“The Place of the Mountain God…” Zhang Yuanqing leaned back, transferring all his body weight to the chairback. Closing his eyes, he analyzed the mountain god temple—combining information from documentation, his personal experiences, and insights gained through playing games—to uncover patterns and underlying rules. “Panthor spirits can be eliminated using candlelight. Each elimination provides a safety period of fifteen minutes, and after lying down, they don’t suffer immediate injury…” “The east courtyard needs special attention to the banyan tree—don’t turn around. Why not? What happens if you do? And why doesn’t the documentation explain this clearly?” “At present, it’s still uncertain whether the roars are connected to the banyan tree. If unrelated, that adds another layer of risk. As for those red divine shoes—they’re props, specifically ‘rule-type’ props—sounds quite impressive.” Now it seems likely that the construction team veterans were crushed underfoot by these red divine shoes, their bones shattered. “Though trained in dance through my uncle’s guidance, I’m still unable to handle even a Level 1 Night Wandering Deity. I can’t imagine what my younger self would do… If my uncle had encountered them, he’d probably dance until the world ends.” Such matters should be entrusted to an unreliable uncle—after all, throughout his life, he’s mostly avoided serious responsibilities, always singing and rapping. Wait! Zhang Yuanqing suddenly brightened. According to the documentation, the Night Wandering Deity’s fundamental failure stemmed not only from lack of dance experience but most critically—from being unable to remember the complex, chaotic sequences of steps. This likely surpassed ordinary memory capacity. Yet he had no such concern—only when he pushed himself hard enough, allowing his chronic condition to flare up and overwhelming his brain with cognitive load would memories flood back vividly. Under such conditions, his brain’s control over bodily movements far exceeded normal standards, enabling him to execute high-intensity actions without difficulty. “The issue is that non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in—my medicines may not make it through. Once my condition flares up and no drugs are available to suppress symptoms, I’m unsure what will happen.” Such concerns didn’t need to be pondered alone—he should simply ask directly; otherwise, why join an official organization at all? Zhang Yuanqing picked up his smartphone, opened the call log, and dialed Guan Ya’s number. After a few rings, the connection was established. “Did you review the materials?” Guan Ya had just prepared to rest—she’s a woman who values self-care, deeply reluctant to stay awake late or be disturbed during sleep. Yet her tolerance for Zhang Yuanqing is high: who could bear harsh words toward a boy with limited time left? And he's handsome and speaks well. “I’ve reviewed them,” Zhang Yuanqing said, “but there are some points I don’t fully understand—what exactly are ‘rule-type props’?” Guan Ya explained: “There are numerous types of props within the Spirit Realm, each serving different functions. Our official organization has categorized them into three major classes: cost-based, rule-based, and one that remains unclear to me due to my current level of authority.” She smiled and added: “Generally, rule-type and cost-based props aren’t ranked above one another—since their functionalities vary widely, no single standard applies. Yet there’s a shared consensus: rule-type props are more complicated to handle and rarer in number; each such prop is truly valuable.” She paused before continuing: “The method for dealing with rule-type props isn't confidential within our official organization—it's about discovering its pattern and unraveling its rules. The invitation to dance mentioned in the materials likely aligns with this very rule.” “If one fulfills the invitation, there’s a certain probability of securing that rule-based prop—though it remains only probabilistic. This depends on several factors: whether the prop is willing, and whether it's currently unclaimed.” But don’t take this too seriously,” she thought internally. Zhang Yuanqing listened patiently before asking: “And one more thing—can medicines be brought into the Spirit Realm?” “Most real-world items cannot be transported except regular clothing. Medicines can be brought in—but only those already taken and consumed.” “What about holding them in your mouth?” “That’s… I’m not sure.” Clearly, only he could try it himself. “I have no further questions—thank you,” Zhang Yuanqing said. Guan Ya nodded gently and smiled: “Take care now, young man. By the way, today is the lucky day for Scorpio.” Ah? Zhang Yuanqing didn’t immediately respond—the call had already ended. He set down his phone and glanced at the time—it was well past midnight. Tomorrow morning, he would once again enter the Spirit Realm. … The next day. Li Dongze held a cane in one hand, stepped into the glass-walled building of the police headquarters with polished leather shoes. As an office leader exempt from check-in routines, he often arrived an hour later—sometimes even skipping entirely, enjoying his work-life balance to the fullest. He also tended to manage his team of Spirit Realm Pilgrims loosely, letting them operate independently. Firstly, apart from Guan Ya, most weren’t members of the White Tiger Army and thus responded more to local directives than official orders. Secondly, the mortality rate among Spirit Realm Pilgrims in their missions was exceptionally high—any one could be lost during a single entry. Life is short—enjoy it while you can. Li Dongze reached the second floor and habitually surveyed the office area—spacious yet empty desks, with only Guan Ya seated diligently at her workstation and Wang Tai engaged in research and writing papers. “Did you give the materials to Li Dongze?” “Yes.” Li Dongze nodded, said nothing further, then turned toward his spacious office. Guan Ya didn’t pursue the topic—she lowered her head slightly. Upon entering the office, Li Dongze walked over to a bar cabinet, poured himself a glass of vodka with lime juice, and took a hearty swallow. At that moment, his smartphone chirped—a notification from a chat group. The group was titled: “Kangyang District Spirit Realm Pilgrim Management Group.” As one of the major urban centers in Songhai City, there are sixteen districts, each housing ten teams of Spirit Realm Pilgrims led by team captains. Li Dongze serves as captain of the second team—within the White Tiger Army structure, this is equivalent to a “Chief” (or “Hundred-man Commander”). The top executives above the captains are known as “Executive Officers” (or “Executives”)—there are three such officials in Kangyang District. Above them lie the Elders—their level generally does not involve day-to-day management; these Spirit Realm Pilgrims often appear only at the highest levels, rarely visible beyond their titles. Above the Elder group is the Supreme Leadership of the Five Elements Alliance—five renowned leaders collectively known as the Five Masters. These two figures—though never personally met by Li Dongze—are revered within the alliance as legendary women. The White Tiger Army Commander and the Water Deity Palace Chief are both female, often referred to in private circles as the “Two Outstanding Pearls.” “Kangyang District Spirit Realm Pilgrim Management Group” comprises fourteen members: ten captains, three executive officers, and one captain of a Night Wandering Deity from Taiyi Gate. Da Ji Ba: “@Li Dongze—have you recently recruited a Night Wandering Deity?” How did he know? Li Dongze frowned, replying: “Does it matter to you?” In the Five Elements system, Fire overcomes Metal—the White Tiger Army scouts generally dislike the Fire Masters of the Chì Huǒ Clan, perceiving them as blunt and overly assertive. What? Has Li Dongze actually recruited a Night Wandering Deity?! The captains in the group instantly reacted—like sharks sensing blood. Qing Tong: “A Night Wandering Deity? What has Li Chief been doing recently to visit temples and attend ceremonies? How did he manage this? I’m truly envious.” Bai Long: “Out of all official Night Wandering Deities across Songhai City, excluding independent practitioners, we only have about ten—most from Taiyi Gate.” Shui Du Bo: “Li Dongze—you’ve really been lucky today. I’m completely jealous.” Three team captains immediately surfaced. [Tang Guoqiang sent a red envelope.] The envelope was swiftly claimed by all except Li Dongze, who received just over one yuan. Tang Guoqiang: “Li Chief has excellent fortune.” A wave of “Thank you, Boss” emoji responses followed. Tang Guoqiang is also a team captain and the CEO of an architectural company—wealthy, reserved, but generous when he chooses to give gifts. Even this business leader has been stirred by the Night Wandering Deity topic. Xuan Wang: “Didn’t you forget about the Five Elements Alliance and Taiyi Gate’s agreement? Any recruited Night Wandering Deities must be prioritized for absorption by Taiyi Gate.” Bai Long: “You’re forgetting your own memory, Xuan Brother—you forgot our Fu Bai Fu Chang! Given his strong ties to Taiyi Gate, retaining one Night Wandering Deity is entirely feasible.” Xuan Wang fell silent. The three captains now felt a wave of envy—especially in terms of the rarity and future potential of such positions. A well-trained Night Wandering Deity would become an essential asset. Qing Tong: “By the way, our Kangyang District Spirit Realm Pilgrim team hasn’t held any group activities for a while—we should schedule one.” Bai Long: “Ah—does the Bǎi Huā Association have plans again? I’m not opposed to it.” Shui Du Bo: “I’ve just been off duty recently. Why not gather now? Li Chief—my brother has long wanted to meet you and bring along that new Night Wandering Deity, too.” Tang Guoqiang: “The idea of a team gathering sounds great. Li Dongze—you’ve already taken my red envelope, so consider it accepted.” Li Dongze’s lips twitched—the mood had already soured; he responded angrily in his message: “I see sheer insincerity, greed, and underhanded intent all around me. I must be cursed by the Spirit Realm organization—my luck has truly turned foul.” Da Ji Ba: “Is this a case of ‘Versailles’?” Shui Du Bo: “I’ve also been longing for such good fortune.” At that moment, the Night Wandering Deity from Taiyi Gate stepped in—Yuan Ting: “We no longer wish to retain Li Dongze’s Night Wandering Deity. Didn’t you forget? It was just after Qingming Festival last month.” Qing Tong: “What do you mean?” Yuan Ting: “Li Dongze’s recruit has been assigned the Trial Realm of She Ling Tunnel.” The group fell silent. Though they weren’t Night Wandering Deities themselves, as local official Spirit Realm Pilgrims in Songhai City, they were well aware of the renowned She Ling Tunnel. Bai Long: “Isn’t that a bit unfortunate?” Yuan Ting: “To save this young man, Fu Bai Fu Chang personally requested detailed information on the She Ling Tunnel from our Sun Elder yesterday.” Da Ji Ba: “Wait—wasn’t there any chance of saving him? Since the early 1900s, no rookie has successfully completed the She Ling Tunnel. I can imagine your expression when you learned that the trial realm was She Ling Tunnel.” The Chì Huǒ Clan Master speaks with straightforward honesty. Do you want to fight?! Li Dongze almost reached for his cane and stormed out of his office, ready to face off against him personally. He took a deep breath and repeated in his mind: “Graceful. Stay graceful…” Shui Du Bo: “I’ve just been assigned new shipping duties this month—let’s postpone the group gathering.” Tang Guoqiang: “That’s too bad.” Qing Tong: “Now I understand—the unfortunate newcomer.” The straightforward Chì Huǒ Clan Master once again tagged Li Dongze: “Have you not caused any offense to Fu Bai Fu Chang? Has he not been asked to give a rebuke?” Li Dongze: “Shut up! One more sentence, and I’ll go straight to the gym and smash your head!” A case of ‘bringing up what’s due’—the Taiyi Gate and Five Elements Alliance are separate organizations; their information is not shared. So when Fu Bai Fu Chang (an Executive Officer) requested data from Taiyi Gate, it required a personal favor. Da Ji Ba: “And you can’t even defeat me.” The other captains remained silent—they seemed no longer concerned with the matter. Then, one of the three executive officers—Fu Qingyang—sent a message: “Are you all that idle? Do you need to be reassigned back to training camp for retraining?” Li Dongze and Da Ji Ba immediately fell quiet. After a brief pause, Fu Qingyang sent another message: “Since they’ve officially joined, they are now my subordinates. The White Tiger Army will never abandon any of its colleagues—this is our commitment; it has nothing to do with value or performance.” Li Dongze sighed—indeed, he had failed in this matter. Though Fu Bai Fu Chang didn’t speak directly, Li Dongze sensed a quiet deduction behind the scenes. … At 10:30 AM, Zhang Yuanqing locked his room door, tied his shoes, and drank two large glasses of water. Then, he opened the medicine bottle and held five blue pills in his mouth. Next, he lay down on the bed and silently waited for the Spirit Realm to activate. Time passed—about ten minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice in his mind: [The Spirit Realm is activating…] [Ring. The Spirit Realm map has been fully loaded. Welcome to “Night Wandering Deity – She Ling Tunnel,” ID: 0079.] [Difficulty Level: S] [Type: Single (Death-type)] [Main Objective One: Survive for three hours (Completed).] [Main Objective Two: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079, Current Exploration Level: 20%] [Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be carried in.] [Best of luck, Yuan Shi Tian Zun!] The ceiling distorted, as if rippled by a gentle breeze, and when the image stabilized, Zhang Yuanqing found himself within the dim glow of candlelight in the main hall.