A spirit? When did it arrive behind me—had I not sensed it at all? No, not just me—Uncle hadn’t sensed it either! Zhang Yuanqing’s heart leapt into alarm. Before he could even turn around, he saw a brilliant, sharp yellow-bronze glow emerge behind him. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t help but tremble and feel fear—like an ant facing the fury of a ravenous tyrannosaurus. Then, a powerful, sharp wave of yellow-bronze energy surged forth, tearing through the boxes, ripping apart the walls, and revealing the hollow, empty void beyond. Hmm? How come I’m unharmed? Zhang Yuanqing quickly calmed his fear and began to examine himself. Not only he—Zhai Cai beside him, and the vampire Augusto at a distance—had also survived this overwhelming surge of yellow-bronze energy. Yet, their bodies now seemed to possess a virtual projection quality, as though originating from another world. Zhang Yuanqing lowered his gaze and noticed that his own body had also taken on a translucent, ethereal appearance. Had Uncle transported us into an unlocatable "void" state? Zhang Yuanqing had a clear realization—this was exactly like the effect of the slide-shoe, one of the strongest survival skills among the Void profession. His uncle, dressed in a deep red suit and wearing a silver mask, nodded appreciatively. "Our target has appeared," he said. Zhang Yuanqing swiftly turned around and saw, about five meters behind him, a humanoid figure clad in golden armor. The armor's style was identical to that of the Church knights, except without a face mask, and fully equipped, appearing heavy and somewhat clumsy. Inside the helmet, lacking a face mask, was a pale, decaying face—high nose, deep-set eyes, a full beard, with gray-white, lifeless eyes. Moreover, this golden-armored figure was holding a golden knight's straight sword; it was precisely this sword that had just cleaved through the space, generating the bronze energy waves. Zhai Cai stared at the pale, decaying face, his tone both joyful and sorrowful: "He is the holy knight, Simon Rodney, a half-god who perished in the battle that led to the fall of the Papal Court. I've seen him in the quest realm—he was a noble and courageous knight." Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "He has been dead for one hundred years, yet his lingering spirit has not faded. It still guards the treasures of the Papal Court." As he spoke, black tears welled up in his eyes, and a powerful flow of negative energy surged across his body, automatically forming a series of sealing talismans that linked together into a single arrow, which then shot forth with sudden force. The holy knight's body remained motionless, the arrow striking its armor and dispersing into delicate, drifting shadows of negative energy. "The armor and sword on his body are the half-god items of the knight's class," his uncle said. "They have protected the lingering spirit within the armor. When the Pope first placed the knight's body into the treasury, he never considered using the spirit to guard the site." "Hmm, a bit of a hassle. The residual spirits rely on instinct to operate this armor, and their combat effectiveness is quite impressive." Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai turned simultaneously to the chairman, speaking in unison: "We're handing it over to you." As soon as the words were spoken, a mental surge emanated from within the golden armor: "The battle rules are: no retreat from the battlefield, no concealment in the void." The holy knight rested his golden straight sword against the ground, and ripples of bronze color spread out along the blade. The rules of the treasury space were altered—the four of them tumbled out of the void, their bodies solidifying into tangible form. The chairman once again employed a technique to manipulate the void, his body shifting between solid and intangible states, ultimately vanishing into the void. Yet Zhang Yuanqing and the other three remained firmly in tangible form after the transitions. They had failed to enter the void. The chairman snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, "Exiled!" And yet, no one disappeared from the scene. Mr. Chairman exhaled, "A mere law or decree can rival the level of a rule-based artifact—though it's only one tier below mine, and thus unable to truly bind me. But your standings are too low; you're constrained by these rules. You cannot conceal yourselves in the void, nor can you teleport away." "Then what do we do?" said Zhai Cai, her tone anxious. Zhai Cai, witnessing this scene, felt even more panicked. If it were him, he’d have no choice but to endure it head-on—just the force of that single strike would either kill him or leave him severely injured. Rule-based items were already a serious challenge; even a single decree issued by the Paladin was a rule-based one. Truly terrifying! The chairman and the paladin collided, engaging in a close-quarters combat. Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai could barely make out their movements, only hearing the resonant thuds of blows and dramatic spatial ripples. Several hanging props fell from the walls, boxes tipped over, and materials scattered across the floor. "Thud!" Uncle delivered a powerful elbow that knocked the paladin's sword aside, then launched a rapid, precise Wing Chun sequence directly at the enemy's chest, making the armor clink and rattle. With a final, decisive strike, he sent the paladin flying. "Awesome!" exclaimed the single-charge knight. Zhang Yuanqing was also surprised—never imagining that a family outcast known only for his constant running could possess such exceptional close-combat skills. After all, knights consistently rank among the top five in close-quarters combat among all professions. The chairman chuckled lightly, proud and satisfied, "Did you really think I was only good at running?" The martial prowess of the Void-class is also enhanced by innate combat talent—without any combat skills to back him up, I was already dead by mid-game when I tried to steal my allies' prized items, let alone making it to the late game. With that said, he charged straight toward the Paladin with fierce determination. "Thud!" The会长, just stepping onto the battlefield to engage in combat, rolled awkwardly back to face the two of them. Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai's expressions of joy remained, yet their faces gradually stiffened. The vampire Augustus, with swift and silent movements, pulled his silver coffin back and sealed the lid shut. He decided to pass away within it. "Hmph," the会长 said, breathing steadily, "seems to have stirred something in him—awakened his natural combat instincts." Nearby, the Paladin stood with regal composure, his armor radiating a powerful golden glow, as if the Dragon King had returned. Zhai Cai frowned, "Now, what do we do?" As he finished asking this question, he saw the Paladin leap high into the air, raise his straight sword, and deliver a sweeping strike toward them. The Chairman reached into the void, plucked out two items, and tossed them to them, shouting, "Put them on!" They were precisely the "Explorer's Hat" and "Explorer's Robe" previously lent to them. Zhang Yuanqing and Zhai Cai quickly donned the hats and draped on the robes. Meanwhile, the Chairman raised a spatial barrier to buy them time. "Crack!" The solidified space shattered like glass. The holy knight, who had fallen heavily from the impact, ceased attacking the three and stood motionless, his form now vanished—lost in bewilderment, sword in hand, gazing around in search of his opponents. The Chairman explained, "Even though it is powerful, it is merely a fragment of a spirit—its intelligence is limited and easily influenced. Now, it cannot see us." "However, this state will last no more than ten seconds. After that, it will regain awareness and establish rules that will no longer allow us to remain quiet." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled in relief and urged his uncle, "Then what are we waiting for? After all, you're a complete half-god—can't you even handle this mere spirit?" "Nonsense!" "I'm a top-tier half-deity capable of single-handedly defeating three foes!" my uncle scolded my nephew's impertinence, sighing, "But for such low-intelligence opponents, spending gold on them isn't very worthwhile." The merchant class is the only profession that allows gold spending. Zhang Yuanqing pointed to the equipment and materials stored in the treasury, "These are all windfalls—spend freely! Act quickly and secure these items now." My uncle groaned, "Stupid spendthrift! Once we've spent all this gold, won't we have come all this way for nothing?" Zhai Cai's blood pressure soared. He snapped, "Ten seconds have passed—don't waste any more time on pointless arguments!" If it weren't for his respect for the会长's status as a half-deity, he would have launched into a tirade filled with motherly sentiments. He'd never seen a half-deity lack the grace and dignity of a seasoned elder. "I've told you not to rush—lacking experience, you're inconsistent in action." The chairman gently tapped his finger, and the distant silver coffin tilted and tipped over, sending the Augustus, who had just been preparing to pass away within it Augustus, who had just been betrayed and rolled out of his coffin, saw the golden holy knight stiffly turning its head to gaze at him. Startled instantly, he didn’t hesitate—his flesh dissolved into bats that fled toward the other end of the treasury. A small, unremarkable bat remained beside the coffin. The holy knight sensed the movement and pursued. The Chairman paid no attention to the vampire’s condition, speaking rapidly: “I’ve got a plan. The residual spirit is protected by armor. To liberate the spirit, we must first seal that armor. The Eternal Night we just obtained can reduce the armor’s activity. Then, I will set up a sealing ritual to subdue it. But you must secure me for two minutes.” Two minutes? I can barely last twenty seconds! Zhai Cai thought to herself, though she remained calm on the surface. “Chairman, please don’t waste time.” At that moment, Augustus’s flesh transformed into bats and was extinguished by the holy knight’s swordlight. The paladin, now lost in茫然, once again grew stiff and bewildered. The chairman had quietly moved to the corner, crouching down, and retrieved a black stone pedestal half as tall as a man. With his finger acting as a sword, he inscribed intricate and profound runes upon the stone surface. Zhang Yuanqing took the Tian-Shun Beast and handed it to Zhai Cai, saying, "Hold on for a moment. I want to check the set's effects." He had wanted to examine the set effects earlier, but the paladin suddenly intervened. ...Zhai Cai accepted the black jade pheasant, reviewed its attributes, and felt reassured. He stored the Tian-Shun Beast in his inventory and then retrieved it, placing it atop his head. Next, he took the three vials of Life Source Liquid offered by Yuan Shi Tian Zun, inserted them into his neck veins, and infused them all into his body. Zhang Yuanqing then produced the Lei Shen set—four lightning orbs and one lightning spear—which automatically aligned themselves against his right arm, chest, feet, and forehead. "Zzzz~" As the set was fully donned, a blinding blue light engulfed him, and thick, serpentine streaks of electricity arced through the void, writhing and surging. The dimly lit treasury burst into bright radiance, filled with an overwhelming, destructive aura. The reserved demeanor was shattered; the paladin twisted his stiff neck and looked toward the scene. The next instant, he transformed into a flowing, bronze-gleaming form, darting swiftly toward Zhang Yuanqing. The skills of the Thor Set are known as "Thor's Wrath." It grants the wearer divine power equivalent to a Level 9 early-stage deity, enabling mastery of abilities such as electromagnetic cannon, lightning flash, magnetization, lightning strike, electromagnetic protection, and thunderstorm. A Level 9 Thunder Bishop can wear it for three minutes; a Level 9 Thunder Bishop can wear it stably and continuously. For non-Thor-affiliated professions, the duration depends on the character's level—when both are at Level 9, the wearing time is approximately three minutes, which extends if the wearer also possesses self-healing or healing capabilities. For non-Thor-affiliated characters at levels below 9, the wearing time is one minute, extending slightly if self-healing or healing abilities are present. Zhang Yuanqing's current level, combined with the daily deity's self-healing capability, allows for about one minute and thirty seconds. If the duration is exceeded, the physical body will completely carbonize. Additionally, he continuously endures a paralyzing negative status, making close combat unsuitable during wear—only long-range attacks are viable. Zhai Cai kicked hard at the paladin's chest, but the paladin remained motionless—Zhai used the force to propel himself backward. The life essence fluid rapidly healed the wounds on his shoulder. He turned and roared, "Come help!" "Damn, your outfit really suits you for looking cool." In his view, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun was enveloped in electric light, his hair standing upright in strands, the electric flashes dancing like a shimmering, glowing blue electromagnetic armor covering his entire body. His irises were a clear blue-white. The bright, vivid lightning mark at his brow shone brilliantly. The black patterns formed by carbonized blood vessels across his face gave off a divine, fallen elegance—like a fallen thunder god. Zhang Yuanqing stared at the paladin expressionlessly; his blue-white irises, lacking visible pupils, appeared cold and lifeless. Suddenly vanishing, he left a trail of flickering electric arcs, and materialized before the paladin. He formed a ball of lightning in his palm and pressed it firmly against the paladin's chest. Boom! A surge of plasma erupted. The paladin was sent flying backward.