Phone Call

"Damn it, that scared the hell out of me."

Zhang Yuanqing sat heavily on the edge of his bed, his heart pounding in his chest.

He suspected that if he had returned even a second later, he might have come back as nothing more than a mangled corpse.

Once he finally managed to calm his nerves, he caught sight of the Red Dancing Shoes on his feet and nearly died of fright all over again.

"Dismiss, dismiss."

The Red Dancing Shoes dissolved into red light and vanished.

Whew, I almost started dancing! Zhang Yuanqing finally relaxed, stood up, and walked to the window. He gazed at the high-rise buildings outside, watched the green leaves reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors, and listened to the chatter of the elderly in the residential complex and the faint hum of traffic in the distance.

It was mealtime, and a delivery driver in a blue uniform zipped through the complex on his electric scooter.

From the windows of the neighboring building came the explosive sound of vegetables hitting hot oil, accompanied by the rhythmic clatter of a spatula in a wok.

The human world is good. The big city is good.

He stood there for several minutes before he felt the lingering sense of horror finally fade away.

Once calm, he couldn't wait to stand in front of the mirror and test his skills.

He settled his emotions, calmed his mind, and silently reached out to the Lunar Power within his body.

Soon, Zhang Yuanqing watched as his reflection in the mirror was erased inch by inch, vanishing into thin air.

I really can turn invisible, hehehe.

Nine seconds later, his body was outlined once more, reappearing in the mirror.

"Hmm, a bit tiring, feels like I ran a few laps around the track."

Next, he tested his physical strength. He easily crushed a battery until it dented and used a utility knife to slice his hand; the wound healed in less than five minutes.

Setting aside his superpowers, the mere increase in his muscle strength was already beyond that of an ordinary human.

As for his other active skill, Spirit Devour, he had no chance to use it yet, as there were no spirits nearby.

Now that my physique is so powerful, if my old illness flares up, can my body withstand the overload state for longer? No, what I should be thinking about is whether there is a doctor class among the Spirit Realm Walker, I need to find someone to look at my strange illness.

Zhang Yuanqing then opened his inventory to admire his items, but he didn't take them out.

The Demon Subduing Pestle was one thing, but if he took out the Red Dancing Shoes and it demanded he dance with it, what then?

Staring at the Demon Subduing Pestle, Zhang Yuanqing fell into deep thought.

"If I remember correctly, the Banyan Tree Spirit said the Demon Subduing Pestle seals the Yang Soul of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain. Will she come looking for me?"

Just the thought of it made him fearful.

"NPCs in the Spirit Realm shouldn't be able to appear in the real world, right? The chances of me entering the Mountain God Temple again aren't high either; the small Mountain God Temple has already been explored, it can't possibly support another mission."

Though he said this, he felt uneasy, and the image of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain's smile kept flashing through his mind.

"I'll head to the office later and verify this with the Old Driver and the Translation-Tone Freak."

Just then, the doorknob rattled, but because Zhang Yuanqing had locked the door beforehand, the person outside couldn't get in.

"Zhang Yuanqing, why are you locking the door? Are you doing something bad in there?"

His aunt's charming, crisp voice drifted in, followed by a huff: "Time to eat."

Only then did Zhang Yuanqing realize he was starving. He answered quickly, stowed the Demon Subduing Pestle, stripped off his dust- and blood-stained clothes, changed into a spring baseball jacket and black sweatpants, and hid the dirty laundry.

Only then did he walk to the door and turn the lock.

His aunt stood outside, peering into the room with her round, pretty face, looking suspicious. "Why did you lock the door?"

"Practicing a divine technique."

"What divine technique?"

"The 'Learn from the Barbarians to Defeat the Barbarians' method."

"You brat, looking for a beating?"

His aunt glared at him fiercely. Her eyes were full of character—large, round, bright, and lively, with no bloodshot veins or cloudiness.

The "clear autumn water eyes" described by the ancients referred exactly to these kinds of sparkling, large eyes.

At the dinner table, Zhang Yuanqing swept through the food like a whirlwind. His appetite had increased significantly, leaving his grandmother both pleased that her cooking had improved and distressed that she hadn't made enough.

"School starts tomorrow, go to bed early tonight so you won't have trouble waking up," his grandmother warned.

"If Aunt stops coming into my room to play games at night, I'll be able to sleep early," Zhang Yuanqing immediately shifted the blame.

He felt a kick to his shin under the table.

"She has to work too." His grandmother turned to her daughter. "If you have to work overtime tomorrow, call me in advance."

His aunt was an intern obstetrician at a top-tier public hospital. When she was free, she was very free, but when she was busy, she was more exhausted than any corporate slave.

"Find time to meet more male colleagues. There must be plenty of male doctors pursuing you at the hospital," his grandmother probed.

"Mom, your perspective is too narrow. Even men bringing their wives in for prenatal checkups often secretly ask me for my contact info," his aunt said, hands on her hips, looking smug.

His grandmother raised her hand, and his aunt ducked her head, silently shoveling rice into her mouth.

As the mother and daughter talked, Zhang Yuanqing's mind drifted to the tasks he needed to handle this afternoon.

After I eat, I'll contact Guan Ya and tell the authorities that I've successfully cleared the dungeon. I also need to write a dungeon report—I wonder if a report on a first-clear is worth anything, or how much merit it can be exchanged for.

I should also mention the awakening of the Mountain God Temple; I can't forget that. I have a feeling it's a hidden quest.

After finishing his meal and satisfying his hunger, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room, only to find his phone was dead.

Between the rushing and the anxiety caused by the Spirit Realm, he had forgotten to charge it.

Once he plugged it in, he saw four or five missed calls.

Caller ID: Guan Ya.

Two of them were from an hour ago, back when he was still in the Spirit Realm, and the remaining three were from two minutes ago.

Is she in such a rush to confirm whether I'm dead? Zhang Yuanqing thought with a scoff, tapping his finger to call Guan Ya back.

In the two-story building, the glass walls reflected the sunlight.

Inside the spacious and luxurious office, Li Dongze finished a simple lunch, glanced at his watch, and walked to the office area leaning on his cane.

"Guan Ya, any news from Yuanshi?"

This was the third time he had asked the same question.

Although he didn't hold much hope, until things were set in stone, it was impossible not to keep worrying.

Li Dongze had already written his letter of apology, just waiting for the final result so he could admit his mistake to the Centurion; he had been careless this time, lacking the professional instincts of a scout.

As for that kid Yuanshi Tianzun, while he felt it was a pity, the trial quest triggered by a character card was simply beyond human resistance.

"His phone is off," Guan Ya shook her head. "I've already called him five or six times."

Li Dongze seemed to have expected this outcome. He let out a silent sigh:

"Let's wait a little longer. Just a little longer."

"Alright, Squad Leader." Guan Ya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, offering a smile to comfort him: "Until the result is out, anything is possible. It's like Schrödinger's cat—without opening the box, you never know if it's dead or alive."

Wang Tai, standing nearby, couldn't help but interject:

"That's not how you use Schrödinger's cat. From a probabilistic standpoint, without special means or assistance, the likelihood of him clearing the Sheling Tunnel is almost zero."

Guan Ya and Li Dongze's faces darkened: "Shut up!"

Did I say the wrong thing again? Wang Tai lowered his head in silence.

This social invalid! Li Dongze and Guan Ya criticized him in their hearts.

Having been colleagues for so long, they had long since given up on trying to cultivate Wang Tai's emotional intelligence.

Guan Ya felt that the contrast between an interesting soul and a dull one was stark. Look at that kid Yuanshi—he was handsome and spoke well. If he could become a colleague, work wouldn't be so dull and boring in the future.

It was a pity his luck was so bad.

If she still couldn't reach him by the end of the workday, there would be no hope left. Guan Ya sighed, leaning lazily back in her soft chair, her full chest straining against her white shirt.

"Report to me the moment there is news."

Just as Li Dongze finished speaking and turned to leave, the phone Guan Ya had left on the desk suddenly rang.

The phone on the desk chimed.

Li Dongze froze, his gaze locked onto Guan Ya's phone.

Caller ID: Yuanshi Tianzun.

Li Dongze's breathing grew rapid.

Guan Ya sprang up from her chair, bumping into the desk with a loud clatter and sending office supplies tumbling.

Her beautiful eyes widened, her face filled with astonishment and wild joy.

She grabbed the phone while looking at Li Dongze.

Li Dongze tightened his face and said: "Speakerphone!"

His voice was low and solemn.

Both of them wore grave expressions, as if they were handling a ransom call.

Guan Ya answered the phone, her voice filled with anticipation and suppressed excitement:

"Yuanshi?"

"I've cleared the trial quest and made it out of the Mountain God Temple," Zhang Yuanqing's voice came through the speaker.

Guan Ya and Li Dongze were both stunned into silence.

Wang Tai, who usually ignored everything outside his own world, suddenly looked up. The data-obsessed scholar's face was filled with shock and bewilderment.

After a few seconds of stagnation, the two thin mustaches on Li Dongze's lip began to flutter at a visible speed as he shouted:

"Oh, God! Did you hear my prayers? This is unbelievable! Oh, heavens, I can't believe this is real!"

Realizing his lack of composure, he quickly reined in his expression. "Elegant. Must be elegant."

Li Dongze knew what clearing the Sheling Tunnel meant. An S-rank Spirit Realm that the Taiyi Sect had deemed impossible to clear being conquered would inevitably attract high-intensity attention. Although Yuanshi was a newcomer, it was foreseeable that he would become famous in one battle and become a well-known Spirit Realm Walker.

Furthermore, the information and items contained within an S-rank Spirit Realm are tangible gains, and they are bound to be substantial.

Whether it is an official organization or a private one, they are all eager to conquer high-difficulty Spirit Realms, especially for the first clear, as this is the fastest and most effective way to strengthen an organization.

The final point, and also the most important one, is that in the Songhai region, there are only a few Night Wanderer trial Spirit Realms, and the existence of the Sheling Tunnel bug has caused the official organization to lose a great many prospective Night Wanderers.

If one possesses a detailed walkthrough, then the number of Night Wanderers born each year will increase from here on out.

Although the rewards cannot be as generous as the first clear once a Spirit Realm has been conquered, what the officials value is the increase in the number of Night Wanderers.

This is enough to attract the attention of the Five Elements Alliance's Council of Elders.

"You, how did you do it?" Guan Ya murmured.

"It wasn't difficult; I cleared it with ease. Heh, isn't it something anyone with legs could pass?"

Yuanshi Tianzun said something that lived up to his ID.

Guan Ya was speechless for a moment, unable to tell if he was joking or just a top student being humble-bragging. In her impression, Zhang Yuanqing was a smart college student who was good at socializing, but to say he was anything extraordinary was certainly impossible.

Her fondness for this new colleague was limited to him being pleasant to talk to and humorous, but it was definitely not an acknowledgment of his abilities.

And now, she needed to re-evaluate this newly promoted Night Wanderer.

"Very good, very well done." Li Dongze tapped his cane excitedly and urged, "Come to the office right away, get here immediately."

"Alright," Zhang Yuanqing said.

Ending the call, Wang Tai couldn't help but say:

"He possesses abilities that transcend the ordinary; I don't know which aspect it is yet, but he definitely has them. Squad Leader, it seems you've picked up a freak."

Hearing this, the smile on Li Dongze's face spread uncontrollably. He coughed and said displeasedly, "What freak? This is a genius!"

After saying this, he hurried toward his office as if he had urgent business.

Li Dongze felt that the title of his apology letter should be changed to something more elegant, for example: <I am very sorry Centurion, I accidentally picked up a freak.>

He could hardly wait.