“Wow, I’m dead scared…” Zhang Yuanqing sat down on the edge of the bed, his heart pounding. He doubted that if he had arrived just one more second later, he might have come back as a mere skeleton. Only after finally calming himself did he notice the red dancing shoes on his feet—his heart nearly stopped again. “Unpack, unpack…” The red dancing shoes shimmered and dissolved into light. Phew! He’d almost stomped his feet in panic. Now fully relaxed, Zhang Yuanqing stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the towering skyscrapers outside, at the green leaves reflecting vibrant hues of color, listening to the chatter of elderly residents and the soft hum of vehicles moving through the neighborhood. It was mealtime. A blue-clad delivery rider was racing through the courtyard on a small draft horse. From next door, the sound of vegetables hitting hot oil burst forth, along with the rhythmic clang of a spatula flipping food. How wonderful it is to be back in the real world—how wonderful it is to live in the city! Just standing there for several minutes, he felt the initial shock and unease completely fade away. With his mind now calm, he hurried to the mirror to verify his skills. He calmed himself, quieted his thoughts, and silently communicated with the Power of the Moon within him. Soon, he saw his reflection slowly being erased—his body vanishing bit by bit. Indeed, he could become invisible! Haha… Nine seconds later, his form reappeared clearly in the mirror. “Hmm, a little tired—like I’ve run several laps on the playground.” Then, he tested his physical strength: easily pressing a battery until it dented, cutting a small wound on his forearm with a craft knife, and then watching it heal within just five minutes. Even without considering any special abilities, this increase in muscular power already surpassed that of an ordinary human. As for the second active skill—“Soul Consumption”—he hadn’t yet had the chance to use it because there were no living spirits around him nearby. “I now have such a robust physical form—could my body endure longer under stress from old ailments? No, actually—I should look into whether there’s a doctor role within the Realm Walker organization. I need to find someone to examine this unusual condition.” After that, Zhang Yuanqing browsed through his inventory in the items panel, though he didn’t pull out any props yet. The magic staff was fine—what about the red dancing shoes? What if he had to keep dancing with them for hours? Staring at the magic staff, Zhang Yuanqing began to reflect deeply. “Didn’t I hear from Feng Shu Jin that the Yang essence of San Dao Mountain was sealed within this staff? Might she come visit me someday?” That thought alone made him feel uneasy. “If NPCs in the Spirit Realm can't appear in the real world—would it be likely that I’d encounter a mountain deity again? I’ve already fully explored the small temple of the Mountain God. It’s unlikely to support any new tasks.” Though he said this out loud, his mind kept flashing back to the smile of Lady San Dao Mountain. “Then I’ll go visit the office tomorrow morning and confirm it with Lao Si Ji and the one with the stiff tone and strange accent.” At that moment, the door handle was turned a few times—but because Zhang Yuanqing had previously locked the door from inside, no one managed to enter. “Zhang Yuanqing, why did you lock the door? Are you planning to do something behind my back?” The voice of his aunt came through—delicate and bright. “I’m hungry.” Only then did he realize how hungry he was. He hurriedly responded, and with a quick motion, returned the magic staff, changed into clean spring baseball clothes—a black sports pants—and tucked away the dusty and blood-stained garments. Now standing at the door, he opened it. His aunt stood outside, her round, elegant face turned toward the inside of the room, curious. “What’s this—why did you lock the door?” “I’m practicing a new technique.” “What kind of technique?” “The method of learning from others and adapting to their strengths—to ‘learn from the West and use it to defeat the East.’” “You’re going to find trouble now, aren’t you?” His aunt narrowed her eyes with a sharp tone. Her large, bright, clear eyes—without any blood vessels or haze—had a touch of charm that perfectly matched the ancient description of “clear autumn waters.” At the dining table, Zhang Yuanqing quickly cleared his plate and ate more than usual. His grandmother was both pleased with her improved cooking and slightly worried about how few dishes she had prepared today. “Tomorrow you’ll be heading to school,” she said. “Go to bed early tonight so that I don’t have to wake you up.” “I’ll sleep earlier if my aunt doesn’t come to play games in my room.” Zhang Yuanqing immediately shifted the blame. Her leg was gently kicked beneath the table. “She has her own job too,” his grandmother added, turning toward her daughter. “If she’s working late tomorrow, just call me early.” His aunt is an intern physician at a public Class Three hospital in the maternity department—she’s usually quite busy and often works longer hours than typical office staff. “Try spending more time with male colleagues—they probably have many admirers at work,” his grandmother suggested. “My mom, I’m not that modest—I’ve already seen men who come to me for contact details while I’m in the hospital.” His aunt proudly arched her waist. His grandmother raised her palm—his aunt instantly lowered her head and quietly began eating her meal. While their conversation continued, Zhang Yuanqing’s thoughts drifted toward his afternoon tasks. “After dinner, I’ll reach out to Guan Ya and inform them officially that I’ve successfully completed the trial mission. I also need to write a report on this instance—how valuable is the first-time achievement report? How much credit can it generate?” “And don’t forget to mention the awakening of the Mountain God—the deity—this feels like an unnoticed hidden task.” After finishing his meal and securing his meals, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room only to find his smartphone had run out of power. He’d been so busy throughout the day, worrying about matters related to the Spirit Realm, that he completely forgot to charge it. After charging it, he noticed four or five missed calls. All from Guan Ya. Two were from one hour earlier—when he was still in the Spirit Realm—and three were just two minutes ago. “So eager to confirm I’m not dead?” Zhang Yuanqing thought, tapping lightly on his screen and calling back to Guan Ya. — On the second floor of a spacious building, glass walls reflected sunlight. In a wide, elegant office space, Li Dongze finished lunch and checked his watch before walking into the workspace with a cane. “Guan Ya, has there been any news from Yuan Shi?” This was already the third time he’d asked this question. Though he didn’t expect much, the matter remained unresolved—so it continued to occupy his thoughts. He had even drafted an apology letter—waiting for results before delivering a formal explanation of his oversight in professional diligence. As for Yuan Shi Tian Zun—the young man—he found it disappointing, yet he knew that the trial mission initiated by the character card was beyond human capacity. “He’s currently out of service,” Guan Ya shook her head. “I’ve already called him five or six times.” No connection… Li Dongze seemed to have anticipated this scenario—his breath released silently: “Just wait, just wait…” “Understood, Chief,” Guan Ya lifted a strand of hair from her side and smiled gently, offering reassurance. “Until the results emerge, everything is still possible—just like Schrödinger’s cat: until we open the box, we never know whether it’s alive or dead.” Wang Tai, sitting beside them, couldn’t help but interject: “Schrödinger’s cat isn’t used that way—it doesn’t have a very high probability of success unless there are special measures taken. Without such support, the chance of Yuan Shi succeeding in passing through She Ling Tunnel is almost zero.” Guan Ya and Li Dongze both looked sharply at him: “Shut up!” Did I just say something wrong again? Wang Tai silently lowered his gaze. Such a socially awkward colleague! Li Dongze and Guan Ya quietly criticized him. After years of working together, they had long since given up trying to refine his interpersonal skills. Guan Ya found the contrast between their personalities striking—look at Yuan Shi—the handsome, articulate young man. If only he could become one of them as a colleague, office life wouldn’t feel so monotonous anymore. Unfortunately, just bad luck. If they still can't reach him by closing time, then there will be absolutely no hope… Guan Ya sighed, leaning back into her soft chair with her full chest gently pushing up the white shirt. “I’ll inform you immediately once I receive any news.” Li Dongze finished speaking and was about to turn away when his phone on the desk suddenly rang. The phone on the table rang then—Li Dongze stopped in mid-step, eyes fixed on Guan Ya’s device. Caller ID: Yuan Shi Tian Zun. His breath quickened. Guan Ya leapt from her chair with a sudden burst, knocking over the office desk and sending several items tumbling to the floor. Her eyes widened—surprised yet thrilled. She picked up her phone while turning toward Li Dongze. Li Dongze kept his expression tense, saying: “On mute!” His voice deepened and serious. Both looked solemn—as if receiving a call from a kidnapper. Guan Ya, with the receiver in hand, spoke calmly yet filled with anticipation and joy: “Yuan Shi?” “I’ve successfully completed my trial mission,” Zhang Yuanqing’s voice came through clearly. “I’ve now emerged from the Mountain Temple.” Both Guan Ya and Li Dongze froze—stunned into silence. Wang Tai, who had been absent-mindedly watching the outside world, suddenly looked up. This data-focused scholar showed visible shock and surprise. After a few seconds of silence, Li Dongze’s small mustache began to flutter with visible animation—he exclaimed: “Oh my goodness! Did you hear my prayers? That is simply unbelievable—oh, my goodness, I can’t believe it's true!” Realizing his own emotional outburst, he quickly composed himself, saying softly: “Graceful… be graceful…” Li Dongze understood the significance of passing through She Ling Tunnel—the very mission considered impossible by Taiyi Gate. The success of an S-level Spirit Realm mission by a brand-new entrant would certainly attract intense attention—Yuan Shi, though young, was poised to become a well-known Realm Walker. Moreover, the information and props gathered within the trial were tangible gains—rich and substantial. Both official organizations and private groups are eager to conquer high-difficulty Spirit Realms—especially first-time achievements—as it is one of the fastest ways to strengthen their presence. Most importantly, in Songhai Region, there are only a few Night Wandering Deity trials, and the existence of She Ling Tunnel as a flaw has already cost the official organizations many potential candidates for new Night Wandering Deities. With an in-depth guide available, each year after that, the number of newly born Night Wandering Deities would steadily increase. Even though the rewards following the completion of a trial mission wouldn’t match the prestige of a first-time success, the very fact of growing the pool of deities was what the official organizations valued most—making it worth the attention of the Five Elements Alliance elders. “How did you manage to do that?” Guan Ya murmured. “It wasn’t difficult at all—I simply passed through effortlessly,” Yuan Shi Tian Zun replied, speaking in a tone that perfectly matched his ID. Guan Ya remained silent—uncertain whether he was joking or displaying her usual academic style of understatement. In her experience, Zhang Yuanqing was an intelligent college student skilled at social interactions—but to see such extraordinary talent? That was certainly unprecedented. Her initial admiration for him had been limited to his pleasant voice and wit—now she needed to reevaluate this new Night Wandering Deity. “Excellent—very excellent,” Li Dongze beamed, tapping his cane with enthusiasm. “You need to come right over—immediately.” “Of course,” Zhang Yuanqing responded. After the call ended, Wang Tai couldn’t help but add: “He clearly possesses abilities beyond ordinary—though I still don’t know in what area yet—but there’s no doubt about it. Chief, you’ve just discovered a true oddity.” Upon hearing this, Li Dongze’s smile spread widely—he coughed softly and said with mild displeasure: “What an oddity? He’s a genius!” Then he hurried toward the office as if rushing to attend another urgent matter. He thought—perhaps the title of his apology letter should be revised more elegantly—for instance: *“Apologies to the Hundred-Man Commander—I’ve inadvertently discovered a true prodigy.”* Already, he was eager to make this adjustment.