Hearing the Spirit Realm notification in his ear, Zhang Yuanqing eagerly anticipated the experience point reward for completing the S-rank instance.
He had consulted Guan Ya and Li Dongze, who explained that Spirit Realm Walkers typically receive 0-5% experience points upon completing their Trial Mission after obtaining their Character Card for the first time. Subsequent Multiplayer Spirit Realms usually grant 5-10% experience points.
A Solo Spirit Realm, however, yields 10-15% experience points.
This meant that even with a 100% completion rate, Spirit Realm Walkers would need to complete at least ten Multiplayer Spirit Realms or nearly ten Solo Spirit Realms to level up.
The difficulty of leveling up was, to say the least, daunting.
Zhang Yuanqing's Trial Spirit Realm was S-rank, granting him 20% experience points upon completion. He then triggered a hidden quest, prying a Spectral Crystal from the Goddess of Sandaoshan's tiny mouth, which added another 22% experience points.
One Mountain God Temple had earned him the equivalent of four or five Multiplayer Spirit Realms.
"Normally, I'd need to complete at least five Multiplayer Spirit Realms or three Solo Spirit Realms to reach Level 2. I wonder if Jinshui Amusement Park will let me level up in one go."
Zhang Yuanqing's anticipation burned brightly.
Within the Official Organization, Level 1 members were considered entry-level personnel, while reaching Level 2 meant joining the elite ranks, accompanied by a significant increase in salary and access to numerous benefits.
[ Reward settlement complete. Acquired items/props: Cat King Speaker, Red Veil. ]
[ Reward experience: 40% ]
[ Main quest settlement complete. Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden quest. Calculating rewards... ]
[ Acquired item/prop: Steadfast Orb ]
[ Reward experience: 25% ]
[ Hidden quest settlement complete. Ding! Congratulations on advancing to Level 2 Nightwalker! ]
[ Ding! Character Card reward activated. Reward item: Disguise Ring. ]
[ Settlement complete! Exiting Spirit Realm in five minutes. ]
"Even more generous rewards than the She Ling Tunnel! No wonder it's an S-rank instance for the Transcendent Stage. 65% experience, four items—I've hit the jackpot!"
Zhang Yuanqing stared in disbelief, hearing his heart pounding wildly in his chest.
Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation between his eyebrows, realizing the Black Moon Mark was about to manifest.
Damn it! I can't let anyone see the Black Moon! His heart leaped with alarm, and he instinctively glanced at Xie Lingxi.
The young girl's pupils were unfocused, staring into the Void, likely checking her Character Panel and reviewing her quest rewards, completely oblivious to her surroundings.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a sigh of relief and turned his back.
Immediately, the scorching Black Moon Mark erupted with a torrent of Lunar Power, violently surging through his body, seeping into every cell and bone.
He involuntarily convulsed as he felt his life essence transforming, his genetic code being restructured.
Three new innate skills seamlessly integrated into his instincts.
[ Name: Primordial Heavenly Venerable ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Nightwalker ]
[ Level: 2 ]
[ Skills: Night Roaming, Soul Devouring, Lunar Spirit, Moon Howl, Charm Magic, Spirit Sigils ]
[ Experience: 23% ]
[ Morality Value: 90 ]
[ Reputation: 15 ]
[ Moon Howl (Active): Borrow power from Taiyin to drastically enhance attributes for fifteen minutes. After the skill ends, enter a three-hour state of exhaustion. Note: This skill can only be used at night. Activation: Raise head and howl at the moon. ]
[ Charm Magic (Active): Induces hallucinations and disorientation in targets. Note: Ghosts and demons frequently use this technique to seduce mortals. ]
[ Spirit Sigils (Active): Spirit script unique to Nightwalkers, used to draw talismans and formations. Note: Currently, only spirit script targeting Spectral Entities can be drawn. ]
Zhang Yuanqing focused his senses, instantly understanding the nature of the skills without needing to activate them.
Moon Howl and Night Roaming were mutually exclusive active skills. While in Moon Howl state, Night Roaming couldn't be used, and vice versa.
If Night Roaming was the ultimate assassination skill, Moon Howl compensated for the Nightwalker's weakness in close combat.
Charm Magic leaned toward control and support, lacking direct offensive power but greatly enhancing the Nightwalker's versatility and tactical options.
As for Spirit Sigils, they could be used to create Talismans and inscribe formations. These weren't merely tools for suppressing Vengeful Spirits; they could also nurture and refine Spirits.
"Finally, I can further train Little Goofball!" Zhang Yuanqing thought gleefully, then opened his Inventory to examine the items.
Besides the Cat King Speaker, the Instance had rewarded two items, one of which was a consumable.
[ Red Veil ]
[ Type: Decorative Item (Consumable) ]
[ Function: Summon ]
[ Description: The veil worn by the Ghost Bride during the Ghost Marriage scene at Jinshui Amusement Park. Blessed by an indescribable entity, it is an inseparable part of the Ghost Bride. Only those who successfully deceive her can obtain it. ]
[ Note 1: Covering oneself with the Red Veil summons the Ghost Bride. This item can be used three times. ]
[ Note 2: Hahaha! I laugh at the Goddess's foolishness, for she tried to steal a chicken and ended up losing her rice. ]
[ Note 3: Using the Red Veil in the Spirit Realm carries a chance of attracting the attention of that entity. After reading Note 2, I trust you'll use it with caution. ]
"Damn, this thing even comes with its own taunts?" Zhang Yuanqing hissed, both thrilled and exasperated. "If the Goddess of Sandaoshan senses this, she'll be furious!"
He suspected the Ghost Bride was either at the peak of the Transcendent Stage or had even touched the Saint Stage. A summoned creature of that caliber could serve as a perfect life-saving measure.
The problem was, while the veil posed little actual threat to the Goddess of Sandaoshan, it was an extreme insult. The peerlessly beautiful Goddess would likely hunt him down across the entire Spirit Realm.
I absolutely cannot use this in the Spirit Realm, he vowed inwardly.
[ Item Name: Steadfast Orb ]
[ Type: Orb ]
[ Function: Enhancement, Defense ]
[ Description: A tool for Earth Fiend class users, condensing the power of the earth to enhance strength and defense. ]
[ Note: Heaviness comes at a price. ]
[ Item Name: Disguise Ring ]
[ Type: Accessory ]
[ Function: Disguise ]
[ Description: A magical ring that can alter one's appearance, allowing for complete customization of facial features. ]
[ Note: Don't you have any self-awareness about your appearance? ]
"The demon lord Character Card reward is one item per Instance? Holy shit, that's insane! The Disguise Ring's function is simple and straightforward, but the Steadfast Orb's cost seems a bit off. Hmm, let's try it out."
Zhang Yuanqing retrieved the Steadfast Orb from his Inventory. About the size of an egg, it was earthy yellow in color and felt inexplicably heavy in his hand.
As he held the orb, he felt himself growing heavier and stronger, an inexplicable sense of security flooding his mind.
But he also slowed down. Every movement felt like lifting a mountain, his actions becoming agonizingly slow.
"How am I supposed to fight with this orb? The pros and cons are obvious. This is what a normal item should be like. The Demon Subduing Pestle and Red Dancing Shoes are just abnormal."
Just as he was pondering this, he heard Xie Lingxi's gleeful shout:
"Brother Wang Tai, can you believe it? I got 35% experience, an item, and a consumable! The rewards are so generous—it's truly worthy of an S-rank spirit realm!"
Xie Lingxi, having tallied her rewards, bounced in place like a little girl who'd just received a lollipop.
"Brother Wang Tai, what did you get? How much experience? Any items?"
The young girl blinked her bright, lively eyes and gave him a charming look.
"I have two items already—one gifted by my elders and another obtained in a Solo Spirit Realm. Now I've gotten a third! Can you believe I have three items at such a young age?"
Your smug expression is practically written all over your face, Zhang Yuanqing thought, nodding slightly.
"Not bad!"
"My rewards weren't much: 65% experience, three items, and one consumable."
Xie Lingxi froze, her small face stiffening as her mouth gradually widened. She stared at him blankly.
I can practically feel your envy radiating off you! Zhang Yuanqing thought, feeling smug.
"How... how is that possible?" Xie Lingxi murmured. "Why are your rewards so much higher than mine? The Spirit Realm is so unfair!"
Zhang Yuanqing consoled her, "Perhaps the Spirit Realm wants you to see the world's inequalities."
"???" Xie Lingxi looked on the verge of tears.
If you knew this was only my second time entering the Spirit Realm, the inequality would hit you even harder! Zhang Yuanqing refrained from further teasing her and patiently waited for their return.
Meanwhile, he pondered the benefits of clearing the S-rank spirit realm. Having secured the First Kill, future Walkers would undoubtedly receive reduced experience rewards, and their item rewards would never match the generosity of the First Kill bonus.
The rewards were still higher than those of ordinary Spirit Realms, making a successful strategy crucial.
The Cat King Speaker had been left behind by Bing Ge. It seemed to contain some information, and Zhang Yuanqing planned to study the artifact thoroughly upon returning to reality, hoping to uncover useful insights.
Right, I still need to fulfill Ashamed Father's dying request.
"Brother Wang Tai," Xie Lingxi said, her eyes fixed on the rapidly dwindling countdown timer, "I haven't seen Riverlord. Can we exchange phone numbers?"
"Riverlord should still be by the roller coaster. Didn't we already exchange numbers?"
"The number I gave you was fake," she admitted.
"Oh, well, mine was real."
"No way! Yours was definitely fake too," Xie Lingxi retorted, wrinkling her nose.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her, thinking, We're just Spirit Realm acquaintances. Once the instance is over, we'll go our separate ways. Why bother staying in touch? You're still too young. When you turn eighteen, we can have a more... nuanced conversation.
"Spirit Realm Walkers shouldn't have too much contact in the real world, even if they're on the same side," Zhang Yuanqing said coolly.
"I'll find you!" Xie Lingxi huffed.
As soon as she finished speaking, the scenery of the Detective Reasoning Hall began to blur rapidly, like ripples spreading across water.
The image sharpened from blurry to clear. Zhang Yuanqing found himself back in reality, gazing at his familiar desk, double bed, bedside lamp, and television.
The room was pitch-black and eerily silent, the curtains tightly drawn and soundproof glass blocking out all external noise. The digital alarm clock on the nightstand displayed 5:00 AM.
He had spent five hours in the Spirit Realm, yet Zhang Yuanqing felt as if an age had passed.
Pulling back the curtains, he saw the sky tinged with a faint blue. The streets were nearly deserted, save for sanitation workers slowly cycling by with their garbage carts.
A breakfast chain store nearby was already open, thick plumes of steam billowing from its doors.
Zhang Yuanqing switched on the light and stood before the full-length mirror by the window, scrutinizing his reflection. His skin had grown paler, though his features remained unchanged. Yet he felt they had become more refined, a strange aura now radiating from between his brows.
After racking his brain for a moment, four words flashed through his mind: Eerie nobility!
I remember Yuan Ting had this same aura. The higher the Nightwalker's rank, the more pronounced it becomes.
Clearly, this transformation was a result of the concentrated Lunar Power he had absorbed after leveling up.
Soon, I'll be able to flash a sinister smile... No, I shouldn't do that. If I attract too many young women, it'll be a headache! Zhang Yuanqing chuckled and walked to the bed, retrieving his phone from beneath the cold sheets.
The screen lit up, revealing one unread text message:
[ I'm out. Call me immediately. Everyone's waiting for you. - Guan Ya ]
What if I hadn't made it out? Hmm, she probably would have waited until dawn and then contacted me to confirm whether I died in the Spirit Realm!
Zhang Yuanqing exited the messaging app and dialed Guan Ya's number.