Chapter 243: Slaughter Dungeon Opens

Chapter 243: The Slaughter Dungeon Opens

Clearing two S-rank Spirit Realms, slaying Li Xianzong within the instance, claiming the Arena Championship... this string of achievements filled the Transcendent Walkers present with despair.

The Thousand-Faced Elder seemed not to see the expressions of the crowd, looking toward the handsome youth by the window, and smiled:

"Ah Yi, do you have confidence in defeating him."

The youth, whose brows held a disdain for all things, spoke indifferently:

"I will try to kill him."

The Thousand-Faced Elder turned to look at "The Loyal Minister Chooses His Lord to Slay," and said:

"Little fatty, what about you?"

The Loyal Minister Chooses His Lord to Slay scratched his head:

"I feel like I can't beat him."

The Snake Woman at the main table flicked her tongue, tutting:

"Look at this bunch of useless things, not even inside the dungeon yet and already cowed by three parts.

"What a pity the Ghost-Eye Judge died so early. If the Fallen Holy Grail were still here, we could have taken the Primordial Heavenly Venerable as a slave, controlling this super genius."

"Madman Zhang San" of the same West District Branch sneered:

"Facts prove the Ghost-Eye Judge simply couldn't control a top-tier genius. Given the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's potential, he is most likely the second Demon Lord."

The Snake Woman raised her delicate eyebrows, giggling:

"Just don't know if this Primordial Heavenly Venerable is as functionally powerful as the Demon Lord. Ah, I suddenly miss the Demon Lord a bit."

At this moment, "My Fate Is Up To Me, Not Heaven" suddenly spoke:

"Elder, you only spoke of his strengths, yet not his weaknesses."

The Thousand-Faced Elder said:

"From the process of Li Xianzong hunting him, it can be seen that the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's melee combat ability is extremely poor. Though he has improved since, he is far from top-tier. He possesses a Yin Corpse of extremely high combat power, but lacks a Spirit Servant matching his level."

My Fate Is Up To Me, Not Heaven pondered for a moment, then asked:

"What about his personality? Any fatal flaws? Like greed, lust..."

The Thousand-Faced Elder shook his head.

The Lust God General suddenly spoke:

"The Demon Eye investigated the Primordial Heavenly Venerable in Songhai, and his evaluation was: a fellow traveler!

"This person seems to possess an obsessive moral purity, unable to tolerate dirty, underhanded dealings. That is what is commonly called a 'Holy Mother.' You can try approaching from this angle."

Huh? The Primordial Heavenly Venerable is a Holy Mother? He might be a good person, but how does he deserve those two words... Kou Beiyue, listening seriously and gathering intelligence, felt they were wronging the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

Obsessive moral purity... then we can approach through wine, lust, wealth, and anger, make him fall, destroy his will. From the perspective of illusion arts, there are too many possible operations... "My Fate Is Up To Me, Not Heaven" smiled:

"Many thanks, God General."

"Let me share my take!" a young man in baggy boxers squatted on a chair, a pair of flip-flops resting beside it.

He scanned the crowd, his tone measured and unhurried:

"The ceiling for Slaughter Dungeons is Level 4. So no matter how strong Yuan Shi Tianzun is, his ceiling is visible. Ah Yi, Fatty, Ming—they all have experience hunting Level 4s; they're really not that far behind Yuan Shi Tianzun.

"Which means the key to victory comes down to numbers and dungeons.

"The Order classes definitely outnumber us, and Yuan Shi Tianzun's talent for clearing dungeons surely surpasses ours. The strategy writes itself.

"First, plug the numbers gap. Night Rose surely has no shortage of Transcendent peak Walkers; we need allies from the Order faction. But on the dungeon front, there's no particularly effective counter. Yuan Shi Tianzun will inevitably gain a massive advantage inside dungeons. So, we need artifacts.

"Elder Thousand-Faces, may I request a set?"

Kou Beiyue knew this man. Ren Xue Mantou had just introduced him—he was "Boundless Taboo," ranked fifth on the official Most Wanted list, a Fiend of Bewitchment.

Elder Thousand-Faces laughed, his voice approving:

"Sound analysis. No set available, but I've prepared a secret artifact for you."

...

"Husband, is this a water storage vat?"

The Ghost Bride—or rather, Bai Lan—stood in the bathroom, one arm cradling her snow-white breasts, the other pointing curiously at the flush toilet.

Right now, she wore not a stitch. Wasp waist, long legs, pert bottom, ample bosom—all displayed in full, unabashed glory.

Why hasn't the Bunny Girl brought the clothes yet... Zhang Yuanqing urged silently while saying:

"This is, uh, the place for relieving oneself."

The words barely left his mouth before he saw shock bloom in Bai Lan's eyes.

Granted the freedom to move, she began noticing the furniture and appliances around her, developing an intense fascination with everything.

All the way here she asked endless questions, chattering nonstop.

Zhang Yuanqing realized it now—Fu Qingyang had been playing him. With a Scout's insight, how could he possibly have failed to see that Zhang Yuanqing had been forced against his will?

To think more conspiratorially, Fu Qingyang had deliberately assigned him a female Yin Corpse solely to drive a wedge between his cousin and her future husband.

So upon seeing Bai Lan nestled in his arms, he seized the pretext to demand he stay away from Guan Ya.

Vicious intent!

A knock sounded. The Bunny Girl entered, holding a set of women's clothing.

Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly ordered the Bunny Girl to help her change, then shut the door and withdrew outside.

Half a minute later, the Bunny Girl opened the door, looking helpless:

"Mr. Yuan Shi, she refuses to wear them."

Zhang Yuanqing froze. "What happened?"

The Bunny Girl hesitated, then smiled wryly. "You'd best go ask her yourself."

Zhang Yuanqing returned to the room to find Bai Lan sitting naked on the edge of the bed, legs pressed together, the clothes scattered beside her.

"Why aren't you wearing it?"

She pointed at the bra, knitting her brows:

"Why isn't it a dudou? Such vulgar undergarments—I shall not wear them."

Please, just put it on. If you don't, I'll be possessed by the Demon Lord... Zhang Yuanqing summoned the authority of a husband: "You must learn to adapt to the new era. Put it on. Now."

Bailan obeyed with a face full of grievance.

Just then, a ding-dong sounded from Zhang Yuanqing's pocket—a message had arrived. He fished out his phone, glanced at the screen, and found it was from Xiao Yuan.

Seizing the moment while the bunny girl helped Bailan with her undergarments, he left the room to read the message.

The content was long, thousands of words flowing across the screen, recording the proceedings of the Evil Professions Summit.

"Yin Yue Shenjiang is participating in this year's Slaughter Dungeon?"

Zhang Yuanqing was startled. He was not the same man he had been two months ago; the key figures of every major evil organization were now etched into his memory.

Naturally, he knew what made Yin Yue Shenjiang special.

But what was even more shocking was that Night Rose had also joined the fray.

"I have to pass this intel to the Centurion, even though he doesn't respect me as a cousin-in-law in the slightest..."

"What? When did I become a saint? These evil professionals are spitting blood. I have no moral obsession—my moral baseline is just a notch higher than the Demon Lord's..."

"Night Rose really does want me dead. Wild rogue cultivators can't be trusted. Not just rogues—official colleagues can't be fully trusted either. The Tiger Tally only verified the Songhai Branch personnel."

Besides that, the message mentioned the evil organizations had prepared a secret artifact to kill him, but Kou Beiyue didn't know what it was—only that it had been assigned to "Wu Wu Jin Ji."

Xiao Yuan's analysis: a Rule-type artifact.

The deduction wasn't difficult. The dungeon restricted artifacts above Grade 4, and it wasn't a set piece. So, to deal sufficient damage to Yuan Shi Tianzun—let alone kill him—it had to be a Rule-type artifact.

"Kou Beiyue is joining the Slaughter Dungeon too? Is he tired of living? And what's with Xiao Yuan, actually agreeing to it..."

He pocketed his phone, walked down the corridor, ascended the double-flight staircase, and arrived before the second-floor study.

*Knock knock!*

After rapping on the study door, Zhang Yuanqing pushed open the brown wooden door.

Fu Qingyang sat behind the desk browsing his computer, not even sparing him a glance, his tone flat:

"No need to argue!"

You boring son of a bitch... Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly, traversing the long crimson carpet to stop beside the desk: "Centurion, I have vital intelligence."

Only then did Fu Qingyang shift his gaze from the screen to look at him.

Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a low voice:

"My informant infiltrated the evil organizations' summit and discovered Night Rose is involved. They mean ill for both of us—they've arranged four Saints to deal with you."

"Four Saints aren't enough. Just us? Hmph, makes sense—everyone else is trash." Fu Qingyang's expression remained calm, as if he weren't surprised in the slightest:

"I see. Is there anything else?"

"The Silver Moon Divine General will also participate in this Slaughter Dungeon."

Fu Qingyang's expression finally shifted, growing progressively grave as he nodded slowly.

"I understand. I will make the appropriate deployments. I did not expect Silver Moon to enter the Slaughter Dungeon. Then again, the Demon Eye is locked in the zoo with no hope of escape; it is time for someone to fill the vacancy."

Zhang Yuanqing asked, "What do you mean by that?"

That the Silver Moon Divine General was participating in the Slaughter Dungeon seemed to catch Fu Qingyang entirely by surprise.

Young Master Qian explained:

"Asura once established a rule: the Soldiers' Sanctuary can only ever have four Heavenly Kings. For a new one to be born, an old one must die. Or, of course, the old may slay the new."

No wonder the Silver Moon Divine General has never ascended to the rank of Sovereign... Zhang Yuanqing nodded in realization, only to hear Fu Qingyang continue:

"Yuanshi, every time a Slaughter Dungeon opens, it is a grand event for the Spirit Realm. Especially this time, for on this grand stage, there is you and there is me.

"The five Coalition Chiefs are watching us, headquarters and every major branch are watching us, the prominent Spirit Realm clans are watching us, the evil organizations, the rogue cultivators, and even foreign factions—they are all watching us.

"The leaderboard—I will take first place. I will stand at the very pinnacle, ascending to Sovereign in the most dazzling manner possible. I hope the same for you. I hope that we shall meet at the summit."

Zhang Yuanqing felt his blood boil with fervor:

"Yes, Centurion. Aside from us, everyone else is absolute trash.

"But Centurion... they have prepared a secret prop to kill me, and besides, I don't quite trust the colleagues entering the dungeon with us. As you know, the Night Rose has planted many pawns within the official ranks."

Fu Qingyang fell into a brief contemplation before speaking:

"That the Night Rose's pawns within the official ranks could pass the massive physical and background checks proves they possess special means to evade lie detection; ordinary props cannot discern them. The Tiger Tally cannot be given to you...

"However, a fox will always expose its tail. Once you enter the dungeon, find Guan Ya immediately and keep her by your side. She can help you."

Zhang Yuanqing sighed:

"That wouldn't be right, would it? After all, I am supposed to be keeping my distance from her."

...Fu Qingyang's expression froze for a moment. He shot him a look and barked:

"Get out!"

...

Late at night.

Upon the silent, deserted streets, the oppressive heat left by the daytime sun slowly dissipated into the stillness of the midnight hours, cooled by a gentle night breeze.

Zhang Yuanqing arrived as scheduled at the cafe opposite the Kangyang District Security Bureau.

Inside the cafe, beneath the brilliant lights, the Palace Master of Shisha sat by the window in a magnificent long gown, resting her chin on her hand, daydreaming beautifully.

"Palace Master, I would like to purchase a vial of Life Primordial Fluid," Zhang Yuanqing said, cutting straight to the chase.

The Palace Master of Shisha glanced at him, withdrew her gaze, and replied in a cold, indifferent tone:

"The production of Life Primordial Fluid is limited. There are no extras to spare for you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing felt a pang of disappointment.

The Palace Master of the Killing Cessation Palace shifted the conversation: "However, the Xie family possesses one. Lingxi petitioned for a vial on your behalf."

Ah, truly my good little sister! Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed, then immediately asked, "How did you know I sought you out to purchase the Essence of Life?"

The Palace Master's lips curled into a mocking arc: "You sought me out; is it not merely for this trifling matter?"

Don't make me sound like a scoundrel... Zhang Yuanqing spoke with righteous severity: "Naturally, I wished to grow closer to the Palace Master. Alas, the Palace Master is beautiful as a celestial fairy, like a snow lotus atop a mountain peak, unstained by dust. I dared only admire from afar, never to profane."

The Palace Master sneered coldly: "Oh? You still wish to profane me?"

Zhang Yuanqing froze, about to explain, when he suddenly felt a tightness around his ankle. In the next instant, the world spun, and the scenery before him inverted entirely.

He had been hoisted upside down by a crimson thread.

"Palace Master?"

The Palace Master unhurriedly produced a vial of pale gold liquid, placed it upon the table, and said blandly: "In two hours, the crimson thread will sever itself. You best reflect well."

She rose gracefully, trailing a floor's worth of gorgeous crimson, and vanished through the cafe doorway.

"Palace Master, Palace Master, put me down!"

Zhang Yuanqing shouted for a long while, but the woman had left without a trace, showing no sign of returning.

Reflect on what? On profaning you?

Zhang Yuanqing felt both bewildered and angry, unable to fathom what this madwoman was playing at.

He had an inexplicable feeling, as if he were being convicted of a crime simply for stepping out the door with his left foot first.

...

Dawn broke dimly.

Zhang Yuanqing returned to the Fu Family Bay with a gloomy face. He twisted the guest room doorknob to find the room brightly lit. Upon the soft, large bed lay a beauty of peerless looks.

At this moment, the Blood Rose was a proper Yin Corpse; the White Orchid (Ghost Bride) had been recalled into his body.

Zhang Yuanqing feared she would pester him to consummate the marriage. After nightfall, on the pretext of going out on business, he had extracted her from the Blood Rose's body.

It was now five in the morning. According to past experience, the Killing Dungeon would open at seven.

Meaning, there were only two hours until entry.

After dinner, Fu Qingyang had handed over that official-issued equipment set to him.

The set was called "Ironwood Battle Armor," an artifact for the Wood Demon class, consisting of a vine cuirass, a pair of vambraces, and a pair of greaves.

The set possessed three skills: "Spring Returns to the Earth," which enhanced recovery; "Ironwood Wall," which enhanced defense; and a single-use "Cheat Death" resurrection ability.

The artifact's cost was a heightened reproductive urge; for every hour the set was worn, the reproductive urge would increase by five minutes upon removal.

The officials' purpose in granting this equipment was abundantly clear: to shore up his two glaring weaknesses—melee combat and defense.

Resurrection, on the other hand, was a lifeline.

But Zhang Yuanqing felt this set ought to go to Guan Ya—of course, this had nothing to do with Ling Jun's rotten idea.

—After dinner, Ling Jun secretly messaged him, pointing the way:

"Give this set to Guan Ya, and she'll be deeply moved, feeling she holds a crucial place in your heart. And when she takes the gear off, she'll go into heat—just the chance for you to cook the raw rice into cooked rice. Kill two birds with one stone; if I were you, I'd do exactly that."

If I were Fu Qingyang, I'd twist your head and the Primordial Heavenly Venerate's clean off... Zhang Yuanqing replied with righteous severity: "I'm not that kind of person! By the way, where does Guan Ya live?"

Zhang Yuanqing simply thought that if this set went to Guan Ya, it might just forge a melee-invincible ally.

Time ticked away second by second; when the bedside alarm hit seven o'clock, Zhang Yuanqing heard the Spirit Realm's notification chime by his ear:

【Ding! Large-scale Slaughter Dungeon activated. Participate?】