special significance for the official side. Should I need them again—when I reach level six or ascend to Master status—I'll return to the instance then. As for the women—they only seem to affect my survival rate within the instance. The Cat King speaker will record this audio. I'll keep that in mind going forward." "... Zzzz~" The second audio segment plays, and the frail voice of the Mage King emerges from the speaker: "It's absolutely terrifying! The boss is utterly unbeatable. Are these indeed the ancient cultivators? I keep feeling that there's a hidden secret of high significance within the dungeon—perhaps even a series of quests. Unfortunately, my abilities are limited, and though I managed to survive, I couldn't unravel the mysteries within. Ah, as my level increases, combat has become the central theme. Indeed, the world's essence is one of martial supremacy—now I truly understand the Fire Master's perspective." "... Zzzz~" The third audio segment begins, and the Mage King's frail voice comes through: "Mission 093 is truly a blessing! As long as you endure the early terror and crises, you'll enjoy a life of comfort and companionship within the harem of the Feathered Immortal Sect's Grand Master. Ancient female cultivators are truly delightful and beautiful. The transmission talismans are issued once a month—just like a monthly vacation." The audio concludes. Zhang Yuanqing pondered, the audio played through the Cat King's speaker likely represented the early to mid-stage dungeons experienced by the Sacred King of the Mage. Since he wasn't certain which specific dungeon I would choose, he selected the most probable ones. "The first and second dungeons both seem to hide immense dangers—yet the Sacred King hasn't left behind any specific strategies in the Cat King's speaker. Even the Mage who achieved promotion to Star Official nearly perished within them. It feels quite risky." "The third dungeon, on the other hand, is the safest—well, what the Sacred King considers safe might mean the complete depletion of my resources, even the point of my life's end. But if I have to choose among the three, I'd definitely pick 093, thanks to my Unyielding Guardian Mirror and My Enduring Spray." Zhang Yuanqing felt a sense of weight in his heart. For ordinary spiritual realm travelers, facing a life-or-death crisis every three months was already a significant challenge—yet for him, it felt like enduring a hellish dungeon every month. Living truly felt exhausting. "The second dungeon didn't reveal any useful information—nothing could be found there. However, the first and third dungeons are worth investigating He sat indoors, thinking for a long time, slipped the Cat King speaker into his waistband and sealed it, then called Fu Qingyang. Once the call connected, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Boss, I'd like a high-level account with access rights—around level five or six for a steward. Something equivalent to a senior steward's capability." The account privileges of "The Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign" had now been downgraded to those of a regular member. Fu Qingyang didn't ask why, simply replied, "Alright!" After hanging up, within less than three minutes, a gentle "ding" sound appeared in Zhang Yuanqing's chat app. [Little Brain Axe: The Grand Master has asked me to lend you the account.] [Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign: Thank you, great one.] Zhang Yuanqing casually sent a "666" red envelope. Little Brain Axe happily accepted the envelope and replied: [The White Guard members have privately discussed your actions at the Jinghai branch—truthfully, they found you rather impulsive.] Zhang Yuanqing smiled faintly, thinking, *Even you're giving me advice now?* [Little Brain Axe: Nevertheless, our spiritual realm travelers have countless lifetimes of life and death—there's no telling when we might return to the spiritual realm. If we were always hesitant, constantly weighing every decision and adhering to order, life would be far too dull. So everyone really supports you.] [Original Heavenly Sovereign: I won't tell the headmaster about this (dog head)] [Little Brain Axe: Great, that's good. By the way, now you call the headmaster "the big boss," too?] [Original Heavenly Sovereign: The headmaster comes across as too formal and official. Calling him "the big boss" helps us connect better and stands out among all the White Guard officers. If it weren't for the matter involving Guan Ya, I'd be perfectly comfortable calling him "bro." But "the big boss" is my cousin-in-law. Oh, and these conversations—definitely don't tell the big boss about them.] [Realm 093, Transcendence Realm, Multi-player type, Difficulty Level A.] [Note: Official members have only matched twice so far, both of whom died within the realm; no guide or strategy for the realm currently exists.] "Over the past decade, this realm has only appeared three times. Although this data is officially recorded, it's certain that many non-official travelers have also entered it—still, its appearances are not frequent." Zhang Yuanqing then searched for the characters 'Shen Gongbao'. The search result showed: Shen Gongbao, Jianghu Division, Level 5 Beast King, deceased! [Note: Shen Gongbao died in an S-level multi-player realm—Yi Shan's Sea. Six official and elite family travelers from the Jianghu Division perished simultaneously. The Jianghu Division's flagship artifact and the Xie family's key artifact were left behind in the realm.] [Yi Shan's Sea, ID 012, Multi-player type, Difficulty Level S, no guide available yet.] Scrolling down, Zhang Yuanqing found a reward notice from early last year. One was from the Jianghuai Division's reward notice, the other from the Xie family. As long as the props lost in the "Cliff Mountain Sea" could be retrieved, the Jianghuai Division offered a B-level merit and eight million cash. The Xie family offered ten vials of life essence and fifty million cash. "These rewards exceed the typical value of a saint-tier artifact—unless it's a rule-based or specially functional item. I hope the副本 I'm matched with is the 'Feathered Ascension Sanctuary.' Facing death, what's a loss of body? Lady Guan won't mind." Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself. ... Jiangnan Province, Yongcheng. The briny sea breeze swept across the wharf, waves repeatedly crashing against it, sending white crests flying. Since ancient times, it has been said that Jiangnan Province is too small, with only Yongcheng's waves truly powerful. A series of fishing and cargo vessels docked at the port, gently swaying in the turbulent waves. On the open sea, away from the shore, a small patrol boat floated quietly, its all-white hull gently rocking with the waves. Affected by the lingering impact of typhoons in the Japanese archipelago, the seas have been rough these past few days. "Azure Fury," wearing his nanofiber combat suit, methodically equips himself with underwater weapons, hand grenades, and lighting devices, assisted by his teammates. As a Level 2 Water Spirit, he is confident that no enemy will be able to overcome him beneath the surface. Yet he must admit that prior to Level 3, Water Spirits still lacked the ability to compress water into powerful attack forms such as water jets or water blades. "This entire region is precisely where Water Spirits are known to dwell," the team leader, a professional Earth Monster, steps forward to say. "These Water Spirits either manifest from the lingering resentment of deceased Spirit Travelers or are remnants of night-watch deities who attempted to refine shadow corpses but failed, ultimately casting them into the sea—thus posing a threat. Once they detect a target, they immediately unleash their howitzers." Rumors of water spirits haunting the coastal areas have been circulating among dockworkers and seafarers since two days ago. The incident began when a small fishing boat set out for a regular catch the day before, only to return with one crew member who had drowned unexpectedly. According to the on-board staff, the crew member did not drown in the usual way—he was pulled under by a water spirit. They personally witnessed a pale, barnacle-covered water spirit crawling up onto the boat. Initially, no one believed them, but from that day on, nearly every day someone returning from sea trips would drown, and those who made it back would consistently and firmly recount having seen the water spirit. The legend of the water spirits grew more dramatic, and by now, no one dared to venture out to sea. The police office conducted an initial investigation and then transferred the case to the Spirit Seekers Unit of the Port District. After a night of spiritual inquiry by the Night Watch, the case was confirmed as being caused by the "water spirits." Thus, the Port District's Fourth Unit took over the case. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out!" said Blue Fury, making a triumphant gesture. "Captain, once the mission is complete, let's all treat everyone to seafood." "With that, he leapt off the deck and vanished into the blue waves with a soft splash. Below, the water was filled with chaotic, meaningless noises. As蔚蓝之怒 descended toward the seabed, he rotated the beam of his flashlight and, drawing upon his innate sensitivity, sensed shifts in the current. His skin functioned like a radar, detecting the movement and even the size of creatures within a certain range through subtle changes in the water flow. Amidst his aimless search and wait, he suddenly sensed an anomaly in the water waves—coming from behind. He swiftly maneuvered the current, turned to face the threat, and directed his high-power light beam toward the rapidly approaching object. The bright beam revealed the form of a pale, bloated corpse, its eyes vacant and cloudy, its face, arms, and neck densely covered with barnacles. The body moved swiftly with its limbs, closing in on蔚蓝之怒. With calm observation for several seconds,蔚蓝之怒 confirmed that this water spirit lacked the ability to control water flow. "That's easy," he said, removing his pistol from his waist and firing at the water spirit. The bullets spun rapidly, carrying dense bubbles, striking true and embedding themselves in the water spirit's head, momentarily paralyzing its movements. Then, Blue Fury removed three hand grenades, cut the fuses, and, manipulating the currents, guided them to the water spirit's side. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Three bright flashes erupted beneath the surface, the undercurrents surged violently, sweeping outward, stirring up muddy silt and turning the surrounding seawater into a thick, turbid soup. Corals, mollusks, and fish perished under the shockwaves, either being crushed, floating to the surface, or swept away by the hidden currents. Blue Fury generated a counter-current before him, offsetting the force of the explosions. Fifteen minutes later, the suspended silt settled, and Blue Fury saw the water spirit—its head gone, its body shattered—floating quietly at the bottom of the sea. "It's settled—no difficulty at all..." For added safety, he manipulated the water flow, pushing his body closer to examine the corpse closely, confirming it was merely decaying flesh. As Blue Fury steered the water currents to lift the body and carry it upward, suddenly, he felt a sharp chill rush over his back, as if struck by a biting cold current. But this was a subtropical sea, and it was the hottest, most humid season of summer—how could there be a cold current? The very next instant, Blue Fury's body froze rigid. With his considerable experience, he instantly realized he had been taken over. A spirit of resentment? His heart leaped with surprise, and then a powerful consciousness surged into his mind, overwhelming all his thoughts. Several seconds later, Blue Fury's eyes rolled back white, then blinked—his gaze regained its vitality. Under the soft glow of the underwater lights, his face轮廓 emerged clearly against the dark ocean floor, a strange, eerie smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "The Spiritual Realm... the Wayfarers of the Spiritual Realm... order and chaos... Interesting. Compared to the gradually waning spiritual energy in the Song Dynasty, I prefer this new era—it will be the fertile ground for my ascension to a half-divine being..." Only when bright red blood spurted from his nasal passages did Zhang Yuanqing stop absorbing the divine power of the Sun God, collapsing onto his bed, exhausted, enduring the agony of "being scorched by blazing fire." "Hmm..." As the pain began to ease, Zhang Yuanqing was drenched in sweat—thick, sticky, and emitting a distinct odor. "Directly absorbing the Sun God's divine energy to cleanse my body has yielded remarkable progress. Over these five days, my physical condition has strengthened by at least one-third. Most importantly, my body's resistance to mental control and curse-based techniques has significantly improved. So, is it safe to say that the Day-Wandering God is gradually evolving into a close-combat specialist?" Zhang Yuanqing stood under the showerhead, rinsing his body. Due to repeated use of the Fumagou Chopper, his body has developed an exceptional adaptability to the Sun God's divine energy. By directly using the old, sturdy Fumagou Chopper to cleanse his flesh and practicing the Pure Yang Body-Cleansing Scripture, his progress has been swift. Compared to ancient practitioners who merely inhaled the essence of the Sun, this is the difference between a cart and During these five days, he relentlessly extracted divine energy from the Fumigating Demon Staff, crafting a total of eighty Break-Obstacle Seals, growing increasingly exhausted and then falling asleep headfirst, waking up to eat, and then resuming his practice and seal-making. Zhang Yuanqing must produce enough Break-Obstacle Seals before entering the next instance to replenish the staff's depleted reserves. After bathing at 9:30 p.m., he changed into clean clothes, secured a waistpack containing the Cat King speaker and the blue pills around his waist, and lay down in his robe. The instance entry would occur within two days—either today or tomorrow. He needed to ensure all tools were ready to avoid last-minute chaos. Zhang Yuanqing opened his phone, tapped on Xiao Yuan’s profile, and sent a message: “I’ll be entering the instance within the next couple of days and would like Aunt Xiao Yuan’s blessings.” A few seconds later, Xiao Yuan replied with a “blessing” emoji. Zhang Yuanqing chuckled twice. Since the Wei Yuanzhou incident, Xiao Yuan had greatly improved her attitude toward him—no longer cold and aloof, and now even patiently accommodated his more childish requests. "It's truly worthwhile to invest and receive returns," Zhang Yuanqing replied with a warm smile and drifted off to sleep. Drowsy and half-conscious, he didn't know how long had passed when a familiar spiritual realm notification sound reached his ears: 【Ping! The spiritual realm map is loading. You will enter the realm in 60 seconds. This is your current spiritual realm: "Clay Mountain Sea," ID: 012.】 【Difficulty Level: S】 【Type: Multiplayer (Death-based)】 【Main Objective: Survive for 36 hours.】 【Note: Non-spiritual realm items cannot be brought in.】