Realm Walker

Roughly half an hour later, a curly-haired poodle strode into the traditional courtyard with elegant, measured steps, its head held high with aristocratic pride.

Steward Wang followed behind, both hands supporting a silver tray. On it sat a pair of red dancing shoes, their color faded and dull, looking like castoffs that had been abandoned for years.

"I did some calculations and figured you'd be emerging from the Spirit Realm around this time," Elder Teddy said as he appraised the old man, then gave a soft grunt of surprise. "That's a serious injury. Need me to heal you?"

Elder Sun would never pass up the chance to make use of a Recovery Warlock. "Sure, if you wouldn't mind. Nocturnal Specters have decent self-healing powers, but the injuries I sustained this time are a bit different."

The poodle nodded slightly and padded over to the rocking chair. He lifted one paw and placed it on Elder Sun's leg.

A bright, gentle green light emerged, washing the entire courtyard in a luminous emerald. Bathed in its glow, Elder Sun's pallid complexion gradually turned rosy, and the puffiness beneath his eyes receded.

"Ahh," Elder Sun exhaled with satisfaction. "That'll do. You came all the way to the capital because you need a favor?"

Elder Teddy lowered his paw. "'Favor' is a strong word. It's a small request. Consider the healing I just performed as payment."

He glanced back, beckoning the middle-aged man forward.

Steward Wang approached with the tray, and Elder Teddy continued, "This item has been contaminated by hex magic."

Elder Sun stared at the red dancing shoes, struck by a nagging sense of familiarity he couldn't quite place.

"That's an easy fix."

Without overthinking it, he extended his hand, holding his palm above the shoes. Pure, blazing golden light surged forth. Bathed in that radiance, the red dancing shoes twisted and writhed. The dull, decayed sheen that coated them peeled away like grime being scrubbed clean, stripped off in seconds. They emerged from the light looking brand new.

Tap, tap, tap...

The red dancing shoes leapt merrily off the tray and began bouncing around the courtyard.

They're rather lively. It seems like a sentient item, thought Elder Sun.

He initially assumed they were expressing the joy of being freed, but then he noticed a message floating above the shoes.

【Would you like to dance with me? If yes, please march in place.】

【Huh? Where is everyone?】

He suddenly realized the shoes had been searching for someone, but having failed to find their target, they ended up scurrying about aimlessly. At the same time, he finally realized why they looked familiar. This was the rule-type item from Sheling Tunnel. It matched the description in the old strategy guide.

That meant their owner was Yuanshi Tianzun.

Elder Sun looked away from the shoes and turned to the poodle, his voice grave. "These shoes belong to Yuanshi Tianzun?"

Elder Teddy nodded.

"I was actually looking to contact your Five Elements Alliance," Elder Sun began, then paused to choose his next words carefully. "I encountered the Three Paths Mountain Goddess inside a Nocturnal Specter-exclusive Spirit Realm. She's the one who wounded me."

The fur on Elder Teddy's forehead twitched.

"She's immensely powerful, and I nearly didn't make it back. But I did gain something valuable. I believe I understand why she's been searching for Yuanshi Tianzun." Elder Sun's voice carried the weight of what he'd witnessed. "That boy took the goddess's yang spirit. Without that piece of her solar essence, she can neither continue advancing nor break free from the Spirit Realm."

Elder Teddy's face took on a decidedly human series of expressions: shock, disbelief, then barely contained elation. That boy actually possesses an ancient Diurnal Spirit's yang spirit... Most rule-type items couldn't even begin to compare to that.

Elder Sun coughed and cut straight to the point. "The Three Paths Mountain Goddess will stop at nothing to reclaim her yang spirit. Yuanshi Tianzun's level is far too low to bear the karmic weight of it. The Taiyi Sect is willing to trade. Name your terms."

Elder Teddy said nothing.

Elder Sun frowned, caught off-guard. "You're not willing to trade? The Five Elements Alliance doesn't have any Nocturnal Specters, so her yang spirit is useless to you. You can't even access her realm."

"We may not be able to use it, but Yuanshi can. Let him keep the goddess's yang spirit. When he reaches the Sovereign tier someday, he'll be able to bear the karmic burden naturally." Elder Teddy's tone was measured and final.

Elder Sun stared at him, incredulous. "Do you really have that much faith in him? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to reach the Sovereign tier?"

Elder Teddy let out a sigh. "He's about to become the Five Elements Alliance's top talent for cultivation. As soon as he passes the full inspection, we'll spare no expense in developing him."

Elder Sun couldn't comprehend that statement. "Why...?"

"Because he's cleared two S-rank Spirit Realms. Because just a few days ago, he was awarded A-rank Merit. And now, with this karmic entanglement, he's even more worth investing in, wouldn't you say?"

Elder Sun went rigid. He fixed his gaze on the poodle. "A-rank Merit? You're not joking?"

Given the threshold for A-rank Merit, one would need to slay a Sovereign-tier Evil-class Walker, resolve a catastrophic crisis, or seize a critical item. Only fellow Sovereign-tier elders were capable of such feats.

How could a low-level Walker possibly accomplish that?

Elder Teddy regarded him with something resembling pity. "Old Sun, you fool."

What am I a fool about? Elder Sun didn't understand, though the phrase struck him as oddly familiar. He was about to ask when the Red Dancing Shoes came tapping over and stopped in front of the rocking chair.

A message appeared.

【Would you like to dance with me? If yes, please march in place.】

Elder Sun waved it away dismissively and returned to the conversation. "If you can't make the decision yourself, I can have the sect master communicate directly with the female marshal—"

The words had barely left his mouth when a thunderous kick connected with his face, leaving him dazed. He turned in bewilderment to stare at the odd item beside his chair. Since when did an item dare strike him across the face?

Unbeknownst to him, his dismissive wave had triggered the shoes' attack protocol. When it came to people who refused to dance, the Red Dancing Shoes showed absolutely no mercy.

Thud, thud, thud!

The shoes leapt onto Elder Sun and launched a sustained assault, each stomp landing with devastating force on the elderly man's body.

Elder Teddy watched with undisguised pity. "Did you forget the rule governing this particular pair of shoes?"

Elder Sun remembered. "Refuse to dance, and it will kill you."

"It pursues you relentlessly, ignoring all obstacles. You can't escape, and you can't destroy it. The only way out is to dance with it," Elder Teddy added helpfully.

"..."

Elder Teddy's gaze turned playful. "I never imagined I'd have the honor of witnessing Elder Sun's dancing. I can spare you one dance's worth of time."

Elder Sun snorted. "Such crude rules."

He closed his eyes and let the red dancing shoes continue their assault. Then, his spirit separated from his physical body. His life force vanished instantly, and his heart stopped. Not a trace of vitality remained.

For a Nocturnal Specter, spirit projection was routine. Once consciousness left the body, the flesh entered a state of suspended death.

The Red Dancing Shoes slowed their attack. They paused beside the rocking chair, observed for a few seconds, then delivered one more vicious kick to the face.

There was no response. Satisfied that he was dead, the shoes pivoted and tapped their way over to Elder Teddy. A message appeared.

【Would you like to dance with me? If yes, please march in place.】

The expression on Elder Teddy's canine face froze solid.

Elder Sun's spirit returned to his body. His eyes snapped open, and he reiterated the poodle's own words back at him with a smirk. "I never imagined I'd have the honor of witnessing your dancing. I can spare the time to watch you dance one dance."

Elder Teddy scoffed. "As if I don't have my own methods of dealing with this. Do you think these shoes can actually hurt me?"

He straightened up. "Anyway, my business in the capital is done. Time to head back to Songhai. As for the yang spirit of the Three Paths Mountain Goddess, I won't agree to hand it over unless I get the order from the Alliance Chief."

With a cold huff, the curly-haired poodle strode out of the courtyard with elegant composure, enduring kick after relentless kick as he swiftly departed.

Elder Sun watched the poodle vanish through the courtyard gate, then turned his gaze inward, brow furrowed in thought. After a long moment, he spoke.

"What happened while I was gone? How did Yuanshi Tianzun end up earning A-rank Merit?"

Steward Wang, privately grateful that the shoes hadn't targeted him, relayed everything that had transpired during Elder Sun's absence.

Realization dawned on Elder Sun, and he sighed. "I see. That boy's growth has genuinely surprised me. Not recruiting him in the first place was my mistake—"

He stopped short, suddenly grasping what Elder Teddy had meant by "fool."

After a moment of silence, he asked cautiously, "Have there been any rumors about me circulating within the sect recently?"

Steward Wang's expression contorted with visible discomfort. Under Elder Sun's steady gaze, he reluctantly pulled out his phone, opened the Nocturnal Specter's official forum, and typed into the search bar: Elder Sun, you fool.

He handed the phone over gingerly. "Perhaps you should see for yourself."

Half suspicious, half apprehensive, Elder Sun took the phone. He focused on the screen and saw that the forum contained over two hundred posts featuring the phrase "Elder Sun, you fool."

The venerable Elder's hands began to tremble.

He scrolled through the posts. Every single one criticized Elder Sun's foolishness in letting a prodigy slip away. Gradually, "Elder Sun, you fool" had evolved into a standard expression among the Taiyi Sect's Nocturnal Specters, a catchphrase for conveying heartfelt anguish.

Feeling down? Grieving a missed opportunity? Seething with anger? Just drop an "Elder Sun, you fool!"

His hands shook harder. He scrolled further and discovered that the original wave of "Elder Sun, you fool" posts, dozens of them, all originated from a single person. A single name.

Yuan Ting.

"The audacity! These wretched dogs, daring to mock me on the forums!"

"Well, it's not just the forums," Steward Wang ventured.

Elder Sun turned to look at him. "Hm?"

"They mock you in the group chats too."

Elder Sun erupted with fury. "Summon Yuan Ting to me at once. If he's not standing before me by tonight, I will personally go to Songhai and break his legs."

***

—Elder Sun, you fool!

In the Nocturnal Specter group chat, Yuan Ting posted his customary lament before continuing the discussion.

Yuan Ting: In my opinion, even though Yuanshi Tianzun nearly died at Li Xianzong's hands yesterday, that doesn't mean he lacks potential. We all know how massive the gap between Level 2 and Level 3 is. Not to mention Li Xianzong has been through far more Spirit Realms and has way more items.

Jian Ji: Yuan Ting, you need to watch your back too. If Li Xianzong can't find Yuanshi Tianzun, he'll hunt down other Level 3 Walkers. You're a Nocturnal Specter. Your bounty would be higher than any other Lawful-class Walker.

Yuan Ting: Heh, I'll show him just how powerful a Level 3 Nocturnal Specter can be.

Mid-conversation, an incoming call interrupted the chat interface.

Yuan Ting blinked at the name on his screen. Why is Steward Wang calling me?

Steward Wang was Elder Sun's personal assistant and confidant. The two of them had virtually no reason to interact. They'd exchanged contact information, sure, but the two could go an entire year without exchanging a single call.

He answered the phone. "Steward Wang, what can I do for you?"

The steward's somber voice came through the speaker.

—Yuan Ting, Elder Sun has emerged. He knows about you all mocking him, and he is furious. He asked for you by name. What am I supposed to say to you... Just, good luck.

Is it too late to write my will...? Yuan Ting felt himself slowly turning to stone, his face the very picture of a man who had lost the will to live.