The thin tree root, barely as thick as a thumb, surged upward with golden flames and then turned to charcoal. The tree roots that covered the walls were suddenly stimulated and came fully to life, moving like a dense crowd of snakes crawling across the wall. Feng Shu Jin didn’t expect this foreign mortal to possess such remarkable intelligence; when her deception was exposed, she stopped pretending and spoke sharply: “Since you refuse to come here, then you shall die.” The ground beneath the stone cavern split open, fragments rising like bulges, and thick tree roots burst through, forming twisted tendrils that surged toward Zhang Yuanqing. At this distance, even without the Red Dance Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing could have escaped. Indeed, she wanted to deceive me into approaching… Zhang Yuanqing didn’t retreat—he advanced, sliding beneath the entanglement of the roots and closing the gap between himself and Feng Shu Jin, then leapt upward several meters, once again avoiding a sweeping motion. More and more tree roots broke through the surface, dancing wildly throughout the cavern. Zhang Yuanqing moved gracefully among the tendrils, evading them effortlessly regardless of how hard they tried to grasp him. Without having secured the Red Dance Shoes, relying solely on the Artifact of Subduing Demons, new players would face an extremely high mortality rate in this challenge. Ding ding ding… the Red Dance Shoes ran swiftly across the walls, dodging the roots' entanglements and impacts, then pushed Zhang Yuanqing through with a knee-jump, like a dart, before colliding with the tree trunk. Seeing the human sprinting toward them, the trunk’s face showed clear alarm. Boom! The stone beneath the roots cracked open, more roots erupted like an explosion, forming a solid wooden wall. Zhang Yuanqing struck hard with his Artifact of Subduing Demons. Golden flames spread across the surface of the wall, burning Feng Shu Jin into furious cries. Then he pushed through the carbonized wooden wall and drove the three-pronged tip of the Artifact deep into the trunk. Hoo! The three-pronged spikes plunged deeply into the trunk, and a brilliant, radiant sun burst forth from the dark cavern. Golden light distorted the trunk, warped faces, and caused sharp screams as steam hissed out in wisps. In an instant, the souls hidden within the trunk turned to vapor amid their cries of terror. All spirits vanished, dissolving into the golden radiance. As the glow faded, the cavern returned to darkness but now felt clean and fresh. Zhang Yuanqing’s first action wasn’t to check whether Feng Shu Jin had died—instead, he quickly removed the Red Dance Shoes and stored them in his inventory. Since entering the cavern, it had been nearly five minutes. After securing the Red Dance Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the large banyan tree, now wilted, with cracked bark, lacking moisture, and roots scattered across the cavern floor. A cold voice echoed in his mind: “Congratulations! You have successfully completed your S-level trial task. Your Character Card has been activated and rewards are being calculated.” “Gained item/prop: Artifact of Subduing Demons.” “Reward experience points: 100%.” “You have become a Night Wandering Deity.” “Additional reward experience points: 20%.” “The Character Card reward has been activated. Reward prop: Red Dance Shoes.” “Five minutes until departure from the Spirit Realm…” Finally, it was over… Zhang Yuanqing felt utterly drained and as though his body had evacuated all its strength. He had passed through the She Ling Tunnel—accomplishing a feat that no one in decades had ever achieved. As the sound of notification emerged, the black moon insignia on his forehead became prominent, and an eerie, mysterious power surged from the warm mark, flooding into his body with almost insistent force. His skin turned crimson, like boiled shrimp, as this mysterious energy washed over him, seeping into every cell and bone, visibly healing his arm wounds. He involuntarily shuddered, two phantom black moons appearing in his eyes before fading away. The pain quickly subsided, replaced by a soothing warmth, like being in a hot spring. So comfortable… Zhang Yuanqing felt relaxed, longed to stretch, and instinctively looked down—only to be startled upon seeing that his body stood firmly in place. Had he flown out of his physical form? A wave of panic surged through him; without thinking, he attempted to return to his corporeal self, and as soon as the thought formed, his soul sank back into his body. With renewed control over his body, Zhang Yuanqing realized that this body now possessed something new—a talent innate from birth. He accepted it naturally, like a gift received at birth. Moreover, he felt an endless surge of energy and strength within him, even sensing the sensation of being able to one punch destroy a planet. Zhang Yuanqing opened his character attributes panel: Name: Yuan Shi Tian Zun Race: Human Occupation: Night Wandering Deity Level: 1 Skills: Night Wandering, Spirit Consumption, Power of the Moon Experience Points: 20% Moral Value: 60 (initial value) Night Wandering (active): Concentrates the Power of the Moon to encircle oneself, entering a Night Wandering state. During skill activation, brief invisibility is achieved along with the gathering of one’s scent and breath, masking bodily sounds and heat. Duration: six seconds. Spirit Consumption (active): Absorbs souls to enhance personal spiritual vitality. Power of the Moon (passive): The Night Wandering Deity possesses strong physical stamina and powerful self-healing abilities; during nighttime hours, all capabilities are significantly amplified. Now officially a Night Wandering Deity, with an additional 20% experience points and the reward prop—the trial in the Spirit Realm has yielded substantial gains. Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory, where the Red Dance Shoes lay quietly in the first slot—its thirty-minute countdown had already expired. He was now officially the owner of the Red Dance Shoes. Two minutes later, he adjusted to his new physical condition and his arm wounds were fully healed. Then Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze toward the stone sarcophagus. Task completion signifies exploration reaching 100%, so is the sarcophagus empty? “Clearly, Feng Shu Jin must be the temple attendant. Now all characters have appeared—how did she become a tree spirit? Is her physical body stored within this sarcophagus?” Thinking this way, Zhang Yuanqing strolled to the sarcophagus, intending to gently open it in case there were any treasures inside. With just over two minutes remaining before exiting the Spirit Realm, time was sufficient. To be safe, he summoned the Red Dance Shoes once again and selected the wearing mode. The sarcophagus was wrapped by dry, withered roots; Zhang Yuanqing wielded his Artifact of Subduing Demons to sever each root one by one, revealing its full appearance. Approximately two meters in length, the sarcophagus featured intricate carvings on its body, and a thin layer of dust rested on the lid. “Zzz… zzz…” He gently pushed open the lid, then looked inside—though as a Night Wandering Deity, even without the aid of his Artifact’s divine power, he could easily see through the darkness. Inside lay a female corpse wearing an ancient silk dress that had long rotted away, arms crossed across her flat abdomen, slender like willow branches, with elegant posture and no signs of decay. Her features were refined and graceful—her cheek contours formed perfect facial lines, her nose straight and delicate, her lips sensuous yet pale, her eyes closed, lashes dense and interlaced. An absolute beauty. This… Zhang Yuanqing stepped back several times in surprise, his mind flashing with one thought: Is this truly the San Dao Mountain Lady?! Compared to the sculptures in the main hall, this corpse lacked warmth and kindness, instead showing a colder elegance, was less round-bodied and more lean—yet her features bore a clear resemblance of at least seven or eight parts. “Could it be that Feng Shu Jin is telling the truth? Was the origin of the missing temple disciples indeed the San Dao Mountain Lady?” At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt overwhelmed by uncertainty about his own judgment—and an incorrect assessment inevitably brought significant risks. “No—indeed—not correct. My task has been fulfilled, which confirms my initial deduction was accurate. Therefore, the lady inside the sarcophagus must be part of a hidden mission.” Zhang Yuanqing suddenly regretted opening the sarcophagus so prematurely. Since the San Dao Mountain Lady now lay within it, there must be deeper storylines concealed in the Temple of the Mountain God. This likely triggered a cascade of negative consequences—such as initiating a hidden mission. Just as he prepared to close the lid again, he noticed a deep glimmer on the lady’s lips. Something? After a brief hesitation, he grasped her sharp jawbone and gently pried open her lush, full lips, clearly seeing that gleam. It was a pure black pearl. Name: Spirit Body Crystal Type: Consumable Function: None Description: A soul crystal purified by the power of the Day God, rich in spiritual energy—this is the most desired supplement for a Night Wandering Deity. Note: The San Dao Mountain Lady has already purified any impurities within this crystal; please feel free to consume it. Zhang Yuanqing extended two fingers and carefully extracted the pearl. The pearl quickly dissolved into a thick, flowing energy that surged into his brow. “Congratulations! You have earned an additional 22% experience points.” Zhang Yuanqing’s strength surged dramatically—he again felt as though he could one punch destroy a planet. He clearly sensed an enhancement in his skills—without needing to check the attributes panel at all. The delay time for Night Wandering improved by three seconds, now lasting nine seconds instead of six. Unexpectedly stronger—may your rest be peaceful, Lady… Zhang Yuanqing silently closed the lid and treated as though he had never opened it at all. During the final countdown period, Zhang Yuanqing felt restless and anxious, deeply concerned about any unexpected anomalies—such as touching a hidden mission that might disrupt his return to the mortal world. Fortunately, nothing occurred. As the timer on the glowing blue panel began counting down: 5… 4… 3… Suddenly, a long, deep breath echoed through the quiet cavern. Zhang Yuanqing: “…” The lid was pushed open from within—the white, delicate hand reached out and grasped the edge of the lid, then the lady inside sat upright. Her deep, tranquil eyes scanned the cavern, meeting directly with Zhang Yuanqing’s stiff expression. She observed him carefully, lifting her lips in a smile. That smile almost caused Zhang Yuanqing to collapse from shock. At that moment, the scene dissolved like ripples disturbed by wind on water—the countdown ended. The world became blurred. Then gradually, steady and bright white light poured down from above, illuminating the walls, desks, computers, televisions, a double bed… Curtains fluttered in the breeze outside, with crisp bird calls echoing. He had returned to the mortal world. …