The root, as thin as a thumb, burst into golden flames and quickly turned to ash.
Stimulated by the heat, the roots that covered the cavern walls suddenly came to life, writhing like a dense swarm of snakes crawling across the stone.
The Banyan Spirit, surprised by the mortal's unexpected intelligence, abandoned its pretense. "Since you refuse to come closer," it hissed, "then die!"
The cavern floor cracked open, and jagged fragments erupted as thick, gnarled roots burst from the earth like twisted tentacles, coiling toward Zhang Yuanqing.
Even without the Red Dancing Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing could have easily evaded them at this distance.
As expected, the Banyan Spirit's attempt to lure him closer backfired. Instead of retreating, Zhang Yuanqing slid forward, dodging the roots' grasp and closing the distance to the Banyan Tree. He then sprang upward, leaping several meters into the air to evade another sweeping attack.
More and more roots tore through the ground, thrashing wildly within the cavern.
Zhang Yuanqing danced between the tendrils with graceful agility, evading every strike. No matter how relentlessly the roots lunged, they couldn't capture him.
Without the Red Dancing Shoes, a novice facing this trial with only the Demon Subduing Pestle would have an extremely high mortality rate.
Tap-tap-tap. The Red Dancing Shoes darted across the walls, evading the entangling and striking tree roots. With a spring of his knees, Zhang Yuanqing shot through the roots' encirclement like an arrow, hurtling toward the tree trunk.
The tree trunk's face registered clear terror as it saw the human projectile hurtling toward it.
Boom!
The stone beneath the roots cracked open, and more roots erupted like a geyser, forming a wooden wall.
Zhang Yuanqing slammed the Demon Subduing Pestle into the wall with all his might.
Golden flames spread across the charred wood, searing the Banyan Spirit into an enraged shriek.
Seizing the moment, Zhang Yuanqing smashed through the burning wall and plunged the pestle's three-pronged tip deep into the trunk.
Thud!
The tri-pronged tip sank deep into the trunk, and a dazzling, sun-like radiance erupted from the pitch-black cavern.
The golden light twisted the trunk, contorted the human face, and forced a piercing scream from it as wisps of blue smoke hissed from its form.
In that instant, the spirits hidden within the trunk dissolved into blue smoke amidst the screams.
Every ghost and monster vanished, annihilated by the golden light.
As the golden light faded, the cavern returned to darkness, but now it felt clean and clear.
Zhang Yuanqing's first action wasn't to check if the Banyan Spirit was truly dead, but to immediately deactivate the Red Dancing Shoes and store them in his Inventory.
Nearly five minutes had passed since he entered the cavern.
After securing the shoes, Zhang Yuanqing finally turned his attention to the Great Banyan Tree. It had withered, its bark cracked and dehydrated, its roots scattered across the cavern floor.
A cold voice echoed in his mind:
[ Ding! Congratulations on completing the S-rank Trial Mission. Character Card activated. Calculating rewards... ]
[ Item/Prop obtained: Demon Subduing Pestle. ]
[ Experience Points awarded: 100% ]
[ You have become a Nightwalker. ]
[ Experience Points awarded: 20% ]
[ Character Card bonus activated. Reward item: Red Dancing Shoes. ]
[ Exiting the Spirit Realm in five minutes. ]
It was finally over. Zhang Yuanqing felt utterly drained, both physically and mentally, as if he had collapsed from exhaustion.
He had cleared the She Ling Tunnel, accomplishing what no one had managed to do in decades.
As the notification chimed, the Black Moon Mark on Zhang Yuanqing's forehead glowed. A strange, mystical power surged from the burning mark, forcing its way into his body with an almost violent force.
His skin flushed crimson, like a boiled shrimp, as a strange, mystical power surged through his body, merging into each cell and bone. The wound on his arm healed at a visibly rapid pace.
He involuntarily began to twitch, and two illusory black moons briefly materialized in his eyes before vanishing.
The pain quickly subsided, replaced by a soothing, hot spring-like warmth.
So comfortable... Zhang Yuanqing felt utterly languid, instinctively wanting to stretch. He glanced down and froze in shock, seeing his body standing motionless in place.
Am I having an out-of-body experience?
Panic surged through him. He instinctively tried to return to his physical form. With a mere thought, his soul immediately sank back into his body.
Reclaiming control of his body, Zhang Yuanqing sensed something new within him—a quality called "talent."
He accepted this talent as naturally as if it had been innate.
Simultaneously, he felt his body brimming with boundless energy and strength, even harboring the delusion that he could shatter a planet with a single punch.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his character attribute panel:
[ Name: Primordial Heavenly Venerable ]
[ Race: Human ]
[ Class: Nightwalker ]
[ Level: 1 ]
[ Skills: Night Roaming, Soul Devouring, Lunar Spirit ]
[ Experience Points: 20% ]
[ Morality Value: 60 (Initial Value) ]
[ Night Roaming (Active): Condenses Lunar Spirit power to envelop oneself, entering a Night Roaming state. During activation, briefly becomes invisible, suppresses scent, breath, and body heat, and muffles all sounds. Duration: six seconds. ]
[ Soul Devouring (Active): Consumes souls to enhance one's spiritual essence. ]
[ Lunar Spirit (Passive): The Nightwalker's physique is robust, possessing abundant vitality and powerful self-healing capabilities. Under the night sky, all of the Nightwalker's abilities are significantly amplified. ]
He had officially become a Nightwalker, gaining an additional 20% experience points. Combined with the item rewards, the gains from this Trial Spirit Realm were substantial.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his Inventory. The Red Dancing Shoes lay quietly in the first slot, the half-hour countdown timer now gone.
He had officially become the shoes' Master.
Two minutes later, he had fully acclimated to his new physical state, the wounds on his arms completely healed.
Then, Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze toward the Stone Coffin.
The mission's completion meant the exploration progress had reached 100%. So, was the Stone Coffin empty?
It seems the Banyan Spirit was the Temple Steward all along. Now that all the "characters" have appeared, how did he transform into a tree spirit? Is the Stone Coffin his physical body?
With these thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing casually approached the Stone Coffin, intending to loot it. There might be valuable burial goods inside.
With just over two minutes remaining before being forced out of the Spirit Realm, he had plenty of time.
As a precaution, he summoned the Red Dancing Shoes again and activated their wearable mode.
The Stone Coffin was completely entwined by withered tree roots. Zhang Yuanqing swung the Demon Subduing Pestle, systematically severing the desiccated roots until the coffin's full form was revealed.
Approximately two meters long, the coffin was carved with intricate patterns, its lid covered in a thin layer of dust.
Creak...
He slowly pushed open the lid and peered inside. As a Nightwalker, he could see clearly in the darkness even without the Demon Subduing Pestle's divine power.
Lying within the Stone Coffin was a woman's corpse, dressed in a long-rotted ancient silk robe. Her arms were crossed over her flat abdomen, her waist as slender as a willow branch, and her figure graceful and untouched by decay.
The female corpse possessed exquisite features. Her cheeks were sculpted into a perfect oval, her nose was delicate and refined, and her lips were full and pale. Her eyes were tightly closed, framed by thick, interlaced lashes.
A peerless beauty.
Zhang Yuanqing stumbled backward in shock, his mind racing with a single thought:
Is that really the Goddess of Sandaoshan?!
Compared to the statue in the Main Hall, this corpse lacked benevolence, radiating instead a cold, alluring aura. It lacked the statue's plumpness, instead possessing the slender physique of a young woman in her prime.
Yet the resemblance in her features was undeniable—at least seventy to eighty percent.
Could the Banyan Spirit have been telling the truth? Is the Goddess of Sandaoshan the source of the temple disciples' disappearances?
Panic seized him, shaking his confidence in his earlier deductions. A flawed judgment now carried the weight of immense danger.
No, that can't be right. I've already completed my mission, which means my initial theory was correct. So, the Goddess in the Stone Coffin must be part of a hidden quest?
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly regretted his impulsive decision to open the coffin.
If the Goddess of Sandaoshan lay within, the Mountain God Temple must harbor even deeper secrets.
This discovery could trigger a chain reaction of dire consequences, such as activating a hidden quest.
Just as he was about to close the Stone Coffin, he noticed a dark, glossy sheen between the corpse's lips.
Something's there?
After a moment's hesitation, he pinched her pointed chin and pried open her full, sensual lips, revealing the source of the dark sheen.
It was a pure black pearl.
[ Name: Spectral Crystal ]
[ Type: Consumable ]
[ Function: None ]
[ Description: A soul crystal purified by the Solar Divine Power, containing immense spiritual energy. It is the most coveted nourishment for Nightwalkers. ]
[ Note: The Goddess of Sandaoshan has already purged the crystal of impurities. Consume with confidence. ]
Zhang Yuanqing extended two fingers and pinched out the pearl.
The pearl rapidly dissolved into a viscous energy that surged into his forehead.
[ Ding! You have gained 22% experience points. ]
Zhang Yuanqing's power surged violently, once again giving him the illusion that he could shatter a planet with a single punch.
He felt noticeably stronger, and without even checking his attribute panel, he could clearly sense improvements in his skills.
The delay time for Night Roaming had increased by three seconds, from six to nine seconds.
"I've unexpectedly grown stronger. Goddess, may you rest in peace." Zhang Yuanqing silently closed the Stone Coffin, pretending he had never opened it.
As he waited for the countdown, Zhang Yuanqing grew increasingly restless and anxious, fearing some unforeseen anomaly might occur—like triggering a hidden quest or interrupting his return.
Fortunately, nothing happened. Zhang Yuanqing watched the timer on the fluorescent blue panel begin its descent:
5... 4... 3...
Suddenly, a long, drawn-out sigh echoed through the dark, silent cavern.
Zhang Yuanqing: "..."
The coffin lid was pushed open from within, and a pale, delicate hand emerged, gripping the edge. Then, the beautiful woman inside the Stone Coffin sat up.
Her eyes, as deep as a bottomless pool, swept across the cavern, locking onto Zhang Yuanqing's frozen expression.
She stared at him, a corner of her lips curling into a smirk.
That smile nearly scared Zhang Yuanqing to death on the spot.
At that moment, the scene shattered like a reflection on water torn apart by the wind, the countdown reaching zero.
The world blurred into a hazy mess.
Gradually, the image stabilized. Bright, snow-white fluorescent lights shone down from the ceiling, illuminating pristine white walls, a desk, a computer, a television, and a double bed.
Curtains swayed in the breeze, and the crisp chirping of birds drifted in from outside the window.
He had returned to the human realm.