Instance Quotas

"Possession" refers to the act of attaching, relying upon, or being anchored to something.

The "possession" Zhang Zhe spoke of refers to special items that contain or are imbued with the aura of a Time Fragment.

By using specific methods, one can link their own aura to these items, then use them to pry open the Time Fragment, thereby achieving the goal of bringing people inside.

It is very similar to the quest items used to unlock dungeons in games.

Therefore, they are also called quest items, though they do not actually come with any mandatory tasks that must be completed.

Just as dungeons are divided into levels like five-man, ten-man, or twenty-man instances, the number of people that different items can bring in varies.

This particular possession was provided by Shangqing Palace on Mount Lao; it is said there are thirty-six confirmed entry slots, but all of these were claimed by the Special Affairs Department.

It seems there was a trade involved between Shangqing Palace and the Special Affairs Department.

Instead, the department used ritualistic means to forcibly increase the number of slots by about a hundred.

However, the success rate is only seventy percent, meaning only about seventy people can enter; the slots for Tian Yong and his group belong to this category.

There is one final type, which is the periphery of the ritual.

Because it is close to the ritual, the success rate is slightly higher than in other places.

Although the increase is limited, it is still much better than relying entirely on luck elsewhere.

At the same time, the Special Affairs Department requires that anyone qualified to enter must be equipped with means to subdue demons and exorcise ghosts.

After all, dungeons are extremely dangerous, and if too many people die inside, it is something the state would not wish to see.

But at this stage, most people have only obtained some martial arts manuals; they have no means to subdue demons or exorcise ghosts.

This also effectively silenced some people, preventing them from fighting tooth and nail for slots and harboring resentment.

Zhu Guang himself possesses methods to exorcise ghosts; he is proficient in talismans and is very knowledgeable about myths and strange legends. It was he who told Tian Yong about zombies.

However, most of his methods require advance preparation. If he were to be ambushed by an evil ghost, no amount of preparation would be enough.

That is why, when he learned that Ling Qing possessed the highly effective Ghost-Repelling Pill, he was willing to pay the price to trade for them.

"So, whether it is the slots where one attaches their aura to a possession, or the slots within the ritual area, we don't have the ability to get them for you.

As for the slots on the periphery of the ritual, I can manage to get one.

But for one thing, the success rate is very low, and I cannot guarantee you will be able to get in.

If it doesn't work out, wouldn't your efforts be in vain?

For another, even if I get you a slot, you still have to prepare some means to deal with ghosts and monsters to meet the department's requirements."

After Zhu Guang finished speaking, he paused for a moment to let Ling Qing think, then continued: "It would be more cost-effective to exchange for some items you currently need to improve your strength.

Of course, if you insist on a slot, it's not impossible, but I cannot guarantee the result."

Although it was only a peripheral slot, he was satisfied.

During the ten-plus days in the villa, he had chatted with others, and most had only entered a Time Fragment once, with very few having entered twice.

This is not only because dungeons are rare and hard to come by, but also because of the dungeon's selection mechanism.

Sometimes, even when within the coverage area of a dungeon opening, if one lacks the corresponding fate, they can only watch helplessly as others disappear before their eyes.

Ling Qing also did not know when he would be able to enter a dungeon again. Now that there was an opportunity, he was unwilling to give it up, no matter how slim the chance.

It was just a few Ghost-Repelling Pills, after all; if he couldn't enter the dungeon, these Ghost-Repelling Pills would be of little use to him.

Although he didn't know if there were ghosts and monsters in reality—even if there were, they were likely handled quietly by the state, and ordinary people would never see them.

As for bypassing them to ask the Special Affairs Department for a slot, that was not realistic. For one, he had no connections and didn't know how to go about it, and for another...

"Then please help me exchange it for a peripheral slot. As for the Ghost-Repelling Pills, I still have some," Ling Qing said after pondering for a while.

He had not only obtained the Ghost-Repelling Pills last time but also the method to refine them, and he had even refined some himself, so he was naturally not stingy about using them for trade.

"You have more? How many?" Zhu Guang's eyes lit up as he asked.

Tian Yong and Zhang Zhe also leaned in with interest.

"I can spare ten," Ling Qing said, holding up one finger.

While in the dungeon, he had used the silver given by Old Master Liu to buy plenty of materials to refine Ghost-Repelling Pills in case of emergency.

Having seen the efficacy of the Ghost-Repelling Pills, and knowing how to refine them himself, Ling Qing naturally wanted to keep a good supply on hand.

After all, no one knew if they would encounter ghosts or zombies in the next dungeon. One must know that a Druid has very few methods to deal with undead creatures.

Of course, the amount he had in reserve was far more than ten, but he didn't say anything more; after all, things are less cherished when they are abundant.

However, having too few wouldn't do either, as this item is a semi-consumable.

It was only because he had hit a good time; the Special Affairs Department kept the high-quality Ghost-Repelling Pills for their own use.

Coupled with the fact that Zhu Guang was begging for them for his own safety, Ling Qing had this opportunity.

If he missed this moment, he might not be able to trade for such a slot with just the Ghost-Repelling Pills alone.

He then turned to Tian Yong and the other man to explain: "I didn't tell you before, but I obtained the refining method for the Ghost-Repelling Pills and refined some more after buying materials."

The two men waved their hands, not minding at all; after all, they hadn't detailed exactly what they had obtained either.

"Materials from the dungeon?" Zhu Guang asked again.

"Of course." Ling Qing nodded affirmatively.

To bring items into a dungeon, at least half of their components must have been brought out from a dungeon.

At the same time, materials sourced from dungeons contain varying amounts of spiritual energy, making them far more effective against ghosts and monsters—a quality that real-world materials lack.

"Brother Ling Qing, could you spare some more for me?"

Zhu Guang added, "I can trade you for them. I have Corpse-Suppressing Talisman, Speed Talisman, Evil-Warding Talisman, and Golden Light Talisman here.

There's also the Nine-Yang Talisman for enhancing that particular function, the Peach Blossom Talisman for increasing romantic luck, and so on. Take your pick."

Watching Zhu Guang pull various yellow talismans from every corner of his person, Ling Qing felt his eyes opened, curiously examining these talismans he had only ever seen on television.

Unlike the special effects on TV, these were the real deal.

Though, it seemed something strange had gotten mixed in with them.

Ling Qing took a wooden box from his bag containing ten crimson pills the size of longans; they were the Ghost-Repelling Pill he had refined.

After giving Zhu Guang four, he selected a few practical ones from the multitude of talismans.

Tian Yong and Zhang Zhe each exchanged their points for three pills.

Ling Qing had originally intended to give them away, but they refused to accept them as gifts.

Once the exchange was complete, Zhu Guang couldn't wait to head back and prepare, and Tian Yong and Zhang Zhe followed suit, bidding Ling Qing farewell.

"Lao Mountain Daoist" was set to open on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and since it was already early September, there were only a few days left.

They needed to resolve the issue of Ling Qing's entry quota before then and prepare as much as they could.

In a world rampant with ghosts and monsters, one can never have too many tricks up their sleeve; after all, you only have one life.

Ling Qing had originally planned to leave, but now that he had encountered this matter, he abandoned his previous intentions.

He went to the front desk and extended his stay for a few more days, waiting for news from Tian Yong and the others while making his own preparations.