As a Sage-level Wu Gu Master, Zhang Yuanqing has strong immunity to curses—within just two breaths, the black mist hovering over the mage's head rapidly dissipates. His senses return... "Boom!" Guan Ya acts first: she lifts her gun barrel, aims in an instant, and depresses the trigger; a long plume of smoke erupts from the muzzle. The recovering mage suddenly leans back, as though struck hard on the head—cracking sounds echo across his brow, the tough keratin layer splitting open, with a thick green sap gushing forth. After breaking the enemy’s defense with one shot, Guan Ya immediately withdraws half of her diluted life fluid, cradling it in her palm, ready to inject at any moment to prevent the foe from using injury as a medium for curses. Fortunately, she is surrounded by reliable teammates. At the very instant the gun fires, the Queen removes her silver earring and throws it with force. The silver ring spins through the air, collides with the mage’s two-meter-tall frame, and instantly transforms into a water ring that penetrates his body before tightening tightly around him—effectively restricting his movements and interrupting the subsequent curses. Seizing upon this opportunity created by her teammates (or enemies), Li Xianzong and Zhang Yuanqing advance in unison, both rushing toward the mage. Li Xianzong holds a steel nail in one hand and a butterfly knife in another; Zhang Yuanqing wields his Artifact and his Blood Blade. Both carry weapons of Enchantment Demons, which possess inherent armor-piercing effects capable of breaking through rigid keratin defenses. At this moment, the mage, bound by two water rings, kneels down, chanting quietly. Unbeknownst to anyone, this kneeling movement precisely avoids both converging attacks—barely grazing his left and right ears as they pass by. It is the 4th-level Wu Gu Master’s core skill—the Prayer! Prayer is a form of magic; at this level, Wu Gu Masters usually gather materials, perform ceremonial rituals before action, then recite their unique incantations to appeal to a great power beyond existence—seeking protection and smooth progress. During combat, however, time is often too limited to conduct full rituals—the mere act of chanting an incantation suffices, though the effect is significantly reduced. Yet even so, when a Sage-level Wu Gu Master chants her prayer, it remains sufficient to counter an Elevated Stage enemy—far surpassing Li Xianzong's ability to rely on props for such prayers. "Boom!" The mage strains his arms, forcefully bursting the water rings; rising from his kneeling position, he then charges forward with a powerful knee strike. Unavoidable—he is struck by Zhang Yuanqing who, equipped with the Insight Eye artifact, anticipated his movements and promptly withdraws her Blood Blade before summoning her Red Dance Shoes. Two tendrils of deep red light wrap around her feet—her running shoes transform into fresh, size-large dance shoes. Since she cannot avoid it, she hands over control to a capable artifact. Under the influence of the Red Dance Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing’s right foot lifts involuntarily; her body arches back and delivers a powerful kick precisely onto the charging knee. "Boom!" A strong rebound forces her feet to momentarily lose sensation—she rises slightly, then steps backward. The mage does not pursue the attackers but instead spins in mid-air, drawing a whip-leg swing. "Crack!" Li Xianzong raises his arm to deflect—the blow sends him staggering. "You all shall die!" The mage speaks with solemn authority, raising his staff so that its black gem emits a deep, dim glow. Each person on the field experiences their hearts being tightly grasped—ready for sudden collapse at any moment. Li Chunfeng, leaning against the wall, hears a distinct "thump"—his heart sinks as he turns to see Li Xianzong falling to the ground, his pupils blurring. Weak and breathless, he can no longer sustain—he collapses into unconsciousness. But the most critical issue is not Li Xianzong’s fall—it is that he stands closest to the mage at this moment. After releasing curses to all teammates, the mage "teleports" before Li Xianzong and swings his staff to burst his dog-head. "Bang!" A clear gunshot echoes in everyone's ears—the mage suddenly leans back to avoid the bullet. Yet there is no actual bullet—this sound was fabricated by the man with a flat hairstyle, mimicking Guan Ya’s gun fire. Li Xianzong, half-kneeling, his face flushed with veins bulging, transforms into a fierce warrior—having previously slain Sages himself. In desperation, he leaps upward and strikes the mage as a blur of motion. "Pop!" The butterfly knife embeds deeply in the mage’s abdomen, piercing through the hardened keratin. He refrains from using the Curse Nail because this consumable item lacks armor-piercing capability. "Ho!" The mage roars angrily—the black gem atop his staff shifts its glow, switching to a new curse. Li Xianzong gasps, cracks open in the lower abdomen, blood gushing out freely. The mage raises his staff once more, preparing to cast a full-range curse. "Bang!" The gunshot now occurs—this time, Guan Ya depresses her trigger. The mage draws multiple trailing shadows as he dodges bullet strikes; suddenly, his forehead tufts of hair stir, sensing motion from behind. He turns sharply, pulls his shoulders and back with a sudden twist, then powerfully hammers down the staff. "Clang!" Sparks fly—the staff is caught by the Blood Blade. No longer able to continue casting curses—attacks must now be continuous; otherwise, the entire team will suffer total defeat. Zhang Yuanqing, meanwhile, notices the fire-deity army approaching and, with a glance, activates his palms to spray blazing flame into the air, forming a long, hot red blade. The mage’s forehead tufts twitch—aware of danger. With no hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing presses both hands together in front of him—"Boom!" A shockwave rolls out from the impact, spreading outward in all directions. The tufts on the mage’s head tremble intensely, losing precise sensory awareness. Exactly at this moment, the fire-deity army arrives—each step resounds heavily as their red blade sweeps across. "Pop!" The sharp, scorching edge of the blade precisely strikes the butterfly knife's puncture wound in the abdomen, expanding it into a blackened, savage gash. The mage roars in outrage and raises his staff again. At this very moment, two water rings descend from above—one securing his upper body, the other his lower limbs—once more interrupting the casting process. "Bang!" Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng simultaneously fire their guns—the bullets hit the mage directly. The Queen sprints toward Zhang Yuanqing and shouts: "Give me the blade!" Zhang Yuanqing immediately tosses out the Blood Blade without hesitation. The Queen reaches for it, leaps high into the air, grasps the willow blade firmly, and strikes hard at the mage’s skull. "Pop!" The mage leans slightly to one side—the Blood Blade pierces his shoulder; a rich, savory sap gushes out, splashing over the queen. Now, with the Queen in close contact with the enemy, Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng cease their shooting—overwhelmed by the heavy attacks, the mage groans deeply, struggles to break free from the water rings, and begins casting a new curse. The Queen’s shoulder bursts open—but instead of blood, it is clear droplets of water—her Water Spirit ability deftly avoids the curse’s counter-effect. She decisively retires; seeing that the mage no longer pursues, but stumbles in place, she exclaims: "His condition is deteriorating!" This announcement serves both her teammates and signals clearly to the organization. As soon as the words fall from her lips, a soft "hmm" emerges—her legs weaken, she grows limp, her throat itches, her lungs burn with intense coughing. "Cough! Cough! Cough!" Zhang Yuanqing and the Fire-Deity Army member both begin to cough vigorously—both infected! This enemy is a Wu Gu Master—a specialist in toxins. Guan Ya and Li Chunfeng are struck by alarm—promptly depressing their triggers, creating opportunities for the leader. Now, members of the organization appear to see their chance—the middle-aged man in a suit dons two finger-locks, strides forward with polished leather boots, tapping his heels rapidly toward the mage. The thin-bodied elder bows low; his face stretches into a long, elongated form, transforming into that of a mouse—fine black whiskers emerge along his cheeks, his leg muscles strain and tear through his trousers, and from his spine, a tail as thick as an arm extends outward. In an instant, he becomes a mouse-person—now with hands freed from items, he grasps a black bamboo tube from the inventory. The flat-hatted man roars, wraps both arms tightly around the building behind him—and miraculously lifts the entire structure, including its foundation, and throws it forcefully toward the mage. This is clearly a stage illusion—but to the mage’s perception, danger has now arrived. He instinctively retreats—his abdomen suddenly stings as a bright green toxin needle pierces through his charred wound—the needle melts instantly and enters his body. The combination of illusion and toxin achieves a successful surprise attack. Yet, as a Sage-level Wu Gu Master, this level of toxin is merely inconspicuous to the mage—unfelt, unbothered. From the very beginning, the organization has been consistently outmatched. Far away, Guan Ya gains inspiration and fires her gun at an opportune moment—a sharp bullet head strikes the mage’s skull with explosive force. The mage stumbles forward, just as he collides with the iron fist of the man wearing finger-locks on his suit—cracking blows rain down upon his face and abdomen. Though only Level 2, the Enchantment Demon naturally excels in combat; her powerful sequence of attacks leaves the mage motionless. The steady Wood Demon youth, who has been observing from the sidelines, now calmly drags several teammates suffering from toxin poisoning—retrieves pills from his pocket and distributes them to Zhang Yuanqing and the others, saying: "Chew them before swallowing." Then he reaches into the inventory and retrieves a stick-thick incense stick—"Fire-Deity Army, you help light it." The Fire-Deity Army member appears drained—chews on the pills, rubs his fingers over the stick to produce a gentle smoke—fragrant herbal aroma fills his nose. He feels instantly revitalized—the discomfort in his throat and lungs gradually eases. "Wait just a moment—your toxins will be resolved soon," says the Wood Demon youth, immediately extinguishing the candle. "This is a consumable—use it sparingly." The presence of a Healing Master among the team offers real reassurance—Zhang Yuanqing reflects with appreciation, his eyes tightly focused on the battlefield developments. The mage grasps the suit-wearing man’s neck and swings him hard to the ground. "Bang!" Cracks form in the floor tiles—the man begins bleeding from mouth and nostrils. The mouse-person immediately provides remote support—piercing a series of toxin needles—some deflect off the mage’s keratin layer, others penetrate wounds—though they cause intense pain, they fail to disrupt this Sage-level Wu Gu Master. Li Xianzong, his lower abdomen blood-soaked, bends low like a leopard, advancing with stealth toward the mage—he drives the Curse Nail into the already-cracked posterior skull—the wound made by Guan Ya’s attack. The mage snaps the man’s neck—then crouches down to prevent Li Xianzong’s next strike—using his staff hand to deliver a heavy swing overhead. "Crack!" The staff strikes Li Xianzong’s wrist, shattering his forearm bones—the Curse Nail drops to the ground as it loses momentum. Li Xianzong remains calm—gently lifts the fallen Curse Nail and delivers it toward the mouse-person. Having completed this action, he prepares for a close-range assault from the mage—but at that moment, a gunshot echoes from afar, striking precisely in the mage’s chest, penetrating his armor and creating a deep wound. Indeed, the boss is showing signs of decline—now unable to avoid bullet attacks. Li Xianzong's eyes brighten—he steps forward, extending the butterfly blade toward the left chest wound caused by the shot. "Ah…" The blade pierces through the heart—the mage shrieks with a piercing cry—"You all, the sycophants of the court—shall all perish!" With his final strength, he lifts his staff so that the black gem glows dimly. Everyone on the field goes pale—the pain in their chests intensifies like an incision; waves of anguish and suffocation overwhelm them—all subjected to three consecutive curses with effects stacking—each person feels life slipping away rapidly, nearing the end at every moment. Li Xianzong, Zhang Yuanqing, the Queen, and the Fire-Deity Army member feel this most acutely. Zhang Yuanqing’s vision blurs—he loses consciousness completely—the sensation is overwhelming—"It's so painful… I’m dying…" Li Chunfeng, pale as a sheet, stumbles to the side of the fallen Li Xianzong, grabs the straw man on the ground, presses two fingers onto his head and applies strong force. The mage stiffens—his body enveloped by black mist—the curse momentarily interrupts. Li Xianzong is the first to regain consciousness—he crouches low into the mage’s arms, opens his arms around the waist, and sinks his hips—tightening his entire musculature to achieve a "thousand-pound weight" effect. "Quick! Attack his back of the skull!" He shouts. The mouse-person immediately inserts the Curse Nail into the bamboo tube, takes a deep breath, then forcefully expels all air from his lungs in one burst. "Pop!" The nail successfully penetrates through the already-collapsed wound in the mage’s skull. The mage’s body halts—his spirit rapidly dissipates—he stands motionless for several seconds before collapsing dramatically. It is over…ended. Witnessing this scene, everyone exhaled deeply, as if having just completed a long and grueling journey, finally reaching the destination—exhausted, overwhelmed by weariness. At the same time, Realm Walkers from both organizations heard the Spirit Realm prompts in their ears: 【Ping! You have successfully defeated the evil mage. Please claim your rewards immediately and proceed to eliminate the opposing forces.】 Instantly, members of both the evil organization and the organization surged to their feet, then settled back down—waves of eyes converged simultaneously on the staff resting beside the fallen body. Unlike others, Zhang Yuanqing received a second prompt: 【Ping! You have completed the hidden mission—the Greedy Mage (3/3).】 【The Greedy Mage: To secure possession of the treasures left behind by the Yin-Yang Hermit, he conspired with the town’s Zhao Official and Wang Popi to undermine the descendants of the Yin-Yang Hermit. However, aside from one staff imbued with a powerful curse, he gained nothing.】 【Note: You will remain in this town forever—just as I do.】 【Mission Prop: Yin-Yang Robes (not yet claimed).】