Chapter 201: Surrounding Yuanshi Tianzun

Chapter 201: Surrounding Yuanshi Tianzun

A sea of black heads maintained a silent stillness, countless gazes fixed upon the figure in the projection, his back turned to the crowd as he relieved himself.

Face after face—some rigid, some dumbstruck, some astonished—all froze in a collective daze.

At first, when Yuanshi Tianzun pulled down the Yin Corpse’s pants, the scene had erupted into an uproar, boiling over like a pot.

Yet before the crowd could calm down, he actually proceeded to relieve himself in public.

How could he do such a thing?

You are Yuanshi Tianzun, the banner of the official Transcendent stage. With so many watching, how did you manage to do it with zero psychological burden?

Don't you want face? Doesn't the officials want face?

But when Yuanshi Tianzun reported himself, when the Heroic Spirits in the sky delivered their punishment, the crowd’s overwhelming sensation was—like a dagger shaving an arse, an eye-opener!

"Holy shit, you can play it like that?!"

Someone shouted, shattering the silence, and a tidal wave of clamor crashed over the stands.

"If I'm not mistaken, just now Yuanshi Tianzun probed out several rules. Reporting the Yin Corpse failed, reporting himself succeeded, entrapment-style reporting works. Too strong. This is the efficiency and mindset of a top-tier genius."

"Badass, fucking badass. Among the quarterfinalists, only Yuanshi Tianzun has probed the reporting rules. That's the gap. A player who cleared an S-rank instance is just different from the rest."

"Looking at it this way, the gap between Tianxia Guihuo and Yuanshi Tianzun is stark. He might be an expert among ordinary Spirit Walkers, but before true top-tier powerhouses, the difference is obvious."

"To probe rules with this method... the brain circuitry is so bizarre. I... I don't even know what to say. Yuanshi Tianzun lives up to the name."

Tianxia Guihuo had quite a reputation in instance strategy, and being a Pyromancer made him seem even more extraordinary.

Before this, everyone felt Yuanshi Tianzun was stronger than Tianxia Guihuo, but by how much, and in what aspects, there was no concrete concept.

The first round was a solo show for the suspects; Tianxia Guihuo had no chance to display talent. Not until the second round opened, everyone standing on the same starting line, same rules, same predicament.

Yuanshi Tianzun figured out several rules in mere minutes.

"Pah, if he has the guts, don't hide. Piss out in the open. If I blink, I lose."

"What a pity. Elder, Elder, can you adjust the angle? We want 360 degrees."

"Yeah, yeah. We are very interested in Yuanshi Tianzun's dimensions."

Proper girls wore faces of embarrassment and shyness; the veteran drivers flushed red with excitement, clamoring to watch.

This is Yuanshi Tianzun, after all.

"Mom, Mom, if you keep covering my eyes, I'm gonna flip..."

Xie Lingxi raged, struggling fiercely in her mother's arms.

Mother Xie maintained the posture of cradling her daughter to kill the view, yet stretched her own neck to stare intently at the projection, a face full of regret:

"Can't see a thing. So boring... Baby, you're not an adult yet. Mom is protecting you."

Xie Lingxi felt both regret and relief. Regret for losing the chance to glimpse Big Brother Yuanshi's size; relief that a bewitching slut like her mom, and the many more bewitching sluts, failed to take advantage of Big Brother Yuanshi.

On the other side, the Queen leaned close to Guan Ya's ear and whispered:

"I suddenly remembered what I saw in Yin-Yang Town last time; the impression was truly profound."

Guan Ya let out a "heh": "Yes, yes, among those few caterpillars, he's the one with the most heft."

The Queen sighed with regret: "What a pity he's hidden himself so well this time; we can't see it."

Guan Ya: "Once is enough. How many more times do you want to watch? Do you want to sleep with him?"

*Watched once already?* Listening to the two women's whispers, the corner of Fu Qingyang's mouth twitched violently.

At the same time, he began to seriously consider whether to expel Yuan Shi Tianzun from the White Tiger Guard.

The number of Spirit Realm Walkers present accounted for roughly eighty percent of the official membership; the heat and reach were undeniable. With Yuan Shi pulling a stunt like this, one could imagine that after today, Yuan Shi Tianzun's unsightly maneuvers would spread throughout the entire Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect.

The White Tiger Guard cannot harbor a man of infamous reputation!

In a certain section of the stands, Bill Tarantino turned his head to look at Annie. The woman's azure eyes were wide, her face full of regret.

Just now, when Yuan Shi Tianzun unzipped his fly, her eyeballs nearly popped out, staring fixedly at the projection.

Equally disappointed was Zhu Rong. She didn't choose paramours based on looks alone; she required a multi-faceted assessment. With Yuan Shi Tianzun as her coveted prey, she naturally wanted to evaluate other aspects.

Zhu Rong's expression was caught by the young paramour. The youth with delicate features snorted inwardly: *Most likely just a little earthworm.*

On the Elders' seats, the crowd of elders fell silent.

After a long while, an elder of the White Tiger Soldiers, clad in armor, forced out praise:

"No concern for image, thinking outside the box; to probe the rules, he can make tremendous sacrifices. Yuan Shi Tianzun's approach is worthy of commendation."

"This child really is..."

"Words are one thing, but this is an arena match; one must mind the influence."

"He still has some sense of propriety, knowing to dodge aside. Then again, the projection was designed by the Alliance Lords; we have no control. If Yuan Shi Tianzun pulls the same trick again..."

"This... among the outstanding youths of the officialdom, like Fu Qingyang, Jiang Ju, the Fengdu Ghost King, and so on, all care deeply about their image. Yuan Shi Tianzun is a bit different."

"What does that count for? You haven't seen him kowtow the second he meets someone." The one who spoke was a Teddy.

Elder Sun interrupted them irritably: "Winning is all that matters; why fuss over so much? The brat Yuan Shi has a few tricks up his sleeve."

"So you admit you were muddle-headed?" An elder of the Water God Palace sneered.

"You..." Elder Sun was rendered speechless, suddenly feeling a pang of sorrow.

*Has it already spread to the elder level?*

...

Ancient City Ruins.

These rules are simple, not hard to understand. Once used, other contestants can see through them, so they must be used at the critical moment... Zhang Yuanqing mused over the pros and cons of the rules.

If I flash myself in public, though I can report the opponent, the opponent can also report me.

It's a mutually assured destruction tactic. However, I have more points, so a strategy of mutual injury is viable.

Only, the match is a livestream with too many viewers. For someone with his social habits since childhood (accompanying his uncle in public awkward dances), he definitely wouldn't be too embarrassed, but he still had to consider the impact.

The Yin Corpse can handle this; I’ll only step in if absolutely necessary.

Besides, since public urination and defecation count as violations, spitting on the ground should fall within the scope of reporting as well.

"The core rule of the Great Reporting Era is: trumped-up charges and saintliness."

"No need to induce opponents; observation is enough. No human can be a saint who commits zero mistakes. Whoever curses, whoever makes the slightest misstep—report them frantically, and success is guaranteed."

Zhang Yuanqing finished his thoughts, leading the Yin Corpse to begin a purposeless hunt for opponents.

With his current strength, if he played all his trump cards, barring the top three, he could resolve any opponent within three minutes.

For the other contestants, the strategy for this battle was clear: one, find teammates to ally with; two, search for Battle Armor; three, find a way to lure others into mistakes, then report them.

But for Zhang Yuanqing, alliance could be skipped—at least it wasn't the primary need. Since the highest scorer was the public enemy, the most advantageous move for him was to eliminate enemies as fast as possible, reducing threats.

The firmament was gloomy, shrouded in leaden clouds.

The wind howling through the ruins carried a chill, stirring the emerald wild grass among the rubble.

This city had been abandoned for quite some years; the flagstones lining the main avenue were covered in a layer of black mud, only the slightly raised center of the road stubbornly revealing the cracks between the stones.

Zhang Yuanqing maintained a fifty-meter distance from the Yin Corpse, letting Undead No. 1 stride forward ostentatiously, while he himself utilized the broken walls and ruins to conceal his figure, following silently.

They walked for over ten minutes, hardly seeing a single intact house—only crumbling walls, cobwebs, and dust, a scene of desolate decay.

Houses of grey brick and timber structure withstand the erosion of time the worst.

"Calculating the time, half an hour is almost up."

Zhang Yuanqing simply had the Yin Corpse stop, hiding inside an abandoned mansion, waiting quietly.

Another five or six minutes passed. Suddenly, a brilliant light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds, churning the dark clouds.

"Not far, roughly two hundred meters from me..."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up; he immediately drove the Yin Corpse to charge toward the location of the treasure light, following at a distance himself.

Before long, through the Yin Corpse's vision, he saw a long-collapsed section of the inner city wall. Above the ruined gate tower, a heavy, dark breastplate floated in the air.

The soaring treasure light emanated precisely from the breastplate.

Zhang Yuanqing manipulated the Yin Corpse to rush into the ruins, seizing the breastplate.

"Whoosh!"

When the Yin Corpse was less than ten meters from the breastplate, a fireball compressed to its limit slammed in from a slope.

The sprinting Yin Corpse couldn't dodge; it crossed its arms. The fireball exploded against its chest, unleashing layer upon layer of flame waves, kicking up dust from the ground.

Amidst the scattering sparks, a tall, athletic figure with the air of a hired thug and sharp eyes manifested.

Fire Walker!

Mid-air, Tianxia Guihuo spread his palm; the surrounding flowing flames seemed alive, actively converging, quickly condensing into a sphere radiating intense heat.

Tianxia Guihuo descended with the momentum, pressing a palm onto the Yin Corpse's chest. Another "boom" rang out; the violent shockwave pushed both parties apart. Tianxia Guihuo used the explosive recoil to float toward the breastplate.

"Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots rang out in their wake, two streaks of dark crimson fire flashing and vanishing in an instant.

Tianxia Guihuo did not dodge. As a Level 3 Pyromancer, he possessed immense fire resistance; Yuanshi Tianzun’s pistol, with its burst effect, could inflict nothing more than superficial wounds at most.

What were minor injuries compared to securing the cuirass?

*Ding! Ding!*

Two sharp reports rang out, accompanied by blinding sparks, and that floating cuirass was knocked flying by the bullets.

Zhang Yuanqing’s target was not his opponent, but this very artifact.

Having knocked the armor airborne, he immediately entered Night Roam, charging toward the artifact while issuing an attack command to the Yin Corpse.

"Heh heh~"

From the damaged vocal cords of Corpse No. 1 came a bestial, low growl. It crouched low, and after a brief sprint, leapt three zhang high, hurtling itself at Tianxia Guihuo.

Shadows enveloped the space. Tianxia Guihuo’s muscles swelled abruptly, raging flames erupting across his body. He lowered his torso, planted his right hand on the ground, and drove his right leg in a vicious kick toward the heavens.

Corpse No. 1 took the kick head-on, neither defending nor knowing pain. Its hands clamped onto the incoming foot, its fist smashing down toward the knee.

As the two grappled in close-quarters combat, Zhang Yuanqing had already reached the cuirass. It had fallen amidst a pile of rubble, and just as he bent to retrieve it, a sudden, melodious singing voice drifted over:

"The handsome guy across the way, look over here, look over here, look over here~ The show here is spectacular~"

As if possessed by a ghost or guided by a god, Zhang Yuanqing felt an intense, sudden interest in the singing woman; the cuirass at his feet lost all its allure.

He followed his body’s instinct, twisting his head to look.

Ten-odd meters away, a hazy, graceful figure was swaying in a sultry dance, crooning a pleasant melody.

This was a female spirit, yet muddled with the auras of other classes, not pure enough.

On the other side, Tianxia Guihuo likewise failed to resist the temptation. He turned his head to look, and suffered a brutal pummeling from Corpse No. 1.

A Music Slave? An artifact of the Tone-Deaf? Zhang Yuanqing bit the tip of his tongue lightly, using the pain to stimulate his mind, forcibly breaking free of the Bard’s control.

When he lowered his head, he discovered the cuirass had vanished.

A hazy figure, holding the cuirass high, was drifting rapidly toward the half-ruined city wall in the distance.

From behind the wall emerged a youth of feminine beauty. His left wrist, adorned with bracelets of every color, gripped a pitch-black bamboo flute.

He took the cuirass offered by the Music Slave with his other hand, and shouted toward Tianxia Guihuo:

"Got it!"

Tianxia Guihuo let out a "Heh": "Good. Proceed as planned. Intercept Yuanshi Tianzun."

With that, he leapt backward, evading Corpse No. 1’s assault. He sank his breath to his dantian and roared:

"Yuanshi Tianzun is here!"

The voice echoed far across the ruins.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Yuanqing couldn't hold back, letting a coarse curse slip out.

At this very moment, the other contestants had surely been drawn by the treasure light; they were undoubtedly nearby. Intent on seizing the breastplate, they would be rushing over at full speed. But All-Under-Heaven-Returns-to-Fire’s shout would likely cause the others to change tactics and lie in ambush nearby.

In that case, his retreat route would very likely run into an ambush.

"Gotta move, now..."

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately recalled Corpse One, intending to take it and slip away under cover of Night Roam.

Seeing this, flames erupted around All-Under-Heaven-Returns-to-Fire, transforming him into a streak of flowing fire that shot toward the Yin Corpse, stalling with reckless abandon.

Meanwhile, the lithe and graceful female music slave twisted her body once more, breaking into a sultry dance while letting out a bewitching song:

"Hey handsome on the other side, look over here, look over here, look over here~"

Zhang Yuanqing’s brain buzzed; he was once again ensnared by the singing. But this time, prepared in advance, he bit the tip of his tongue hard. The pain allowed him to resist a portion of the allure.

Immediately after, Zhang Yuanqing raised his muzzle, aimed at the Tone-Deaf One, and squeezed the trigger.

The Tone-Deaf One retreated behind the city wall. *Bang, bang.* Bullets blasted deep pits into the masonry, sending stone shards flying.

A support-class hard crowd-control is such a pain. If only I could use the Demon-Subduing Pestle to purify... Zhang Yuanqing swiftly changed plans, ignoring the Tone-Deaf One, entering Night Roam, and charging straight for All-Under-Heaven-Returns-to-Fire.

He couldn't get bogged down in a brawl. First, coordinate with the Yin Corpse to drive back this intelligent Pyromancer, then take the Yin Corpse and leave.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing vanish, the Tone-Deaf One instinctively grew wary, while All-Under-Heaven-Returns-to-Fire roared:

"Play the flute! His target is me!"

The roar barely faded before he tanked a straight punch from Corpse One, using the force to retreat backward.

Upon hearing the command, the Tone-Deaf One decisively raised the flute to his lips.

*Wuu wuu~*

A mournful, deep flute melody drifted up, like steel needles piercing the soul, bringing a splitting headache as if his skull were cracking.

Hmph, what use is a mutually assured destruction playstyle? Forced out of Night Roam, Zhang Yuanqing clutched his head with one hand while issuing a retreat order to the Yin Corpse with the other.

Corpse One obediently ceased its pursuit of the Pyromancer, turned, and sprinted away.

Suddenly, a verdant, jade-green vine lashed out across Corpse One’s frantic path, coiling around its ankle like a tentacle.

Corpse One tore free through brute force.

But more and more vines sprouted from the ground, binding Corpse One’s ankles, legs, neck, and wrists. Dozens of vines pulled taut, wrestling with the Yin Corpse.

Amidst the wildly overgrown vines, Qing Songzi stood with hands clasped behind his back.

At the same time, several more figures arrived: Zhao Chenghuang and Yuan Ting with their Yin Corpses, and the Earth God dressed in a leather jacket and pants.

Aside from Sun Miaomiao, who was farthest away and hadn't arrived, the six contestants had successfully converged, surrounding Yuanshi Tianzun.