Chapter 16: Uncharted Territory

Zhang Yuanqing returned to the main hall, bathed in candlelight, calming the pain from his recurring ailment while taking the opportunity to purify himself.

Based on his calculations, the vengeful spirit would latch onto him within a minute or two. This was definitely not the right time to enter the east courtyard and face the zombie head-on.

After resting for four to five minutes, his condition worsened. The headache was now accompanied by slight dizziness—signs that the corpse poison was gradually invading his body. The candlelight in the main hall seemed unable to cleanse the toxins within him.

"I can't delay any longer…"

He needed to act quickly while the Red Dancing Shoes were still active. He had to finish this trial in one go.

Leaving the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing followed the cobblestone path through the overgrown weeds and arrived at the quadrangle courtyard.

Standing amid the swaying grass, he opened his inventory and summoned the Red Dancing Shoes.

Two dark red glows flickered in the night, swirling gracefully before transforming into a pristine pair of red shoes.

"Activate second form!"

He silently commanded.

The Red Dancing Shoes dissolved once more into a dark red light, tracing two arcs before wrapping around his feet.

In an instant, his sneakers morphed into a pair of oversized red dance shoes.

This… this is basically cross-dressing, isn't it? Luckily, they're just red dance shoes and not high heels… Zhang Yuanqing felt a bit awkward, looking down at his feet. It was a strange feeling.

Forcing himself to ignore the odd detail, he took out the Corpse Suppression Talisman, held it in his hand, and, accompanied by the rustling of the ancient banyan tree, stepped through the archway into the east courtyard once more.

The east courtyard lay silent under the moonlight, its overgrown grass swaying gently. The two large buildings stood still in the night—serene and undisturbed.

Scanning the area cautiously, he saw no sign of the zombie. He carefully crossed the courtyard, moving toward the large building divided into four rooms.

The room with the coffins had its wooden door knocked down. There was no need to enter—he could see everything from the threshold.

Moonlight streamed through a gap in the roof tiles, illuminating the corpses, coffins, displaced lids, and the brass cudgel. None of them had moved.

The zombie was nowhere to be seen.

"Could it have crawled back into the coffin?"

From his current angle, he couldn't see inside the coffin.

Just as he hesitated, he noticed the moonlight dimming slightly. A shadow descended from above, shrouding him in darkness.

A foul stench of decay filled the air, followed by a guttural growl.

It… it was hiding in the tree? Zhang Yuanqing's heart clenched in fear, his instincts screaming at him to dodge.

In the next instant, the Red Dancing Shoes flared with a dark red glow. His feet suddenly slipped, and before he could react, he executed a sliding tackle, carving a trail through the grass.

Thud!

The tattered-clothed zombie missed its mark.

I… I dodged it? Zhang Yuanqing scrambled to his feet, ecstatic. His heart, which had leaped into his throat, settled back into his chest.

The Red Dancing Shoes were truly extraordinary. Their evasion ability was even greater than he had expected. Given his natural reflexes, there was no way he could have dodged that attack on his own.

His confidence surged.

"Hrrrgh…"

The zombie, its straw-like hair hanging in disarray, let out an ear-piercing growl. Its bloodshot, protruding eyes gleamed with ferocity. It bent its knees and lunged at him once more, moving as fast as a speeding car.

As the stench of decay engulfed him, Zhang Yuanqing's feet twisted involuntarily, making him spin like a ballet dancer. He smoothly pivoted around the zombie's attack, cutting a half-circle behind it.

Then, without warning, his body collapsed into a full split. A gust of wind whooshed above his head as the zombie's claws swept past.

Damn… that almost tore something… Zhang Yuanqing's face contorted in pain. He wanted to cry out, but the Red Dancing Shoes had already taken control, making him bounce up effortlessly.

He leaped high into the air and drove both feet into the zombie's chest.

Thump!

A dull impact sent a cloud of dust rising from the zombie's tattered clothes.

The creature roared in frustration as it toppled backward.

Now's my chance!

Ignoring the searing pain between his legs, Zhang Yuanqing dashed forward and slapped the talisman onto the zombie's forehead.

Slap!

The once-ferocious zombie froze instantly, as if paralyzed by a spell.

The eerie silence returned.

Lying stiffly in the overgrown grass, its grotesque eyes gradually lost their crimson glow.

The monster had lost its "life force."

Breathing heavily, Zhang Yuanqing was overcome with exhaustion—and relief.

He had survived!

"Without the Red Dancing Shoes, taking down this zombie alone would have been nearly impossible. And this is just one of the horrors lurking here. No wonder this is an S-rank Spirit Realm trial—it's way too difficult.

"But the construction team had numbers on their side. They should've been able to handle the zombie. How could they have been wiped out so easily…?"

Then, he sighed, understanding the answer.

The Corpse Suppression Talisman had been found in the pocket of the skeleton beneath the window. That senior had obtained the item but chose to keep it to himself rather than sharing it with the group.

The human heart is more terrifying than ghosts.

With the zombie taken care of, the next target was the shameless female ghost in the well.

But before that, there was something else that intrigued him.

Leaving the zombie behind, he approached the coffin chamber. Resting his hand on the doorframe, he stepped over the threshold. Moonlight cast long shadows across the dimly lit room.

Stopping before the mummified corpse, he bent down and picked up the brass cudgel.

Despite being made of metal, it felt warm like jade in his hand.

A line of text appeared in his vision.

[Name: Demon-Subduing Cudgel]

[Type: Weapon]

[Function: Purification, Spirit Suppression, Demon Banishment]

[Description: A weapon imbued with the power of the sun, the bane of all dark creatures. By sacrificing one's blood to it, one can gain the Sun God's power.]

[Note: Powerful? Yes—but at the cost of your life.]

As expected, it was an artifact. Judging by its description, it seemed even more effective against dark entities than the candles in the main hall. The construction team's leader must have planned to use it against the zombie—but he had failed.

He had likely lost too many teammates before even reaching that point.

Zhang Yuanqing was grateful for his own decisions.

By cleverly utilizing the Red Dancing Shoes, he had overcome this deadly challenge.

Of course, the construction team had never stood a chance. They couldn't have obtained the Red Dancing Shoes, and most of them had died under its relentless trampling.

"With this weapon that specializes in subduing dark creatures, combined with the Red Dancing Shoes, my chances of completing the trial have significantly increased."

Gripping the Demon-Subduing Cudgel tightly, he felt a surge of confidence. Before the five-minute limit expired, he left the room and returned to the courtyard.

This time, he headed straight for the ancient well for the final investigation.

Standing by the well's edge, he peered into the abyss. A damp, musty scent of decayed vegetation rose from the darkness.

Time to check it out…

Holding the cudgel defensively, he stepped onto the well's edge and walked downward—his feet clinging to the walls as if it were level ground.

Earlier, he wouldn't have dared to descend. Without a rope or allies, jumping in would have been suicidal.

Before long, he reached the shallow bottom. Here, the moonlight was faint.

The well had long since dried up. Thick black silt covered the floor, tufts of weeds grew along the edges, and dark green moss clung to the walls.

"There's no ghost here…?"

Zhang Yuanqing frowned. That didn't make sense—he had clearly seen a faceless female ghost emerging from this well.