How could Ou Xiangrong be at Songhai University? And together with Xu Yingying? How could he even show up at Songhai University when he's currently being officially pursued—was he truly bold, or was he simply out of his mind? Zhang Yuanqing stood rigid, stopped walking, and said to his classmates, "You go ahead. I'll make a call." He'd better first try to reach someone—first call, then go and fetch people. He walked to the roadside, pulled out his phone, and dialed Li Dongze's number. "The line you've reached is currently off." The voice message indicated the phone was off. He tried again with Guan Ya's number—same result. "Holding a meeting? Coordinating operations? Or perhaps, already stationed near Songhai University?" Zhang Yuanqing went through a series of possibilities in his mind. If it were the latter, then he'd have nothing to do. But if it were the former—meeting-related—then as a fugitive, Ou Xiangrong couldn't possibly stay at Songhai University long. To miss this opportunity would be a real pity. Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing opened his contact list and dialed Wang Tai’s phone number. Thanks to their social habits, he had saved Wang Tai’s phone number in his contacts, even though this gentleman was rather reserved, rarely spoke, and often gave off a look of “just go away, don’t bother me” whenever Zhang approached him. “What’s up?” came Wang Tai’s flat, listless voice from the speaker. “I saw Ou Xiangrong—she’s the one who killed Zhao Yingjun. You know about this case, right?” “I do, but why are you calling me? You should have contacted the deputy chief.” Wang Tai’s tone remained as calm and steady as always. You’d think he’d say something like “whoa, impressive” or “wow,” but he’s so composed… Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself while speaking: “The deputy chief can’t reach the senior official.” “Which senior official?” “That’s not the point.” Zhang Yuanqing briefly outlined the situation here and said, “Can you reach the other teams’ Lingjing Travelers?” "Can I...?" Wang Tai tapped his keyboard rapidly, saying, "I've retrieved Zhao Yingjun's case files. Zhao Yingjun has been supporting numerous female college students, one of whom is from your school—Xu Yingying. Based on your description, I suspect he's aiming to find leverage among the women close to Zhao Yingjun." So Xu Yingying's financial backer was Zhao Yingjun—that explains why the police officer visited yesterday... Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. Wang Tai continued, "Ou Xiangrong is a Level 3 Deceiver, wielding dark powers. Though he suffered significant injuries during yesterday's attack, his threat level has been greatly reduced, though he's still beyond what you can currently handle. I've analyzed the situation for you. The right approach is to keep a close watch on him, await official reinforcements, and use your night-wandering ability to occasionally disrupt him—yet avoid direct confrontation, or you'll meet a grim end." Though not particularly skilled in social interactions, he's quite reliable in his work. Zhang Yuanqing pretended to admire the scenery around and followed Ou Xiangrong and Xu Yingying discreetly, taking advantage of the flowing crowd. "The chief and Guan Ya can't reach each other—do they have their people stationed near Songhai?" Zhang Yuanqing asked with hopeful anticipation. "No," Wang Tai replied. "Xu Yingying is just an ordinary college student, not particularly valuable. As for Ou Xiangrong—he's clearly losing his grip. Your female classmate is definitely in trouble." Given Ou Xiangrong's cruelty, there would be no survivors. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing saw Ou Xiangrong embracing Xu Yingying and entering the underground parking garage of the comprehensive building. The two disappeared from view as they descended the steep incline. "They've gone into the garage. Let's hold off on further details for now. Get the members of the other squads informed as soon as possible." Without waiting for a response, Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone. The location was quiet and secluded—unlike earlier, when pedestrians could serve as cover—so following them into the underground garage would surely draw attention. Zhang Yuanqing paused for several seconds, then removed his backpack and tossed it onto the green belt by the roadside. He then activated the Yin energy within him, and a shimmering black mist burst outward with a "pop," completely erasing his form. In night-walking mode, he sprinted straight into the underground parking garage. With his red ballet shoes and night-walking ability, even if he couldn't defeat Ou Xiangrong, he could certainly make a safe escape—making the risk well worth it. Although Xu Yingying was financially driven and somewhat materialistic, she was still a vibrant, living life. Within his means, Zhang Yuanqing would never let her die without trying. Moreover, someone like Ou Xiangrong—someone with a clearly impaired mind—should be dealt with as soon as possible for peace of mind. He didn’t need to deliberately conceal his footsteps, since the night-walking state naturally masked the sounds he made, even absorbing the heat emitted by his body. As soon as he stepped into the underground parking garage, he heard Xu Yingying's trembling voice, filled with tears: "I... I don't know where you're looking for things. I just followed Zhao Yingjun for his money—he pays me twenty thousand every month, and I've been his girlfriend ever since." Twenty thousand? Before I became a permanent employee, my monthly salary was only twenty thousand—how easy that must have been for you to earn... Zhang Yuanqing followed the sound and saw Xu Yingying standing惊恐 against the wall at the back of a black sedan, while Ou Xiangrong held a knife in his hand, standing beside her. "Don't tell me you don't know! Don't tell me you don't know!" Ou Xiangrong shouted, his tone fierce and nervous. "One last chance—I want to know if Zhao Yingjun ever mentioned anything about the Holy Grail or the register to you." "I... I really don't know what you're talking about," Xu Yingying said, her eyes red with tears, large drops rolling down her cheeks. Ou Xiangrong remained silent for a few seconds, then sighed wearily, the sound echoing through the underground parking garage. The light in his pupils flared crimson, his expression beneath the mask growing fierce and wild, tinged with a touch of nervousness, murmuring in a strained tone: "You had a chance, yet you failed—You had a chance, yet you failed..." Ou Xiangrong, with his weathered hands, gripped tightly at Xu Yingying's pale neck, lifting her up with his broad arms. Xu Yingying's face instantly flushed, then turned purple, her legs kicking wildly, her eyes rolling back. Ou Xiangrong beamed with satisfied malice, then offered the tip of the knife, pressing it firmly against Xu Yingying's chest. Just as he prepared to drive the blade into this woman's heart, the intuitive sense of the enchanting spirit suddenly sent him a warning signal—his hairs on the back of his hand stood rigidly upright. No one was nearby, no movement, no anomaly. Yet he felt an inner chill, a sense of unforeseen danger approaching and enveloping him. A Spirit Traveler! The experienced Ou Xiangrong immediately realized he was under attack from a spiritual realm practitioner. He gripped Xu Yingying's neck and, by instinct, hurled her forcefully backward. Thwack! Xu Yingying landed heavily on the ground, rolling several meters before losing consciousness. Seeing that the attacker wasn't going to save this woman, Ou Xiangrong stepped back steadily, while simultaneously swinging his willow blade forward. The sharp blade sliced through the air, drawing a bright, gleaming arc, and a sharp ringing sound echoed in the space ahead, accompanied by brilliant sparks. He had struck the attacker's weapon. By sensing the feel of the blade impact, Ou Xiangrong determined the attacker's position and immediately contracted his leg muscles, propelling himself like a spring-loaded figure, bending his knees and launching forward. A solid thud resonated as Ou Xiangrong's knees absorbed a firm impact, and a muffled gasp from the attacker echoed in his ears. Then, a figure materialized from the void—a young university student, wearing athletic pants and a baseball jersey, with a pleasing appearance and a bright, sunny demeanor, holding a yellow copper mallet about half a forearm in length. "The Night-Wanderer?" Ou Xiangrong instantly understood—why the attack had come so swiftly last night, and who had orchestrated the near-fatal siege. With his spirit in a state of unrest, fierce anger and resentment flared in his eyes, giving rise to a strong desire to strike and exact vengeance upon the Night-Wanderer. Ou Xiangrong raised his willow-blade, leapt into the air with powerful propulsion, and in a single motion covered a distance of over fifteen meters, launching a fierce, violent assault upon the student still in mid-roll. His attack was as fierce and dynamic as that of a humanoid dragon. Witnessing this, Zhang Yuanqing nearly cried out, "Pardon me! Please, forgive me!" He didn’t attempt to rise—he continued to roll with momentum, simultaneously drawing upon the power of the Moon to re-enter the Night-Wanderer state. He suddenly vanished from Ou Xiangrong's sight, losing his target. After evading the attack, Zhang Yuanqing, still in his invisible state, bent forward and sprinted to a white vehicle on the left side, leaning against the wheel and gasping for breath. The knee strike had nearly stopped his heart. "Ow! That hurts so much!" The pain in his chest had made his face pale; even breathing was difficult. Fortunately, the Night-Wanderer possessed strong vitality and considerable self-healing capabilities, so this injury would soon subside. Through this encounter, Zhang Yuanqing had also realized the gap in strength between the two parties. This enchanting spirit demonstrated keen intuition, rich combat experience, and exceptional physical strength—clearly a close-quarters combat specialist. At that moment, he heard a solid "thud," and Ou Xiangrong leapt onto the roof of a black sedan several meters away. Eu Xiangrong’s piercing gaze swept across the underground parking garage, his tone cold. “The Night-Wanderer of Taimei should be in Songhai. Are you the Night-Wanderer of the Five-Element Alliance? Hmph. A mere Level 1 Night-Wanderer dares to attack me. Let me think—Level 1 Night-Wanderer skills grant only up to twenty seconds of invisibility. How long can you hide?” Eu Xiangrong was certain the opponent was a Level 1 Night-Wanderer. If it were a Level 2, he would have gained an advantage during their encounter. And if it were a Level 3, then it would be him who had to flee now. With his current state—wounded and weakened—he could not possibly match a peer-level Night-Wanderer. Night-Wanderers, like the Enchanted Spirits, are among the elite professions. Twenty seconds? You’re far too generous. I’ll manage only ten at most… Zhang Yuanqing crouched beside the car tire, holding his breath. “This person is unexpectedly strong, and hasn’t yet used the Enchanted Spirit’s abilities. Let me recall what I’ve read about the Enchanted Spirit on the This malevolent occupation at the Transcendent Realm possesses formidable combat prowess, entering a state of frenzy after killing an opponent, thereby enhancing its battle effectiveness further. Additionally, when a clash occurs between adversaries, the enchanting spirits can employ a special method to mark their opponents; even if the prey escapes, they will relentlessly pursue them. Finally, the core ability of the Transcendent Realm—enchantment! Enchantment is a mental control skill that, when actively deployed in conjunction with exceptional close-range combat strength, becomes utterly insurmountable. At that moment, his figure emerges clearly, outlined within ten seconds. Immediately thereafter, a piercing sound of rushing air resonates like it's right at his ears—Zhang Yuanqing feels a sudden alertness, recognizing it as Ou Xiangrong's attack. Without even turning to look, he swiftly rolls forward and hides once again. Clang! A deep dent is formed on the white sedan's body by a powerful leg sweep, and the alarm sounds sharply and continuously. Ou Xiangrong scanned the surroundings with a cold, watchful gaze, remaining on guard while using his words to provoke the other. "From your appearance, you must be a student from Songhai University, don't you realize that for a spiritual realm practitioner, revealing one's identity means putting one's family at risk? Once I know you're a student, I can take my time locating you—then kill you, and finally wipe out your entire family." With these words, Ou tightened his grip on the willow blade in his hand, silently counting down in his mind, waiting for either the rookie to reveal himself or for an attack. Crazy... Zhang Yuanqing felt his heart sink. Though he knew it was a deliberate tactic designed to rouse him, he couldn't help but feel increasingly irritated—and genuinely intimidated. Zhang Yuanqing hid at the rear of another vehicle, his mind racing, formulating a strategy to counter his opponent. "His intuition is terrifying. If I can't land a decisive blow, I'd better not risk a surprise attack. But I can't stay hidden forever—my stamina will only last for two more Night Wanderings, after which I'll have to retreat. The official staff won't be able to arrive that quickly." "If he escapes, both I and my grandmother and the others will be in danger." "The Three Techniques of the Enchanted Spirit: Rage, Marking, and Enchantment. The first one—killing the opponent—doesn't need to be a concern. The second—one that marks me—I'm likely already marked, though Night Wandering can shield me from his perception." "What truly worries me is his close-combat striking power and his Enchantment skill. Oh, if only it were evening now…" As his thoughts flashed, Zhang Yuanqing had already formulated a plan. He would make the Red Slippers the primary damage dealer, with the less useful host providing support and伺机 for a surprise strike. This would be an excellent opportunity to test the effectiveness of this rule-based item. "Bang!" Ou Xiangrong climbed back up onto the roof, gazing down at the underground parking garage from a lofty vantage point. He silently timed the moments, waiting for his enemies to emerge from their nocturnal state. Suddenly, he heard an eerie footfall coming from behind. The unexpected footsteps echoed through the vast, empty garage, sending even the experienced Ou Xiangrong's heart racing. Instinctively, he raised his sword, turning around to assume a defensive stance. Then, he identified the source of the strange footsteps. There, three meters away, a pair of fresh Western-style red ballet slippers moved rhythmically in the quiet, open space—one step up, one step down—as though an invisible person were dancing in place. This scene was so haunting that it would send ordinary people trembling and shrieking. A supernatural item? As Ou Xiangrong caught sight of the red ballet slippers, a message appeared in his line of sight: "Would you like to dance with me? If so, please remain still and step in place."