Chapter 249: Time Is Up, Disaster Descends

Chapter 249: Time Limit Expired, Calamity Descends

Foolish, what can fleeting points represent? We are only in the Free Exploration phase; the true slaughter has yet to arrive... Zhang Yuanqing mentally roasted Peony Fairy.

He immediately realized that if she thought this way, the majority of the other Official Walkers likely shared the same mindset.

For many Five Elements Alliance Spirit Realm Walkers, they had entered this Slaughter Instance with immense confidence, because the genius of instance strategy, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, was inside.

Hugging a big shot's thigh to pass... Official Walkers more or less all harbored such psychology.

As a result, the instance had barely begun when the genius in their hearts plummeted to a mediocre twenty-third place; they wouldn't necessarily doubt or badmouth him because of it, but their hearts were definitely fucked.

I actually think about this stuff... looks like I have an idol's burden too... Zhang Yuanqing mocked himself internally, his surface remaining cold:

"So it's just a trivial matter like this. Don't make a fuss next time. Yuan Shi Tian Zun just got lucky, barely scraping through a few S-ranks. His ranking isn't high; isn't that only natural?"

Taking the opportunity to badmouth himself a bit, distancing himself from Yuan Shi Tian Zun.

Peony Fairy's willow brows furrowed, annoyance rising in her heart, but she endured it, continuing on without comment.

She truly adored Yuan Shi Tian Zun; aside from the young hero aspect, his appearance perfectly matched her aesthetics. Peony Fairy was a die-hard fan of Yuan Shi Tian Zun, so she disliked hearing Wang Tai speak ill of him.

Asagi Ryo, waving her sheathed uchigatana to clear brush and vines, heard this and turned her head in surprise, saying:

"Your tone is awfully arrogant. I've heard of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's name even in the Island Nation. But your name, Wang Tai, I have zero impression of. How can you speak so disrespectfully to a genius? Are you an aho?"

Zhang Yuanqing instantly felt the cultural gap from this Island Nation JK; the other party was clearly a communicable intelligent being, yet you just didn't know how to communicate with her.

Because her conduct and speech style always made you feel a deep generation gap.

"Aho means idiot, right!" Zhang Yuanqing expressionlessly drew the Bloodthirsty Blade, saying blandly:

"Guide dog, let me teach you first what happens when you disrespect your master."

"Dame dame..." Asagi Ryo screamed.

She submitted quickly.

Zhang Yuanqing smoothly sheathed the Bloodthirsty Blade, mocking:

"A partner of justice with only this much backbone?"

Asagi Ryo said with a straight face: "Master and elders often teach that one must have the courage to admit mistakes."

"What else did your master and elders teach?"

"As Lawful Alignment, one must be a partner of justice!"

Chatting idly, Zhang Yuanqing gained a deeper understanding of the Island Nation JK.

Asagi Ryo was seventeen this year, born into a zaibatsu family, and because she wasn't the heir, she stayed clear of power struggles, raised like a little princess in luxury.

Later becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, she displayed shocking talent, was added to the heir candidate list, then taken as a disciple by the Vice Leader of the Chidori Group. Under her teacher's guidance, she met celebrities from all walks of life, all prim and proper, elegant and refined.

Simultaneously, because Island Nation Spirit Realm Walkers were scarce, to reduce internal friction and unite talent, the Chidori Group heavily promoted the concept of "Partners of Justice," brainwashing the Walkers in the organization.

Growing up in such an environment, Asagi Ryo naturally became a Partner of Justice.

That aside, Asagi Ryo was the same age as Xie Lingxi; compared to the little green tea bitch, this JK was naive like a moron.

But consider it from another angle—what sort of family environment must a little green tea bitch grow up in to master the art of tea to the eighth degree at such a tender age?

At this moment, the Peony Fairy spoke:

"We should join forces with the official Walkers before considering entering the forest's heart. This is a slaughter dungeon; the center will assuredly be fraught with peril. More companions mean one more layer of insurance."

Asano Ryo nodded vigorously upon hearing this:

"Su-su-nai~"

Zhang Yuanqing let out a "heh": "Let's talk after we find the signboard!"

...

"I advise against going after the Monkey King!"

Bai Wu Jinji, wearing flip-flops, swept his gaze over the rough men squatting on the ground, and explained:

"That Monkey King is conservatively estimated at weak Level 4, perhaps even a full Level 4. With our strength, killing a Level 4 Saint isn't hard, but don't forget—the Monkey King commands a monkey horde.

"Judging by the strength of those few monkeys we just killed, each monkey's physical power equals that of a Level 3 Bewitching Demon.

"Rashly attacking the monkey horde is nothing but a mutually assured destruction scenario. Ah-Yi and I won't die, but most of you will—half, maybe more."

At these words, the evil professionals, previously fired with enthusiasm, all cooled down.

Hunting the Tree Demon was clearly far more cost-effective.

At this moment, Ah-Yi, his eyes hollow, suddenly spoke:

"How long have we been in the dungeon? Sorry, I can't remember the details."

Most of the time, he was like a child with a mental defect—dull, blank—or a puppet waiting to be manipulated. He didn't speak, had no expression, his eyes hollow.

Bai Wu Jinji answered instantly: "Approaching three hours."

Ah-Yi nodded with sluggish expression: "Three hours. How much farther to the center? Unknown to this day."

Bai Wu Jinji mused: "So you think..."

"Enter the central forest. My intuition tells me continuing to linger in the outer layer will be very dangerous."

Hearing this, Bai Wu Jinji looked at Ah-Yi in shock, seeing a glint of sharp light flickering in the depths of those hollow eyes.

Bai Wu Jinji's pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "Good! Head for the central forest at once."

He believed in the instinct of beasts.

Ah-Yi, hailed as a born Gu beast, possessed a "sense of smell" for crisis far surpassing that of humans.

...

Beneath a tall, straight pine, "My Fate Is Up To Me, Not Heaven"—in a white tee, light jeans, minimalist forest style—sat cross-legged and asked:

"So what are your plans next?"

Tianxia Guihuo sneered:

"Why should I tell you? Unless you trade intel for it. Also, give me a simple name. Your Lingjing ID is too long—long and cringe."

Beneath the pine, the young woman smiled with an intellectual, refined grace, utterly devoid of ire, and spoke:

"Hong Wei!"

Hong Wei... Tianxia Guihuo nodded. "I intend to seek the notice board in the heart of the forest."

Hong Wei frowned. "Seek the notice board..."

She noticed Tianxia Guihuo had not spoken of *entering* the central forest.

"I trust Yuan Shi Tianzun is, even now, searching for the notice board in the central sector." Tianxia Guihuo was supremely confident, the corner of his mouth hooking upward:

"He has chosen no faction, which means he hesitates. Hesitation implies he lacks the intelligence to support a decision. Thus, at this juncture, searching for the central forest's notice board is the prudent move."

Yin Chi nodded slowly:

"The Lingjing mission hints that the boundaries of every sector are defined by their notice boards. The central sector's board might just complete the picture."

Tianxia Guihuo's bearing was unruly, yet his eyes brimmed with wisdom:

"Therefore, my next move is to proceed to the forest's heart and, guided by the notice board, make my faction choice. As for you, you have already chosen. Stay here, continue accumulating points; you need only reach the central forest before the time limit expires."

Hong Wei scrutinized him, clicking her tongue:

"I've read your file. I know you excel at clearing instances, yet I find it hard to believe—you are truly a Fire Master?"

Tianxia Guihuo replied with pride:

"Violence only realizes its true function when driven by wisdom. Do not lump me in with those brainless Fire Masters."

"That indirectly proves Yuan Shi Tianzun's strength." Hong Wei cut in like a blade.

Tianxia Guihuo's mouth twitched faintly; he snorted coldly:

"Enough nonsense. It is your turn to provide intelligence."

Hong Wei tilted her head, pondered, then said:

"We've exchanged all intel from within the instance. I'll share some from outside. This year, we Freelancers came bearing the mandate to kill Yuan Shi Tianzun, at any cost.

"The higher-ups gave Bai Wu Jinji a most peculiar artifact, said to be capable of slaying Yuan Shi Tianzun."

*The artifact rests in Bai Wu Jinji's hands... I can trade this intel to Yuan Shi Tianzun for something...* Tianxia Guihuo said:

"You simply hand over the intelligence like that?"

Hong Wei's lovely face wore a gentle, smiling curve:

"It matters not. I never considered killing Yuan Shi Tianzun a necessity. Inside a slaughter instance, survival is nine parts death; ascending to Sainthood is paramount. Whether Yuan Shi Tianzun lives or dies—what is that to me?

"Those above only assign tasks, never caring if those below live or die. They treat our lives as trifles; must we not value them ourselves? Is a cheap life simply deserved?"

Tianxia Guihuo chuckled darkly: "Interesting!"

...

"Big Shot, I see auspicious clouds crowning your head, your divine radiance turned inward—the very physiognomy of a hidden dragon. Your future achievements will surely be extraordinary. This slaughter instance is your chance to rise: fist striking A Yi, foot treading Zhao Chenghuang, Yuan Shi Tianzun beneath your crotch—today is the day. I pledge myself as your loyal subordinate, to serve you faithfully."

Kou Beiyue gripped her saber, whirling around in fury:

"I'm warning you, stop following me. I'll never agree to be your boss. Go bother someone else."

Trailing behind him was a chubby boy in black-rimmed glasses, his face wreathed in smiles, the very picture of a lackey currying favor with his superior.

The chubby boy hurriedly shook his head:

"You're different from them. Your mind is pure, your thoughts transparent—only such a one can be my boss. Those others are too foul, unworthy!"

Kou Beiyue regarded him with suspicion: "You're mocking me for being an idiot, aren't you."

"No, no, not an idiot—this is a child's heart, pure and true." The chubby boy shook his head vigorously.

"Really?"

"Of course it's real. If I'm lying, may heaven strike me with thunder." The chubby boy's face was utterly sincere.

"Fine. Help me find Yuanshi Tianzun, and I'll agree to be your boss." Kou Beiyue seized the chance to set terms.

He'd been wandering the instance with growing irritation; the forest was vast, and finding Yuanshi Tianzun would be no easy task. Liangchen Zezhu Ershi—ranked second on the leaderboard—appeared amiable enough, but Kou Beiyue was certain the man had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"Ah, Boss, you may possess the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, but now is not the time to clash head-on with Yuanshi Tianzun." The chubby boy's face fell.

"Cut the crap. Agree or get lost!"

"Alright, alright. You want Yuanshi Tianzun? Not hard. Try your luck in the forest's heart." The chubby boy said.

Kou Beiyue blinked: "The forest's heart? How do you know he's there."

The chubby boy chuckled: "Wild guess!"

...

"Ah, look! Red-capped mushrooms!"

Asano Ryo stopped beside a moss-covered fallen log, pointing at a cluster of vividly colored fungi on the ground, delight in her voice.

Islanders have a peculiar affinity for fungi, matsutake above all.

Zhang Yuanqing halted, fixing his gaze. The mushrooms bore scarlet caps and white stems, strikingly bright—but on closer inspection, the caps were etched with dense, dark-red veins, twisted and strange, yet faintly familiar.

Brightly colored fungi and fruits are not to be eaten... Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Asano Ryo, a thought stirring—use her to test the poison?

Worst case she just drops dead! He said with a cold face:

"Pick some, bring them along!"

Then added: "Do not eat them."

The island girl gave a sly grin: "Got it, got it..."

Three people and a corpse pressed on; along the way they gathered several clusters of vividly colored fruit, entrusting them to the Yin Corpse Blood Rose for safekeeping.

During long journeys, if you feel unwell, you may pick wild fruit to stave off hunger... This notice flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind.

"Hunt an evil-class profession, run an experiment—see which of these contradictory notices can be trusted!" he murmured to himself.

But right now, the priority was finding the notice board in the forest's heart.

Suddenly, a fierce wind rose through the stifling woods, the rustle of branches and leaves hissing overhead.

A faint, drifting call rose behind them:

"Asano Ryo, Asano Ryo..."

The island-nation JK, carefully picking her way forward, thought Wang Tai behind her was calling her name; instinctively she turned, mouth opening...

"Mmph..."

A large hand clamped over her small mouth, the response nearly spilling out turning into a muffled "mmph."

The girl's clear black-and-white eyes widened in terror; one hand groped toward her skirt waist where several shikigami talismans were tucked, the thumb of her other hand pressing against the sword guard...

At that moment, Wang Tai's grave warning reached her ear:

"Keep walking forward. Do not answer the call."

And just then, Asano Ryo also sensed the call coming from behind; she stole a glance backward and discovered the great trees behind them shaking their branches with bared claws, as if come alive.

He's warning me... Asano Ryo's heart gave a start, realizing she had misunderstood the young Night Wanderer.

She nodded with a small, grave face; after Zhang Yuanqing released his hand, Asano Ryo lowered her head and walked on at a measured pace, letting the calls sound one after another behind her, simply ignoring them.

Who knew how long passed before the calls behind them vanished.

Asano Ryo exhaled in relief, took two small breaths, and said in a soft, girlish voice:

"Truly terrifying~

"Mr. Wang Tai, I misunderstood you. You're an ally of justice, not a fallen one."

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her, paying it no mind.

He firmly remembered his Fu Qingyang persona.

Asano Ryo didn't take offense; on the contrary, she felt this was Mr. Wang Tai's personality, and she said happily:

"You even found clothes for me. You didn't peek at me, didn't think to take advantage of me."

What's there to see in a little Wangzai steamed bun? Afraid it'd melt the moment it touched my tongue... Zhang Yuanqing grumbled irritably.

Though Asano Ryo was a top-tier JK, similar beauties weren't rare around him—like Xie Lingxi, like Jiang Jingwei... judging by looks alone, they were no less stunning.

And as for mature, voluptuous older sisters, there were truly far too many.

Asano Ryo's looks and figure weren't enough to turn him into a lecherous man.

The island-nation girl smiled radiantly, her steps light as she moved forward, seeming rather pleased.

She was glad she'd met a good person—and a very capable one at that.

In a dungeon this terrifying, a reliable teammate meant hope of survival.

Finally, after trekking for an hour, the guide dog scouting ahead cried out in delight:

"A signboard! I see a signboard!"

Zhang Yuanqing and the Peony Fairy looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough spotted a signboard standing amid lush, verdant shrubs.

The three immediately quickened their pace, drawing close.

What a pity, this is a... blank notice board!

Blank? Zhang Yuanqing froze for a moment; this was not what he had imagined.

Zhang Yuanqing had rushed over from afar to collect the contents of the notice board in the forest's central region, to see if he could complete the information of the outer layer.

Who would have thought the notice board would be blank? Not being able to complete the information was one thing, but blank meant that upon entering the central region, they would have to feel their way across the river by groping for stones.

This was the worst-case scenario.

"What's wrong?"

The Peony Fairy asked.

Zhang Yuanqing shook his head slightly, "It's nothing. Since we're here, let's go take a look in the central forest."

As he spoke, he gave the Jungle Guide Dog a look, signaling her to go in and scout the path.

Standing there stupidly served no purpose.

Asano Ryo took a deep breath, gripped the Ice Soul Blade, stepped past the notice board, and walked toward the central region.

*Clang!*

Her head jerked violently, as if she had slammed into an invisible wall. Asano Ryo clutched her forehead, stumbling backward.

"Ow, ow, it hurts..."

Her forehead was flushed red, two streaks of bright red flowing from her straight, delicate nose, grimacing in pain.

Zhang Yuanqing's brow arched. He stepped up to the notice board, reached out, and carefully probed forward.

His hand touched an invisible wall.

At that moment, a mission prompt chimed in his ear:

[Ding! You have not met the conditions to enter the next stage.]

"Conditions not met..." Zhang Yuanqing repeated softly.

He was surprised, yet not entirely surprised. Thinking back carefully, the outer layer's difficulty level was far too low.

Be it the tree demons or the monkey swarms, they could hardly threaten a Spirit Realm Walker.

And for an expert of his caliber, he had reached the forest's central region virtually unscathed.

Such a difficulty level clearly did not match a Slaughter Instance.

"What counts as meeting the conditions? Solving the secret of the contradictory precautions, or choosing a faction? I haven't killed a tree demon, but I have killed monkeys. Does killing them count as choosing a faction..."

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing asked:

"Ryo, have you ever killed a tree demon?"

Asano Ryo's face flushed red: "Su-suddenly calling me so intimately... I've killed one tree demon, the first time we encountered a tree demon attack."

She referred to the time those two dead companions triggered the wood demon's aggro.

Then the requirement to meet the conditions isn't choosing a faction. Are there other hidden plots in the outer layer? Zhang Yuanqing frowned in deep thought.

"How could this be? What conditions must be met?" The Peony Fairy asked after her attempt failed, turning to Zhang Yuanqing:

"Wang Tai, what do we do now?"

"Wait!" Zhang Yuanqing said.

"Wait?"

"Mm. Wait for the time limit to arrive, wait for the other Spirit Realm Walkers to arrive. We can't get in, and neither can they. With everyone unable to enter, they'll spontaneously organize to discuss how to breach it." Zhang Yuanqing spoke with calm confidence:

"This is the most cost-effective method."

...

"Conditions not met?"

Kou Beiyue looked at the chubby boy beside her, bewildered: "What are the conditions?"

The chubby boy was no longer smiling, his face grave. He shook his head: "Unclear."

...

"As expected, entering the next stage isn't that simple."

Tianxia Guihuo mused for a few seconds, then said: "We'll wait here. Wait for the time limit."

The Tone-Deaf Man beside him nodded; this matched his own thoughts exactly.

...

As time passed, more and more people rushed toward the forest's heart. Then, everyone encountered the exact same problem.

——They couldn't get in!

The central forest region was vast; even if its perimeter fell short of the outer layer, the Spirit Realm Walkers still found it difficult to gather in one place.

They clustered in twos and threes, scratching their heads and cheeks in discussion.

"Is it only us who haven't met the conditions?"

"What exactly are the conditions? We've walked all this way and encountered nothing but tree demons and monkeys. We strictly followed the signboard's instructions... I simply cannot fathom this instance."

"I just saw Tianxia Guihuo and Wo Ming Bu You Tian huddled together; they can't get in either."

"Even Tianxia Guihuo can't enter? Good. At least it proves everyone is stuck, not just us."

"What about Yuanshi Tianzun? Has anyone found him? In a situation like this, sticking with him is the safest bet."

"Not so safe, surely. His points have dropped to thirty-sixth place."

Just as the Spirit Realm Walkers were at their wits' end, the countdown ended. Five full hours had passed since entering the instance.

At this moment, the 120 surviving contestants simultaneously received the instance prompt:

【Ding! The spirits dwelling in the forest have been slaughtered by outside visitors. The wails of their kin have awakened the slumbering Tree King Su. Prepare to face its wrath!】

【Ding! Flee this place immediately and enter the central forest region.】