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Chapter 90: Sequential Challenges

The Immortal Realm Traveler #744 12/17/2025
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Witches, werewolves, vampires? The saints who have returned from the dead look utterly puzzled—these terms exist only in films, novels, and official documents. As stated in the documents: "Witches, werewolves, and vampires were among the root causes of social unrest in the Middle Ages, with the Church and bounty hunters being the primary forces responsible for eliminating them." Beyond that, they know little else about these ancient beings. Once realizing their knowledge base contained no answers, Red Chicken took the initiative: "This question is challenging, but it does relate to the spiritual realm. I believe the witches, vampires, and werewolves correspond to the three evil professions in the first major region. We only have 21 seconds—time is limited—so shall we take a gamble?" If they answer incorrectly or fail to answer at all, he feels certain he will be crushed by the next wave of audience comments. "The werewolves should be the aberrations. As for vampires and witches, haven't you noticed that among the primary evil professions in the first region, there's no profession that fears light or feeds on blood, nor any that specializes in black magic?" Guan Ya frowned, her brows tightly knit. She glanced at the countdown, her expression growing serious. "Also, we must consider the possibility of a trick in the question—perhaps these three entities all correspond to the same profession." "Werewolves aren't aberrations!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "The source of witches' black magic lies in the legendary runic symbols. These runic symbols represent the supreme power in Nordic mythology. According to the scholars from the second region, the Nordic mythology corresponds to the third region, which has yet to be activated. Therefore, werewolves should also belong to the third region's profession. As for vampires, I'm not entirely sure." Initially, he had reviewed information about medieval werewolves in the space of Little Red Cap, and later asked Fu Qingyang about the nature of the tools associated with Little Red Cap. After carefully observing the magical wolf's transformation, Fu Qingyang immediately shook his head, stating that the wolf形态 formed by Little Red Cap did not belong to any known profession. As for the black magic of the witch originating from Runes, he learned this during his time in the "Spooky Cruise" quest from the red-robed archbishop. "Are the werewolves and witches part of the Third Region?" Sun Miaomiao's face turned pale. Isn't that a death sentence? The Third Region hasn't even launched yet—how could they possibly know the exact names of the professions? Guan Ya and the others shared equally desperate expressions. It seemed they would once again face a relentless barrage of attacks—whether they would survive this time remained uncertain. Zhang Yuanqing, however, remained completely calm and turned to his companion, the single-legacy knight by his side. "It's up to you!" The group finally remembered that Zhai Cai was the sole heir of the Church's knightly order, and as a well-organized force dedicated to countering witches, werewolves, and vampires, the Church undoubtedly possessed detailed information about these supernatural beings. "It's my turn to shine now." Zhai Cai took a few steps forward, looked at the blackboard, and said in a steady, clear voice: "Witches belong to the magic法师职业, werewolves to the ice-and-fire wolf warrior class, and vampires to the 'final poison master' profession." [Correct answer! This round scores a perfect 10!] "Phew..." Everyone exhaled in relief. Red Chicken Brother raised his thumb in admiration, praising Zhai Cai as a "big guy with a monkey-level surprise." "Are vampires considered mutants?" Guan Ya asked in confusion, "Why haven't vampires reappeared since the Middle Ages ended?" Zhai Cai enjoyed Red Chicken Brother's praise, smiling and replied: "Vampires are a breed developed by medieval mutants, similar to ancient practitioners' secret arts. After those ancient practitioners disappeared, the arts were lost. According to the teacher, some mysterious ancient tombs might still be housing medieval vampires. These creatures aren't particularly strong in combat, but they excel in powerful self-healing abilities and long lifespans." "Having said that, the single-legacy knight looked at Zhang Yuanqing with a deep, serious gaze: "You know far more than your rank and status would suggest!" Sun Miaomiao, Zhao Chenghuang, Guan Ya, Hong Jiguo, and Tianxia Guihuo all turned their attention away, pretending not to have heard Zhai Cai's words. Zhang Yuanqing responded with a tone that was utterly dismissive: "But it certainly matches my intelligence and beauty!" Zhai Cai was about to challenge him, when a new question appeared on the board: 【Begin answering!】 【Please correctly identify in the Spiritual Realm: the profession with the lowest intelligence, the fastest speed, the strongest destructive power, the most vigorous vitality, the deepest knowledge reservoir, the strongest defense, and the most balanced overall performance. This question is worth 10 points.】 【Answering time: fifty seconds. Countdown begins!】 "I think the Fire Master has the lowest intelligence," Sun Miaomiao declared loudly. "I disagree," Hong Jiguo replied. "I believe it's the Sea Demon." "The siren is only passionate, not foolish," said Zhai Cai. "The fastest should be the wind mage." "Why not the aerial mages, whose speed surpasses even teleportation?" Zhang Yuanqing raised his question. "This is actually a false dilemma. For short distances, the lightning mage's swift movement is the fastest—nothing in the world moves faster than lightning, not even teleportation. But for medium distances, the wind mage is first among equals, because I don't consider teleportation a true measure of speed," Zhai Cai replied. "What about the most powerful in terms of destructive force?" Zhao Chenghuang spoke quickly. "I believe it's the fire mage." "Doesn't that overlap then?" Guan Ya furrowed her brow. "You just said you wanted to watch out for the question's hidden trap—how can the answer not overlap?" "Under the Heaven, the fire mage is the most powerful among all professions. Fire-based spiritual energy is the most turbulent of all, as my elder instructors at the Red Fire Guild's elite training program personally stated when I became a Saint." Zhao Chenghuang took over: "The most vibrant in vitality is the wood spirit; the deepest in knowledge is the scholar; the strongest in defense is the earth monster; and the most balanced is the night wanderer! As for the fastest profession, it remains to be determined!" At this moment, there were still fifteen seconds until the answer deadline. Guan Ya thought for a moment and said, "Let's try it—choose the wind mage." She then explained her reasoning: "The lightning mage excels in short-range speed, while the aerial mages dominate in long-range travel through their teleportation skills. However, both rely on active abilities. The wind mage's ability to glide with the wind, however, is a passive one. Therefore, either both the aerial and lightning mages are selected, or neither is chosen—there's no choice between the two. But the question specifically asks for the fastest. 'Fastest' implies only one candidate can be selected." The scouts' analytical skills were precise and efficient. Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward immediately and recited the agreed-upon response. 【Correct answer! This round: 10 points!】 The tense atmosphere relaxed, and smiles spread across the faces as they managed to answer another question, avoiding a full "machine-style" barrage of criticism. Red Chicken Brother was both delighted and still unconvinced. He was delighted because they had successfully navigated another question, yet he remained unconvinced—how could it be that the Fire Commander's intelligence was the lowest? Although he didn't particularly enjoy studying, lacked formal education, and detested mental exertion, he always felt he was above average. They then successfully answered three more questions, accumulating a total of 50 points. Among these three questions, two required deeper knowledge of the spiritual realms, while one was a purely absurd riddle, sending even the single-legacy knight and others into a state of nervous excitement. Guan Ya beamed with satisfaction: "We should only have one more question to go before we pass this room." "She looked at the blackboard: 'The rules don't specify a scoring requirement—only mention a minimum of six people, indicating that the number of questions corresponds to the number of reference personnel.' 'Once you answer this question, you'll reach the fifth level!' Red Chicken Brother glanced down at the wound on his abdomen; his clothes and waistband were now stained with blood. His condition was deteriorating—he was mentally fatigued from excessive blood loss and had no room for error anymore. At that moment, the seventh question appeared on the board: 【Start answering!】 【Which professions can coexist? Please name at least two pairs. This question is worth 20 points.】 【Answering time: 60 seconds. Countdown begins!】 As the question appeared on the board, the expressions on everyone's faces gradually stiffened, growing increasingly startled and serious. They couldn't understand it! They found it completely incomprehensible—just like struggling students finding advanced mathematics overwhelming. This wasn't about intelligence. It was a lack of cognitive awareness and experience. The sages instinctively turned their gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai, hoping that the Master and the Sovereign Knight would provide answers. Yet both of them were furrowed in brows, expressions grave. "I... don't understand!" Zhai Cai sighed, looking toward Zhang Yuanqing. "And you?" Everyone held their breath, barely daring to breathe, fearing that Zhang Yuanqing would follow up with: "Me too!" Fortunately, although the Prime Immortal's expression remained composed—much like a primary school student struggling with a function problem—he was clearly thinking, and had not yet given up. Which professions could coexist? What did "coexist" mean? Zhang Yuanqing thought only for a few seconds before it clicked. "Coexist" meant dual proficiency. He first thought of the Free King, no, the Fearful King, the Enchanted Beast, and the Scout—both trained. Then he recalled the Pure Yang Master, paired with the Night-Wanderer and the Illusionist. However, the consequence of the Pure Yang Master pursuing dual proficiency was madness. Thus, evil and lawful professions could not coexist. After being corrupted, the King of Fear's original scout role card transformed into a charmer role card, retaining only the scout's abilities—strictly speaking, it does not represent dual occupation. Finally, Zhang Yuanqing recalled the Huangwa, the spiritual realm administrator, who embodies both the roles of "musician" and "scholar," thus proving that musicians and scholars can coexist within the lawful order. Yet still, there was another pair, another pair—what other two roles could coexist? Zhang Yuanqing quickly thought through the possibilities. Time passed swiftly, and by the final twenty seconds, everyone's faces were tense. By the final ten seconds, hope had faded entirely, and Zhai Cai led the group to the corner, raising her long sword. In the final five seconds, Zhang Yuanqing finally spoke: "Musicians and scholars can coexist; water spirits, scouts, wood deities, earth monsters, and fire masters can also coexist!" [Correct answer! This round: 20 points!] [Exam concluded, total score: 70 points!] The words appearing on the blackboard struck everyone like a heavy blow, instantly revitalizing their spirits. Those who had already prepared themselves for a relentless barrage of chat messages, ready to accept their fate as uncertain, were now flooded with a surge of exhilaration and relief. "The inventory panel can now be opened!" Red Chicken Brother happily reminded the group, then retrieved the wooden spirit class's supplies to treat the gashes on his thigh and left abdomen. Others quickly followed suit, drawing out their own items to attend to their injuries. "Can the five elemental professions—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—coexist?" Qi Ya, who had just stabilized the bleeding, moved closer, her expression somewhat puzzled. The saints who had returned from the realm of the dead also turned to look. The people rushing out to treat the injuries were eager to reach the corridor leading to the fifth floor, only to find that the classroom's exit connected to a room instead. The room was empty—no furniture, no windows or doors. Facing the entrance, four paintings hung on a white wall. One depicted a museum hall in a warm yellow tone, filled with sculptures and artifacts, with the English inscription beneath: "The Museum of Wonder." Another showed a small village shrouded in midnight rain and storm, lightning flashing, its outlines blurred and exuding a sense of eerie, haunting atmosphere. At the bottom, a line of English reads: 【Dark Village】 One scene depicts a battlefield of corpses and blood, with knights in armor and the bodies of towering, monstrous creatures piled high; dark clouds coalesce into the face of a demon. The caption beneath reads: 【War Against the Monsters】 Another scene shows an ancient castle bathed in bright sunlight, with a flourishing garden, and a beautiful young lady standing gracefully at a small window, smiling and gazing toward the horizon. The caption beneath reads: 【The Castle of Mysteries】 Below these paintings stands a plaque that reads: Welcome to the Land of the Wise—The World of Painted Scenes! "I don't know if six is your lucky number, but you definitely have the traits of an old six." Zhang Yuanqing watched the single knight with a wry smile. "This is no ordinary level—this is a series of consecutive challenges. "I told you so—how could it be that simple? I haven't even felt any life-or-death pressure..." Zhai Cai sighed. "Just pick a painting, please."