Zhang Yuanqing performed a night journey, harnessing the airflow to descend and enter the tunnel. Along the curved ceiling, high-power xenon lamps are spaced every five meters, casting a bright, luminous glow that fills the inner ring of the tunnel. At the intersection several tens of meters away from the tunnel, road barriers have been erected, prohibiting access. Inside the quiet tunnel, several vehicles are parked—cars that had vanished into the tunnel just over two hours ago. After on-site inspections by the public security officers and official pedestrians, who collected valuable evidence such as dash cam footage and bloodstains, the vehicles were left in place. On one hand, to preserve the scene; on the other, since it has not yet been confirmed that the tunnel is safe, to prevent further casualties, the tunnel will remain closed for several days. Therefore, it is more practical to leave the vehicles where they are. It must be said that the official pedestrians are well-experienced—the red-hat young woman is likely still inside the tunnel. All the missing persons were found within the tunnel. Once service resumes, who knows—within a few days, another collective disappearance might occur. "Tik-tik-tik-tik…" In the vast, empty tunnel, the red slippers whirl wildly, sometimes sprinting across the roof, leaving footprints in their wake, and at other times gliding along the tunnel ceiling and walls. Zhang Yuanqing, in his hidden state, moves slowly between the sedan chairs, observing the red slippers like aimless flies, frowning in contemplation. "The little red-hat girl hasn't left, nor have the missing persons—yet the official attendants remain unaware." This can be attributed to two reasons: first, the little red-hat girl is of such high status that even the stewards are kept in the dark. Second, the props involved are uniquely functional and of foreign origin, so the stewards' understanding is limited, leaving them at a loss. Yet Zhang Yuanqing is confident that within three days, the stewards of Songhai will unravel the mystery of the little red-hat girl. But whether the missing persons will survive when that happens remains uncertain. Once the underlying mystery is fully grasped, Zhang Yuanqing finds himself at a loss. Auntie and the missing person remained within the tunnel, yet not in the real world—instead, they existed in an unfamiliar, incomprehensible limbo between dimensions. Though he grasped the key, he lacked the ability to enter that realm. Call Fu Qingyang—he, as the sovereign, understands more than I do. Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone. At that moment, the red ballet shoe gliding across the wall suddenly began frenziedly stomping the wall, producing sharp, resonant thuds. The solid concrete wall was pressed into distinct footprints, and chunks of cement fell簌簌. Then, a ripple like waves spread across the wall, engulfing the red ballet shoe. In the next instant, Zhang Yuanqing lost all sense of connection with it. This… his heart sank. He hurried to the spot where the red ballet shoe had vanished, pressing his palms firmly against the wall, silently exerting force, and the solid concrete wall yielded, forming two clear palm imprints. Yet nothing happened. The red ballet shoe had entered the dimensional limbo by kicking the wall—yet he could not. Zhang Yuanqing decided decisively to abandon further inquiry and dialed Fu Qingyang’s number. During the dialing process, he noticed the wall once again rippling like waves of water, and a pair of fresh, elegant red ballet shoes breaking through the ripples, returning toward the tunnel. "Ttap-tap-tap..." The ballet shoes swiftly circled around him, occasionally lifting their heels to kick against the walls. They seemed to be signaling that his aunt was on the other side of the wall, urging him to hurry over—yet how could he possibly cross? Zhang Yuanqing chuckled helplessly. As the ballet shoes returned, he suddenly recalled a detail mentioned in their attribute description: after the previous owner's passing, these shoes began a journey of wandering. They had specifically wandered into the Shu Ling Tunnel instance. These ballet shoes, originating from the realm of the ethereal profession, possess a unique marvel—the ability to wander between extraordinary-phase instances, enabling them to traverse dimensional rifts. Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing immediately activated his second form and chose the wearing mode. The ballet shoes transformed into two slender streaks of deep red light, enveloping his feet and replacing his original athletic shoes. Then it stood there, motionless, blankly staring... It seemed impossible—the second form could only evade, not carry him "on a journey." Zhang Yuanqing frowned, disappointed. At that moment, the phone rang. Fu Qingyang's voice came through: "Speak." Probably knowing he was busy, Qian Gongzi didn't waste any words. Zhang Yuanqing then gave a detailed account of his findings. Fu Qingyang said: "Self-contained realm? The foreign 'Eternal Night' profession has corresponding skills, but those are master-level abilities. If that's the case, then no one else need be found—there's no chance of survival." ...Zhang Yuanqing's face grew increasingly pale. "How do I even enter?" "The most reliable and swift method is to seek assistance from the Void profession," Fu Qingyang replied. "You just stay put here." "I'll try to reach out to the chairman, but that will take time." Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to hang up. He had the supplies for the Vacant Occupation—indeed, the red slippers were among them—and they were truly capable of entering the dimensional crevices. Yet, the red slippers could not carry him through. What now? If the tools wielded by the Little Red Hat girl possessed the power to command the stages of transformation, then—then what about Auntie? Zhang Yuanqing's heart raced with urgency. The more he panicked, the more scattered his thoughts became. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down, and in the swift flow of his thoughts, a solution quickly emerged. His physical body couldn't pass through—what about his spirit form? The second form of the red slippers offered only evasion capabilities, not the ability to "wander" or journey through. Could he instead project his spirit, attaching it to the red slippers, and thus follow them into the dimensional crevices? But the spiritual body was limited in strength and couldn't open the inventory. Even if they entered the dimensional crevice, how could they rescue Auntie? The ghost bride and the lively little comic were spiritual beings—capable of accompanying me. I was not alone. Once inside the dimensional crevice, I could project myself into ordinary bodies, using their forms to fight. Moreover, the military spirit mask had fully integrated into my spiritual essence, providing significant attribute boosts—enough to sustain combat within the crevice. I didn’t need to defeat enemies; all I needed to do was protect Auntie and patiently wait for my elder’s rescue. With this thought, he no longer hesitated. He simply opened the door of a nearby car, stepped inside, and sent a message to Guan Ya: "I'm in a car on the inner ring tunnel. I'll need my spiritual body to detach for a moment. You and your team will protect my physical form—don’t forget to bring the Blood Rose. I might encounter danger, so have Fu Qingyang send immediate reinforcements." After sending the message, he removed the red ballet slippers and activated his divine journey. The spiritual essence immediately floated out of his physical body. "Tap, tap..." The red ballet slipper, annoyed, kicked the owner's body with its pointed toe twice, believing he had deliberately pretended to be dead in order to avoid dancing. Zhang Yuanqing's spirit, wrapped around the lively little companion and Bai Lan, was attached to the red ballet slipper. Under his soothing presence, the slipper ceased its pouting and began to stride joyfully toward the wall. "Thud, thud, thud..." It forcefully stomped the wall, leaving one distinct footprint after another, until ripples spread out across the surface. With a final step, the slipper submerged completely into the wave. ... The moon was bright, the stars sparse. The surroundings were utterly still—no insect hums—only faint, intermittent wolf howls drifting from deep within the forest. Zhang Yuanqing's spirit detached from the slipper and surveyed the scene. He found himself at the entrance of a dense woodland, with a silver disc of the full moon overhead, its pale light illuminating the distant meadow. Had it not been for the absence of ambient hints from the Spiritual Realm, I almost thought I had entered a quest scenario. It's also nighttime—perfect, as this is my peak performance window... Zhang Yuanqing scanned the surroundings with cautious vigilance. His neck was torn and bloody, with clear signs of being bitten. Clearly, the elderly man had been knocked down by some monster, his neck severed in one bite, and then his internal organs completely emptied. This was not good news at all. Zhang Yuanqing set aside the body and, heavy-hearted, followed the Red Shoes forward. Along the way, he encountered several more corpses—middle-aged adults, women, and even children—each with the same gruesome fate as the older man. Additionally, he found the creature's footprints in the forest. Wolf tracks. But unlike a series of consecutive prints, these were paired—two prints side by side—indicating that the wolf walked upright. Zhang Yuanqing quickly pieced together the fate of the missing individuals: after entering this strange space, they had entered the forest for some reason, only to be pursued by a terrifying wolf-man, and one by one, they died while fleeing. Finally, the Red Shoes came to a halt before a wooden house. The house stood on elevated ground, with the surrounding trees neatly cleared, offering a broad view. Under the bright moonlight, the house was quiet and still. The crimson shoes halted at the doorway of the cottage and remained still. Was Auntie inside? Zhang Yuanqing drifted toward the cottage—his body effortlessly passed through the walls. With a casual sweep, he spotted several figures seated by the fireplace, huddled against the hearth and the wooden walls, shivering. Seven in total, they clutched their knees, backs pressed against the fireplace and the walls, trembling. Whispers rose among them. "I don't want to keep hiding here anymore. Let's get out." "Go ahead if you want to die, but don't burden us. Only by staying inside the cottage are we safe. If we go out, the wolf will devour us." "The wolf will come knocking again soon. I have a feeling that next time, it will actually break through and enter..." Though their voices were filled with fear, there was a sense that they had already passed the most anxious phase and had begun to accept the reality of being drawn into this supernatural event. The young man who had started the conversation spoke softly: "But we can't keep hiding forever, can we? Jiang Yubi—what can you do?" At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing also found her aunt, who, together with her companions, was huddled against the fireplace, pale as a sheet, her bright eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, alert to both external and internal movements. In the darkness, everyone turned to look at her. Jiang Yuebi spoke softly, "Someone will come to save us. We've been missing for so long—surely the security officers must be aware. If there are truly supernatural events in the world, the government has probably known about them for years. "There will definitely be someone specially assigned to handle such matters to rescue us," she said, and her words immediately calmed the crowd, easing their anxiety. "Is your foot injury any worse?" the young man beside her asked with concern. "It seems to have stopped bleeding, but I'm a bit dizzy..." Jiang Yuebi replied. Zhang Yuanqing, now relieved to have reconnected with her, felt a deep sense of joy and renewed hope. But he quickly suppressed his joy. As he analyzed the dialogue, it matched his expectations exactly—after fleeing into the forest, the group had been relentlessly pursued by wolves, and of the original forty-two, only seven remained. The survivors reached the wooden hut, and the wolves abandoned their pursuit, thus saving their lives. Yet, why had the wolves stopped chasing them? With such a simple wooden door, how could it possibly withstand a monster? He would first clarify the situation. If Fu Qingyang was right—that this artifact might be of sovereign-level significance—then even he himself would be in danger, let alone rescue his aunt. Zhang Yuanqing immediately floated toward the young man beside Jiang Yuyi, completing the spirit transfer. He lowered his head and examined Jiang Yuyi’s lower leg, where a deep wound had formed, now hardened into a thick, dark blood crust. Zhang Yuanqing immediately leaned close to Jiang Yuyi, whispering softly into her ear: “Aunt, it’s me.”