Realm Walker

The coffin lid slid open slowly, and the first thing everyone saw was a man with a face like carved jade. A jade hairpin held his topknot in place, and a handsome beard framed his chin. Though his features were youthful, the man radiated an unmistakable gravitas, the kind that only came from weathering decades of hardship.

Beyond his appearance, what drew the most attention was his clothing. He wore a long robe of deep black, with scarlet flames embroidered on the hem and silver wave patterns adorning the sleeves and chest. In terms of both craftsmanship and aesthetics, it was clearly no ordinary garment.

Cradled in the corpse's arms was a thread bound book, its cover yellowed and brittle. The title of the book was written in elegant calligraphy: Chronicle of Sixty Years of Cultivation.

Queen narrowed her eyes. "This person is..."

A guess was forming in the back of her mind, but she wasn't sure enough to say it aloud, so she looked to her teammates instead.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't bother building suspense, but gave the answer straight out. "The Yin Yang Hermit!"

The Yin Yang Hermit? His teammates exchanged bewildered glances.

Queen's surprise only deepened her admiration for Yuanshi Tianzun, pushing it up yet another notch. So it really is the Yin Yang Hermit. The official strategy guides never mentioned anything about this. Wasn't he supposed to be just background lore? And when exactly did Yuanshi trigger a hidden mission? I've been following him this entire time and never noticed a thing. Is this really what it means to be a genius who's cleared two S-rank dungeons in a row?

Li Chunfeng had his own theory. He probably discovered the hidden mission while dealing with the Cursed Cat. He mentioned wanting to run an experiment. But how did he figure it out?

Though he prided himself on his intelligence and broad knowledge, and while he could draw the link between the hidden mission and the Cursed Cat, he couldn't for the life of him work out how Yuanshi Tianzun had actually triggered it.

Guan Ya's thoughts ran deeper than anyone else's. How did Yuanshi discover that sparing the Cursed Cat could trigger a hidden mission? He had Queen search this stretch of river earlier, so he already knew the coffin would appear. Back then, the coffin had to have been in a "hidden" state, and only "spawned in" after the evil sorcerer was killed. Is the hidden mission somehow tied to the six characters? How on earth did Yuanshi trigger it? No matter how I think about it, it still doesn't make sense.

"So where's the item that turns things around?" asked Grass Upon the Plains.

"It's this robe right here," Zhang Yuanqing said as he propped up the Yin Yang Hermit's body inside the coffin. "Help me hold him up. I need to get the robe off."

Guan Ya stepped forward immediately, refusing to let anyone else handle it.

Zhang Yuanqing let her support the Yin Yang Hermit's body, then set about stripping off the garment with nimble hands. Throughout the process, his heart hung in his throat. Not because he was worried about Li Xianzong catching up, but because he was afraid the Yin Yang Hermit's corpse might suddenly spring to life. The old geezer from the Ming Dynasty-era mass grave had left him with lasting psychological scars.

Before long, Zhang Yuanqing had peeled off the Hermit's robe. Only when he had the item firmly in hand did he get a clear look at the full design. The cloth was jet black, with scarlet flames embroidered along the hem and silver wave patterns stitched across the chest and sleeves. On the back were two fishes, one black and one white, arranged in a taiji symbol.

A few seconds later, the item's information appeared.

【Name: Yin Yang Spell Robe】

【Type: Clothing】

【Functions: Water and Fire, Formations】

【Description: This is the ceremonial robe worn by a certain supreme being during heaven worship rites. Flames below, waves above, and yin and yang upon its back. It is called the Yin Yang Spell Robe.】

【Note 1: This robe is one piece of the Heavenly Worship Ceremonial Set. The remaining three pieces are: boots, crown, and belt. It is said that assembling the complete set reveals the secret of eternal life.】

【Note 2: Wearing the robe grants mastery over water and fire. Nourished by the righteous qi of heaven and earth, it can resist corruption and curses.】

【Note 3: Unfurling the robe creates a formation covering a thirty meter radius. While the formation is active, no one outside can enter, and neither the caster nor those trapped within may leave. The duration of this effect is ten minutes. Within the formation's range, the caster splits into twin water and fire avatars, immune to physical attacks. If the formation is not dispelled within ten minutes, the caster's physical body will be irreversibly destroyed.】

【Note 4: Please control your desire for eternal life. Your personality may fluctuate slightly, but do not worry. The effects will only last for twenty-four hours.】

Zhang Yuanqing stared blankly at the item description, a single thought blazing through his mind: Jackpot!

This was an item that combined the abilities of both the Fire Sage and Water Ghost classes, and on top of that, it was part of a previously unheard-of set. Just the robe alone was already this powerful. If he ever completed the full set, wouldn't he be unstoppable across all of Songhai? One punch per elder!

Of course, it had weaknesses too. Against exceptionally powerful opponents or enemies with solid enough defenses, it might fall short. And this item was a natural counter to Water Ghosts and Fire Sages. Well, it didn't matter much. If his offense was lacking, he could always supplement it with other items.

What piqued his interest further was the second half of that first note. The robe holds the secret of eternal life. The town built by the Yin Yang Hermit is designed with a layout that mirrors the principles of yin and yang, corresponding to the taiji symbol on the robe's back. He was probably trying to replicate the formation inside the robe on a grander scale, thus attempting to achieve immortality through it.

That plan sounds pretty unreliable, though. Then again, by the time he reached his later years, the Yin Yang Hermit had probably been so deeply affected by the item's cost that he'd gone mad chasing immortality.

The coffin's contents also resolved a lingering question in Zhang Yuanqing's mind: Why had the Yin Yang Hermit's descendant died at the hands of a sorcerer and a handful of thugs?

It was clearly because she had never possessed this powerful item. The Yin Yang Spell Robe had been on the Hermit's body all along. When the sorcerer captured her and failed to obtain the robe, he'd killed her in a rage.

Ruffian Wang's involvement had been driven by lust for the descendant's beauty. As for what motivated Squire Zhao and Blacksmith Wang, Zhang Yuanqing had no idea. That side of the quest had been the Evil team's. In any case, none of that mattered anymore.

"Well?" Li Chunfeng asked impatiently. "What does the item do? Can it counter Li Xianzong?"

Queen recalled the staff's terrifying power and felt a lingering shiver of dread. "As long as it can hold its own, even a little, we've got a shot at a comeback. We outnumber them. There are only two people left on the Evil team."

Her expression was that of someone steeling herself for another brutal fight, yet unable to suppress a glimmer of hope. Guan Ya and Grass Upon the Plains watched Zhang Yuanqing, waiting for his answer.

"Barring any surprises, I should be able to take Li Xianzong one-on-one," Zhang Yuanqing declared, his voice brimming with confidence. "When the time comes, pull back. Don't come anywhere near this area, or the curse might hit you."

Queen's face, her eyes accentuated by the smoky makeup, lit up with barely contained elation. "Really? You think we can actually turn this around?"

Zhang Yuanqing nodded, giving a firm confirmation, and Guan Ya and the others broke into relieved smiles, the tension draining from their shoulders.

"Oh, and give me back my items," Zhang Yuanqing said. "After that, you're all clear to go."

At Zhang Yuanqing's urging, the four of them grabbed the still-unconscious Lotus Eater and Fire Virtue and hurried away, retreating into the distance. Once their silhouettes vanished from view, Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze to the book lying inside the coffin.

"Chronicle of Sixty Years of Cultivation..." he murmured.

He picked up the booklet and flipped to the first page, scanning it briefly. Surprise and excitement flashed across his face. It detailed the Yin Yang Hermit's cultivation journey.

This is incredibly valuable. The information left behind by someone from the same era as that old geezer could help me understand the Spirit Realm better, along with the secrets buried beneath history and reality. Now's not the time for this, though. Let me see if I can store it in my inventory.

With a flicker of thought, the booklet vanished from his hand and appeared in one of his inventory slots.

Just then, Zhang Yuanqing's ears perked up. He caught the sound of footsteps pounding toward him at breakneck speed.

He turned to look. At the far end of the brick-paved street, two figures emerged: Li Xianzong, the dark staff gripped in his hand, and the hunched, ratlike figure of the rat man. Trailing behind them, the Red Dancing Shoes followed, listlessly but stubbornly, still locked in its pursuit.

The Enchanting Demon's Mark skill made escape nearly impossible once a target was tagged. That was exactly why they had concluded that guerrilla tactics would only buy them a few extra moments.

The instant Zhang Yuanqing spotted his enemies, Li Xianzong spotted him as well and broke into a full sprint, mentally calculating the distance. The moment he closed within fifty meters, he would unleash his area of effect curse without hesitation. There would be no quarter given. He would not leave any loose ends.

The rat man's beady eyes darted left and right. "Boss, the others are gone. Could be an ambush."

He had always been one for caution. Victory was within reach, and the last thing he wanted was to stumble at the finish line.

"They're farther out, running away," Li Xianzong said, sensing the positions of his other marked targets.

"Running away?" The rat man blinked, then let out an ugly laugh. "Staying behind alone to cover his teammates' retreat, is he? If he's so eager to play the hero, let's grant his wish. Boss, let's finish this quickly. I can't wait to have my fun with those two beauties."

The gap between them shrank rapidly. The moment they crossed the fifty-meter threshold, the rat man, sharp eyed as ever, suddenly spoke up.

"Huh? What's that kid wearing?"

Li Xianzong wasted no words. He raised the staff high overhead. Across from them, Zhang Yuanqing leaned back, cocked his arm, and hurled a fireball compressed to its absolute limit straight at them. The fireball screamed through the air and detonated between the two sides with a thunderous boom. Within the swelling flash of firelight, Zhang Yuanqing's figure materialized. The distance between them collapsed from fifty meters to just over twenty.

Fire Walk!

At that moment, the staff in Li Xianzong's hand began radiating a dim, sickly glow. Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart convulse violently inside his chest, then stop. The familiar agony and feeling of suffocation washed over him, but this time, the stabbing pain lasted less than a second.

The curse had been blocked by the Yin Yang Spell Robe.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing completely unharmed, Li Xianzong's face twitched. What? The curse didn't work on him?

Zhang Yuanqing gazed at Li Xianzong, and his lips widened into a dangerous grin. He pulled off the Yin Yang Spell Robe and flung it skyward with a snap of his wrist.

The sudden move brought both Li Xianzong and the rat man skidding to a halt. The latter raised his bamboo tube and blew a poisoned needle straight at Zhang Yuanqing.

The needle pierced empty air. Zhang Yuanqing's figure had vanished. The robe, which he'd hurled toward the sky, unfurled with an explosive snap, its hems and sleeves pulled taut as though suspended by invisible strings, stretching it flat like a sheet of paper.

The taiji fish symbol on its back began to spin. The black fish poured forth clear, ethereal streams of water, while the white fish spewed tongues of searing flame. Water and fire cascaded downward together, forming a massive taiji symbol that blanketed a thirty meter radius, with fire on the left, and water on the right.

"What's happening? What's going on?" the rat man shrieked. "What kind of item is this?"

Trapped within the water covered domain, the rat man felt invisible currents surging against him from every direction. Standing inside it was like being a leaf of duckweed, and just keeping his footing demanded enormous effort. Fighting was out of the question.