"Yin-Yang Town."
Zhang Yuanqing froze, disbelief flooding his mind.
Could such a coincidence really exist? He had just heard an audio recording about Yin-Yang Town from the demon lord, and now he was entering an instance with the same name.
It was eerily similar to how he had found a clue about Bing Ge and immediately entered Jinshui Amusement Park.
Perhaps it's not a coincidence. Bing Ge's precognitive abilities had revealed that the instances I enter aren't random; they can be predicted. And the Cat King Speaker, though not a living being, is a conscious item—not merely a lifeless object.
Could it be that this independently thinking Cat King Speaker, like Bing Ge, foresaw that I would one day enter Yin-Yang Town and played that audio recording for me?
But what was the basis for this prediction? The Demon Sovereign Character Card?
Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced with hypotheses as he swiftly put on his shoes, fastened his waist pack, and stowed the Cat King Speaker. He then lunged to the other side of the bed, opened the drawer, and poured five or six small blue pills into his mouth.
After finishing these preparations, he grabbed his phone and dialed Guan Ya's number, only to find her line busy. He then called Li Dongze, who was also on another call.
What's going on with these two? Time was running out, leaving him no room for further speculation. Zhang Yuanqing opened his messaging app and sent a voice message:
"Chief, I'm entering the instance now—Yin-Yang Town!"
He delivered the message at lightning speed and tapped send.
Just then, the room's surroundings distorted like rippling water—the 60 seconds were up.
"Yin-Yang Town, Guan Ya... You need to be careful. You must survive," Li Dongze said, his face grave.
Yin-Yang Town was an A-rank instance, a Death Type. Although Zhang Yuanqing had significantly raised the True Eye Chief's threshold, Li Dongze hadn't forgotten the terror of A-rank instances.
S-rank instances were the nightmares of all Spirit Realm Walkers, swords hanging over their heads—rare and unavoidable.
It was the A-rank instances that truly tested the geniuses of the Order and Evil Factions, life-or-death trials that demanded careful consideration and caused endless headaches. Countless promising seeds, widely recognized for their exceptional talent, had perished in A-rank instances.
This was also why Primordial's completion of two S-Rank instances had drawn the attention of both The Officials and the Evil Organization.
Otherwise, given Miao's status as an Elder, even the most outstanding Walker talent in the Transcendent Phase would only earn a casual "not bad" from him. He would never bother traveling to the Capital City for a minor figure's Item, nor would he laugh it off after having his dog head rubbed like nothing had happened.
"Understood, Chief," Guan Ya said with a smile. "If I don't make it out alive, please tell Fu Qingyang I'm sorry, and apologize to everyone else too. And tell Primordial not to be too sad."
Li Dongze was about to reply when he heard a muffled thud through the speaker, as if a phone had dropped to the ground.
He knew Guan Ya had entered the Instance.
Sigh. Li Dongze hung up the phone, his heart heavy with worry. Only then did he notice a missed call: Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
Li Dongze raised an eyebrow and tried calling back, but the call wouldn't connect. He checked his messaging app and saw a voice message from Primordial:
"Chief, I'm in an Instance now—Yin-Yang Town!"
Li Dongze forgot his usual composure, a "fuck" escaping his lips. "Oh, my God, are you messing with me?"
Guan Ya and Primordial had entered Yin-Yang Town together? If the mission failed, Second Team would lose two of its most valuable members.
After his initial shock and anger, Li Dongze felt a strange sense of relief. On one hand, that unlucky kid Primordial would finally stop entering S-Rank instances. On the other hand, with Primordial by Guan Ya's side, their chances of clearing the instance would significantly increase.
Li Dongze pondered for a moment before dialing Fu Qingyang's number.
Beep... beep...
The phone rang for a long time before Fu Qingyang's cold, ascetic voice answered:
"Calling this late must be for something urgent."
His tone was off, as if he resented being disturbed. As a Scout, Li Dongze immediately sensed his superior's displeasure and said gravely:
"Centurion, Guan Ya just entered an instance. A-Rank, Yin-Yang Town, Death Type."
A Death Type A-Rank instance was far more difficult than a non-Death Type one.
Silence fell on the other end of the line. Li Dongze could imagine Centurion Fu's worry, but the man was too stern and proud to show any concern for Guan Ya, even if he felt it.
"Understood," Fu Qingyang's voice was low and heavy.
Li Dongze added, "Primordial has also entered Yin-Yang Town. He should be with Guan Ya."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Fu Qingyang's voice showed a clear surprise. "Primordial entered Yin-Yang Town too?"
"Yes," Li Dongze confirmed.
"Understood. Let's wait for news from them tomorrow," Fu Qingyang said.
His voice remained cold and detached, but his tone had suddenly lightened, losing its earlier heaviness.
The scene shifted from blurry to sharp focus, revealing an ancient-style town in the Jiangnan water region, with white walls, black-tiled roofs, and stone-paved roads winding deep into its heart.
Clusters of lush greenery grew along the streets and in the corners of walls.
The sky was a clear azure blue, indicating daytime within the Spirit Realm. In the grassy fields outside the town, several black water buffalo grazed with lowered heads, while a shepherd boy dozed beneath a tree.
Zhang Yuanqing looked up. He was standing beneath the town's archway, which bore three large, calligraphic characters:
"Yin-Yang Town"
This was an instance with constantly shifting objectives. Each team faced different challenges depending on the route the Spirit Realm assigned them to reach the central plaza.
This wasn't an S-Rank instance, but it was still a Death Type. My luck is truly a mixed bag.
What hidden quest did the demon lord mention? What Item did the Yin-Yang Wanderer hide here?
As he recalled the information about Yin-Yang Town, Zhang Yuanqing subtly summoned his Black Frame Glasses and put them on, scrutinizing his "companions."
Hmm? Zhang Yuanqing spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Her tall figure and exquisite mixed-race features stood out like a firefly in the dark.
Guan Ya?!
At that moment, Guan Ya's gaze met his. Seeing the familiar face, her beautiful eyes lit up with an indescribable radiance.
Primordial... I actually matched with him! I really matched with him! Guan Ya quickly suppressed her joy, averted her gaze, and began assessing her other companions, choosing not to acknowledge him.
She's happy to see me, huh? Heh, that's only natural. Anyone would be thrilled to meet a pro like me. She's not acknowledging me yet—probably sizing up the team first? After analyzing Guan Ya's behavior, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the other companions.
There were six companions in total: Guan Ya, one other woman, and four men, all young adults.
Clap, clap!
At that moment, the woman clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention and announced:
"Greetings, everyone. I'm a member of the Five Elements Alliance, ID: Call Me Queen, Level 3 Water Ghost."
Call Me Queen? The name sounded familiar. Oh, isn't she that female colleague who's always flooding the forums? Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized "Queen."
She was a woman in her mid-twenties, dressed in black capri pants, a black T-shirt, and white sneakers. Her striking features were accentuated by smoky eye makeup, and large silver hoop earrings dangled from her translucent earlobes.
Queen? What kind of queen? A nightclub queen? Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly.
Queen's gaze swept across the group as she continued:
"I've reviewed the Spirit Realm strategy guide for Yin-Yang Town. This is a team-based instance where we'll face off against the Evil Classes on the other side of town. Two teams will enter the ancient town through different gates, and the first team to reach the central plaza will receive a reward.
"This could be a position of authority, a powerful item, or something else entirely. Regardless, the team that reaches the plaza first will have a significant advantage. This instance requires absolute cooperation. Any infighting or dissent will lead to our collective demise.
"Therefore, I propose we elect a captain."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately understood her purpose. Team-based instances against the Spirit Realm were the only ones that awarded Faction Tokens.
By revealing her official status and level first, Queen aimed to become the team leader.
If she could lead them to clear this instance, the chances of obtaining a Faction Token would be extremely high.
As if to validate Queen's words, the Spirit Realm issued a notification:
[ Please enter Yin-Yang Town within three minutes. The team that arrives at the town square first will receive a reward. ]
The group's expressions shifted slightly.
The man in the vest scrutinized her. "You want to be the captain?"
Queen didn't deny it, nodding frankly.
The vest-clad man pondered for a few seconds. "I'm a Level 3 Fire Master. My ID is Huode Star General—the 'General' as in the military. The real Huode Star Lord was already taken. If you truly know the Spirit Realm's strategy, I'll agree to you being captain."
At that moment, another slightly chubby young man with a round face chimed in, "I'm a Level 2 Earth Fiend. My ID is Chi Ou. Older Brothers and Eldest Sisters, please take care of me."
The remaining two immediately revealed their levels and classes. The bespectacled, scholarly-looking youth was a Level 3 Scholar named Li Chunfeng. This class, in the Transcendent Phase, wasn't suited for combat.
Scholar Bro voluntarily withdrew from the Captain selection.
The other candidate was a quiet, melancholic young man who identified himself as a Level 2 Wood Spirit with the ID "Grass on the Plain." He seemed uninterested in conversation and showed little interest in his teammates, barely glancing at even the striking beauties like Guan Ya and Queen before quickly losing interest.
Zhang Yuanqing, wearing his black-framed glasses, observed everyone's microexpressions, analyzing their true intentions.
Huode Star General clearly wanted to be Captain, but upon learning that Queen was an Official Walker with knowledge of the Instance's strategy, he immediately conceded. In reality, the Yin-Yang Town strategy was merely a reference point; Queen had already revealed the most crucial information. Chi Ou's expression and demeanor made it clear he had no intention of vying for the Captain position.
Li Chunfeng remained frowning, pessimistic about the Instance's prospects. Grass on the Plain, though young, possessed the aura of a recluse, lacking the fierce spirit of a warrior.
Regardless, the teammates were generally prioritizing the overall mission, avoiding reckless individualism. This highlighted the difference between team-based competition and cooperative group play. In this format, even the most rebellious members had to restrain themselves for the greater good.
At that moment, Li Chunfeng sighed and said:
"We now have three Level 3 Walkers. According to the Spirit Realm's matchmaking system, the Evil Faction must have at least two Level 3s. A Level 3 like me is just filling the ranks; I'm not much of a fighter. I've been observing you all just now, and aside from Huode and the Queen, the rest of you seem a bit lacking."
Is that why you're so pessimistic? Zhang Yuanqing wondered inwardly.
Huode Star General frowned. "Don't undermine morale!"
He immediately turned to Guan Ya and Zhang Yuanqing. "What are your classes and levels?"
Call Me Queen glanced at Guan Ya.
Guan Ya smiled faintly. "Level 2 Scout, ID Guan Ya."
Level 2 Scout. The others looked slightly disappointed. A Scout's combat ability was only average, inferior to Fire Masters and Wood Spirits, though still stronger than Scholars.
"Also, I'm an Official member," Guan Ya added.
"Ah, a colleague! I remember now—you're from the Songhai Branch. I've seen you on the forum. When we enter Yin-Yang Town, don't stray too far from me," Call Me Queen said with a smile.
Official Walkers always felt a closer bond than those who operated independently.
The Queen's unspoken message was clear: Choose me as Captain, and I'll protect you.
Although Guan Ya was also an Official member and likely knew the strategies for Yin-Yang Town, the gap between a Level 2 Scout and a Level 3 Water Ghost was vast. The Queen wasn't worried about her challenging for the Captain position.
Besides, even if Guan Ya wanted the position, the others wouldn't choose her.
Guan Ya smiled and nodded.
Call Me Queen gave a satisfied nod and turned to Zhang Yuanqing. "What about you, young man?"
Zhang Yuanqing surveyed the group and declared, "Level 2 Nightwalker, ID Primordial Heavenly Venerable. I believe I'm better suited to be Captain than you."