This is a doll museum, elegantly designed yet highly valuable. At first glance, one is greeted by a variety of dolls—delicate and charming young girls, graceful and poised women, young men in suits, elderly figures with canes… Shelves along the walls display a range of merchandise related to the dolls, while beneath the spiral staircase, cardboard boxes hold the doll bodies, some limbs even stacked directly upon them. These dolls are exquisitely refined, with lifelike features that exude an unspoken strangeness and eeriness. Their faces are all turned toward the same direction, their hollow eyes converging on a single point. A regular visitor who stumbles upon this museum by accident at night would surely be startled into dropping their pants. ——On the gleaming marble floor, a worn cotton blanket is spread out. The blanket is large enough to accommodate over a dozen people and covers half of the museum. On its surface, nine human silhouettes are clearly visible, with Fu Qingyang at the center, his left side occupied by Senior Gao Feng, and his right by Senior Hong Ying. On the side of Master Gao Feng were the three male saints—“High Mountains and Flowing Water,” “Loyal Minister Who Kills His Sovereign,” and “Red Lanyard.” On the side of Master Hong Ying were the three female saints—Yin Ji, “Summer and Tree,” and “Flower’s Whisper.” The ghost city possesses a strong sense of territoriality—its spiritual powers adhere to strict rules, preventing entry into the shops of "fellow" establishments. As long as one proceeds through the gates, one can avoid being devoured by the spirits of the city. However, this is a temporary solution, as the semi-divine artifacts are beyond the reach of the team; even with thirty lives, they cannot succeed. Nevertheless, they managed to endure through the night. Fu Qingyang, clad in the cloak of a swordmaster, delivered relentless attacks. Red Eaves Elder naturally suppressed the lingering spirits and shadow corpses, while Peak Elder provided a solid defensive shield for the group. Yet, within this puppet art gallery, they finally collapsed. The gallery itself lacks overt supernatural phenomena—only the disarrayed puppets pose a threat. The danger arises precisely from these puppets, as soon as the official team steps inside, they are immediately observed by them. Then, a terrifying crisis unfolds: starting with Red Eaves Elder, every single person begins to undergo physical transformation, gradually becoming lifeless, model-like figures. Master Gao's lower body has transformed into a doll, Master Hong's chest, Yin Ji's buttocks, and Hua Yu's back—each of them has certain body parts turned into model forms. This is a dreadful curse, at least a peak dominion-level one, surpassing the level of the three dominators present. At a critical moment, Master Gao pulled out a torn cotton quilt and roared, "Come quickly into the bed!" And thus, everyone was saved. A soil monster profession, dominion-level rule-type artifact—the Quilt for the Timid! This artifact can withstand every form of attack in the world, even the might of half-gods, who cannot destroy it through force. This rule-type artifact comes with three costs: First, poverty—the holder will forever be disconnected from wealth; any wealth bestowed upon him in any form will eventually drift away. Second, duration—each time the quilt is unfurled, it must remain open for a specified period before it can be lifted. The duration is four hours. If one hasn't left the quilt after more than four hours, they will be eternally sealed within it, until death. During this time, those hiding inside the quilt are completely unable to perform any actions. Moreover, they are naturally timid—once they accept the quilt's protection, they inevitably grow timid. Elder Hongying turned her head, gazing at the perfectly sculpted profile of Qian Gong, and said, "By dying without ever leaving the quilt, do you mean to die with grace—sealed within the quilt for at least three and a half hours now?" Elder Gao Feng sighed, "To die with grace, one need not become a doll; observe those dolls—they are far more graceful." Fu Qingyang replied calmly, "No, dying within the quilt is more graceful. The three protectors of the Night Rose are waiting for us to make a choice. If we choose to become dolls, then we will be hung on the walls as deer heads, displayed on shelves as ivory figures—transformed into museum pieces, quite unbecoming." The sages were frantic, anxious and afraid. They thought, how could the elders still be chatting when things were already so urgent? Their lives were running out—on the brink of countdown. In matters of life and death, the sages and the sovereigns simply lacked the mental fortitude. When the ghost city revived, the sages remained calm, confident that the marshal would arrive to save them—steady as old dogs. When they passed the row of haunted houses, they were equally composed, convinced the marshal would eventually come to their rescue. But after three and a half hours hiding under their quilts, they were utterly panicked. Time was slipping away. They had only half an hour left, yet the marshal still seemed to be on his way. "I... I... I shouldn't have agreed to the Prime Celestial Sovereign's request," stammered the plump one. "The Master of Pure Yang? What does he have to do with it? I was just doing my deliveries, achieving top performance—how could I possibly get involved?" "Yin Ji lifted her head, peering through many heads, toward the plump young man," The one who brought you into this situation wasn't the Prime Immortal, but your southern sect's senior monks—seemingly, they've already fled in advance." How could two experienced, master-level illusionists both perish at once? They must have sensed the ghost city's presence and left early. Though they couldn't defeat the Pure Yang Master, eliminating the official's three master-level figures was more than sufficient. As for the loyal minister who chose to kill his sovereign—what's a minor sage, after all? Let him go. The plump young man remained silent. The others, meanwhile, had no interest in discussion. Hua Yu, the attendant, looked pale, as if facing the end of days. Xia Shu Zhi Lian wore a look of deep sorrow, while several male attendants shared the same sense of gloom, as though sentenced to execution. At that moment, a faint crimson light surged in from outside—the pair of fresh, elegant little dance shoes. The shoes rushed into the shop with a crisp, rhythmic sound, straight toward Fu Qingyang, and without a word, they kicked him hard right through the quilt. Thud… thud… thud… The heavy kicks echoed throughout the hall, each one delivered with full force, as if harboring an unyielding, mortal enmity toward Fu Qingyang. Yet, the attacks were hardly even touching the mark—mere nibbles at the edges. On a dim, long street, Zhang Yuanqing received the ninth ghostly corpse at a shop named "Ghost Guerrilla." After the marshal helped seal it, he retrieved the little red hat to safely store the male child's corpse. During their fifteen-minute exploration, they gathered a total of nine ghostly corpses and six restless spirits, most of which were at levels four and five; only two ghostly corpses and one spirit reached level six. These would be sealed for the long term until Zhang Yuanqing's experience level reached the peak of level six. With his current reserves of Taiyin energy, it would be difficult to nurture and control additional ghosts of the same level unless he specialized in Taiyin. For now, level-six combat power was sufficient—too many would be overwhelming. In fact, what Zhang Yuanqing truly needed right now were lower-level, expendable ghostly beings to serve as frontline support. Both high-end combat power and low-level support units were essential. Watching Guan Ya's boyfriend collect the spirits, Fu Qingxuan gently remarked, "It's time to go pick up the trash—along with getting rid of those three pests." "Saying this, she reached out and gently pressed her hand against Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder. Hmm, why isn't the navigation system activating this time? Zhang Yuanqing mentally groaned, and the next moment, he felt the sharp pain of a steel blade scraping against his hairline once again. Fortunately, this discomfort only lasted for a few seconds—his feet soon reconnected with the ground. He found himself outside a mannequin gallery, the entrance open and the bright, well-lit exhibition hall filled with lifelike mannequins—no, not just lifelike, but truly vivid and expressive. Following the eerie, hollow gaze of these figures, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the tattered cotton blanket spread out on the floor tiles. Nine figures lay side by side, each covered by a deep blue, worn blanket, only their heads exposed—reminiscent of the servants who used to sleep side by side on the large beds in the elite households of northeastern China years ago. Was this the tattered cotton blanket mentioned by Xia Shu Zhi Lian in "Yi Shan Zhi Hai," the one associated with the timid ones—the very rule-based prop belonging to the Master Elder Feng? Pfft. Their current posture When Zhang Yuanqing spotted them—those who had been staring at the store entrance with their heads tilted— he also noticed Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn and the Marshal. Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing, relying on the swift movements honed from years of being single, quickly pulled out his phone and opened the camera. "Click!" The flash flashed briefly, and the nine people's stiff expressions were frozen on the screen. Zhang Yuanqing put away his phone, as if nothing had happened, and spoke seriously: "Everyone, the Marshal has come to save you." The three Masters and six Sages expressed relief and excitement at having survived the ordeal, and all of them glanced at Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, who was hiding his phone in his pants pocket. At that moment, Fu Qingxuan had already surveyed the entire doll hall. She perceived the hidden dangers within, stepped over the threshold, and with her fingers like a sword and her arm sweeping across, several elegant dolls were severed at the waist, their broken bodies clattering to the ground. "Everyone is safe," she said calmly. The Empress was coldly elegant and commanding, as though she had merely accomplished a simple task. Senior Gao Feng immediately rose, lifted the thick, worn cotton blanket, and placed the rule-based item into the inventory. "Respectfully, Commander! Thank you for saving our lives." The three seniors bowed deeply. Throughout this, the red ballet shoes relentlessly kicked at Fu Qingyang, refusing to stop until he was slain. The saints bowed with profound humility, breathless and reverent, displaying the essential attitude of deference and humility before the supreme Commander. How different was it from Yuan Shi Tian Zun, who, even standing beside the Commander, showed no hesitation or tension—truly a legendary figure born with an unruly spirit and a lifelong defiance of convention. "Thank you isn't necessary. It was Yuan Shi Tian Zun who secured your positions that allowed me to enter." The female Commander raised her hand. Everyone was surprised—unaware that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had played such a pivotal role—and now their gaze toward him grew increasingly grateful. Huang Ying and Senior Gao Feng bowed respectfully to Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing, in turn, offered a polished, gentlemanly smile to Yin Ji and Xia Shu's love story. Fu Qingxuan finished speaking and turned to leave, her gaze suddenly fixed on Fu Qingyang's cloak. "Hold it for me," she said. As the foremost scout of her generation, she instantly recognized it as a rare treasure of her profession. Fu Qingyang was about to refuse when a powerful force pulled the cloak from behind, flinging it into the hands of the Marshal with a rustle. Fu Qingxuan grasped the cloak, studying it for several seconds, her emerald eyes glowing with bright enthusiasm. Zhang Yuancheng had never seen her display such excitement before; in contrast, Fu Qingyang felt increasingly anxious, the more excited his sister became, the more nervous he grew. "Where did you get this item? It's a pity you've wasted it—give it to me instead," Fu Qingxuan said. "Ungrateful," Fu Qingyang exclaimed, his temples bulging with anger, as if his father had just taken his bride away—just like Prince Li Hui, the one whose wife was taken by Emperor Li Longji. Indeed, the cloak was a cherished possession of the elder brother, and now the Marshal's action was no different from Emperor Li Longji's. Zhang Yuancheng longed to speak up Senior Gao and Senior Hongying focused on their noses, their minds on their hearts. Their sister wanted to take their brother’s toy—this was simply the Fu family’s matter. "Don’t be so petty. I saved your life; as a token of gratitude, I ask only for a piece of equipment. That’s fair and reasonable… Fine, fine. Just lend me the toy for a few days, okay?" Seeing her younger brother determined to go to war even within the same room, Fu Qingxuan reluctantly stepped back. She draped her cloak over her shoulders. "With a 40% boost, I might be able to try out my newly developed sword technique." As she spoke, she reached into her inventory and lifted a bronze sword, holding it suspended in the air. With a delicate tap of her greenish jade fingers against the sword’s spine, the golden cloud patterns on the cloak emitted a faint glow. "Ding!" The bronze sword resonated with a clear, resonant sound, splitting into two identical swords. Fu Qingxuan’s composed expression brightened with delight—this technique she had studied for a long time, yet had never succeeded in achieving. Her ideal outcome was to split the sword into two streams of sword energy, Yet even at her peak, she could only split a single sword aura. This cloak directly elevated her sword technique by a full notch. If she had worn the cloak last night, she would have already decapitated the Fear King's dog-headed generals. "Go!" Three bronze swords darted and spiraled through the air, roaring forward. A few seconds later, the crowd inside the hall heard several desperate, gut-wrenching cries echoing from the darkness. Then, the three flying swords returned, lifting three bodies and hovering outside the hall of figures. Fu Qingxuan waved her hand, and two of the bronze swords dissolved, their bodies dropping with a soft thud. She then retrieved the final bronze sword. The three bodies were all draped in cloaks—clearly the three protectors of the Night Rose. Master-class warriors, now gone like harvested wheat. "The Night Rose has the mother goddess's sanctuary of Chu family. These three will revive in the northwest. Remember their appearances and issue an official warrant upon their return." Fu Qingxuan waved her hand, sending the three Dominators' hoods flying. Beneath the hoods stood an elderly man with white hair, a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression, and a plain-looking middle-aged woman. Zhang Yuanqing carefully examined each of their appearances, but could not recall any corresponding figures from memory. Suddenly, a gasp came from behind: "The Elder of Mountain and River Everlasting!"