Free Web NovelChapter 167: Chapter 159: Do You Want to Truly Live?
[Mission Objective]: The team must do its best to explore the instance, defeat the source of the curse, and... stay alive!
[Death Penalty]:
(Individual/NPC): If an individual dies within the instance, all rewards obtained in the instance will be forfeited. They will also lose 20% of their current Cultivation stage’s EXP and will be teleported to the entrance of the Yin Spirit Institute to resurrect.
(Team): If the entire team is wiped out (all players and NPCs die), the mission is a failure. All rewards obtained by the team in the instance will be forfeited. All members will lose 50% of their current Cultivation stage’s EXP and be teleported to the entrance of the Yin Spirit Institute to resurrect.
Team Size: 5-20 members
(When including NPCs, a team will be automatically formed based on the current number of members in the funeral procession. The team can be accompanied by two Guides, who may be assigned at the discretion of the Guild Master.)
Extractable Items: [Special cursed artifacts, yin spirits, ghosts, and other non-corporeal or special power-based items.]
Nothing else may be taken out of the instance.
"Tsk. What a shame."
Seeing this, the players and Lin Qingfeng sighed to themselves.
The message seemed to imply they might encounter other types of NPCs. If only they could bring all the NPCs out of the instance to expand the sect’s labor force, how great would that be.
He continued reading and noticed the special rules concerning the Guides.
Guide Restriction [Sealed State]:
Restricted Actions: Guides cannot intervene to help the team overcome crises before the restriction is lifted, especially not by acting as the main fighting force.
Core Principle: The role of a Guide is to guide and observe, not to dominate the battle. Team members must be allowed to face fear and crises on their own.
Seal Unlock Condition: When the number of surviving NPCs in the team drops to one-quarter of the instance’s total population (including the two Guides), the restrictions on both Guides will be completely lifted, and they will no longer be subject to any limitations on their actions.
Violation Penalty: If a Guide intervenes before the seal is unlocked, all rewards for the entire team (including the Guides) will be reduced by 75% at the end-of-instance settlement. Furthermore, any sect contribution points earned by deceased NPCs during this instance will be nullified.
Simultaneously, both Guides will receive the [Damaged Dao Heart] debuff, which lasts for 24 hours (All stats reduced by 30%).
"I have to wait until only a quarter of the NPCs are left before I can do anything?"
The corner of Lin Qingfeng’s mouth twitched.
"What kind of ridiculous rule is this? It’s seriously cramping my style... ah, no, my heroic image as the Eldest Brother protecting his juniors."
He glanced at the thirteen coffins and quickly selected himself and "Ji"—the one best suited for this kind of situation—for the Guide slots.
"Alright, let’s move out."
At Lin Qingfeng’s command, the yin spirits carrying the coffins stepped onto a dark path leading deep into the Yin Spirit Institute.
The coffins began to move.
The journey was smooth at first, but Su Ling’er soon felt the path become rough and uneven.
The deeper they went, the darker their surroundings became, until they were completely plunged into a pitch-black void that swallowed all light and sound.
This darkness was different from the last.
It was deeper, more viscous, seeping in through the small holes in the coffin.
A thick fog surged in from all directions, filled with what looked like countless ghostly figures weaving and circling. Their silent wails seemed to pierce straight to the bone.
In the dead, silent darkness, only the chilling howl of an unearthly wind whistled past her ears.
Even more terrifyingly, Su Ling’er found her Divine Sense being forcefully suppressed by an invisible power. Her perceptual range was compressed to a mere nine feet around her, leaving her completely blind to anything beyond.
The new undercover disciples were also completely baffled.
’What is this place?!’
’I can’t see anything!’
[Disciple C]: I... I’m so sleepy... My head feels so heavy...
[Disciple D]: Me too... My eyelids... I can’t keep them open...
[Su Ling’er]: Everyone, hang on! Don’t fall asleep! This has to be the Demon Sect’s Enchanting Evil Skill! If you fall asleep, you’ll be...
Li Chunfeng: Zzz... zzz... zzz...
[Dong Changsheng]: Miss Su, we followers of the righteous path have nothing to fear from these vile demons... zzz... zzz...
[Disciple A]: Zzz... zzz... zzz...
[Disciple E]: Zzz... zzz... zzz...
[Disciple D]: Zzz... zzz... zzz...
[Su Ling’er]: ...
One by one, the Divine Sense connections weakened rapidly before falling completely silent.
’Hello?!’
’Where is everyone?!’
’Don’t all of you fall asleep on me!’
’What’s the deal with leaving me as the only one awake?!’
’It’s happening again!’
’It’s this Supreme Heart-Clearing Soul-Stabilizing Skill again!’
’Why does everyone else get to pass out, while I’m forced to stay awake and endure this terror all by myself?!’
’Oh, heavens! Oh, earth!’
’So where in the world are we going?’
’That great demon head didn’t explain anything! And why is it getting creepier the farther we go?’
’Are we on our way to the underworld?!’
Just as she was about to be consumed by loneliness and fear, the world seemed to turn upside down.
The endless darkness abruptly receded.
Su Ling’er found she was no longer inside the magnificent Ten Thousand Years Warm Jade Coffin.
Before her eyes was the main hall of a dilapidated mansion.
The air was thick with the smell of rotting wood and dust. Cobwebs hung from the rafters, and light filtering through broken windows cast mottled, twisted shadows on the floor.
Scattered all around her, lying in disarray, were her fellow undercover disciples who had fallen asleep, along with a few people she didn’t recognize.
Just then, a voice seemed to whisper right next to her ear, yet it also sounded as if it were ringing directly inside her mind.
"Do you want to... understand the meaning of life?"
Su Ling’er froze, then whipped her head toward the source of the voice!
However, there was nothing there but a dust-covered pillar and an even deeper darkness. No one was in sight.
"Do you want... to truly... live?"
The voice was back!
This time, it was mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible crackle, like the sound of bubbles.
Su Ling’er whipped her head around again, her eyes scanning the dim light for any trace of the speaker, but she still found nothing.
"You can choose ’Yes,’ ’I agree,’ ’I am willing,’ or ’I do,’ among other similar options."
The voice spoke a third time, and fear instantly seized her heart.
’Is there even a difference between those options?’
’If you’re not giving me a real choice, just say so!’
’Where’s the coffin?’
’Where did Eldest Brother go? Wait... Eldest Brother... that crackling noise...’
A flash of insight struck Su Ling’er.
’No way... That crackling sound...’
’It sounds just like the noise Eldest Brother makes when he’s trying to lower his voice!’
’He’s definitely messing with me! How infuriating!’
’We’re already in a place like this, and he still wants to scare me?!’
’And seriously, how did they pack up the coffins so fast?!’
She steadied herself. Now that she was sure it was just a person, her fear subsided somewhat.
She decided to take a careful look at her surroundings, and so... she turned her head!
A large face was suddenly right in front of hers, its eyes staring at her in the dim, flickering light, their noses almost touching.
Su Ling’er: "!!!!"
