When the guests in the villa recovered from the sonic vibrations and saw the spider woman already dead by the window, they were stunned. How had he done it? The official traveler was both amazed and delighted. The spider woman possessed strong vitality and self-healing abilities—ordinary attacks had little effect, only gradually wearing her down. Yet their colleague had dispatched her with just a few cuts, killing her instantly. He wasn't a newcomer, was he? How could he be so strong? Amid their astonishment, the second-tier travelers found themselves pondering this. Though a newcomer, his combat strength was far from weak—he was far more reliable than his sergeant. With his body tightly wrapped around the great serpent’s tail, Tang Guoqiang exhaled in relief, focusing fully on contending with the snake’s strength. Indeed, the spirit of the seductive demon was born for warfare and slaughter… As Zhang Yuanqing felt the blood-drinking blade draw nourishment from the fallen, the strength returned to him, igniting a surge of both determination and murderous intent. He immediately charged toward the insect warrior. After the blood-drinking blade consumes the body’s essence, it feeds that essence back to its owner—similarly, the spirit of the seductive demon gains strength through battle, growing more resolute with each encounter. Kuan Ya executed a smooth glide, passing by Zhang Yuanqing and smiled, “Well done.” As they passed each other, the elder sijī switched her magazine and unleashed a barrage of bullets along the corridor upstairs, creating a series of bullet holes in the walls, significantly intensifying the pressure on the advancing forces. Xiang Xingwu surveyed the scene below, ignoring the great serpent, and barked at his fellow companion, “Come up and help!” The official sentinels divided the battlefield, attempting to defeat the enemy one by one. So did the one who had been moving freely and unimpeded—only the Spider Woman's swift demise had suddenly turned the situation dire. At this point, they could no longer operate independently. As for why he hadn't descended himself, there were too many official sentinels on the first floor; if he went down, the Fire Master and the Water Ghost would follow, and then he would be trapped deep within the enemy lines. Upon hearing the call, the Insectoid bent his knees, then propelled himself forward with a powerful kick, causing the floor tiles to crack with a crisp sound. His tall form surged like a speeding automobile, crashing into and sending the qipao-clad lady flying. Zhang Yuanqing, who was advancing toward them, quickly drew his willow-blade and opened his arms to meet the incoming, plump woman. Yet he underestimated the force of the impact. The two bodies collided with a sharp "crack," then rolled together until they came to rest beneath the glass cabinet beside the television. Zhang Yuanqing could faintly hear his bones groaning as they neared fracture, and his heart momentarily stopped. The insect-like humanoid was sent flying, then launched upward, its elytra unfolding mid-air, vibrating like thin as a cicada's wing and whipping up a fierce gale. The Qingteng队长, lying in Zhang Yuancheng's arms, reached out a vine in the void with one hand and flicked it into the air. The brown vine roared forward, ensnaring the insect-man's ankles and suspending him in mid-air like a kite. How strong is the wood spirit's strength? Zhang Yuancheng couldn't help but glance at this woman who seemed ageless, only to notice that during the impact, a few buttons on her chest had come loose, and her collar had been slightly pushed open—revealing a black lace edge supporting a soft, rounded expanse of skin, creating a striking visual effect. The Qingteng队长, your collar is slightly open... Zhang Yuancheng silently reminded himself, then withdrew his gaze, still a child himself, unwilling to linger on such intimate moments. "Seize his wings!" The Qingteng队长 leaned fully against Zhang Yuancheng's chest, tightened her arms, and exerted a steady, focused pressure. Upon hearing this, the two fire masters immediately opened their mouths and took deep breaths. At that moment, two soft puffs were heard from the insect man's crotch, releasing a dark yellow gas that enveloped the fire masters below. The two muscular men suddenly stiffened, then staggered as if they had drunk stale wine, falling to the ground with white foam gushing from their mouths. Zhang Yuanqing, standing at a distance, still detected a faint, sharp, slightly acidic gas, which immediately numbed his tongue. He promptly held his breath, and the pills he had been holding in his mouth began to take effect, quickly neutralizing the mild toxins. After a moment of struggling, the insect man could not free himself from the vines. As if remembering something, he lowered his gaze to his ankles. Instantly, the lower part of his legs below the knees dissolved into a flowing stream of water. The vines, unable to hold the water, simply sagged and fell. By instinct, the Qingteng captain crashed hard into Zhang Yuanqing's arms, her face pale with shock. "Oh no..." Suddenly, as she was about to rush up to the second floor to assist the unruly insect people, she suddenly deflected mid-air, as if engaging in a clever game of wits with the air itself. Qingteng swiftly turned around and saw dark, viscous substance rising from the boy's eyes. A spell! She instantly realized. Without hesitation, Qingteng once again shook her vine, wrapping it tightly around the insect person's ankles. By instinct, the insect person once again transformed the limbs above the knees into flowing water. Qingteng shouted, "Now!" The two earth monsters moved in unison, kneeling on one knee and placing their palms on the ground, causing cracks to spread across the living room floor, mud and sand rushing through the tiles and engulfing the insect person. The earth monsters' sand-control, the water spirit's water-control, and the fire master's fire-control—all skills learned at level two—were the signature abilities of these three core professions. The insect-man tumbled from the sky, his lower body hollow and empty. A murky, muddy stream stirred nearby, struggling to rejoin his form, yet unable to do so due to the silt and debris clinging to it. Earth-water. Qingteng seized the moment, twisted her waist, and launched herself upward, then sprinted and leapt, finally kneeling to press firmly upon the insect-man's body. Two earth-monsters and two wood-spirits surged forward, seizing the insect-man's hands and feet. Qingteng clenched her right arm, drew it back, straightened her chest, and arched her upper body like a drawn bow, then brought her fist down with powerful force. That's all a drunkard could do when facing a tiger. Thud, thud, thud—each blow landed with crushing weight. The insect-man's head shattered into four fragments, grayish brain tissue and bright red blood splashing across the ground, mingled with a foul, dark-green liquid. Another fallen. Victory secured… Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of joy. The enemy had lost two monsters, while the official forces had only lost one level-3 scout and two fire-masters Though thrilling, it wasn't serious—I didn't have to use my reserve strength! A thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind, and suddenly he saw a dark figure streaking past his vision, like a cannonball striking the graceful, undulating form of the vine spirit. It was Tang Guoqiang, wearing a miner's cap, both of them flying out together, knocking over furniture along the way. The great serpent that had thrown Tang Guoqiang was now dragging its weary, limp tail along the railing of the second floor, clearly affected as well. "We've been poisoned... cough, cough..." said Captain Qingteng, his face pale. Poisoned? When did this happen? Zhang Yuanqing felt a weight settle in his chest. Up until now, he had noticed no bodily discomfort at all. As a vibrant night-dwelling deity, he would have sensed any intrusion of toxins immediately. Moreover, the wood spirits of the Hundred Blossoms Guild possess life-domain abilities—making them especially sensitive to toxins. Yet among the three wood spirits, including Captain Qingteng, there had been no indication of any such symptoms. "Crack!" The railing of the second floor snapped, and the white dragon in her racing suit tumbled down, along with her black long sword. Immediately afterward, a flame drifted down and suddenly expanded, forming a figure clutching her abdomen, staggering and unsteady—none other than Da Ji Bā. Severe lacerations ran across his abdomen, with thick streams of blood pouring out, uncontrollable, leaving his broad frame streaked with glistening claw marks. The two captains appeared pale and weak, their limbs trembling and their muscles sore and powerless. A tall, dark silhouette leapt down from the second floor, sending a shockwave through the ground. Across his body, scales were cracked and bleeding, and he charged swiftly toward Da Ji Bu. Crack! He snapped his knee, leaping into the air, delivering a fierce kick that sliced like an inverted long blade. This strike would splinter a Level 3 Fire Master's jaw like a watermelon. In the critical moment, Qing Teng, still a healing mage, managed a final burst of strength, shaking her wrist to wrap her vine around Tang Guoqiang's ankle, then hurled him toward Heng Xing Wu Ji. Heng Xing Wu Ji switched his kick to a whip-like strike. Thud! Tang Guoqiang flew out like a soccer ball. Xinghang Wujie, clearly resenting Da Ji Baba from the recent battle, refused to pay attention to Tang Guoqiang, stepping forward with his stance, his fists slicing through the air, determined to eliminate his foe. The team captains' faces turned pale, helplessly watching their colleague fall, yet powerless to intervene. At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing, whose recovery ability was astonishing, gathered strength and staggered forward, catching Tang Guoqiang who had flown through the air like a football, shielding him with his body, using the construction foreman as a shield in front of Da Ji Baba. Thud, thud, thud! Xinghang Wujie's punches rained down, continuously striking Tang Guoqiang. Zhang Yuanqing, holding the shield, kept retreating. "You're being rather excessive," Tang Guoqiang said, spitting blood as he spoke. Though sturdy and able to withstand several punches, his experience was far from pleasant. "...I'm exercising emergency avoidance," Zhang Yuanqing explained. As soon as he finished speaking, both he and Tang Guoqiang were sent flying by a powerful, whistling leg sweep. "Resisting He scanned the official marchers who sat limp and defeated, opened his fierce mouth, and spoke with a proud smile, "I've never claimed my strength relied on these three dullards. With just them, how could they possibly defeat fifteen official marchers—even if I had transformed them? Hah! They're merely distractions meant to confuse you. The real weapon is my secret device—it emits a colorless, odorless toxin that affects even marchers at the Saint Realm level. "Yet it has its limitations—it must operate within a sealed space and require sufficient time. I've said this before—it's the feast I've prepared especially for you. Do you like it?" Li Dongze, Qingteng, and Bai Long, the team leaders, now looked increasingly pale. It had been clear from the moment their group entered the villa—they had been ensnared from the start, caught in a well-planned trap. The four second-tier marchers exchanged glances, their faces filled with growing despair. Staring at Zhang Yuanqing with unyielding intensity, his gaze settled on the bloodthirsty blade at his waist—“Isn't this Eu Xiangrong's prop? Hm, I've been eyeing it for a long time. I always thought after Eu Xiangrong's passing, I'd never get my hands on it. Now here I am, handing it over willingly.” He then turned his attention to Tang Guoqiang's miner's cap, Bai Long's black long sword, Guan Ya's pistol, Qing Ting's vines, and Li Dongze's walking cane. “The haul is truly impressive. As the boss said, killing and seizing treasures is the path to wealth. To thank you all for your clumsy generosity, I'll treat you fairly. By the way, you three won't have to die.” His amber pupils swept one by one over Guan Ya, Qing Ting, and Bai Long,细细 examining their body contours. This evil witch-doctor couldn't conceal his desires. He chuckled, “I'll transform you three into beings whose bodies will only bow and beg for me—mere motherly creatures, no longer in control of their minds.” The Qingteng captain's face paled—should this happen, she'd rather die. "Hmph!" Bai Long spat out a mouthful of blood, raising her brows with a cold smirk, "When the time comes, I'll never forget tearing out your life force." Hearing her bold words, Guan Ya, who had previously shown little fear of death, slowly shivered, a wave of nausea and dread rising within her. She swiftly turned to Zhang Yuanqing, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope. She knew Yuan Shi had a rule-based item. He still hadn't used his trump card—should anyone on the scene be able to turn the tide, Guan Ya believed it would be him. Most evil classes were mere nuisances, even if they died a hundred times over... Zhang Yuanqing smiled slightly, meeting Guan Ya's gaze, and with great effort, stood up on his weakened limbs, summoning the red veil from his inventory. After careful consideration, only the Ghost Bride could swiftly end this foe. He didn't want to use his trump card too early, but when the moment truly arrived, he wouldn't hesitate. "Hmm?" Though boastful on the surface, Heng Xingwu remained alert, constantly observing the movements of the official attendants. He immediately turned to Zhang Yuanqing, then fixed his gaze on the red veil embroidered with golden thread that was held in his hands. Heng Xingwu's reaction prompted several captains to turn their attention toward Zhang Yuanqing, who now raised the red veil. What was this? Did he have more to offer? The captains Qingteng, Baitong, and Dalong were both puzzled and full of anticipation. Li Dongze and Guan Ya, however, looked visibly surprised and disappointed—the items presented by Yuan Shi were quite different from their expectations. Zhang Yuanqing met Heng Xingwu's gaze with a strange, composed smile and said, "Would you like to experience what it's like to be the groom?" He shook out the red veil with a gesture, and in the midst of everyone's puzzled glances, covered it over his head.