They're here!
Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed, but this time he didn't let the Yin Corpse take the lead. Instead, he dashed towards the radiant glow where the snow was.
Seconds later, he saw the equipment shrouded in the glow—a thick skirt armor, with red threads linking shield-shaped plates, exquisitely crafted.
A set of battle armor had only a few components: arm guards, breastplate, and weapon were already claimed. What followed could only be the skirt armor or helmet.
As he ran, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized something was amiss. The distance between him and the skirt armor remained unchanged, giving him the feeling of running towards a mountain but never reaching it.
He stopped abruptly, understanding he had encountered an "attack."
This familiar sensation was the work of a Night Touring Ghost. Zhang Yuanqing looked around and called out loudly:
"Is it Zhao Chenghuang or Sun Miaomiao?"
The maze-like illusion was a charm technique of the Night Touring Ghost profession. Only Sun Miaomiao or Zhao Chenghuang could affect a Level 3 Night Touring Ghost like him.
And it would require the use of some props.
"Hey, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, I didn't expect to catch you here."
A crisp and playful voice rang out.
Zhang Yuanqing followed the sound and saw a graceful figure slowly taking shape a dozen meters away.
A black T-shirt, a short black skirt, dazzling white thighs, a full chest, a round face, and glossy eyes—the whole person exuded a sweet and delicate aura.
Her slightly curled hair and the exclusive noble temperament of a Night Touring Ghost made her look like a little princess.
"Waiting for me?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at the sweet-tempered girl and asked:
"How did you know it would be me?"
Sun Miaomiao giggled mischievously and said:
"I didn't know. After entering the instance, I've been waiting here. Since the components refresh randomly and each contestant can only match with one, I just needed to guard one area, and I would eventually get one."
A smart strategy. Instead of wandering around, it was better to wait for a chance. No wonder he hadn't seen her. Zhang Yuanqing looked around casually and said:
"Your maze is quite powerful, trapping me like this."
Sun Miaomiao bared her little white teeth proudly and said:
"This is a charm technique I created with the help of a spirit servant, made from a Illusionist's spirit body."
Zhang Yuanqing immediately understood.
No wonder Sun Miaomiao's charm technique could deceive him. Illusionists were the best "material" for making spirit servants. A spirit servant made from an Illusionist's spirit body possessed incredible abilities.
"Impressive!"
Zhang Yuanqing praised her verbally while secretly activating the "Soul Devour" skill. His eyes surged with pitch-black viscous energy, filling his sockets, his aura becoming sinister and noble, like a king from the netherworld or a duke of vampires.
His gaze swept around, but he found no anomalies. He couldn't find the opponent's spirit servant.
"Looking for my spirit servant?" Sun Miaomiao pointed behind her and smiled:
"She's right here."
Behind her, a terrifying wraith appeared, a woman in an old nightgown with disheveled hair and the gown stained with black blood.
She had died a miserable death, emanating strong resentment and hatred.
"When a Night Touring Ghost faces another, the correct way to use a spirit servant is to channel their power through oneself. You can't treat them as tools for charging into battle. Do you understand?" She lectured earnestly.
Zhang Yuanqing ignored her, secretly contacting the Yin Corpse. He could sense the Yin Corpse was nearby, but he couldn't see it.
The Yin Corpse was still under his control, but when Zhang Yuanqing ordered it to attack Sun Miaomiao, the response from the Yin Corpse was—no target!
Was Wraith Number One also deceived by the maze? Although it was an inanimate object, it had spiritual intelligence, and with intelligence, it could be deceived by illusions. If the Yin Corpse couldn't find its target... Without a second thought, Zhang Yuanqing summoned his Burst Pistol and aimed at Sun Miaomiao.
Bang! Bang!
The dark red trajectory tore through Sun Miaomiao's body, which shattered like a bubble, only to reappear not far away.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank.
"In this illusion, you can't hit me." Sun Miaomiao clasped her hands behind her back, like an innocent and cheerful girl, with a playful smile.
Zhang Yuanqing retorted:
"The biggest weakness of illusions is their fragile balance. Everything is fake. You can confuse me, lure me, even make me harm myself in the illusion, but you can't directly hurt me.
"Once there's an external disturbance, your illusion will collapse on its own."
Sun Miaomiao's large eyes curved into crescents and she said:
"I just need to trap you. You have the highest score, and when other contestants arrive, you'll be in the illusion. With a joint attack, you'll be quickly eliminated."
"Yuan Shi Tian Zun, you've ruined my grandfather's reputation. I'll take advantage of this competition to humiliate you thoroughly, letting the official exorcists see that my grandfather doesn't need you, purely because the Taiyi Sect is full of talent."
In the arena, among the elder seats.
Sun Zhanglao was quite pleased:
"Ah, Miaomiao, that child, always does as she pleases. She said she wanted to suppress Yuan Shi Tian Zun during this competition to vent my frustration. Why would I bother with a junior?
"Let it be, since she's determined, I can only let her be. Yuan Shi Tian Zun is indeed talented, but he's met my granddaughter!"
After speaking, Sun Zhanglao raised his head and glanced at the other elders who either had no descendants or whose descendants were mediocre, his pride evident in his eyes.
"Having a clever granddaughter is truly remarkable!" the Earth Deity said sourly.
The Earth Deity had been alone all his life, orphaned from a young age and raised in a small fishing village in the province of Fu, with only a yellow dog for company.
Now, having lived most of his life, he was still alone.
The elders who were mocked did not look pleased.
***
A terrifying charm technique indeed. Those who could rank in the top three all had their tricks.
With the Yin-Yang Robe and Red Dance Shoes, I don't have to worry about being instantly killed, but neither item has the ability to break illusions. I could try deploying the Yin-Yang Robe's array to break the illusion with an array, fighting poison with poison.
Zhang Yuanqing found it a bit tricky and said:
"Isn't it Yuan Ting who ruined your grandfather's reputation? What does that have to do with me?"
Sun Miaomiao ignored his rebuttal and coyly said:
"Yuan Shi Tian Zun, I can give you a chance. Let's make a deal."
"2000 for the whole night, 800 for one time, you pay me."
After Zhang Yuanqing finished speaking, he waited for Sun Miaomiao to erupt in anger, then planned to summon the Yin-Yang Robe for a sneak attack.
Sun Miaomiao was stunned: "What do you mean?"
"How do you want to trade?"
Sun Miaomiao immediately showed excitement:
"Give me your little spirit servant, I'll help you defeat Zhao Chenghuang, and assist you in winning the championship. How about that?"
Zhang Yuanqing sneered: "Please find a reasonable excuse if you're just trying to delay time."
"No, I'm serious. I can dispel the illusion right now," Sun Miaomiao said.
Without waiting for Zhang Yuanqing to respond, her eyes surged with pitch-black viscous energy, her aura becoming cold and noble. She opened her mouth slightly and inhaled gently.
The terrifying wraith behind her turned into green smoke and elegantly drifted into her cherry lips.
Zhang Yuanqing felt an invisible force dissipate, and then he saw another Sun Miaomiao standing in the ruins not far away, holding the skirt armor.
The illusion was really lifted. Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. What was this woman's game?
At that moment, Sun Miaomiao's ears twitched, looking into the distance, she said:
"Someone's coming. Let's talk somewhere else."
Immediately, the two of them took the Yin Corpse and used Night Tour to leave the place.
Shortly after, two figures rushed over quickly. It was the warm and sunny Qing Songzi and Tian Xia Gui Huo, who carried a narrow-bladed long knife. Behind them, Tone Deaf, wearing a breastplate, struggled to follow.
"Someone got there first." Tian Xia Gui Huo jumped onto a wall and looked around:
"There are no signs of battle nearby. It seems someone was just nearby by chance, lucky them."
There were too many ruins and desolation around, and Tian Xia Gui Huo, not being a scout, found it difficult to locate the bullet holes left by Zhang Yuanqing in the chaotic ruins.
Qing Songzi looked disappointed.
Among their small team of three, he was the only one without equipment.
***
Somewhere in the ruins.
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a breath of Taiyin power, a rolling cold aura that he caught before it hit the ground and placed on his shoulder.
He did this to prevent Sun Miaomiao from being unscrupulous and attacking Little Rascal.
The Taiyin power condensed on his shoulder into a chubby, round baby.
After Little Rascal appeared, he naturally climbed onto his master's head, his little belly pressing against his master's head, his large eyes wide open, observing Sun Miaomiao with him.
"Ah, it's him, it's him..." Sun Miaomiao jumped up excitedly, her equally black and lively eyes shining with excitement and obsession.
"So cute~" she said, intoxicated.
Is this woman crazy? Zhang Yuanqing frowned and probed:
"Do you like spirit servants? That's not convincing enough for me to trust you."
He had to admit, after the maze was lifted and not using Night Tour to escape, it was Sun Miaomiao's phrase "help you win the championship" that had successfully tempted him.
So he decided to probe and see what Sun Miaomiao was really up to, even if she used the maze again, it couldn't be worse than before.
"I like little spirit servants, the smaller, the better, because they're all so cute and adorable. My grandfather has several little spirit servants in the locust tree in his yard, and I go to play with them every day." Sun Miaomiao spoke without taking her eyes off Little Rascal and said:
"I'll help you take down Zhao Chenghuang and win the championship. You give me the spirit servant, how about that? You don't have to rush to refuse. If you're worried I'm deceiving you, I can swear on my grandfather's reputation and never lie."
Your grandfather's reputation is already tarnished, and you're still saying you're not lying! Zhang Yuanqing shook his head:
"No way!"
"Isn't a pair of Hou Tu Boots, a saintly quality item, worth a spirit servant?"
"He's not a spirit servant; he's my child."
"So there's nothing to discuss?" Sun Miaomiao's eyes turned dark, and a wisp of smoke drifted from her mouth.
As a top three, even without help, she was ready to fight Yuan Shi Tian Zun without hesitation or fear.
Zhang Yuanqing changed the subject:
"If you really are sincere, then we can trade in another way. For example, after the competition, I can let this child stay with you for a while. Maybe you can transfer to Songhai, so he can play with you every day." Sun Miaomiao's beautiful eyes lit up, clearly tempted.
She thought for a moment and suggested: "Can I hold him first?"
"Yes, but you have to mortgage that Illusionist spirit servant to me. I'm sorry, without enough trust, I won't let the child take risks." Zhang Yuanqing said.
In terms of value, the Illusionist behind Sun Miaomiao was no less precious than Little Rascal.
And in terms of strength, it was far superior to the unweaned Little Rascal.
If Sun Miaomiao agreed without hesitation, then Zhang Yuanqing would believe she really liked little spirit servants. If she hesitated or disagreed, then he would leave immediately, as if this conversation had never happened.
"Okay!" Sun Miaomiao immediately agreed.
She waved her hand, controlling the terrifying wraith to float towards Zhang Yuanqing.
Little Rascal, scared, shrank behind his master's head, not daring to look at the nightgown ghost.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing exhaled Taiyin power to wrap around the ghost woman while picking up Little Rascal by the nape and tossing him to Sun Miaomiao.
Sun Miaomiao quickly stepped forward, opened her arms to catch Little Rascal, and hugged him tightly, showering him with kisses:
"Good baby, good baby~"
Little Rascal initially wanted to resist, but the rich Taiyin power on her was too comfortable, so he compliantly leaned against the soft pillow and let her kiss him.
"Baby, are you good? Can you talk yet? Say 'sister'."
"So cute"
A few minutes later, Sun Miaomiao finally moved her gaze away and looked at Yuan Shi Tian Zun:
"I'm very satisfied with this child. So it's settled. I'll help you win the championship, and you let him stay with me for a while. Now, tell me your plan."
This is a bit unreal, to have won over Sun Miaomiao just like that? Zhang Yuanqing still found it unbelievable, but felt he wasn't at a loss, and said: "You've been lingering in this area and haven't encountered other contestants. There are some things you don't understand, let me explain the situation to you.
"Among the eight contestants, Tian Xia Gui Huo has the fewest points, only three left. Qing Songzi, Yuan Ting, Zhao Chenghuang, and Tone Deaf each have four points. Earth Deity has seven points, you have ten, and I still have over thirty.
"Because of the reporting rule I developed, I'm sure that the next mode of battle will be guerrilla warfare. Contestants won't gather together anymore."
If the number of people gathered, as long as two shameless contestants took off their pants when everyone was unprepared, except for Earth Deity, Sun Miaomiao, and him, the others would be eliminated.
Anyone with a brain would avoid a free-for-all situation.
The correct method is to use the vast map for guerrilla warfare, defeating one by one.
"What reporting rule did you develop?" Sun Miaomiao asked curiously.
The pants-off rule... Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself and said: "Like this..."
As he finished speaking, he transferred his consciousness into Little Rascal, then raised two little hands and forcefully pressed them on Sun Miaomiao's full and soft chest.
"Ah..." Sun Miaomiao exclaimed in surprise, then immediately became furious, raising her hand to chop Little Rascal's sparsely haired head, scolding:
"Get out of here."
The chop fell, and the Taiyin power shook violently.
Zhang Yuanqing's will was forcibly expelled from Little Rascal's body.
Little Rascal, having been hit, started crying loudly.
"Baby, be good, baby be good~" Sun Miaomiao hurriedly comforted, her face full of doting.
Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said: "Just like that, you can report me for indecency."
Sun Miaomiao pouted: "Such a shameless rule, I'd be at a loss."
To report, she would have to sacrifice her dignity and let a man take advantage?
Sun Miaomiao rubbed Little Rascal's head, skipping the topic, and pondered:
"If it's guerrilla warfare, our biggest enemy is Zhao Chenghuang. He has a Level 4 Yin Corpse and can 'corpse-transform' to burst out. Besides, I heard he has a very special spirit servant, but he's never used it.
"As for items, he has four or five Transcendent quality items. Plus Yuan Ting's help, if we encounter Zhao Chenghuang, the outcome is uncertain, we must find another ally."
Damn, does Zhao Chenghuang have so many trump cards? No wonder he's a spirit second-generation, unlike me, just a grassroots!
Zhang Yuanqing secretly gritted his teeth.
He thought for a moment and said: "If we're looking for allies, I can try to pull in Earth Deity."
Yuan Ting was a secret weapon, not to be used unless necessary, and when he did, it had to be a fatal blow, to be used at a critical moment.
Sun Miaomiao, hugging Little Rascal, nodded and said:
"Then try to pull in Earth Deity, then clear out Tian Xia Gui Huo and the others, plunder their points and battle armor, then take advantage of eliminating Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang. Finally, I'll help you take down Earth Deity."
Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "pawread dot com"
Zhang Yuanqing looked at the baby being fondled and thought to himself:
Little Rascal, sacrifice a bit of your cuteness for your master.
***
"I haven't found Miaomiao; I don't know where she ran off to."
Yuan Ting stood on a wall, looking around.
Since entering the instance, they hadn't seen Sun Miaomiao. Not long ago, the fourth piece of equipment appeared, and he and Zhao Chenghuang rushed over, only to see the backs of Qing Songzi and the others.
Seeing the two of them, Qing Songzi and his group quickly retreated without stopping.
"Let's keep looking." Zhao Chenghuang replied, and unusually asked:
"Yuan Ting, what do you think the next battle will be like?"
Yuan Ting recalled the retreating backs of the three and analyzed:
"Those three guys obviously formed an alliance. Their next move is to collect more battle armor, accumulate strength, and then deliver a fatal blow to us or to Yuan Shi Tian Zun."
"Why not deliver a fatal blow to Yuan Shi Tian Zun!" Zhao Chenghuang asked.
Yuan Ting gave his explanation:
"Yuan Shi Tian Zun has too many points, and most of us only have four points. To eliminate him, we would pay a heavy price, just to let others take advantage.
"If they choose to ally with Yuan Shi Tian Zun, letting him use his points to wear us down, they can eliminate us, the Taiyi Sect contestants, with minimal cost. Besides points, the most critical point is that Yuan Shi Tian Zun is alone, and the task of this round is to fight until the last two people."
"That is to say, as long as they eliminate the three of us, the last spot will be distributed among Tian Xia Gui Huo and the others. With a good compensation agreement outside the competition, there will be no problem.
"We, the Taiyi Sect, have three people, but there are only two spots. They need to worry extra about the possibility of being betrayed after crossing the river."
Zhao Chenghuang nodded slightly: "Makes sense!"
At that moment, a wandering wraith returned and perched on Zhao Chenghuang's shoulder.
The wraith had black lips and a pair of white pupils, unmistakably the spirit servant that had snatched Jiang Jingwei's essence that day.
Yuan Ting was surprised: "You sent out the spirit servant?"
He hadn't noticed it.
Zhao Chenghuang casually explained: "Just checking the surroundings."
As they spoke, a radiant light soared into the sky in the distance.
Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang ended their conversation and squinted towards the light.
The glow lasted for a few minutes before slowly fading away. Right after that, a notification from the instance sounded in their ears:
【Ding! The Cold Iron Helmet has been equipped—Earth Deity】
【All battle armor pieces have emerged!】
"What a pity, it's too far from us." Yuan Ting said with regret.
At the same time, he understood the structure of the battle armor, which consisted of five pieces: breastplate, arm guards, helmet, weapon, and the skirt armor that had yet to be worn.
Zhao Chenghuang's usually impassive face showed a strange smile:
"Let's go! It's time to end this round."
Proofreader&Editor:Lotas