Sheling Tunnel Detailed Information

After Cousin finished his porridge and left for work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room to catch up on sleep.

When he woke up, the air was filled with dynamic sound effects. Opening his eyes, he saw the room flickering with the glow of the television screen; the ceiling light remained off.

He sat up and looked toward the window, where Aunt was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, playing his PS5. She had rolled up her sleeves to reveal two fair, delicate forearms, her lithe body swaying left and right in sync with the controller.

Zhang Yuanqing yawned, got up to turn on the light, and walked behind Aunt to watch her play.

She was playing a horror game with a grim art style and eerie music. The protagonist was an ugly little man wielding a blood-stained axe, hacking and slashing his way through, leaving a trail of gore in his wake.

The television's glow reflected in her bright, autumn-water eyes, and her rounded, oval face held a hint of excitement amidst its charm.

"This game is great, perfect for playing at night. It's quite therapeutic," Aunt said without turning her head.

Aunt had three great hobbies: shopping, watching horror movies, and playing horror games.

It's depressing, you twisted woman. Zhang Yuanqing echoed her insincerely, "It is quite interesting."

Aunt turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you still putting on an act with me?"

She turned back to the game and said:

"Actually, this is a healing game. The monsters on screen are all figments of the little boy's imagination. He's a psychiatric patient, and to avoid being consumed by his inner demons, he struggles hard, eventually carving out a bloody path to finally see the light. The ending is very touching."

While she spoke, Zhang Yuanqing poured himself a glass of water and responded while drinking, "The theme is good."

Aunt hummed in agreement and continued:

"Every boss contains specific patterns. As long as you observe carefully, even a little boy can defeat terrifying demons. But the horrific visuals and music often make people feel fear, causing them to lose calm judgment."

"You should play, too."

Zhang Yuanqing was in no mood to play games with Aunt. He had been away from the Spirit Realm for nearly 20 hours, and in another dozen or so, it would open again. What awaited him might be death.

He might as well think about what to do with the last dozen hours of his life to avoid leaving any regrets.

Call his mom and curse her out? Hug Aunt and have a good cry? Finally, sing and dance with Uncle one last time?

He suddenly realized he didn't have any particular regrets or unfulfilled wishes. As a college student from a fairly well-off family, his life hadn't been filled with many troubles.

Only those who have experienced the vicissitudes of life have so many regrets they cannot let go of.

"Oh, come on, play!" Aunt wiggled her waist and acted spoiled.

Looking at her beautiful back, Zhang Yuanqing's expression softened. He sat down beside her and took the controller from her hands.

If he only had a dozen hours left in life, spending them playing a game with her wasn't a bad idea.

With Aunt munching on potato chips and chirping instructions, Zhang Yuanqing cleared the game. Checking the time, he realized it was already 11:00 PM.

"Not bad, not bad, you're quite talented."

Aunt sucked on her fair, delicate fingers, patted her nephew on the shoulder in praise, and incidentally wiped her saliva on him.

"Disgusting, you're so dirty," Zhang Yuanqing said with a look of revulsion.

"Pah, this is nectar of the gods; don't be ungrateful for the blessings you have," Jiang Yu'er said shamelessly.

"Nectar of the gods? How much does it cost per pound?" Zhang Yuanqing scoffed.

"I wouldn't sell it for any price, but Aunt can give you a few mouthfuls," Jiang Yu'er pouted, looking as if she were about to smear her saliva on Zhang Yuanqing.

Zhang Yuanqing leaned back to dodge.

Click!

The doorknob turned, and Grandmother stood at the door, frowning as she looked at the two of them.

Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'er immediately sat up straight.

"Are you going to eat or not?" Grandmother scolded. "Sleeping all day and staying up all night, waking up just to play games. Trying to ascend to heaven while still living on earth?"

Zhang Yuanqing put down the controller. "I know, I know, I'll eat right now."

Grandmother shot her daughter a cold glance, and Aunt scurried back to her bedroom.

Dinner had been kept warm, and Grandmother reheated the cold dishes. Zhang Yuanqing hastily filled his stomach, returned to his room, and summoned his Inventory to confirm that the Zombie Suppressing Talisman was still there.

Then, he reviewed his status panel.

Afterward, while praying that Li Dongze would have good news, he began to ponder every detail of the Mountain God Temple.

During the game with Aunt just now, he had gained a new insight.

Since the Spirit Realm was also a game, did it follow patterns? If he could find the patterns, even if he were a powerless little boy, he might be able to clear it successfully.

While he was lost in thought, a harsh ringtone erupted, making Zhang Yuanqing's heart stop.

He grabbed the phone from his bedside table. The caller ID showed an unknown number, and he chose to answer.

"Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?"

A sexy voice came through the speaker. Zhang Yuanqing's face lit up with surprise, and he hurriedly asked:

"Did you get the information on Sheling Tunnel?"

Guan Ya hummed in response:

"The Squad Leader got more detailed data for you, and he had me send it to your email. I know you young people never check your emails, so I'm calling to let you know."

As expected of the official organization; choosing to join them was the right decision. Zhang Yuanqing's mood brightened instantly. Resisting the urge to dive in front of his computer to check his email, he said sincerely:

"Please thank Squad Leader Li for me, and thank you, Sister Guan Ya. Once I successfully complete my trial mission, I'll treat you both to a meal."

Successfully complete the trial. Guan Ya sighed inwardly. After a moment of hesitation, her voice softened in a rare display of gentleness:

"Alright, I'll be waiting."

She had already read the files sent over by the Taiyi Sect. After finishing them, she felt only cold despair; no wonder the Squad Leader had been so gloomy all day.

In Li Dongze's mind, this newly recruited Night Wanderer would likely perish in his trial mission.

Ending the call, Zhang Yuanqing pulled back his ergonomic chair and impatiently started his laptop to log into his email.

He found the email sent by Guan Ya among a mess of unread messages.

He downloaded the attached document.

[Sheling Tunnel, 0079 Spirit Realm, Difficulty: S, Type: Solo (Death-type)]

[Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours.]

[Main Mission 2: Explore 0079 Spirit Realm.]

Same as my trial mission. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of energy. This was a good sign; the closer the content description was to his own mission, the better.

[The setting of 0079 Spirit Realm is not Sheling Tunnel, but an ancient Ming Dynasty temple called the Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain.

[According to my speculation, this Lady must have been a Night Wanderer of an extremely high standing—no, perhaps she can no longer be called a Night Wanderer. It is unclear if such a peerless Lady truly existed in the Ming Dynasty, or if she is a fabrication of the Spirit Realm.]

Following this was a long description of the deeds of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain, the content of which matched what Zhang Yuanqing had seen in the temple.

He continued reading:

[The task of surviving for three hours is relatively simple. Initially, after reading the contents of the notes, I was entangled by a vengeful spirit. Its characteristic is the continuous extraction of a living being's vitality until the target dies.

[Night Wanderers have an innate suppression over spiritual bodies. I dispelled it without much effort, but when I tried to devour it, I encountered huge resistance. This may be the Spirit Realm's protection of the vengeful spirit.

[Everyone who reads the notes will be cursed and subjected to the relentless entanglement of the vengeful spirit. Any method of dispelling it is only temporary; dispelling the vengeful spirit once grants roughly 15 minutes of safety.

[It is worth mentioning that the overall layout of the Mountain God Temple consists of a main hall and two adjacent backyards. The candle in the main hall is an extremely powerful item with the ability to suppress evil and purify. As long as one hides in the main hall, it means safety. The cost is that the candle eliminates the fear in a person's heart. Bathing in the candlelight for too long will make one fearless. In such a dangerous Spirit Realm, being fearless is fatal. Additionally, it cannot be moved or taken out of the Spirit Realm.

[After staying in the main hall for half an hour, I suddenly heard cries for help—cries for help coming from the backyard, interspersed with hair-raising roars, roars that did not sound like a living creature. After some hesitation, I decided to head to the backyard to explore.]

The main hall is indeed a safe house; I verified this myself, but I didn't expect the source to be the candle. I thought it was the beautiful Mountain Goddess.

The cries for help came from that large banyan tree, and I didn't hear the roars. The courtyard to the east is indeed terrifying. Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill in his heart, secretly gasping.

He took a deep breath and focused on reading further. The subsequent information was crucial; if he could know the situation in the other courtyard in advance, he could avoid danger while exploring.

[The banyan tree is very dangerous. Do not look back. Do not look back.]

[This banyan tree seems to have gained consciousness, but why would it call for help? As for the terrifying roars, I did not find the source because its appearance interrupted my exploration. It was a pair of Red Dancing Shoes.]

[It did not attack me immediately, but invited me to dance. Out of a desire to test it, I agreed to its invi—]

[I couldn't remember its dance steps at all; they were too chaotic and complex. For someone without dance experience like me, this was an impossible requirement. No, even someone with dance experience could not remember those steps. I failed, and the Red Dancing Shoes began to hunt me down.]

[I successfully escaped back to the main hall, but two of my ribs were crushed by it. I think I have discerned its true face: this is an extremely terrifying item. Its tracking ignores terrain and obstacles, and it will not stop until its goal is achieved. Preliminary speculation: it is a Rule-type item.]

[It is unbelievable that there is a Rule-type item in a trial Spirit Realm. I finally understand why Qian Shou died in the Mountain God Temple despite carrying an item, and why no one has ever cleared this Spirit Realm. Are you kidding me? Those who can enter Sheling Tunnel are either early-stage Level 1 Night Wanderers or ordinary people. How could they possibly clear it?]

[I do not yet know the reason for the decline of the Mountain God Temple, nor do I know what the secret concerning the rise and fall of a thousand years is. I hope to successfully complete the second main mission and bring the truth back to the organization.]

The file ended there; there was no follow-up.

Zhang Yuanqing knew that this Night Wanderer had most likely already died during the second main mission.