Realm Walker

The dense spectral energy rippled in response to the goddess's question.

The goddess tilted her head, listening for several seconds before her expression darkened. "He has already been to Jinshui Amusement Park, and you let him slip through your fingers.

She was clearly displeased. The ghost bride curtsied again, then murmured something more.

The Lady's expression softened slightly. "So you're saying he was given three chances to summon you, and he has only one more opportunity left. The next time he calls upon you, retrieve the Demon-subduing Awl for me."

The ghost bride shook her head gently. "True enough. You wouldn't be able to open that kind of Walker's storage artifact. Very well. I shall leave a wisp of my divine will within you. The next time he summons you, bring me the Awl."

The ghost bride dropped to her knees.

The goddess's gaze turned severe. "You want me not to harm him? He is your husband? Hmph. I will act as I see fit. You have no place telling me what to do."

The furrows in her brow eased, and her tone cooled to something almost gentle. "I am a deity sanctioned by the Imperial Court, not some rabble from a demonic sect."

Only then did the ghost bride rise and silently report more information to her.

The goddess listened for a long while, her expression contemplative, until her beautiful eyes lit up. "You're saying that you sensed a Diurnal power even purer than mine that night? A pity you were shut out from the physical world at the time. Did you see this person's face? Good. Draw it for me."

Several minor ghosts appeared carrying brushes, ink, and rice paper, setting them at the ghost bride's feet with trembling hands.

The brush lifted of its own accord, dipped itself in ink, and swept across the paper in rapid strokes. Within minutes, a young man's likeness took shape. He had ordinary features, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth, exhibiting an air of exuberant confidence yet with the sense of something ineffably weathered buried deep behind his brows.

The goddess studied the portrait for several seconds, committing every detail to memory. Then she flicked her sleeve, and golden flames consumed the paper, reducing it to ash.

She turned her gaze toward the heavy night sky, pondered for a moment, and laughed softly. "When I first saw him at the temple, I could already tell his fate was tangled in misfortune and karma. How interesting indeed."

***

It was late at night. Li Xianzong stood by the window of his hotel room, located in the outskirts, an old mobile phone pressed to his ear. The voice on the other end was patient and unhurried.

—In time, a new Fog Lord will arrive in Songhai to establish a covert base. Tianlingling's death was a consequence of your actions. The organization is reserving the right to hold you accountable. However, if you ascend to the Saint tier in this mid-year slaughter dungeon, we'll call it even.

The voice sounded young, tinged with a smoky rasp and a distinctly masculine magnetism.

Li Xianzong asked quietly, "Lord Demon Eye, is the Slaughter Cessation Palace Master really a Chu family descendant who survived the extermination twenty-one years ago? Which Heavenly King carried that out?"

The Demon Eye Heavenly King chuckled.

—It wasn't me. Word has come in these past few days that some of our Northern Division followers have died at that woman's hands. She's moved north. She must have extracted quite a bit of information from Tianlingling.

Li Xianzong blinked in surprise, then sneered. "She's a Lawful-class Walker who barely entered the Sovereign tier, yet she dares hunt down the Heavenly Kings for revenge? She has a death wish."

The Heavenly King's smile carried through the phone.

—I don't care about that. What I care about is knowing when your multiplayer spirit Realm dungeon will open.

"Within ten days," Li Xianzong replied.

—Once you clear it, you will gain enough experience to reach the peak of Level 3, and then you'll truly be a part of the strongest echelon of the Transcendent tier. By the way, that Yuanshi Tianzun fellow in Songhai. What's his potential like?

"Lord Demon Eye, you needn't concern yourself with such a minor character. Yuanshi Tianzun has a decent stash of items and a bit of cunning, but he's genuinely a greenhorn. Rest assured, within half a month, you'll receive word from Songhai that I've successfully hunted him down."

Just then, Li Xianzong heard the pure, innocent laughter of children through the phone.

—Uncle, uncle! Come play with us!

The Demon Eye Heavenly King ended the conversation.

—We'll leave it here.

"Yes, my lord," Li Xianzong said respectfully, and the call ended.

***

Sunlight poured down in golden sheets upon an orphanage on the outskirts of a remote county in the north. In the orphanage's modest courtyard, beneath the dappled shade of a tree, a young man was distributing candy, snacks, storybooks, and stuffed animals to the children gathered around him. The youngest were five or six, the oldest no more than ten. They wore simple clothes, their faces tanned dark, their smiles radiating pure, unguarded joy.

The man looked about twenty-six. With strong brows, large eyes, and thin lips, he could be considered rather handsome. He wore a black T-shirt and black athletic pants, with a black sports headband tied across his forehead. Everything about him radiated sunny, easygoing warmth.

The orphanage director, a middle-aged woman with soft features and a kindly face, emerged from the building and stepped into the shade. "Mr. Yang, you're here?"

The young man gave a brief nod. "Did the government finally release the overdue subsidies?"

The director sighed with relief. "They did, at last. Funny story, actually. I heard the official in charge of civil affairs vanished without a trace. Apparently he'd embezzled so much that he fled with the funds. His replacement released all the back payments right away."

The young man's smile was radiant. "That's wonderful. Truly wonderful!"

"Mr. Yang, why don't you stay for lunch with the children in the cafeteria?" the director offered.

She had taken over the orphanage earlier that year. She had been reluctant to accept the position, mainly because the directors of this particular orphanage had a strange habit of disappearing without explanation. It had happened several times in a row, in fact. But her superior had promised her that she would be transferred to a posting in the city after three years. For a woman with no connections, there hadn't been much of a choice.

After six months, though, the director's view of the posting had changed completely. The children were innocent and well behaved, and there were no office politics, no backstabbing, and no bureaucratic games. Moreover, she had come to know the kindhearted Mr. Yang.

Long before her arrival, long before the many directors before her, Mr. Yang had been quietly donating to this place. He brought regular deliveries of snacks and toys, and spent hours playing with the children. Every child in the orphanage adored him.

"You go ahead and take care of things, Director. I'll take the kids out to fly kites." His smile was bright and easy.

The director nodded, reminded the children to listen to Uncle Yang, and headed back inside.

The young man gathered the children up with their kites and led them to the grassy lawn outside the orphanage. He ruffled their hair in turn and asked, "Do you like the new director?"

"Yes!"

"Is the cafeteria food good? She hasn't hit you or scolded you? Does she still hand out clothes on schedule?"

After the children answered each question with earnest sincerity, the young man nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "If you ever stop liking the director, make sure you tell Uncle."

***

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Zhang Yuanqing circled Guan Ya, throwing punch after punch. He slid forward, darted back, weaved to the side, mixing straight jabs with hooks, attacking with his elbows while blocking with his forearm.

After a solid week of grueling practice—which was a polite way of saying "getting beaten senseless"—his fighting ability had improved by leaps and bounds. He could now hold his own for three full minutes against Guan Ya's relentless offense without going down.

In Jiang Jingwei's words, "Who knew you were actually a fighting genius?"

The downside was that he had only been training for a short time. He still couldn't properly harness his lower body in combat, and his footwork remained stuck at a beginner level.

"You're improving fast," Guan Ya acknowledged as she dodged his hook and planted a kick square in his chest, "but don't get cocky. Every rookie hits a rapid growth phase early on. The real challenge is pushing past it."

Zhang Yuanqing stumbled backward, caught his balance, and surged in close to deliver a rapid combination of blows. "So what should I do?"

Guan Ya slipped each strike effortlessly. "Under normal circumstances, there are three paths. First, strength training. Make your body more powerful, and it compensates for gaps in technique. Second, study established forms and combinations so you understand what your body is capable of. Third, tons of live sparring. Hmm, and technically speaking, there's a fourth option."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he eased off his attack. "Let's hear it."

Guan Ya grinned. "The fourth path is to provoke your opponent. Detonate their emotions. Make them irrational, reckless, turn them into nothing but a charging bull. You're already an expert at that, and entirely self-taught."

"Trash talk, basically," Zhang Yuanqing said, eyes gleaming.

Guan Ya's expression hardened. "If you use 'Dragon Claw Hand' on me one more time, I won't hold back."

"Relax. It's a different move this time—Black Tiger Steals the Heart!"

SMACK!

Guan Ya spun into a roundhouse kick that launched him across the room.

***

Three hours later, Zhang Yuanqing left the sparring room with a bruised and swollen face. He dragged his exhausted body to the bathroom, showered, peeled off his training clothes, and changed into his own outfit. Then he made his way to the first floor dining hall to enjoy a meal the bunny girls had carefully prepared.

It occurred to him that he had been so consumed by combat training these past few days that he hadn't checked the official forum in a while. He pulled out his phone and logged in.

Three announcements pinned at the top in red immediately caught his eye.

【#Fire Young Master and Gluttony War God clashed in the outskirts of Beijing. The battle ended in a draw.#】

【#The Central Court's Immovable Wisdom King fought two Psychic Society stewards alone. The enemy failed to break through after a prolonged assault and was forced to retreat.#】

【#The Taiyi Sect's Spirit Corpse Steward killed an A-rank wanted criminal, Hand of Gods and Ghosts, yesterday. Victory after victory for the Five Elements Alliance Saints.#】

Have things truly been so exciting these few days? Zhang Yuanqing wondered. Battles between Saint stage Walkers aren't exactly subtle, and Grandpa watches the news every day. How come he hasn't mentioned any incidents?

He read through all three pinned threads carefully and concluded that the official organizations really were the real deal, stacked with powerhouses.

It seemed that when it came to the Saint tier hunting and counter-hunting operations, the strongest Walkers fielded by the official organizations were winning more than they lost. He kept scrolling, then stopped at a post that caught his eye:

【#Taiyi Sect's Yuan Ting has gone missing, believed to have been summoned by a Sect Elder.#】

Zhang Yuanqing silently drew a cross over his chest. Oh, right. Elder Sun already cleared his dungeon. Rest in peace, Captain Yuan. I'll burn some paper money for you. Amen. May there be no Elder Sun in heaven...

He scrolled further and found the narrative had reversed. If the Saint-tier operations boasted a parade of official victories, when it came to the Transcendent tier, the evil organizations winning battle after battle.

In just ten or so minutes of browsing, he spotted at least six or seven reports of Level 3 captains being hunted down by evil factions. The most wanted Walker on the Transcendent tier bounty board, A-One, had even launched an assassination attempt on a local Level 4 steward.

The comments under the posts were pessimistic.

⤷ I hate to say it, but at the Transcendent stage, our Lawful alignment side really can't match the Evil alignment forces.

⤷ When going out for assignments now, I'm on high alert at all times. I don't dare travel alone anymore.

⤷ Our captain got ambushed yesterday, and is badly wounded. We desperately need a big Transcendent-tier victory.

⤷ Dream on. Over in Songhai, even Yuanshi Tianzun got hammered by Li Xianzong so badly he's gone into hiding like a turtle. And that guy cleared two S-rank dungeons in a row.

Zhang Yuanqing's mood soured. Damn it, I'm getting dragged through the mud again.

Just then, Guan Ya walked over carrying a plate of steak and sat down across from him. She had just showered, her hair was still damp, and she was completely bare-faced, with no makeup at all.

Zhang Yuanqing stole a few glances at the open-minded lady and couldn't help but marvel. A woman this beautiful without a trace of makeup genuinely deserved to be called a stunner.

Guan Ya ground her teeth. "Stop looking at me. Every time you stare, it reminds me of your Black Tiger Steals the Heart and Dragon Claw Hand."

"That's because you haven't seen my Sea-calming Needle yet." Zhang Yuanqing sniffed proudly. "Sadly, this great sage has been cultivating his Sea-calming Needle for twenty-one years and has yet to find a suitable ocean trench."

Guan Ya dissolved into giggles. "I'm afraid it's less of a Sea-calming Needle and more of a toothpick. Then again, a needle and a toothpick are basically the same thing."

"My needle is quite large," Zhang Yuanqing pressed on bravely. "You might have to brace yourself."

That was as far as he dared push it. Any racier and his thin skin would betray him. He coughed a few times and changed the subject. "Sis Ya, our Transcendent-tier colleagues are taking some serious losses."

Guan Ya cut into her steak. "That's perfectly normal. Lawful classes have always been weaker than Evil classes, and Transcendent-tier Walkers usually don't have many items. Some don't have any at all. Running into a stronger Evil-class opponent and losing is practically inevitable.

"At the Saint tier, though, you can apply to draw items from the branch armory. Talented individuals get serious organizational backing and heavy investment. Naturally, they have far more cards to play."

Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head and cut a piece of his own steak. That's exactly what I figured.

Guan Ya sighed. "It's like this every year. Official Transcendent-tier Walkers always suffer such beatings. Well, when caught alone, anyway. You got beaten up too, didn't you?"

"Sis Ya, one of these days I should bring Xie Lingxi over to hang out with you. You could learn a thing or two about how she talks to people."

"Oh? How far have you gotten with Xie Lingxi? Have you turned her into a little broken melon?"

"..."

Mid-conversation, they heard footsteps coming down the double staircase. Big Muscles, Li Dongze, White Dragon, Champion Fist, Tang Guoqiang, and the other captains descended with grim faces.

Zhang Yuanqing set down his knife and fork and went to meet them, his gaze finding his own squad leader. "What happened?"

Fu Qingyang wouldn't summon his subordinates for a meeting without cause.

Li Dongze leaned on his cane and sighed. "Three members from our Kangyang District have gone missing. Other districts have reported disappearances too. Altogether, ten Walkers are missing."

"Missing?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "Were they hunted down by Evil-class walkers?"

Big Muscles let out a cold grunt. "No. They were abducted by Li Xianzong. He left a message at every scene."

The towering Fire Sage looked down at Zhang Yuanqing. "He said: Yuanshi Tianzun, your turn is coming."

Zhang Yuanqing's face darkened. He was being provoked again and again. He was starting to get angry.

Just wait until I've grown stronger. This guy is going to become my embarrassing backstory...

The gentle natured Green Vine steered the conversation elsewhere, saying softly, "We still don't know why he's abducting official Walkers. The fear is he's planning another terror attack."

That was precisely why Fu Qingyang had called for a meeting.

It probably wasn't another terror attack.

But what if that bastard has Hex Master techniques and is refining those Walkers into venomous beasts, then sending them to hunt me down?

The more Zhang Yuanqing thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and the heavier his heart grew.

White Dragon's brows knotted tight with fury. "This Li Xianzong has gone too far! My people are terrified and on edge because of him."

"We need to capture him quickly," Li Dongze said in agreement. "The longer this drags on, the worse the branch looks. People are already posting about it on the forum."

"But isn't everyone's personal information classified?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

Tang Guoqiang shook his head. "You don't necessarily need classified intel to find someone's home. You can tail them. We have assignments to handle and schedules to keep. It's easy to get baited out and followed."

Li Dongze didn't pursue the topic further, but turned to Zhang Yuanqing. "Yuanshi, your next dungeon should be coming up soon."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Any day now."