The curse has lifted, and intelligence once again takes the lead. Everyone is alive and grateful, yet as they reflect on what just happened, they feel a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment. More so than the "frugality" and "revealing spirits" ordeal, even the usually composed Xiahou Aotian finds himself thinking, "Perhaps it's time to go home" or "I'd rather vanish into a crack in the ground." Zhang Yuanqing, who has maintained human awareness throughout, walks toward Hong Jigé, pulls out the Mountain God's staff, and hands it to Guan Ya, urging, "Quick, quick, quick—save the others!" The unhurt members quickly regain their composure and head off to assist Tianxia Guihuo, Sun Miao-miao, and Hong Jigé, rescuing their teammates who are on the brink of death. Fortunately, thanks to the timely end of the curse, the three who were initially in critical condition have stabilized, pulling themselves back from the point of death. Hong Jigé, however, suffers the most severe injuries—his spine is fractured, his internal organs damaged, and he has lost significant blood. Even with his spiritual energy returning, his condition remains dire. The fire master lay weakly on the ground, his lips and complexion as pale as paper, his pupils scattered, his chest rising and falling violently as his heart labored under excessive strain, working hard to pump fresh blood to his oxygen-deprived brain—yet this very effort accelerated his blood loss. Zhang Yuanqing drew a tube of golden, clear life-source liquid and injected it into the neck vein of Hong Jīgē. This was not diluted life-source liquid, which could not save a critically endangered sage; this was the original life-source liquid paid for in installments by the Xie family. Zhang Yuanqing paused after injecting half the tube, waiting for Guan Ya to bring the mountain deity's staff. His own supply of life-source liquid was now dwindling, so after stabilizing Hong Jīgē's condition initially, he would let the self-healing items take over. "It's so painful, so itchy…" Hong Jīgē murmured, groaning in discomfort—the sensation of bone regeneration was far from pleasant and quite painful. The vertebrae rapidly proliferated, the broken ends fused together, and flesh and tissue moved and grew, yet before complete restoration, they grew weary and soft. Guan Ya walked over with a rosy complexion, having already stabilized the injuries from Tian Gui Huo. "Don't worry about Red Chicken, I'll treat him." At this moment, her eyes were misty and alluring, her cheeks flushed like wine. Zhang Yuanqing immediately recognized the effect of the mountain deity's staff—its side effects were now taking hold. He quickly took out the Ghost Mirror, seized the staff, and handed the mirror to her, speaking softly, "Hold this!" Though Guan Ya was slightly irritated, she still cared deeply for her boyfriend and hesitated, "You're coming?" "I'm protected by the power of the Sun God, which gives me strong resistance to negative states. It was precisely because of this that I was able to maintain my sense of self just now," Zhang Yuanqing explained. According to the Qin dynasty physician, he could preserve human consciousness because of his unyielding spirit and his refusal to accept fate. But Zhang Yuanqing himself knew that while personality played a part, it was primarily the pure yang purification ritual that had forged within him a body as unbreakable as a diamond. He possessed exceptional resistance against curses, venomous toxins, and mental control techniques. Guan Ya finally took the ghost mirror, and the surging desire subsided instantly, the spring tide calming, her legs no longer weak... Zhang Yuanqing pressed the emerald gem at the tip of the mountain god's staff against the back of Hong Ji-ge, a gentle green light blooming, causing the stopped flesh and muscle to regrow and cover the vertebrae. Hong Ji-ge's injuries were finally restored to a satisfactory state, allowing him to move normally. "Can you stand up?" Zhang Yuanqing extended his hand. "I'm going to cry out about my lungs—after circling the gates of the ghost realm!" Hong Ji-ge grumbled as he grasped Zhang Yuanqing's hand, lifting himself while thanking him: "Thanks to you, otherwise we'd really be in trouble. Every time we enter a Tier-S dungeon, it's like walking a tightrope—surviving was all luck." "One vial of life essence, remember to return it to me." Zhang Yuanqing helped him rise. Hong Ji-ge leaned on his shoulder, transferring his body weight to him, and said confidently: "No problem at all—I also have some life essence." He flipped his palm and retrieved a vial from Zhang Yuanqing didn’t take it, simply saying, “I’ll return it when we exit the instance.” Red Chicken Brother stared at him for a few moments, rarely showing such seriousness, “I’m not mistaken—you’re a man of integrity.” After a brief rest, the team members walked up to the mechanical weapons, examined them carefully, then reached out to touch the bodies and retrieve the information. [Name: Six-Animals Mechanism] [Type: Mechanical Weapon] [Function: Curse, Mental Guidance] [Description: Master of the Mo Sect, based on the Mo family’s inherited secret techniques of mechanical engineering, integrated with the power of curses and dream influence, crafted using multiple premium materials. It can alter the destiny of any living being, effective for five minutes; ineffective against non-living entities.] [Note: This item cannot be taken out of the instance.] “So it also includes the power of dreams—now I understand how it could influence our perceptions,” Shina Keno realized. The most terrifying aspect of dreams and illusions isn’t their physical damage—it’s their ability to confuse and disrupt the mind and perception. “Only a shame it can’t be taken out of the instance; otherwise, we’d Sun Miao Miao expressed her regret. Thanks to the night-wanderer deity's remarkable recuperative power, her injuries had now fully healed. "So exquisite, so exquisite..." Xiahou Aotian gently stroked the mechanical creation, his face filled with longing, "but unfortunately, we can't take it with us." "Will it never turn us into pigs again?" Red Chicken Brother kicked at the base, still feeling uneasy. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: "We've already passed this trial, so there should be no danger. The only disappointment is that we haven't gathered much in return." As he spoke, he picked up Little Red Cap and placed it in his inventory. When he retrieved it later, the path had already returned to normal. He then stored the puppet warrior inside the hat's space. "The fewer items we collect during the quest, the more generous the rewards at the end," the survivor of countless trials, rarely displaying humor, remarked with a touch of wit: "This is known as the Law of Reward Conservation." Seeing no response from his teammates, he paused, puzzled: "Isn't that funny?" "Everyone just managed to save their lives—how could they possibly have time to listen to your cold jokes..." Zhang Yuanqing silently turned around, "Let's go. To the next level." The group followed in silence, leaving Tianxia Guihuo lost in thought. Thus, they continued walking through the wide corridor, sometimes descending, sometimes ascending. The candlelight in the alcoves swayed gently, and the ceiling above was not stone but wooden, with air vents every ten meters, allowing a subtle breeze to seep in. After walking for about fifteen minutes, Red Chicken suddenly rubbed his arms and said, "It's suddenly gotten colder. Is this just my imagination?" It wasn't just him—others too felt the cold air drifting through the atmosphere, seeping into their pores. "It's not an illusion—it's the presence of yin energy," Sun Miao-miao explained. "The yin energy ahead is very strong, even stronger than that of Qin Feng Academy's Corpse-Training Island." "Not the Corpse-Training Island—it's the Chicken Heart Island," Zhao Chenghuang said. "I forgot," Sun Miao-miao poked her tongue out. "What's with all this fussing with your tongue? You're making me sick." Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. "You're the one who's making things unpleasant with all your wordy phrases." "Hm, why aren't you giving me a little push on the backside?" "You—well—" Seeing the two still having time to exchange banter, Guan Ya and her companions suddenly felt reassured. This group had three star officials, and the star officials were particularly unafraid of阴物. As they continued forward, a cold breeze blew through the corridor, the air grew more humid, and the light grew brighter. After a few more minutes, they reached the exit, with a faint shaft of sunlight filtering through the entrance. Outside the corridor lay a valley, its towering black cliffs dotted with parallel wooden stakes, each bearing a decaying coffin laid horizontally. There were well over a hundred such coffins in sight. The valley floor was dark brown and lifeless, with no grass growing. Sunlight poured into the valley, yet no warmth could be felt—the light itself was stark and pale. Standing at the entrance were two stone inscriptions: one read "Festival of Burial" and "Honoring the Virtuous," the other read " "By now..." Zhang Yuanqing stopped, his expression serious. Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang also looked grave. To the three star officials, the valley was shrouded in a dense mist of negative energy, blocking out the sunlight, and what met their eyes were wailing spirits of various ages and conditions—some in full armor as Jin soldiers, others dressed in the robes of the Mo Sect. Some had lost their heads, others bled from every orifice, some were filled with hatred, while others wept in sorrow and grief. Yet, when the group arrived at the valley, these spirits floating in midair or drifting across the ground all turned their gaze simultaneously, their pale, unsettling eyes fixed upon them with an eerie intensity. A normal person would surely be paralyzed with fear, and even a seasoned traveler of the spiritual realm would feel a chill. Fortunately, aside from the three star officials, everyone else remained unaffected—they were still examining the coffins and stone inscriptions on the cliff walls. Xia Hou Aotian, as usual, offered a brief explanation: "Jie zang means opposing the waste of time and wealth on the dead, while shang xian means selecting talent regardless of social status or rank." "Xiao Yuan nodded slightly: 'The other meaning of jie zang is resource utilization—transforming the deceased into spiritual entities to guard the passes. The principle of valuing talent above all, even one's enemies, means that even adversaries can become "partners" and be driven to fight on one's behalf.'" Xiahou Aotian was astonished, clapping in admiration: "A corporate-level understanding." As he spoke, a strong gust of阴wind swept through the valley, making the weaker Daoists shiver. Sun Miao Miao raised her voice in alarm, shouting, "Retreat! Everyone, retreat—the yuanshen spirits are approaching!" The yuanshen spirits surged like a tidal wave, flooding in from all directions. Sun Miao Miao and Zhao Chenghuang stepped forward two paces, joining Zhang Yuanqing in alignment. The three star officials emitted dark, viscous energy from their eyes, activating their spirit-consuming techniques. The advancing army of yuanshen spirits halted abruptly, becoming disorganized. The night traveler's efforts had effectively suppressed the spirits. "If only the summoning banner had been brought in—these would all be my troops." Sun Miao Miao sighed slightly, seizing the moment when the army of resentful spirits was briefly suppressed. She reached out, palm upward, and plucked a yellow robe from the void—soaked in blood and inscribed with numerous spiritual scrolls. She blew a breath over it, then tossed it high into the air, declaring, "Seal!" The robe materialized, unfurling into a vortex of negative qi. The resentful spirits shrieked, transforming into wisps of mist, and were drawn in rhythm with the vortex, absorbed into the robe. What a powerful item... Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of admiration. Clearly, the robe was a top-tier artifact—its quality and refinement far surpassing what a Level 4 character like Sun Miao Miao could possess. It was a gift from the sect or one's elders. Having the Night-Wanderer Sect as a strong backing was truly advantageous—unlike him, who had only visited a handful of Night-Wanderer-exclusive instances, and thus had acquired only a limited number of profession-specific items. His inventory was filled with flashy, yet mediocre, items from various professions. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from the upper reaches of the valley. The people at the archway were stunned, as if struck hard on the head—warm liquid flowed from their nasal passages, and their minds spun with dizziness. "Crack!" Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing heard a sharp sound of breaking bones. Turning around, he saw Sun Miao Miao's head twisted to the back, her neck skin tearing due to insufficient elasticity, gushing with thick streams of blood. Tears mixed with blood streamed down her eyes, her expression frozen in place. Her robe, no longer under her control, drifted gently downward. In Zhang Yuanqing's view, a vengeful spirit, clad in black and with wild hair, had taken possession of Sun Miao Miao, swiftly and efficiently delivering a devastating blow. "Crack... crack..." One after another, Sun Miao Miao's knees and elbows twisted into spirals. Meanwhile, Zhao Chenghuang and his teammates remained dazed, unable to assist her. "Mi-miao!" Zhang Yuanqing's face turned pale. Crap—phantom-magic spirit of vengeance! "He growled in frustration, blackness surging again in his eyes as he reached up and clutched Brunn Miao's neck, grasping the wraith within. Protected by the Pure Yang Washing Record, he had sustained only minor injuries and experienced only a slight dizziness, recovering almost instantly. This allowed him to lend a hand. As soon as he made contact with the wraith inside Brunn Miao, Zhang Yuanqing realized it was a high-tier wraith of a Saint's Peak rank—actually one level above his own in experience. Under the pressure from a peer star official of the same rank, the wraith's spiritual energy expanded, preparing to unleash another mental assault. Yet, a graceful and beautiful figure named Yuchuan Mei floated above Zhang Yuanqing's head, and deep spirals of depth swirled in his pupils—his dream! The wraith's resistance within Brunn Miao weakened progressively, growing weaker with each passing moment, until it gradually entered the realm of dreams. Seizing the opportunity presented by Yuchuan Mei's vision, Zhang Yuanqing gathered a faint golden glow in his palm and pulled with all his strength. The wraith, with long hair flowing freely and draped in a black robe, was finally pulled Immediately, the golden light coalesced into a slender, faint spear, which was then launched toward the spirit of resentment. "Shh—shh~" The golden spear pierced through the ethereal form of the spirit, spewing out thick plumes of green smoke. "Yi-chuan Mei!" As soon as the spear was thrown, Zhang Yuanqing shouted urgently. Yi-chuan Mei, attuned to her master's intent, instantly lifted her snowy neck with unwavering resolve, delivering a powerful mental assault upon the spirit. At that very moment, the spirit shrieked, then abruptly fell silent, clutching its head in agonized wails. Meanwhile, Zhao Chenghuang recovered from the mental strike and, without hesitation, reached into his inventory, pulling out a stack of sealing scrolls, which he then tossed out with a swift motion. The sealing scrolls shot forth, adhering to the spirit's body like hot iron stamps on a snowman, sending up dense clouds of black smoke. Guan Ya emerged swiftly from behind the two, moving like a dragon in flight, leaping high and delivering a powerful jumping slash at the spirit. The martial aura of the swordmaster proved highly effective against the spirit, while her insight ability allowed her to Successive attacks struck it, causing its spirit aura to plummet sharply—from the peak of Level Six down to the early stages of Level Six. It surged upward, fleeing along the towering cliff face while emitting piercing shrieks. Mental assault! The surviving spirits from the valley followed it upward, like moths drawn to a flame, merging into the black-robed spirit's body. As it devoured these spirits to grow stronger, it let out another shriek—this time not a mental blow, but a summoning call. The hundreds of coffins lying across the cliff face simultaneously lifted their lids, the lids falling with a resounding "thump-thump" like a steady rain, creating a magnificent spectacle. Within the coffins, one by one, the decaying, grotesque shade corpses sat up, their heads creaking and turning to gaze downward at the small group. "Goodness," Zhang Yuanqing murmured, marveling, "all of them are shade corpses—high-quality ones. Truly well-stocked!" As a star official, he could judge the quality of these corpses simply by their aura—many were transcendent-level, and several even reached the level of sage-class. Yet, the Night Wandering Spirit lacks an innate ability to suppress the undead corpses; while sealing scrolls are effective, it would be impractical to draw them given the sheer volume of the undead army—physically eliminating them would be far more efficient. Zhao Chenguang sensed the challenge and said gravely, "Stay focused—this will be a tough battle ahead." With over a hundred undead corpses and a six-tiered spirit of resentment forming a main array, even the formidable Dead Squad would find it difficult. "Within my domain, how could it possibly boast any dominance?" Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand and grasped. A baby's head appeared in his palm. The infant was exceptionally endearing—plump cheeks, milky-white skin, long lashes fluttering as if asleep. If only it had been a full-bodied figure, it would have been a loveable, charming presence. "Whoa!" Red Chicken and Xiahou Aotian both gasped simultaneously and instinctively covered their abdomens. "You—you—you… what in the world are you doing bringing this here?" Red Chicken looked visibly tense, taking a slow step back. Xiaohou Aotian also stepped back. Guan Ya raised her brow, knowing this was the Shengjing—the sacred infant—who could make a young lady and a young man experience the sensation of pregnancy. "What's wrong?" said Shina Ryouta, noticing both of them suddenly tense and visibly frightened, and curious. Red Chicken glanced at her, "Have you never been in a relationship? Never given birth?" Shina Ryouta felt both shy and indignant, thinking how rude this person was to so openly offend an eighteen-year-old girl. Red Chicken hummed, "That thing is called the Shengjing. Its cry can make people pregnant." Snap! Shina Ryouta, Xiao Yuan, Yin Yao Princess, and Tianxia Guihuo all hurried back, stepping away in a rush. Feeling the scene behind her, Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently. "If you don't want to become my child, just cover your ears and retreat into the corridor. Now comes the time for the Ghost-born!" With that, he gently pressed the Shengjing against his shoulder. Veins and nerves began to grow along the infant's neck, seamlessly connecting with the flesh of his shoulder Thus, it came to life, its tightly closed eyes suddenly opening.