Chapter 18

The thin tree root, as fine as a thumb, quickly burst into golden flames and then turned into charcoal.

The tree roots covering the walls of the passage suddenly came to life, wriggling like a dense cluster of snakes on the wall.

The spirit of the locust tree did not expect this outsider to have such remarkable wisdom. Seeing its lie exposed, it gave up the act and roared:

"Since you won't come over, then die!"

The ground of the stone cave cracked in response, and chunks of rock rose up. Thick tree roots burst out of the ground, twisting like tentacles, lashing out at Zhang Yuanqing.

At this distance, even without the Red Dancing Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing could escape.

Indeed, it was trying to trick me into getting closer... Zhang Yuanqing did not retreat but advanced, sliding to avoid the entanglement of the tree roots, closing the distance between himself and the locust tree. Then he leaped up, soaring several meters high, and once again dodged the sweeping roots.

More and more tree roots broke through the ground, dancing wildly in the stone cave.

Zhang Yuanqing leaped and dodged between the tentacles, his movements graceful. No matter how hard the tree roots tried, they could not catch him.

If he hadn't obtained the Red Dancing Shoes, a beginner facing this challenge with just the Demon Subduing Mace would have a very high mortality rate.

Thud, thud, thud... The Red Dancing Shoes ran swiftly on the walls, avoiding the entanglement and strikes of the tree roots. With a spring from his knees, Zhang Yuanqing shot through the roots like an arrow, colliding with the tree trunk.

Seeing the human hurtling towards it, the tree trunk's face showed obvious fear.

Boom!

The stones at the base of the tree roots cracked, and more roots burst out like a geyser, forming a wooden wall.

Zhang Yuanqing forcefully drove the Demon Subduing Mace into the wooden wall.

Golden flames spread across the surface of the wooden wall, burning the locust tree spirit and making it scream in anger.

Zhang Yuanqing broke through the charred wooden wall and thrust the sharp, three-pronged tip of the Demon Subduing Mace deep into the tree trunk.

Thud!

The three-pronged tip pierced deeply into the tree trunk, and a brilliant sun burst forth from the dark cave.

The golden light distorted the tree trunk and the human face, causing it to emit a shrill scream and emit sizzling smoke.

In an instant, the souls hidden in the tree trunk also turned into smoke in the screams.

All the ghosts and monsters vanished, dissipating in the golden light.

As the golden light faded, the cave returned to darkness but became clean and clear.

Zhang Yuanqing's first action was not to check if the locust tree spirit was dead but to quickly remove the Red Dancing Shoes and store them in his inventory.

It had been almost five minutes since he entered the cave.

After putting away the Red Dancing Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the large banyan tree. It was withered, its bark cracked and dry, and its roots scattered throughout the cave.

A cold voice echoed in Zhang Yuanqing's mind:

[Ding, congratulations on completing the S-rank trial mission. Your character card is activated, and rewards are being settled.]

[Item/Prop obtained: Demon Subduing Mace.]

[Reward experience: 100%]

[You have become a Night Walker.]

[Reward experience: 20%]

[Character card reward activated, reward prop: Red Dancing Shoes.]

[Exiting the spirit realm in five minutes...]

Finally, it's over... Zhang Yuanqing felt physically and mentally exhausted, as if he were drained.

He had cleared the She Ling Tunnel, accomplishing what no one had done in decades.

As the prompt sounded, the black moon mark on Zhang Yuanqing's forehead became prominent, and a strange and mysterious power was released from the heated mark, rushing into his body with a forceful and unreasonable manner.

His skin turned red, like a cooked shrimp. The strange and mysterious power washed over his body, merging into his cells and bones, and his arm injuries healed at a visible speed.

He involuntarily twitched, his eyes showing two illusory black moons, which then disappeared.

The pain soon subsided, and a comfortable sensation, like soaking in a hot spring, washed over him.

So comfortable... Zhang Yuanqing felt lazy and comfortable, wanting to stretch. He instinctively looked down and was startled to see his body standing in place.

Did my soul leave my body?

Panic rose in his heart, and he subconsciously tried to return to his body. With a thought, his soul immediately sank and merged with his body.

After regaining control of his body, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that his body had gained something, a kind of talent.

He naturally accepted this talent, as if it were innate.

At the same time, he felt his body filled with boundless energy and strength, even having the illusion of being able to punch through a planet.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his character attribute panel:

[Name: Yuan Shitianzun]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Night Walker]

[Level: 1]

[Skills: Night Walking, Soul Devouring, Yin Spirit]

[Experience: 20%]

[Morality: 60 (initial value)]

[Night Walking (Active): Gather Yin power to envelop yourself, entering the Night Walking state. During the skill's duration, you will briefly become invisible and suppress your scent, breathing, and body heat, lasting six seconds.]

[Soul Devouring (Active): Devour souls to enhance your spiritual power.]

[Yin Spirit (Passive): The Night Walker has a robust physique, strong vitality, and powerful self-healing abilities. In the night, the Night Walker's abilities are greatly enhanced.]

He had officially become a Night Walker, and he had gained an additional 20% experience, plus the item rewards, making the gains from this trial spirit realm quite substantial.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory, and the Red Dancing Shoes lay quietly in the first slot, the half-hour countdown having disappeared.

He had officially become the owner of the Red Dancing Shoes.

Two minutes later, he had initially adapted to his body's condition, and the wounds on his arms had healed.

Then, Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze to the stone coffin.

The mission's completion meant that the exploration rate had reached 100%, so the stone coffin was empty?

It seems the locust tree spirit was the temple keeper. This way, all the "characters" have appeared. How did it become a tree spirit, and is the body in the stone coffin its physical form?

With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing walked to the stone coffin, intending to loot it, hoping there might be treasures inside.

There were still more than two minutes before exiting the spirit realm, enough time.

To be safe, he summoned the Red Dancing Shoes again and chose the wear mode.

The stone coffin was wrapped in withered tree roots. Zhang Yuanqing swung the Demon Subduing Mace, cutting through the dry roots one by one, revealing the full view of the stone coffin.

It was about two meters long, with intricate carvings on the coffin body, and a thin layer of dust on the lid.

"Za, za..."

He slowly pushed open the coffin lid and looked inside. As a Night Walker, he could easily see through the darkness even without the power of the Demon Subduing Mace.

Inside the stone coffin lay a female corpse, wearing an ancient, decayed robe. Her arms were crossed over her flat abdomen, her waist slender like a willow, and her figure graceful, showing no signs of decay.

The female corpse had a beautiful face, with perfect facial features, a delicate and elegant nose, and pale, sensual lips. Her eyes were tightly closed, and her eyelashes were thick and intertwined.

A stunning beauty.

This... Zhang Yuanqing was so shocked that he took several steps back, with only one thought in his mind:

Is it really the Three Dao Mountain Lady?!

Compared to the sculpture in the main hall, this female corpse lacked benevolence but had a cold beauty, and instead of being plump, she was slender and youthful.

But her features were definitely about 70-80% similar.

Could the locust tree spirit have been telling the truth? Is the source of the temple disciples' disappearances the Three Dao Mountain Lady?

For a moment, he felt uneasy, doubting his judgment, and a wrong judgment would inevitably bring great danger.

No, no, my mission is indeed completed, which means my guess was correct. Then, is the lady in the stone coffin part of a hidden quest?

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly regretted opening the coffin.

If the lady in the stone coffin is the Three Dao Mountain Lady, then the mountain temple must have deeper hidden plots.

This could very likely trigger a series of bad chain reactions, such as a hidden quest.

He was about to close the coffin lid when he noticed a dark luster between the female corpse's lips.

There's something?

After a moment's hesitation, he pinched the sharp chin and gently opened the full, sensual lips, clearly seeing the dark luster.

It was a pitch-black, pure bead.

[Name: Spirit Body Crystal]

[Type: Consumable]

[Function: None]

[Description: A soul crystal purified by the power of the Sun God, containing immense spiritual energy, the most desired supplement for a Night Walker.]

[Note: The Three Dao Mountain Lady has purified the impurities in the crystal, so you can consume it with peace of mind.]

Zhang Yuanqing extended two fingers and picked up the bead.

The bead quickly dissolved, forming a viscous energy that shot into his forehead.

[Ding, you have gained 22% experience.]

Zhang Yuanqing felt his strength surge, once again having the illusion of being able to punch through a planet.

He felt himself become significantly stronger, and without checking the attribute panel, he could clearly sense the improvement in his skills.

The duration of Night Walking increased by three seconds, from six to nine seconds.

Unexpectedly, I've become stronger. Lady, may you rest in peace... Zhang Yuanqing silently closed the coffin lid, pretending he had never opened it.

During the countdown, Zhang Yuanqing was restless, extremely anxious, fearing any bad anomalies, such as triggering a hidden quest and interrupting his return.

Fortunately, nothing happened. Zhang Yuanqing watched the countdown on the blue panel:

5, 4, 3...

Suddenly, a long, deep breath echoed in the dark, silent cave.

Zhang Yuanqing: "..."

The coffin lid was pushed open from the inside, and a pale, delicate hand emerged, grabbing the edge. Then, the beauty in the stone coffin sat up.

The deep, pool-like eyes of the female corpse swept across the cave, meeting the stiff expression of Zhang Yuanqing.

She stared at Zhang Yuanqing for a few seconds, then her lips curled into a smile.

This smile almost scared Zhang Yuanqing to death.

At that moment, the scene shattered like a reflection on water, and the countdown ended.

The world became blurry.

After a moment, the scene gradually stabilized, and bright, white fluorescent lights shone from above, illuminating the white walls, desk, computer, TV, and double bed...

The curtains fluttered in the wind, and outside, birds chirped clearly.

He had returned to the human world.

...

PS: That's it for today. I'm doing consecutive updates to maintain the continuity of the plot and provide a better reading experience. I'll correct any typos later.