Chapter 244: Female Marshal

Chapter 244: The Female Marshal

Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately respond to the Spirit Realm, but instead walked to the side of the Yin Corpse "Blood Rose," placed a hand upon her shoulder, and only then whispered in a low voice:

"Participate!"

The instant those two words left his lips, he—who had sat at his desk for two hours in unbroken calm—actually heard his own heart pounding wildly, felt a sudden nervousness bloom in the depths of his chest.

It was rather like a parent sending their child into the Gaokao examination hall, that tension born of facing a life-altering crossroads, now permeating the very bottom of Zhang Yuanqing's heart.

Clear this Killing Instance, and he would ascend to Saint; Saints are the backbone of the Spirit Realm world, a sublimation of tier, a sublimation of status.

The Transcendent opens the door to a new world; the Saint is the crucial stair to the summit of that new world.

He would welcome a different life.

—High position, heavy authority!

Moreover, upon ascending to Saint, he could finally attempt to find Brother Bing, investigate his past with the Demon Lord.

This Transcendent-tier Killing Instance, I'll try to assault the records of the Demon Lord and the Female Marshal; Fu Qingyang, you absolutely must survive, don't get killed by the Silver Moon Divine General, let's meet at the peak... As Zhang Yuanqing prayed silently, the instance introduction rang beside his ear:

[Ding, Spirit Realm map initializing, entering Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. The Spirit Realm you are entering this time is "Lost City," Code: 0000]

[Difficulty Level: Unknown]

[Type: Multiplayer (Deathmatch)]

[Main Quest: Survive 72 hours.]

[Note: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in.]

[Code 0000 Spirit Realm Introduction: One day, the city was surrounded by a boundless forest, roads cut off, communication devices rendered useless. Survivors in the city began exploring the forest, seeking a way out. However, what awaited them was a terrifying crisis...]

The scene is a city encircled by forest; judging by the strange code and difficulty level? Large-scale Killing Instances differ from ordinary ones... Zhang Yuanqing was still savoring the instance information when the scenery before his eyes suddenly rippled like water waves, blurring everything.

...

When his vision recovered clarity, Zhang Yuanqing saw thick, sturdy trunks, a blue sky obscured by intricately interwoven branches.

He stood in a lush primeval forest, the ground beneath his feet covered in dead branches and rotting leaves; the humid, mild air carried the scent of decaying wood.

Judging by the air's humidity, temperature, and the forest's luxuriance, this feels like a tropical rainforest... Zhang Yuanqing instinctively analyzed the environment.

"Forest? According to the Spirit Realm introduction, I thought the landing point would be the city, the mission to explore the forest..."

"No one nearby. Looks like after entering the instance, everyone gets randomly teleported to different locations. In that case, gathering companions is itself an extraordinarily difficult matter. Next comes hunting each other in the jungle?"

He was just muttering when the mission prompt tone arrived:

[Ding! Participants in this Killing Instance: 183]

[Initial points per person: 3]

[Killing a hostile Spirit Realm Walker grants all their points; killing a same-faction Walker grants half their points.]

[Points reduced to zero: Erasure!]

[Leaderboard now open. Please check at your leisure.]

【Side Quest One: Please traverse the outer region of the Forbidden Forest and reach the central region within 5 hours; each layer is demarcated by signposts.】

【Side Quest Two: Please traverse the vast Forbidden Forest and find that Lost City.】

Drawing on experience, Zhang Yuanqing chewed over the mission prompts, distilling the information:

"A total of 183 Spirit Realm Walkers are participating in this instance; only thirty-eight are Officials, accounting for one-fifth. The roster is... complicated."

Complicated meant chaos.

Among the 183 Spirit Realm Walkers, the Lawful faction comprised Officials, Spirit Realm Aristocratic Families, and Civilian Organizations (Scattered Cultivators); the Evil faction comprised Three Major Organizations and Civilian Organizations (Scattered Cultivators).

Beyond the aforementioned factions, there existed another: Spirit Realm Walkers from the surrounding nations.

Although often overlooked by mainstream Spirit Realm powers due to their scarcity, such scarcity was relative to the entire Spirit Realm world.

Large-scale Slaughter Instances targeted Walkers from the entire major region; Zhang Yuanqing reckoned that with so many small nations combined, there had to be twenty or thirty foreign Walkers in the instance.

The Spirit Realm ought to possess a translation function; otherwise, with my meager grasp of foreign languages, I’d be reduced to spouting "Yamete," "Oppa," "Sarahaeyo"... or "Madam, you don't want to return to the Spirit Realm, do you...?"

Zhang Yuanqing proceeded to scrutinize the subsequent mission intel:

"Total headcount 183, average 3 points each, that's only 549 points total. Seems the primary source of points is the instance itself, meaning the instance carries heavier weight."

"Killing a Walker of the same alignment yields only half their points. The Lawful faction vastly outnumbers the Evil faction; Evil classes have an easier time acquiring points..."

"Points hitting zero means erasure. Based on current intel, failure to complete side quests likely incurs point deductions."

Then, with a thought, Zhang Yuanqing unfolded the Leaderboard.

Just like opening an attribute panel.

Top of the Leaderboard was Zhao Chenghuang, second was Ah Yi, third was Jianyu Cangya, his name suffixed with island nation script.

Clearly, this third-place holder was an islander.

Marveling at the Spirit Realm's high intelligence, Zhang Yuanqing scanned the panel, finally spotting his own Spirit Realm ID at rank 73.

"So it seems, when points are tied, Leaderboard ranking is determined by Experience value."

Zhang Yuanqing closed the Leaderboard, drew the Bloodthirsty Blade, and with the Yin Corpse in tow, set off into the depths of the primeval forest.

His immediate priority was to cross the outer region, reach the forest's heart, then try to locate his colleagues from the Five Elements Alliance—hoping not to run into any moles planted by the Night Rose.

The one he most wanted to find was Guan Ya. Though Old Lady Driver possessed a tycoon heiress's pay-to-win prowess (artifacts) and transcendent melee talent, her Experience was pitifully low, and as a Scout, she lacked offensive skills.

Zhang Yuanqing was deeply worried for her safety.

"Rustle..."

He trod on the soft earth, leaving shallow footprints one after another; Blood Rose walked ahead, swinging the Bloodthirsty Blade, hacking through blocking brambles and thorns, or vines dangling from trees, clearing a path for her master.

The primeval forest's vegetation was excessively lush; traversing these woods was an arduous task.

Fortunately, along the way he encountered no beast attacks, nor did he meet any Spirit Realm Walkers—proof enough of just how vast this primeval forest was.

A dozen minutes later, trekking through the dense mountain woods, he suddenly spotted a signpost standing ahead.

Reached the central region this fast? Zhang Yuanqing strode over in large steps, fixing his gaze on the signpost's content:

[Outer Fringes of the Forbidden Forest]

[Mountain Entry Guidelines: One: Do not bring fire sources, blades, or dangerous items up the mountain.]

[Two: Do not make loud noises in the mountains, lest you disturb others.]

[Three: Do not remain in one spot for more than thirty minutes.]

[Four: If you see another person in the forest, do not make eye contact with them.]

[Five: If you hear someone calling your name, do not answer under any circumstances.]

...

At immeasurable heights, within a hazy, nebulous world, specks of faintly glowing stars floated, forming a brilliant, vast galaxy.

Within these stars lay miniature worlds, one after another.

There were ruined mountain villages steeped in terror, abandoned campuses slumbering in darkness, volcanoes poised to erupt, battlefields where two armies faced off, boundless grasslands, lakes shimmering with light...

From ancient times to the present, from cities to mountains and rivers, every terrain found in reality could be found here.

And what reality lacked, this place possessed as well.

Seven meteors streaked in from afar, tearing through the profound "universe," halting outside two parallel stars.

The meteors retracted their light, revealing their true forms.

At the forefront stood a tall, slender woman, clad in black jodhpurs, women's high-top boots, and a white shirt.

The black-and-white palette was simple yet classic, accentuating her near-perfect figure.

Her features were veiled in mist and rosy clouds, hazy and indistinct; her hair cascaded like a waterfall, yet it was not the black silk of youth, but white hair.

Yet unlike the silvery white of the elderly, hers was a pure, unadulterated white.

She bore an unapproachable majesty, like a commander of three armies, or an empress surveying the world from on high.

Behind this white-haired, frost-like woman stood six figures of disparate attire: some in armor bearing green-edged blades, some swathed in black robes with hoods, some in white training garb with heads of red hair, and even a curly-haired Teddy poodle.

The armored general gazed at the two parallel stars, his voice deep:

"Our Saints have rotten luck, don't they? They've entered a War Instance!"

Within one star, a scene of two armies arrayed against each other was reflected: atop the towering city walls, banners snapped in the wind; armored defenders, wielding sharp weapons, either drew bows and nocked arrows or pushed down siege logs and oil vats, holding back the dense, teeming enemy forces below.

Further off, a great winding river stretched, hundreds of zhang wide; majestic warships rode the wind and cleaved the waves, sails billowing, cannons roaring.

Several warships, a hundred meters in length, lay half-submerged, the portions above water billowing thick, rolling smoke.

This was a war of epic proportions.

Atop the city walls stood a tall, straight figure, clad in armor, five flags—red, white, cyan, black, and yellow—thrust into his back, gripping a Han Dynasty Eight-Sided ancient sword.

His gaze swept past a companion radiating a sinister, ghostly aura, charging alone into the enemy ranks below; past a comrade who seemed the incarnation of a fire god, burning all foes under heaven; finally, it settled on the enemy rear.

There stood a six-meter-tall, eight-armed giant, muscles forged like steel, covered in twisted, bizarre runes; behind it roiled layers of dense, surging fog.

The red-haired youth's eyes gleamed, eager to try:

“War dungeons are rare; when I participated in slaughter dungeons back then, I never encountered this type. What a pity, what a pity!”

To fight in such a battlefield, to die on the field of battle—it is also a grand affair.

War dungeons are the most tragic of dungeons; from the outset, it is high-intensity slaughter, killing until corpses litter the wilds, killing until the dungeon ends.

Even peak Saints may perish from exhaustion.

Moreover, the difficulty and mental strain of war dungeons are universally acknowledged as the highest, involving troop deployment, resource allocation, command, and so on.

Nothing is harder than winning a war.

At this moment, the woman at the forefront tilted her head slightly, gazing toward the profound cosmos.

A few breaths later, over a dozen meteors streaked in rapidly, likewise halting before the two juxtaposed stars.

This group of uninvited guests was led by three figures: a youth in a black formal suit, handsome and elegant, with two silver studs in his earlobes; a mysterious figure wrapped in a tattered black robe, revealing neither hands nor feet, face hidden in the shadow of a hood, like the Grim Reaper of Western myth; and a “person” whose form and gender ceaselessly shifted.

The Fear Heavenly King of the War God Sect; several Society Presidents of the Psychic Association; the Southern Sect Master of the Nihility Cult.

The Fear Heavenly King fixed his gaze on the white-haired woman, performed a gentleman’s bow, and smiled:

“Marshal, many years no see. Are you still free now?”

“Fucking idiot!” The red-haired youth answered in the woman’s stead, simple and crude.

The white-haired woman lifted her eyes, glanced at the Fear Heavenly King, then continued staring at the fiercely raging battlefield.

“Heard you allied with the Night Rose this time, aiming to eliminate Fu Qingyuan and the Primordial Heavenly Venerate in the slaughter dungeon?” Her voice was cold and melodious.

The Fear Heavenly King smiled:

“Hope we succeed.”

The white-haired woman nodded:

“Silver Moon indeed has a chance to kill Fu Qingyuan.

“As for the little ones at the Transcendent stage, you have indeed nurtured quite a few talents.”

A burly, muscular man behind the Fear Heavenly King snorted:

“So, killing a Primordial Heavenly Venerate is more than enough.”

This man had eyes like copper bells, thick brows and a square face; he looked irritable, as if he might strike at any moment.

The Fear Heavenly King turned back, smiling:

“Wrath, though everyone has freedom of speech, you are a Divine General—don’t speak to the Marshal like that.”

The Wrath Divine General’s face twitched, he forcibly suppressed his anger, and lowered his head.

The Psychic Association’s President, the Nihility Cult’s Sect Master, and the Lords behind them ignored the Five Elements Alliance’s elders, turning immediately to observe the battle.

Two irreconcilable camps, rarely coexisting in peace, minding their own business.

This place lies between the Spirit Realm and reality, belonging to a null zone; only peak Lords or Alliance Master-level figures can bring people in, and those who enter are not true bodies, but projections condensed from Yuan Shen power.

Thoughts are ethereal and intangible, mere projections themselves—strife naturally loses all meaning.

The High Ones of the Spirit Realm were capable of voluntarily roaming the Spirit World, yet this world was not a matter of entering a dungeon instance; it referred to soaring through this very Void.

Aside from the methods of certain special professions, even Alliance Master-level figures could not bypass the Spirit Realm to enter a dungeon instance.

Every time a Slaughter Dungeon opened, this group of High Ones would roam the Void to spectate. They had crossed paths many times before, and had long since mastered the art of treating one another as empty air, each watching their own.

At this moment, the white-haired woman gazing at the battlefield withdrew her gaze, casting it toward another star. She scrutinized it for a moment, then asked:

"Which one is the Primordial Heavenly Venerate?"

The curly-haired Teddy floated to the white-haired woman's side, searching within the star for a moment before pointing at a spot, saying:

"That brat is the Primordial Heavenly Venerate."

The white-haired woman nodded slightly, her gaze fixed intently upon the primeval forest.

Originally, no one had paid attention to the Evil Faction within the Transcendent-grade Slaughter Dungeon, but now the various Rulers turned their heads in unison to look.

The King of Fear laughed:

"Marshal, merely watching is dull. Why don't we make a wager?"

The white-haired woman stood with hands clasped behind her back. "Speak!"

The King of Fear said:

"The Demon Eye was imprisoned because of the Primordial Heavenly Venerate. Let us wager on him. If he dies inside the Slaughter Dungeon, you release the Demon Eye and grant him freedom.

"If the Primordial Heavenly Venerate secures first place on the scoreboard, I lose you a Ruler-grade Rule-type artifact."

The red-haired youth frowned. "Unfair. Why isn't the condition him surviving?"

The King of Fear laughed:

"First, even if you don't release the Demon Eye, once he enters the Spirit Realm, should he die there, he can still be reborn from within the Mother Goddess's womb. Second, the Slaughter Dungeon operates on a point system. If the Primordial Heavenly Venerate simply hides and waits for the three days to end, he survives all the same.

"So, it is perfectly fair!"

The red-haired youth pondered for a moment, finding himself unable to refute it, and looked toward the female Marshal.

The white-haired woman nodded. "Agreed!"

...

"So I hadn't actually reached the Outer Zone before; this place is... the content on the notice board represents the dangers of the Outer Zone?"

Zhang Yuanqing finished reading the precautions on the notice board, his brow furrowing.

This meant that traversing the outer layer of the Forbidden Forest was likely a very dangerous affair, and the content on the notice board could allow those entering the forest to avoid peril.

"But to just plainly lay out the precautions like this—isn't it too simple? What happens if one doesn't follow the precautions? A pity there's no way to test it; I can't risk the Yin Corpse..."

Zhang Yuanqing pulled the Blood-Drinking Blade from the Blood Rose's grasp, stowing it back into his inventory.

According to the notice board's warning, fire and bladed tools could not be used.

He did not continue forward, but instead placed his hand upon the notice board. A few seconds later, the item information surfaced:

[A notice board erected by the people of the Lost City, hoping to warn travelers who have strayed into the Forbidden Forest.]

It was erected by the people of that city, the Spirit Realm's introduction explained; those who entered the forest had encountered a grave crisis, and I had thought no one would make it out, yet unexpectedly, they had already explored as far as the outer layer... Zhang Yuanqing manipulated the Yin Corpse to clear the path ahead, stepping past the signpost and entering the outer region.

Treading upon soft, rotting silt, Zhang Yuanqing and Blood Rose moved one after the other, picking their way cautiously through the primeval forest.

The deeper they went, the denser the branches and leaves grew, until they nearly blotted out the sky entirely.

Fortunately, it was daytime; even without direct sunlight, visibility within the forest remained high.

If they could not light a fire, come nightfall, they would see nothing at all in these woods... but I am a Night Wanderer, and I fear no darkness; the night is my true domain...

He walked on, his thoughts radiating outward in divergent threads.

They had walked for roughly half an hour when, beneath the canopy that shut out the sky, a cool, mountain wind blew in from nowhere.

Borne on the wind came a thin, piercing sound.

Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head to listen; the voice was chanting:

"Yuanshi Tianzun, Yuanshi Tianzun..."