Chapter 183: Wonderful Duel

Chapter 183: A Spectacular Duel

As expected, there was a Yin Corpse. Then again, for an elite of the Taiyi Sect, it would have been abnormal *not* to have one... The first thing Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized wasn't the Maoshan occultist, but the towering figure standing behind him.

As a Night Wanderer, he could tell at a single glance that it was a Yin Corpse.

It wore loose, long sleeves and trousers, its wrists wrapped in segmented silver rings that covered both forearms.

Unknown profession... Zhang Yuanqing then turned his appraisal to the youth. Pale and frail, lacking masculine vigor, clad in black shirt and black trousers, vine-woven greaves bound around his lower legs.

The frail youth gazed over from afar, a polite smile on his face:

"Primordial Heavenly Venerable, your great name has long reached my ears!

"Every time I hear your name, I can't help but think of that line, 'Elder Sun, you're so muddleheaded,' as if by instinct, completely brainwashed."

Laughter erupted from the stands.

Elder Sun turned his head, casting a cold, ruthless sweep over the disciples behind him.

The Taiyi Sect members fell silent in unison, heads bowed, stifling laughter.

Your name's pretty distinctive too, makes me think of Uncle Nine instinctively... Zhang Yuanqing shouted toward the elders' seating:

"Elder Sun, this brat says you're muddleheaded. Want me to help you beat him up?"

The laughter grew louder. This meme was renowned far and wide, widely circulated in official channels; from the Five Elements Alliance to the Taiyi Sect, basically anyone who liked surfing the net knew it.

Hearing the party involved banter like this now, the absurdity and amusement hit instantly.

Elder Sun's face darkened; he said nothing.

Elder Hongying looked toward the Dog Elder in surprise:

"This kid's quite lively."

She rarely saw someone so brazenly teasing an elder. Even that Maoshan kid didn't dare look back when he said it.

But this Primordial Heavenly Venerable, he just shouted right at Old Sun.

The Dog Elder snorted: "That's 'cause you've never seen him kowtow the second he meets someone."

On the stage, the Maoshan occultist spoke:

"So you really don't have a Yin Corpse. The commentary on the rankings says your comprehensive strength is formidable, especially in clearing instances. As for your personal strength, you probably rely more on artifacts, right?"

"No, I never rely on artifacts!" Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice: "I rely on an unyielding will, on the conviction of certain victory."

As the two conversed, the audience in the stands was also discussing.

"Primordial Heavenly Venerable has no Yin Corpse, huh? I heard a Night Wanderer without a Yin Corpse or Spirit Servant is an incomplete Night Wanderer."

"Exactly. It's like a Pyromancer without a violent temper, a Wood Demon without regeneration, a Scout without Insight. Yin Corpses and Spirit Servants are crucial means for a Night Wanderer to contend with enemies."

"Oh, I get why Primordial Heavenly Venerable is ranked 11th in the Top Twenty rankings now. Thought those scholars were suppressing him."

"Doesn't that mean Primordial Heavenly Venerable has to fight one against two? Trump card artifacts can't be used in the arena matches. This is bad; the situation is unfavorable for us. Primordial is the Five Elements Alliance's banner; if he gets stepped on by the Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderer to climb up, the shame would be immense."

"Not necessarily a loss. Someone who cleared two S-ranks, one High-Difficulty A-rank, and killed Li Xianzong—how could he lose that easily? Just watch."

……

In the sector where the Taiyi Sect was seated, Yuan Ting sighed, "Yuan Shi has been a Spirit Realm Walker for far too short a time; he lacks foundation. He most likely doesn't even have a Spirit Servant—at least, I've never heard of one."

Sun Miaomiao frowned and said:

"He might not even be able to beat Maoshan; wouldn't that make it terribly difficult for me to run into him?"

If I can't run into him, how am I supposed to defeat him and trade for Little Red from Grandpa?

Zhao Chenghuang, sitting a few seats away, spoke in a cold, calm tone: "That is precisely why he is ranked eleventh, while Maoshan is ranked ninth."

……

Bill Talentino, having entered the instance dungeon to watch the arena matches as a member of a friendly organization, suddenly turned his head to look at Annie beside him and said:

"I recall that back when the Demon Lord was at Level 5, he relied solely on his own raw strength to defeat a Level 6 Heavenly Punisher in a cross-level battle."

Annie nodded:

"That did happen. At the time, the Demon Lord had already hooked up with Betty, yet he harbored extreme wariness toward the Goddess of Beauty Association. No matter how Betty tempted him, he simply refused to leave the country, refused to meet the Chairwoman."

"So the Chairwoman found Betty's former lover, had him step forward under the pretext of jealous rivalry to stir up trouble for the Demon Lord, when in reality she wanted to forcibly bring him back. The result? That piece of trash lost utterly and completely."

Bill Talentino gave a slight nod, his gaze drifting to Yuan Shi Tianzun in the arena, and spoke slowly:

"Be it the Saint stage or the Transcendent stage, cross-level combat is an immensely difficult feat; those who achieve it are all men among men. Yuan Shi Tianzun lacks sufficient foundation; compared to the Maoshan thaumaturge, he is at a disadvantage."

"But this is precisely the moment to test his potential. If you regard him as the second Demon Lord, it makes for a perfect comparison."

Annie nodded slowly, "I thought so as well."

Then she shook her head, correcting herself:

"I don't regard him as the second Demon Lord; rather, I feel he can replace the Demon Lord, becoming a Night Tour God controlled and invested in by the Goddess of Beauty Association. The Chairwoman once said the Sect Master of the Taiyi Sect evaluated the Demon Lord as the Night Tour God with the most potential in thirty years. A heaven-born genius like that won't appear a second time in decades."

Mr. Bill smiled and said:

"Then we shall wait and see!"

……

In the southwestern stands, Fu Qingyang, clad in a white suit, watched the arena with a stern expression, utterly focused.

"Boss, are you nervous? Worried Yuan Shi Tianzun might lose?"

The speaker was a Kill-Matte aristocrat—blond hair, permed and fluffy, setting off a gaunt face. His eyes were haughty, his demeanor unruly, perfectly befitting the 'aristocrat' air.

Within the White Tiger Guards, the only one who called Fu Qingyang "Boss" instead of "Gang Leader" was Seventh Son.

Fu Qingyang ignored him; the woman with a ponytail beside him spoke up:

"Yuan Shi Tianzun is actually quite handsome. Ling Jun always calls him a lecher in the group chat, so I thought he'd be some creepy little boy."

Seventh Son sneered:

"Stereotypes. Is Ling Jun not a lecher? Is he ugly?"

The ponytail woman was none other than "Phoenix Comes to Ceremony" of the White Tiger Guards. She had a clean, pretty oval face, wheat-colored skin, a crisp and capable bearing, like a well-trained policewoman.

Feng Laiyi paid Qicilang no heed, turning her gaze instead to Fu Qingyang’s peerlessly handsome profile.

“Chief, Yuanshi Tianzun has no Yin Corpse, and the arena matches impose certain restrictions on powerful artifacts. As the first member of the White Tiger Guard to take the field, a loss would hardly bode well for our campaign.”

“He will not lose.” Fu Qingyang’s voice was light. “Yuanshi is the type to grow stronger against strong opponents; the mightier the enemy, the greater the potential he unleashes. I rather hope the Maoshan Sorcerer can provide him with some pressure.”

The Chief’s estimation of Yuanshi Tianzun runs this high? Feng Laiyi arched a brow, said nothing more, and watched the fight with patient eyes.

Qicilang, meanwhile, muttered sourly, “Boss, you’re so optimistic about him... I’m not happy about this…”

...

On the stage, Zhang Yuanqing’s thoughts raced. Based on the intelligence extracted from Wang Tai, he swiftly formulated a battle plan.

I cannot deploy the Red Dancing Shoes and the Yin-Yang Taoist Robe too early. If I reveal all my trump cards against the Maoshan Sorcerer, the subsequent battles will surely be targeted; winning the championship would become nearly impossible...

The Subduing Demon Pestle’s exorcism function can counter Yin Corpses—no, *kill* them. But this artifact contains the Divine Power of the Sun; its tier is too high. Using it directly would certainly be ruled a violation...

After all, with so many Spirit Second-Generations in this arena, without such restrictions, the finals would ultimately just be a contest of whose parents are stronger...

Right now, everyone assumes I have no Spirit Servants and no Yin Corpses. This is an exploitable opportunity. Feign weakness, lull the Maoshan Sorcerer into complacency, then rely on a few expendable artifacts to force out his techniques bit by bit. Once the Maoshan Sorcerer has exhausted his repertoire, I will unleash “Dead Man Number One” and Little Doubi, catching him utterly off guard.

But the crux is this: I must withstand his all-out output relying solely on my limited artifacts. If I fail to hold the line and get “taken out,” that would be losing the chicken and the rice alike...

At that moment, the Armored Swordsman announced in a ringing voice:

“Ten minutes are up. The match begins!”

“Wait a second,” Zhang Yuanqing looked at the frail youth, his face a picture of sincerity. “Elder Sun is waving at you; looks like he has something to say.”

The Maoshan Sorcerer froze. Recalling how he had just brazenly mocked Elder Sun, a jolt of alarm shot through him. *That petty old man...*

He hurriedly whipped his head toward Elder Sun.

Elder Sun, seated in the VIP stands, erupted in fury: “Idiot!”

The word had barely fallen when the Maoshan Sorcerer heard the deafening crack of a gunshot.

*Ding! Ding!*

A towering figure flashed into existence before the Maoshan Sorcerer, arms crossed, perfectly intercepting the trajectory. The silver rings on its forearms erupted in exaggerated showers of sparks, the impact shuddering through the Yin Corpse’s entire frame.

The pistol’s Burst effect!

The Maoshan Sorcerer snapped his head back around, a layer of cold sweat slicking his spine, glaring at Yuanshi Tianzun with righteous fury:

“Despicable!

“Knowing you’re at a disadvantage, you simply throw away all shame and launch a sneak attack? For the sake of victory, you’d abandon your bottom line?”

If not for the Yin Corpse’s sentience prompting it to save its master, he would have just capsized in the gutter.

Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, with so many witnesses, how could Zhang Yuanqing allow him to sling mud unchallenged? He roared back:

“Warfare is the Way of Deception; trickery is part of tactics. You’re a veteran Spirit Realm Walker yourself—what are you doing playing the white lotus here? Your shame turning to anger is nothing more than the fact that *I* ambushed *you*, not the other way around.

“Oh, wait, you slinging this mud is a tactic too, isn’t it? Trying to pin a ‘shameless scoundrel’ persona on me.”

Even as he spoke, his hands didn’t idle, constantly shifting position, adjusting angles, squeezing the trigger, while simultaneously donning the Spectator’s Glasses to ensure every bullet found its mark.

Streaks of crimson trajectories poured down upon the Maoshan adept and the Yin Corpse.

The Maoshan adept rolled on the spot, vanishing without a trace.

Bang, bang, bang! Bullets struck the earth, blasting out a series of shallow pits.

Zhang Yuanqing’s gaze swept the arena, searching for the Maoshan adept’s tracks; he fired a shot each to the front, rear, left, and right, probing the opponent’s position.

But all missed.

The opponent did not seize the chance to creep in for a sneak attack.

At that moment, the Yin Corpse gripped its left wrist with its right hand, and its right wrist with its left, and with a violent wrench, the silver rings sheathing both arms flew off one by one, leaving a single ring on each forearm.

*Hum!*

Between the eighteen arm rings, a powerful magnetic resonance seemed to sound; they hovered in midair, trembling with a droning vibration.

The Yin Corpse’s fists shot out suddenly; driven by invisible magnetism, the eighteen silver rings smashed toward Zhang Yuanqing like a storm covering the sky, tearing through the air with a shrill, piercing howl.

Magnetism? Just what profession’s artifact is this… Zhang Yuanqing kicked off with his legs, lunging sideways, rolling continuously.

Behind him came a string of dull explosions, accompanied by spraying debris.

This lethality… far exceeds the Exploding Hand Cannon.

Zhang Yuanqing halted his roll, just springing up when a chill ran down his spine; a short blade, gleaming with cold light, thrust out from the void, steady and swift, stabbing straight at his back.

Zhang Yuanqing tossed the Exploding Hand Cannon into the air; his hands, one knew not when, had become a pair of fists, and he neither dodged nor evaded, simply knocking his fists together at his chest.

*Boom!*

An exaggerated explosion roared; a savage shockwave rolled with flames, sweeping out in all directions.

At the position behind Zhang Yuanqing, a pale white light curtain manifested reactively, like a sturdy bulwark, blocking the rampaging flames and shockwave.

As a paragon of the Transcendent stage of the Taiyi Sect, the Maoshan adept naturally lacked no artifacts; that Heart-Protecting Mirror could not only monitor movement within a hundred meters but also serve as defense.

The short blade met no obstruction, smoothly piercing the back of Yuanshi Tianzun.

In that instant, in the audience stands, many hearts leapt into throats.

The imagined scene of blood splattering did not occur; the short blade stabbed into Yuanshi Tianzun’s back as if shattering a reflection in water.

This was merely an illusory shadow conjured by illusion arts.

Zhang Yuanqing’s true body exited Night Roam, appearing behind the Maoshan adept, just in time to catch the falling Exploding Hand Cannon; he depressed the muzzle toward the back and squeezed the trigger.

Bang, bang, bang… The muzzle spat fierce flames; he recklessly emptied the magazine.

Crimson trajectories tore through the Maoshan adept’s body—this, too, was an illusory shadow conjured by illusion arts.

Impulsive. I shouldn’t have emptied the magazine so fast, but I couldn’t help it; two Fire Master artifacts made my IQ drop… Seeing the sneak attack fail, Zhang Yuanqing swiftly retreated, entering Night Roam.

At the same time, the Maoshan adept also vanished without a trace.

Only the Yin Corpse remained on the field, standing there in a daze.

The brief clash came to a pause, and the audience stands erupted in loud cheers.

“Marvelous!”

“The Maoshan Sorcerer and the Yin Corpse coordinate well; their offensive rhythm is seamless. Just now, I almost thought Yuanshi Tianzun was done for.”

“Did you see that? Yuanshi Tianzun tossing his handgun—that motion, was it a setup for the subsequent sneak attack, or purely unintentional? If the former, how did he anticipate the flame explosion would be ineffective against the Maoshan Sorcerer?”

“A star player’s combat is just different. Crises at every turn, feels like it’s all in the details. Damn thrilling.”

Among the spectators, Walkers of the Transcendent stage were the most numerous. To Saints and Elders, the duel between these two amounted to little, but for these Transcendent Walkers, it was a high-level match.

After a long “Silence,” Zhang Yuanqing, whose experience points were not high, was the first to exit Night Roam.

Almost simultaneously, the Yin Corpse swept its arms; the arm rings in the pit buzzed as they flew up, crashing toward him. Mid-flight, they linked into a long whip, lashing out horizontally at his waist.

A howling wind rushed his face. Zhang Yuanqing dug his soles into the ground, his upper body snapping back violently, displaying remarkable flexibility—an Iron Bridge to dodge the whip’s sweep.

At this moment, the scene from before repeated itself. A sharp dagger materialized out of thin air at Zhang Yuanqing’s lower abdomen, stabbing down viciously.

He was still locked in the “Iron Bridge” posture, with nowhere to dodge.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes. The Bursting Handgun in his hand vanished, replaced by a Willow Blade gleaming with cold light.

Immediately after, he actively arched his body, meeting the dagger, while simultaneously thrusting out the Bloodthirsty Blade.

“Pfft!”

The dagger pierced his abdomen, burying itself to the hilt.

And the Bloodthirsty Blade, infused with his full power, was blocked by a faint white light screen. Instantly, the screen went “pop,” shattering into scattered motes of light that dissipated.

The Maoshan Sorcerer landed a hit, withdrew his blade, and retreated, avoiding the enemy’s counterattack while wounded.

Good, armor broken. Step one complete. Hiss, hurts like hell. Good thing that knife wasn’t the Guhuo Yaoguai’s artifact… Zhang Yuanqing clutched his blood-soaked lower abdomen, staggering back.

This wasn’t recklessness. He had obtained the data on the top ten rankers from Wang Tai beforehand; the Maoshan Sorcerer possessed no weapon similar to the Bloodthirsty Blade.

That was why he dared to boldly trade injury for a shield break. The Bloodthirsty Blade didn’t disappoint; against barriers formed of energy, its armor-piercing effect hit the mark every time.

An uproar rose from the stands.

In this second clash, it was obvious Yuanshi Tianzun had suffered a loss, and a heavy one at that. Thankfully, he was a Night Roamer with formidable self-healing. If it were a Fire Master, a Scout, or a Water Ghost, that one stab would have basically decided the victor.

The ranking indeed holds weight. The Maoshan Sorcerer is somewhat stronger than Yuanshi Tianzun.

“Woo woo…”

A shrill, mournful whistle rang out. The Yin Corpse swung its “long whip,” lashing out head-on.

Bang bang bang… Zhang Yuanqing either rolled, leaped, or dodged, narrowly avoiding the attacks by a hair’s breadth. Several times he was nearly struck, making the spectators in the stands hold their breath in suspense.

Zhang Yuanqing wasn’t acting; he was truly in a sorry state.

He had to dodge the Yin Corpse’s attacks on one hand, and guard against the Maoshan Sorcerer’s sneak attacks on the other, like walking a tightrope. One hit, and half his life would be gone.

The Maoshan Sorcerer’s playstyle is very similar to when I dealt with Ou Xiangrong—acting as a useless master launching sneak attacks, letting the Yin Corpse engage head-on… I’m already injured. Dragging this out, I’ll eventually be struck by the Yin Corpse, or my state will decline until the Maoshan Sorcerer’s sneak attack succeeds… So the correct response is to attack the Yin Corpse. And the Maoshan Sorcerer surely anticipates this, which is why he hasn’t shown himself. He’s most likely waiting for me at the Yin Corpse’s location…

Zhang Yuanqing threw himself to the side, dodging the long whip crashing down overhead, and activated Night Roam to enter stealth.

Gripping the Bloodthirsty Blade, he sprinted toward the Yin Corpse, swift and silent.

Circling from the flank to the dead front, he reversed his grip on the Bloodthirsty Blade and poured every ounce of strength into a slash at the Yin Corpse’s neck. During the first probing volley of gunfire, he had already confirmed this Yin Corpse was not the defensive type.

And the arm rings equipped on its body signaled it was not a melee type either.

With the Bloodthirsty Blade’s keen edge, this single strike was enough to sever a head.

"Puh!"

The Bloodthirsty Blade swept across the Yin Corpse’s neck, emitting a dull thud, the sound of cleaving through water.

Only to see the Yin Corpse’s head dissolve into a sphere of crystalline, transparent water—a sphere immune to all physical attacks.

A Water Ghost?!

This was the corpse of a Water Ghost.

Zhang Yuanqing’s pupils contracted sharply; instinctively, his hands clenched into fists, intending to trigger the Thug Gauntlets’ skill to evaporate the Yin Corpse’s head.

This was the optimal method for dealing with a Water Ghost.

Wuu wuu wuu...

Suddenly, a gloomy wind whipped across the arena, carrying shrill, mournful wails.

A mourning staff wrapped in white paper thrust out from the diagonal rear, lashing viciously against Zhang Yuanqing’s back.

*Pa!*

His body instantly stiffened, his face draining of all color. He felt his spiritual body being torn asunder, fresh blood seeping from his eye sockets, nostrils, and ears.

Pain such as he had never endured in his life.

Simultaneously, it was the first time in his life he had suffered a severe blow on the spiritual level.

This mourning staff struck the flesh, yet wounded the soul.

On the other side, the ambushed Yin Corpse swiftly retreated to the arena’s edge. Its hands shook violently; the long whip disintegrated into individual silver rings, enveloping Zhang Yuanqing, floating at his left and right rear.

*Buzz buzz...*

These silver rings resonated with one another, sensing each other, forming an invisible magnetic cage that locked Zhang Yuanqing down tight, utterly eliminating his ability to unleash Night Roaming.

"You've lost!"

A pale, frail youth’s figure manifested, decisively lashing out with a second strike.

In the stands, a clamor erupted instantly.

Curses flew thick and fast, mostly from the Five Elements Alliance’s Extraordinaries, their emotions running as high as fans who had just lost a championship match.

Guan Ya, Xie Lingxi, Bill, Annie, the Taichi Sect crowd, numerous star contestants, and even the Primordial Heavenly Venerate’s friends and enemies—in this moment, they all wore vastly different expressions.

Disappointment, anxiety, cold sneers, secret glee...

As he drew back the mourning staff, the Maoshan Sorcerer saw the Primordial Heavenly Venerate trapped in the cage, and a strange smile curved his lips:

"Step two complete."

The next second, the arm rings clattered to the ground one by one, stripped of their power.

Zhang Yuanqing, having broken free, entered Night Roam at the critical juncture, evading the Mourning Staff's lash.

What was happening? The Maoshan adept's heart sank. He too entered Night Roam, dodging a potential ambush, while whipping his head toward the Yin Corpse.

There, perched atop the Yin Corpse's skull, was a round, adorable infant spirit, its fetal hair sparse.

The Yin Corpse seemed to have received some manner of command, freezing in place, utterly motionless.

On the Taiyi Sect's platform, Miao Miaomiao shot to her feet, staring fixedly at the round, adorable infant spirit in the arena, her breathing suddenly turning ragged.

He has a spirit servant? The Maoshan adept felt both shock and fury.

Maoshan had spirit servants too, but against a Night Roam God, summoning one was merely delivering a meal.

The Night Roam God's Devour Spirit countered all spiritual bodies.

For this reason, the Spirit Roam skill was tacitly unused by both sides.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing appeared beside the Yin Corpse, fitting a black mask printed with a white skull onto its face.

The ferocious light in the Yin Corpse's eyes extinguished; like a machine unplugged, it ceased functioning and crashed to the ground.

The Maoshan adept's face changed drastically. He hurriedly steadied his emotions, ceaselessly communing with the brand in his consciousness sea, but no matter how he tried to activate it, the Yin Corpse showed no response.

It's been sealed?!

He had to remove that mask... The Maoshan adept steadied his mind. While Night Roam still lasted, he silently sprinted toward the Yin Corpse.

Zhang Yuanqing unhurriedly clenched his fist, striking it hard against his chest.

"Boom!"

A violent shockwave, wreathed in flame, rampaged across the field.

At this moment, the Armor Break setup bore fruit. The Maoshan adept, lacking the Heart-Protecting Mirror's defense, was blasted out by the explosion's shockwave, his face charred black, staggering backward.

Third step... Zhang Yuanqing counted silently.

"Watch your back!"

A loud shout rang out from the Taiyi Sect's platform.

The Maoshan adept started violently, whirling around. A lithe black shadow assaulted him in utter silence.

*Crack!*

The attacker's elbow snapped, his right arm thrusting out like a spear.

An accomplice? Does the Five Elements Alliance have no rules? No, it's a Yin Corpse... The Maoshan adept had no time for surprise. He fell sideways, narrowly dodging the straight punch.

*Tap tap tap...* The Maoshan adept's center of gravity flowed like mercury, his steps constantly adjusting, displaying a balance no Night Roam God should possess—he actually didn't fall.

The rattan shin guards bound to his calves were a Wood Demon profession artifact, granting the wearer supernatural balance, adept at climbing, evasion, and tightrope walking.

In combat, such formidable balance was crucial.

*Slap slap slap...* Deadman No.1's gaze was fierce. Closing in, he unleashed a ferocious combo, fists and feet combined, driving the Maoshan adept into continuous retreat, leaving him hard-pressed to parry.

Fire Master? Bewitching Demon?

A chill pierced the Maoshan Sorcerer’s heart; his mindset was crumbling. From advantage to disadvantage, the reversal had come too suddenly, too violently to accept in a single breath.

But what truly broke his spirit was the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s maneuvering.

He clearly possessed a Spirit Servant and a Yin Corpse, yet he endured, refusing to deploy them, feigning weakness to lull him into complacency. First, he shattered his armor; then, he secretly manipulated the Spirit Servant into a sneak attack, sealing the Yin Corpse... the calculation was laid bare, cold and precise.

The Maoshan Sorcerer felt the yawning chasm between them.

Calm down, calm down... steady your mind, break the seal on the Yin Corpse—only then does a chance for a turnaround exist... Leveraging his formidable sense of balance, he fell backward, simultaneously channeling the power of the Great Yin to cast Night Roam.

"Ah—"

Suddenly, a veil of black qi enveloped the Maoshan Sorcerer’s face; he clutched his head and screamed in agony.

His reason rapidly corroded; dejection and rage, raw instinct, seized the reins of his action. Heedless of all consequence, he lunged at the Yin Corpse, intent on tearing apart this roadblock barring his path to victory.

Step four, complete... Zhang Yuanqing held a straw effigy in his hand, his gaze placid as he watched the Maoshan Sorcerer, now bereft of reason.

The straw effigy was the critical winning move, its purpose: to make the Maoshan Sorcerer "abandon" Night Roam.

A Night Roaming God hell-bent on a war of attrition, dragging out the clock—no one could do a thing against that.

Only by driving the Maoshan Sorcerer into madness could the Deceased No. 1 swiftly cement the victory.

*Crack. Crack. Crack!*

Fist after fist, each heavier than the last, slammed into the Maoshan Sorcerer. The Deceased No. 1 pummeled and kicked, swift and ferocious. How could a Level 3 Night Roaming God possibly triumph over a Bewitching Fiend in pure melee?

The Maoshan Sorcerer staggered back, teeth scattering, nasal bridge shattering, sternum caving in...

Yet, stripped of reason, he only gritted his teeth and charged, forgetting the very concept of surrender.

At the sight, the Armored Sword-Knight rose, his voice ringing out:

"The battle is over. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable wins!"

Zhang Yuanqing snapped his fingers. The Deceased No. 1 kicked the Maoshan Sorcerer sprawling, planting a foot squarely on his chest, standing tall and proud in the arena.

Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze toward the Taiyi Sect’s direction, his voice carrying high:

"Just now, who called out? Can the Taiyi Sect not afford to lose?"