Official Walkers streamed in one after another, instinctively splitting into two teams—one dedicated to treating the injured and the other to inspecting the scene and delivering the coup de grâce, eradicating any potential hazards.
A female member of the Blossom Society squatted down to check on two poisoned Fire Warriors, her tone shifting slightly:
“Centurion, their vital signs are weak. They need to take a diluted dose of Vitality Essence immediately, or their lives will be in danger.”
Within the Lawful Faction, both Musicians and Wood Demons possess skills in the domain of life, but at the Supernatural Stage, neither class has the ability to resurrect the dead.
Such powerful skills are controlled only by higher-ranking walkers.
Therefore, the “Vitality Essence,” a product of the Musician class, has always been a crucial strategic resource for the officials. It can have an immediate, life-saving effect on critically wounded soldiers.
The Five Elements Alliance purchases large quantities of Vitality Essence from the “Three Great Musicians” every year, as it is extremely precious.
Fu Qingyang spoke with a grave tone: “Treat them immediately.”
The Wood Demon woman opened her tactical backpack and took out two syringes, administering intravenous injections to the two poisoned Fire Warriors.
The severely injured and unconscious Big Muscle Tyrant likewise received this treatment. Li Dongze, however, was not so fortunate; a Wood Demon from the Blossom Society simply performed basic first aid, detoxification, and bandaging on him.
Green Vine and the others were also given treatment.
Fu Qingyang walked over to Guan Ya, took off his coat, and draped it over her, frowning as he asked:
“Are you alright?”
Guan Ya gathered the collar of her suit and shook her head.
At this moment, a Captain-level walker who had been clearing the battlefield returned with his team to report:
“Centurion, all the enemies have been killed; there are no survivors.”
The Captain remarked with a sense of wonder:
“The bodies of the four Gu Beasts had reached the strength of a Level 3 Fire Warrior. It’s unbelievable that you managed to deal with them without any casualties. However, there’s something I don’t understand: two of the Gu Beasts had no wounds, their bodies stiff and cold, as if they had been dead for several hours.
“How did you do it?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Jun raised an eyebrow and immediately moved to the side of the ‘Reckless Rampage’ corpse, squatting down to observe.
A thought struck Fu Qingyang, and he turned to Guan Ya, asking, “What happened?”
“Those two were killed by the Primordial Celestial Lord,” Guan Ya replied succinctly.
“No, not two of them,” White Loong, who had received treatment, added while leaning on his sword: “It was three.”
“The Primordial Celestial Lord? The newcomer who cleared the S-level Jinsui Amusement Park? Where is he? I haven’t seen what he looks like yet.” The young girl bandaging Big Muscle Tyrant lifted her head and asked excitedly.
Her direct Captain quelled the girl’s excitement with a stern look.
Three? Fu Qingyang looked at Green Vine and Tang Guoqiang, noting their lack of objection, while the injured Level 2 walkers seemed to recall something, their expressions a mix of respect and fear.
“It’s indeed the handiwork of the Night Wandering Deity,” Ling Jun clicked his tongue twice: “A Level 2 Night Wandering Deity, and already so powerful? This kid hasn’t been a spirit realm walker for long.”
After speaking, he added regretfully: “Handing him over to the Five Elements Alliance was a mistake.”
Fu Qingyang glanced at him, then turned back to Guan Ya: “Where is the Primordial Celestial Lord?”
“Upstairs,” Guan Ya looked up: “Taking care of some things.”
Compared to the chaotic mess in the hall, the second floor room was relatively intact. In the third room facing outside, Zhang Yuanqing found the Item he was looking for.
It was an incense burner, made of bronze with a three-legged base. The body of the burner was carved from ebony into a toad in a squatting position, with its head raised and mouth wide open.
The Celestial Toad Furnace sat quietly on the table.
Zhang Yuanqing, fighting the itch in his throat, stumbled to the bedside, pulled back the curtains, pushed open the window, and took several deep breaths of fresh air.
The slight dizziness faded a bit, and then he returned to the table, picked up the Celestial Toad Furnace, and the following information appeared in his view:
Name: Celestial Toad Furnace
Type: Utensil
Function: Toxin
Introduction: In ancient times, a genius from a Witch Gu Tribe in the Southern Mountains decided to create a colorless, odorless toxin that killed without trace. After years of relentless research, he successfully created this incense burner. However, he discovered that the toxin, while colorless and odorless, was not very potent and worked slowly. So, he discarded it. Half a month later, the entire tribe had died.
Note: Have you stacked your poison resistance?
Zhang Yuanqing immediately stored the Item in his Inventory, thinking to himself what a treacherous thing it was.
Through the Introduction and Note, he understood the characteristics of the Item. First, the toxin did not distinguish between friend and foe; even the owner of the Item could be poisoned. Reckless Rampage could withstand it because Gu Sorcerers have high poison resistance.
Second, the Celestial Toad Furnace was the type of Item where the longer it was placed, the more potent its toxicity became. Its toxicity would continue to evaporate and if not stored properly, it could harm an entire area, even strong enough to kill everyone in the Witch Gu Tribe.
“Hmm?”
Zhang Yuanqing reopened his Inventory to review the information about the Celestial Toad Furnace.
“Ancient times. Southern Mountain Witch Gu Tribe?”
He gleaned something different from the information, surmising from the Introduction that the Item must have been created by a High-level spirit realm walker from a bygone era.
It then either fell into the spirit realm and was obtained by “Reckless Rampage” or has been passed down through reality. Of course, these details aren’t important; what’s important is the term “ancient times.”
What era does “ancient times” refer to? How many years ago is that?
Were there spirit realm walkers in that era? Yet, the concept of an Attribute Panel seems like a modern idea.
Well, it’s not clear if it’s a modern concept, but if ancient people also had the concept of a panel, that would be quite anachronistic. Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, “I’ll have to check the origins of the spirit realm when I have the chance, if I have the authority to do so.”
And if the concept of a panel didn’t exist in ancient times, then the source of the panel information they are familiar with now is very mysterious.
There are even doubts about whether the concept of spirit realm walkers existed in ancient times.
“There are many secrets in the spirit realm itself; I’ve always felt that the presence of Moral Value is illogical, it bears the heavy marks of artificiality, not something naturally occurring.”
At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that his colleagues downstairs were evacuating en masse.
Without further hesitation, he left the room and descended the stairs.
The Official Walkers in the living room on the first floor had already dispersed. In the center of the room, a young man in a white suit sat in a high-backed chair, against a backdrop of broken furniture, deep red bloodstains, toppled sofas, and cracked walls.
Dressed in a suit as white as snow, with handsome features that were both stern and serious, Fu Qingyang presented a stark contrast to the chaos around him.
Zhang Yuanqing eyed the man in the white suit, who in turn was scrutinizing him.
As Zhang Yuanqing descended the last step, the youth in the white suit nodded slightly, “Fu Qingyang.”
“There is actually someone more handsome than me,” Zhang Yuanqing thought as he bowed respectfully, “Good to see you, Centurion.”
He had long admired the Centurion, having heard about him many times from Li Dongze – born into a wealthy family, a naturally gifted and calm strategist, courageous and honest. And, well, the last bit about being foolishly rich was something Guan Ya had mentioned.
Now finally meeting this “legendary” figure, Zhang Yuanqing’s first impression was of pride, nobility, and sharpness, the kind that made one think twice before joking with him.
Interestingly, Zhang Yuanqing didn’t feel repelled because Fu Qingyang’s nobility and pride seemed genuine and fitting with his demeanor.
Fu Qingyang sat in the high-backed chair and spoke calmly:
“Don’t be formal with me; I’ve been watching you for a long time and wanted to meet you much earlier. But Guan Ya said you’re a lecher without the courage to act, so I thought I’d observe a bit longer.”
“Do you have a prejudice against lechers? No, I’m not a lecher,” Zhang Yuanqing explained, “This is a misunderstanding on her part. I believe Fu Centurion should have his own judgment.”
Fu Qingyang responded indifferently, “She strongly recommended that I promote you to Decurion, believing you’re among the top talents of the new generation in the Five Elements Alliance.”
Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to agree, “She has a sharp eye for people.”
Fu Qingyang’s gaze deepened as he looked at him.
For some reason, Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes subconsciously dodged, uncomfortable under such penetrating scrutiny that seemed to see through everything.
“I hate the gaze of Scouts,” Zhang Yuanqing muttered internally, just as he was about to meet Fu Qingyang’s eyes, the latter shifted his gaze towards the corpse of Reckless Rampage and asked:
“What’s your take on this battle?”
His tone was even, sounding more like evaluating a valued subordinate than asking a question.
Considering that the Centurion seemed to hold him in high regard, Zhang Yuanqing chose his words carefully, replying:
“The enemy knew our deployment and numbers in advance; they have a deep understanding of us. There are deep waters behind this.”
Fu Qingyang cut to the point, “Someone within the Official ranks colluded with Reckless Rampage, betraying you.”
“In other words, we have a traitor among us!” Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
“That’s why I’ve sent everyone away. What happens next is known only to you and me,” Fu Qingyang glanced at the body of Reckless Rampage.
Zhang Yuanqing understood his implication, stepped forward to the grotesque and fierce corpse, as a black viscous substance swirled in the depths of his eyes.
The spirit that lingered in the husk began to revive, wafting out in strands and condensing into a semi-transparent phantom above the corpse, baring its teeth at Zhang Yuanqing in savage fury.
“After I devour the Spirit Body of Evil Classes, I might go a bit mad,” he said, taking out the Demon-suppressing Scepter and handing it to Fu Qingyang, “This Item can purify mental contamination.”
He had entrusted the Demon-suppressing Scepter to Li Dongze out of trust in his character, and to Fu Qingyang because the latter was foolishly rich—no, rather, financially powerful and unlikely to covet his Item.
Fu Qingyang took the Item, nodding lightly.
Zhang Yuanqing no longer spoke, took a deep breath, and ingested the Spirit Body into his mouth.
Suddenly, his brow swelled, and something alien forcefully poured into his sea of consciousness.
Countless shattered images surged forward, passing by like a carousel, all significant memories from the life of Reckless Rampage.
Reckless Rampage came from an impoverished family and worked hard at his studies to change his fate. After entering society, he found that his proud academic achievements didn’t carry much weight. After several years of work, he realized that diligently going to the office only resulted in more tasks from his leaders, turning him into a corporate drone.
Unable to compete with those who had connections or those who flattered without capability, ten years of work couldn’t afford him a house — a prerequisite for marriage. To make things worse, his father was an honest and simple farmer without savings.
Honesty and decency offered no hope, but underhanded methods were lucrative.
He didn’t know where his future lay, becoming very lost, until one day, he amassed a fortune through his position, and from then on, Reckless Rampage fell from grace, taking pleasure in these risky behaviors.
Finally, the scenery changed, and Zhang Yuanqing saw a dark bedroom and a Yin Spirit floating beside the bed.
“Where are the Black Guards of Impermanence again? Trust is the foundation of cooperation; it seems we still don’t trust each other enough.”
“You have two choices: one is to wait for the Fallen on the Register to gradually lose control.”
“To show my sincerity, I will reveal to you the deployment and actions of the Official Walkers.”
In the same dark bedroom, Reckless Rampage sliced open his wrist, letting blood drip into a black wooden bowl engraved with runes, where the blood twisted into a human face.
“Boss, the Dark Rose is at our door, wanting to meet with you.”
“It’s too early to meet now; dealing with a tiger requires caution. Has their Leader come?”
“I don’t know. Boss, it’s crucial to take control of the Fallen Grail as soon as possible.”
“Are you teaching me how to do things?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“What else did he say?”
“He said he would provide me with the action plan of the Official team, allowing me to set up an ambush to alleviate the pressure on you.”
“It’s worth a try.”
Dark Rose? The Black Guards of Impermanence are lurking in Songhai, waiting for the Leader of Dark Rose? What kind of organization is this? They seem to be brewing some grand conspiracy. Tsk, the information obtained this time is substantial.
A golden light arose, the images dispersed, and consciousness returned. Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes to find himself shackled to a high-backed chair.
Eh, no pain, no signs of being beaten. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of relief, but then he thought that this meant Fu Centurion had completely overpowered him, which dampened his spirits.
Seeing him awake, Fu Qingyang immediately asked:
“What did you find out?”
Official Walkers streamed in one after another, instinctively splitting into two teams—one dedicated to treating the injured and the other to inspecting the scene and delivering the coup de grâce, eradicating any potential hazards.
A female member of the Blossom Society squatted down to check on two poisoned Fire Warriors, her tone shifting slightly:
“Centurion, their vital signs are weak. They need to take a diluted dose of Vitality Essence immediately, or their lives will be in danger.”
Within the Lawful Faction, both Musicians and Wood Demons possess skills in the domain of life, but at the Supernatural Stage, neither class has the ability to resurrect the dead.
Such powerful skills are controlled only by higher-ranking walkers.
Therefore, the “Vitality Essence,” a product of the Musician class, has always been a crucial strategic resource for the officials. It can have an immediate, life-saving effect on critically wounded soldiers.
The Five Elements Alliance purchases large quantities of Vitality Essence from the “Three Great Musicians” every year, as it is extremely precious.
Fu Qingyang spoke with a grave tone: “Treat them immediately.”
The Wood Demon woman opened her tactical backpack and took out two syringes, administering intravenous injections to the two poisoned Fire Warriors.
The severely injured and unconscious Big Muscle Tyrant likewise received this treatment. Li Dongze, however, was not so fortunate; a Wood Demon from the Blossom Society simply performed basic first aid, detoxification, and bandaging on him.
Green Vine and the others were also given treatment.
Fu Qingyang walked over to Guan Ya, took off his coat, and draped it over her, frowning as he asked:
“Are you alright?”
Guan Ya gathered the collar of her suit and shook her head.
At this moment, a Captain-level walker who had been clearing the battlefield returned with his team to report:
“Centurion, all the enemies have been killed; there are no survivors.”
The Captain remarked with a sense of wonder:
“The bodies of the four Gu Beasts had reached the strength of a Level 3 Fire Warrior. It’s unbelievable that you managed to deal with them without any casualties. However, there’s something I don’t understand: two of the Gu Beasts had no wounds, their bodies stiff and cold, as if they had been dead for several hours.
“How did you do it?”
Upon hearing this, Ling Jun raised an eyebrow and immediately moved to the side of the ‘Reckless Rampage’ corpse, squatting down to observe.
A thought struck Fu Qingyang, and he turned to Guan Ya, asking, “What happened?”
“Those two were killed by the Primordial Celestial Lord,” Guan Ya replied succinctly.
“No, not two of them,” White Loong, who had received treatment, added while leaning on his sword: “It was three.”
“The Primordial Celestial Lord? The newcomer who cleared the S-level Jinsui Amusement Park? Where is he? I haven’t seen what he looks like yet.” The young girl bandaging Big Muscle Tyrant lifted her head and asked excitedly.
Her direct Captain quelled the girl’s excitement with a stern look.
Three? Fu Qingyang looked at Green Vine and Tang Guoqiang, noting their lack of objection, while the injured Level 2 walkers seemed to recall something, their expressions a mix of respect and fear.
“It’s indeed the handiwork of the Night Wandering Deity,” Ling Jun clicked his tongue twice: “A Level 2 Night Wandering Deity, and already so powerful? This kid hasn’t been a spirit realm walker for long.”
After speaking, he added regretfully: “Handing him over to the Five Elements Alliance was a mistake.”
Fu Qingyang glanced at him, then turned back to Guan Ya: “Where is the Primordial Celestial Lord?”
“Upstairs,” Guan Ya looked up: “Taking care of some things.”
Compared to the chaotic mess in the hall, the second floor room was relatively intact. In the third room facing outside, Zhang Yuanqing found the Item he was looking for.
It was an incense burner, made of bronze with a three-legged base. The body of the burner was carved from ebony into a toad in a squatting position, with its head raised and mouth wide open.
The Celestial Toad Furnace sat quietly on the table.
Zhang Yuanqing, fighting the itch in his throat, stumbled to the bedside, pulled back the curtains, pushed open the window, and took several deep breaths of fresh air.
The slight dizziness faded a bit, and then he returned to the table, picked up the Celestial Toad Furnace, and the following information appeared in his view:
Name: Celestial Toad Furnace
Type: Utensil
Function: Toxin
Introduction: In ancient times, a genius from a Witch Gu Tribe in the Southern Mountains decided to create a colorless, odorless toxin that killed without trace. After years of relentless research, he successfully created this incense burner. However, he discovered that the toxin, while colorless and odorless, was not very potent and worked slowly. So, he discarded it. Half a month later, the entire tribe had died.
Note: Have you stacked your poison resistance?
Zhang Yuanqing immediately stored the Item in his Inventory, thinking to himself what a treacherous thing it was.
Through the Introduction and Note, he understood the characteristics of the Item. First, the toxin did not distinguish between friend and foe; even the owner of the Item could be poisoned. Reckless Rampage could withstand it because Gu Sorcerers have high poison resistance.
Second, the Celestial Toad Furnace was the type of Item where the longer it was placed, the more potent its toxicity became. Its toxicity would continue to evaporate and if not stored properly, it could harm an entire area, even strong enough to kill everyone in the Witch Gu Tribe.
“Hmm?”
Zhang Yuanqing reopened his Inventory to review the information about the Celestial Toad Furnace.
“Ancient times. Southern Mountain Witch Gu Tribe?”
He gleaned something different from the information, surmising from the Introduction that the Item must have been created by a High-level spirit realm walker from a bygone era.
It then either fell into the spirit realm and was obtained by “Reckless Rampage” or has been passed down through reality. Of course, these details aren’t important; what’s important is the term “ancient times.”
What era does “ancient times” refer to? How many years ago is that?
Were there spirit realm walkers in that era? Yet, the concept of an Attribute Panel seems like a modern idea.
Well, it’s not clear if it’s a modern concept, but if ancient people also had the concept of a panel, that would be quite anachronistic. Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, “I’ll have to check the origins of the spirit realm when I have the chance, if I have the authority to do so.”
And if the concept of a panel didn’t exist in ancient times, then the source of the panel information they are familiar with now is very mysterious.
There are even doubts about whether the concept of spirit realm walkers existed in ancient times.
“There are many secrets in the spirit realm itself; I’ve always felt that the presence of Moral Value is illogical, it bears the heavy marks of artificiality, not something naturally occurring.”
At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that his colleagues downstairs were evacuating en masse.
Without further hesitation, he left the room and descended the stairs.
The Official Walkers in the living room on the first floor had already dispersed. In the center of the room, a young man in a white suit sat in a high-backed chair, against a backdrop of broken furniture, deep red bloodstains, toppled sofas, and cracked walls.
Dressed in a suit as white as snow, with handsome features that were both stern and serious, Fu Qingyang presented a stark contrast to the chaos around him.
Zhang Yuanqing eyed the man in the white suit, who in turn was scrutinizing him.
As Zhang Yuanqing descended the last step, the youth in the white suit nodded slightly, “Fu Qingyang.”
“There is actually someone more handsome than me,” Zhang Yuanqing thought as he bowed respectfully, “Good to see you, Centurion.”
He had long admired the Centurion, having heard about him many times from Li Dongze – born into a wealthy family, a naturally gifted and calm strategist, courageous and honest. And, well, the last bit about being foolishly rich was something Guan Ya had mentioned.
Now finally meeting this “legendary” figure, Zhang Yuanqing’s first impression was of pride, nobility, and sharpness, the kind that made one think twice before joking with him.
Interestingly, Zhang Yuanqing didn’t feel repelled because Fu Qingyang’s nobility and pride seemed genuine and fitting with his demeanor.
Fu Qingyang sat in the high-backed chair and spoke calmly:
“Don’t be formal with me; I’ve been watching you for a long time and wanted to meet you much earlier. But Guan Ya said you’re a lecher without the courage to act, so I thought I’d observe a bit longer.”
“Do you have a prejudice against lechers? No, I’m not a lecher,” Zhang Yuanqing explained, “This is a misunderstanding on her part. I believe Fu Centurion should have his own judgment.”
Fu Qingyang responded indifferently, “She strongly recommended that I promote you to Decurion, believing you’re among the top talents of the new generation in the Five Elements Alliance.”
Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to agree, “She has a sharp eye for people.”
Fu Qingyang’s gaze deepened as he looked at him.
For some reason, Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes subconsciously dodged, uncomfortable under such penetrating scrutiny that seemed to see through everything.
“I hate the gaze of Scouts,” Zhang Yuanqing muttered internally, just as he was about to meet Fu Qingyang’s eyes, the latter shifted his gaze towards the corpse of Reckless Rampage and asked:
“What’s your take on this battle?”
His tone was even, sounding more like evaluating a valued subordinate than asking a question.
Considering that the Centurion seemed to hold him in high regard, Zhang Yuanqing chose his words carefully, replying:
“The enemy knew our deployment and numbers in advance; they have a deep understanding of us. There are deep waters behind this.”
Fu Qingyang cut to the point, “Someone within the Official ranks colluded with Reckless Rampage, betraying you.”
“In other words, we have a traitor among us!” Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
“That’s why I’ve sent everyone away. What happens next is known only to you and me,” Fu Qingyang glanced at the body of Reckless Rampage.
Zhang Yuanqing understood his implication, stepped forward to the grotesque and fierce corpse, as a black viscous substance swirled in the depths of his eyes.
The spirit that lingered in the husk began to revive, wafting out in strands and condensing into a semi-transparent phantom above the corpse, baring its teeth at Zhang Yuanqing in savage fury.
“After I devour the Spirit Body of Evil Classes, I might go a bit mad,” he said, taking out the Demon-suppressing Scepter and handing it to Fu Qingyang, “This Item can purify mental contamination.”
He had entrusted the Demon-suppressing Scepter to Li Dongze out of trust in his character, and to Fu Qingyang because the latter was foolishly rich—no, rather, financially powerful and unlikely to covet his Item.
Fu Qingyang took the Item, nodding lightly.
Zhang Yuanqing no longer spoke, took a deep breath, and ingested the Spirit Body into his mouth.
Suddenly, his brow swelled, and something alien forcefully poured into his sea of consciousness.
Countless shattered images surged forward, passing by like a carousel, all significant memories from the life of Reckless Rampage.
Reckless Rampage came from an impoverished family and worked hard at his studies to change his fate. After entering society, he found that his proud academic achievements didn’t carry much weight. After several years of work, he realized that diligently going to the office only resulted in more tasks from his leaders, turning him into a corporate drone.
Unable to compete with those who had connections or those who flattered without capability, ten years of work couldn’t afford him a house — a prerequisite for marriage. To make things worse, his father was an honest and simple farmer without savings.
Honesty and decency offered no hope, but underhanded methods were lucrative.
He didn’t know where his future lay, becoming very lost, until one day, he amassed a fortune through his position, and from then on, Reckless Rampage fell from grace, taking pleasure in these risky behaviors.
Finally, the scenery changed, and Zhang Yuanqing saw a dark bedroom and a Yin Spirit floating beside the bed.
“Where are the Black Guards of Impermanence again? Trust is the foundation of cooperation; it seems we still don’t trust each other enough.”
“You have two choices: one is to wait for the Fallen on the Register to gradually lose control.”
“To show my sincerity, I will reveal to you the deployment and actions of the Official Walkers.”
In the same dark bedroom, Reckless Rampage sliced open his wrist, letting blood drip into a black wooden bowl engraved with runes, where the blood twisted into a human face.
“Boss, the Dark Rose is at our door, wanting to meet with you.”
“It’s too early to meet now; dealing with a tiger requires caution. Has their Leader come?”
“I don’t know. Boss, it’s crucial to take control of the Fallen Grail as soon as possible.”
“Are you teaching me how to do things?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“What else did he say?”
“He said he would provide me with the action plan of the Official team, allowing me to set up an ambush to alleviate the pressure on you.”
“It’s worth a try.”
Dark Rose? The Black Guards of Impermanence are lurking in Songhai, waiting for the Leader of Dark Rose? What kind of organization is this? They seem to be brewing some grand conspiracy. Tsk, the information obtained this time is substantial.
A golden light arose, the images dispersed, and consciousness returned. Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes to find himself shackled to a high-backed chair.
Eh, no pain, no signs of being beaten. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of relief, but then he thought that this meant Fu Centurion had completely overpowered him, which dampened his spirits.
Seeing him awake, Fu Qingyang immediately asked:
“What did you find out?”
