Chapter 178: The Top Twenty Revealed

Invite Guan Ya over for dinner? Fat chance. Give it a few days, Grandma, and you'll forget all about it, Zhang Yuanqing grumbled to himself in silence.

He had to admit, he liked Guan Ya. She was gorgeous, the kind of stunning older woman with curves that could stop traffic. Which red-blooded guy wouldn't be drawn to her?

Beyond her looks, though, she was genuinely capable. Ever since he'd joined the Bureau, she'd gone out of her way to look after him and help him find his footing.

He was twenty-one and hot-blooded, the type whose thoughts wandered the moment the wrong idea crossed his mind. Having a soft spot for a mature, alluring woman like her was the most natural thing in the world.

He could tell she felt something too. In truth, most relationships didn't need some dramatic, life-or-death ordeal to be kindled. That was television nonsense. In real life, people simply spent time together, discovered they clicked, and feelings grew on their own until dating became the obvious next step.

But he and Guan Ya clearly hadn't reached that point yet. Jumping straight to "come meet my family for dinner" felt premature. What if she turned him down? Not that a socially savvy guy like him would lose sleep over a little rejection, but still...

It's that flashy sports car of hers. She's beautiful, I'm young and handsome, and I don't exactly have a steady income. Of course the neighborhood gossipmongers would assume I'm her kept man. Honestly, those retirees have nothing better to do than sit around collecting their pensions and running their mouths...

He scrolled back to the forum post he'd been reading, still grumbling internally.

【#Past Tournament Formats: Predicting This Year's Mode#】

【First, let's talk about the venue. In past years, matches have always been held inside guild-exclusive dungeons belonging to the five major factions. For newer Walkers, this might be confusing, so let me break it down. There's an item called the Guild Token, which generates a guild-exclusive dungeon that only members of that faction can enter.

【"Once the dungeon is cleared, the guild leader becomes its administrator with basic permissions, including the ability to open the instance to outsiders...】

So the venue is inside the Five Elements Alliance's guild-exclusive dungeon. That made sense. Hosting this sort of "sports event" in the real world came with enormous logistical headaches. Finding a suitable location meant scouting out remote, uninhabited areas. And with the sheer number of Alliance members involved, large-scale movement was dangerous and practically invited ambushes from Evil-class Walkers.

Beyond that, a real world venue was vulnerable to what could be considered a nuclear strike from the enemy. One well placed attack could wipe out dozens of their people. And if official Walkers abandoned the cities they were supposed to protect for a tournament, Evil-class Walkers would certainly exploit the gap in security to sow chaos.

Zhang Yuanqing felt one of his lingering doubts finally being answered.

Come to think of it, he had his own guild-exclusive dungeon too, though it had never activated since he hadn't filled out his roster yet.

【Back to the main topic. In previous years, the Tournament has primarily featured arena combat, the straightforward, one-on-one brawls everyone imagines. But because of mutual restraint on the side of Five Elements Alliance combatants, pure arena matches aren't entirely fair, so the organizers added scenario-type matches to balance things out.

【Think of it like the multiplayer confrontation dungeons you've already experienced, except during the Tournament, it's strictly one versus one. This year, the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance are co-hosting the Tournament, so my bold prediction is that scenario-type matches will incorporate supernatural elements. Start stockpiling items and materials that counter spirits now!】

The comments section was predictably ruthless.

⤷ Great prediction. Next time, don't bother.

⤷ I feel like I read something, but also nothing at all.

⤷ You call that a prediction? Even an idiot could've guessed that.

Harsh crowd, but for a newcomer like me, this is genuinely helpful. Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly. Scenario-type matches... they seem unexpected, but completely logical when you think about it.

Scenario-based arenas would multiply the variables involved. Victory wouldn't hinge on raw combat power alone. It would test adaptability, the ability to leverage the environment, and creative thinking. The odds of an underdog pulling off an upset would skyrocket.

That, Zhang Yuanqing reflected, was exactly how Spirit Realm Walkers were meant to fight. Whether in a dungeon or the real world, what mattered was always overall ability, never brute force alone.

My base stats are strong for a Level 3 Walker, but not top tier. The Yin Yang Spell Robe helps a lot, though it has its limits. Against someone immune to water and fire, things get tricky fast.

He pocketed his phone, slung his backpack over his shoulders, and headed for the door, ready to make his way to the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. He was halfway to the entryway when the sound of a passcode being punched into the front door's keypad drifted through from outside.

The woman who stepped inside wore casual house clothes, her hair styled in fashionable curls. She had a pretty face, well maintained and youthful looking. It was his aunt from next door.

"Auntie?"

"Yuanzi!" she greeted him as she grabbed his arm warmly and fished a thick wad of crisp red bills from her pocket. "A little spending money from your auntie. I know your uncle says we're family and there's no need for special thanks, but I wanted to show my gratitude anyway."

Zhang Yuanqing accepted the money with a grin. "Thanks, Auntie! This is perfect timing. Taking girls out to eat is killing my wallet. I've been seeing someone lately, so next time I'm broke, I'll come knocking again."

Auntie's smile only grew wider at that.

***

Somewhere in the north, a remote villa rose against the side of a mountain on the outskirts of the city. Its exterior was clad in pristine white marble, and a wide, winding road stretched from the front gate down to the national highway at the foot of the slope.

The property sprawled across nearly two acres of land. Beyond the main residence lay a manicured courtyard bursting with flowers, with a large swimming pool as its centerpiece.

A dozen or so tall, slender women in swimsuits dotted the courtyard. Some splashed in the pool, while others were applying sunscreen onto another's skin. A few carried trays of food back and forth between the courtyard and the villa's interior. Rows of dining tables lined the poolside, laden with fine dishes and wine.

At first glance, it looked like an extravagant party. But a closer look revealed something out of place. There were no other men anywhere on the property. The only male present was a gaunt figure sprawled across an oversized sun lounger.

And the women, for all their splashing and eating, kept stealing glances at him. There was the same shared look in their eyes: one part fear, one part desperate caution.

The gaunt man had skin that had darkened to near black. He was emaciated to the point where every rib along his chest and abdomen stood out in sharp relief, pressing against his flesh like ridges on a washboard.

At that moment, a fair-skinned young woman sat straddling his waist. Her teeth were clenched against her lower lip, her brow furrowed deep. She was enduring something that clearly caused her immense pain, stifled whimpers leaking from her mouth with every labored breath. The contrast between the man's dark, skeletal frame and her pale skin was stark and grotesque.

Her ordeal went on for more than ten minutes. By the end, the girl was drenched in sweat. Her lips had turned bloodless, and her body was on the verge of giving out entirely.

The gaunt man shoved her aside with a careless flick of his hand. "Next."

A tall woman who had been waiting nearby flinched. Terror flashed through her eyes before she schooled her expression into blankness and, with a face white as paper, climbed onto the sun lounger to take the other woman's place.

The gaunt man was the Lust Divine General of the Bing Zhu Sect, a Level 6 Fog Lord who ranked fourth among the Eight Divine Generals.

Lust Divine General was not his Spirit Realm ID. His original username had long since been forgotten. The day he'd ascended to the Saint tier, he'd discarded it, and Asura bestowed upon him the title of "Lust."

The name fit him like a glove. When it came to bloodlust, he was far from the worst among the Enchanting Demons. But when it came to carnal appetite, few people alive could rival him.

The Lust Divine General was the kind of man who could not walk past a beautiful woman without wanting to possess her. Every woman who caught his eye eventually ended up caged, reduced to a slave and kept on hand to satisfy his urges. Those he couldn't simply abduct, whether because of status or circumstance, he broke through other means. Coercion, seduction, and a slow and patient campaign of manipulation until they became obedient tools he could summon and discard at will.

And some of them, the ones he had trained into perfect, compliant "merchandise," he sent out into the world. They served businessmen, officials, and the powerful, becoming the Lust Divine General's network of connections and leverage.

He was wrapped up in another wave of sick gratification that was climbing toward its peak when a cold voice cut through the air beside him.

"You're free to do whatever you please, of course, but I've been waiting for half an hour, and my patience has run out."

The Lust Divine General twisted his head around, his face contorted with savage irritation. He despised being interrupted during these sessions. But when he saw who had spoken, the fury on his face drained away immediately. He shoved the woman off him and threw himself to the ground in a full prostration, his voice trembling.

"I humbly offer you greetings, Fear Heavenly King!"

Beneath the shade of a patio umbrella stood a young man in a black tailored suit. Handsome, composed, two silver studs glinting in his earlobes. His gaze was as cold and unyielding as his expression. It was the Fear Heavenly King. First among the Four Heavenly Kings, and the strongest being beneath Asura himself.

The outside world knew little of his combat prowess. Only two stories about him circulated. The first was that he had once beaten Demon Lord in a fight. The second was that the bewitching palace master of the Water God Palace had once fought him in a fierce fight, but the outcome was unknown. The Fear Heavenly King still remained the Fear Heavenly King.

The young man in black spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. "The Demon Eye has gone dark in Songhai. Before he disappeared, he was attempting to kill the palace master of the Slaughter Cessation Palace. Go to Songhai. Keep the black market running, and investigate why Demon Eye vanished."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King has disappeared? That lunatic finally got himself killed?

The Lust Divine General's first reaction was a flash of delight. If there was one person he loathed above all others, it was the Demon Eye. That madman had once hunted him down for the crime of raping and murdering a defenseless woman. Among Enchanting Demons, something like that was barely worth mentioning, but the Demon Eye harbored an obsessive fixation on purging the mortal world of evil. When it came to the Bing Zhu Sect's own Enchanting Demons committing atrocities, his policy was simple: out of sight, out of mind. But if he witnessed it, he killed without hesitation.

The Lust Divine General had fled back to headquarters in a panic. In the end, it was Asura who stepped in and quashed the conflict. From that day on, wherever the Demon Eye went, the Lust Divine General made absolutely certain he was somewhere else.

"I will obey!" he said with practiced deference.

The young man in the black suit gave a slight nod. His gaze swept across the flock of women before drifting toward the villa's front entrance. He paused.

"When I arrived, I noticed the front gate was locked. Why would you lock the gate? Aren't these women free?"

The Lust Divine General felt cold sweat bead across his forehead, and he answered in a rapid, stumbling torrent. "They are free. They are absolutely free! If any of them wishes to leave, I will unlock the gate immediately. I would never dare restrict their freedom. Every person is born free. No one, for any reason, has the right to restrict another's freedom."

Against the Demon Eye, he could at least put up a fight. When it came to man, if he turned hostile, there was no chance of resistance whatsoever.

The Fear Heavenly King nodded, satisfied, but when he spoke, his voice remained devoid of warmth. "The next time I catch you locking that gate, prepare to return to the Spirit Realm. Poor Demon Eye. He's lost his freedom. I cannot allow such a thing to stand. I will find him and set him free."

The Lust Divine General pressed his forehead to the ground. "I will uncover the truth behind Demon Eye's disappearance without fail."

When he finally raised his head, the Fear Heavenly King was already gone.

***

Zhang Yuanqing was inside the two-storey annex building behind the Public Security Bureau headquarters. Following Guan Ya's guidance, he logged into the official forum on the office computer, clicked the newly added "Registration Now Open!" banner on the homepage, entered his Spirit Realm ID, punched in the verification code from his phone, and confirmed his entry into the Tournament.

Guan Ya, who was standing beside the desk, gave him a satisfied nod. "That's all there is to it."

"Thanks, Sis Ya. Hey, are you free today? Want to come to my place for dinner?" Zhang Yuanqing ventured, keeping his tone casual.

She studied him for a moment, then smiled. "Are you testing me?"

Of course. Nothing gets past a Scout... Zhang Yuanqing gave up the pretense and told her the truth. "My cousin told my grandmother about the promotion. My family wants to have you over for a meal to say thanks."

Scouts could pick up on tells and inconsistencies, but they couldn't read minds. And the excuse he'd given was airtight.

"Your Grandma has met me before..." Guan Ya said, then trailed off. "Let's talk about it after the Tournament."

She hadn't refused, but she hadn't exactly said yes either.

Right, Grandma has met her before. Zhang Yuanqing could practically see the narratives his grandmother would start to spin if she ever found out.

Scenario one: The beautiful officer came to the house on official business, laid eyes on her dashing grandson, and immediately began scheming to seduce him. The poor boy never stood a chance.

Scenario two: Her grandson spotted the beautiful officer and flirted with her relentlessly until she finally caved. A woman of principle, worn down by sheer persistence.

If Grandma went with scenario one, she'd hold a grudge, convinced Guan Ya had abused her authority to poach her precious grandson. But if she landed on scenario two, she'd be thrilled, beaming with pride at her grandson's game. It was the same situation, but entirely different conclusions could be reached depending on the angle.

"Sis Ya, are you entering the Tournament?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

Guan Ya frowned slightly. "I'm still thinking about it. If I compete, my rifle probably won't be allowed. And you know how it is. At the Transcendent tier, Scouts lack powerful offensive skills. It'd be hard to place well without it."

Her rifle was the ultimate binary weapon. If you could block its shot, then there was no harm done. If you couldn't, you were dead. There was virtually no middle ground, and no way to hold back with a weapon like that, which was precisely why it would be banned from the Tournament. Any item capable of a guaranteed one-hit kill was prohibited.

Zhang Yuanqing grunted in understanding. "So Squad Leader Li won't be entering either?"

Guan Ya nodded, a knowing smile playing at her lips. "But he definitely won't admit it's because his combat abilities aren't suited for it."

Zhang Yuanqing grinned back. "I bet he'll say something like, 'The Tournament? You mean that spectacle where people gawk at you like monkeys in a zoo? It's not elegant in the slightest. I refuse to participate.'"

With that, he leaned toward the squad leader's office and called out, "Squad Leader, are you entering the Tournament?"

A few seconds later, Li Dongze emerged, cane in hand, and fixed him with a disapproving look.

"Do not shout in the office," he reprimanded his subordinate. "It is deeply inelegant."

He paused, adjusting his grip on the cane. "And no, I won't be entering."

Zhang Yuanqing pounced on the opening. "Why not?"

Li Dongze drew himself up, his expression perfectly serious. "Because brawling in front of an audience is profoundly inelegant. I have no interest in being gawked at like a monkey."

Zhang Yuanqing and Guan Ya exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Li Dongze demanded as he narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing," they said in unison.

"You were definitely laughing."

***

The following afternoon, after compulsively refreshing the official forum for hours, Zhang Yuanqing finally saw it. The Scholars had finished their analysis, and the data-driven rankings of the top twenty Walkers was live.

【#Official Saint Tier Top 20 Rankings (Including the Taiyi Sect)#】

【#Official Transcendent Tier Top 20 Rankings (Including the Taiyi Sect)#】

I wonder where I placed, he thought.

Heart pounding, he tapped the second post without hesitation.