Realm Walker

It was half past one in the afternoon. The sun beat down without mercy. The dusty, potholed street absorbed its heat and radiated it in shimmering waves that warped the air itself.

A travel-worn taxi pulled up to the curb. Not far ahead stood the memorial archway of the Wuhen Inn. Zhang Yuanqing slung his backpack over his shoulders, tugged on a baseball cap and a face mask, and stepped out of the car.

”Hey, kid, heading back to Songhai? I can wait for you!” the driver called after him, leaning out his window, his voice carrying the enthusiasm of a man who’d already made good money and wanted to make more.

Zhang Yuanqing thought about it, then turned back. ”I won’t be heading back until tonight. Mind waiting?”

”Safe travels!”

The driver hit the gas and was gone.

Zhang Yuanqing pulled the brim of his cap a little lower and strode across the empty parking spaces in front of the inn, then pushed his way through the lobby doors. A blast of cold air rushed to meet him, and his whole body relaxed, tension melting from his shoulders as the chill swept the summer heat away.

Xiao Yuan stood behind the front counter in her usual uniform, a white blouse paired with a wine-red blazer. She was tall, full-figured, and strikingly beautiful.

She gave him a single cool glance. ”Follow me.”

With that, she stepped out from behind the counter and walked deeper into the inn, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.

Her attitude runs hot and cold, Zhang Yuanqing mused as he hurried to catch up and followed her into the elevator.

They rode up to the third floor. Xiao Yuan fished an employee keycard from her pocket and swiped it against the reader outside room 306, then leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed.

”Your Level 3 Enchanting Demon is inside,” she said flatly. ”His experience bar was somewhere between thirty and sixty percent full, making him decently strong. He was the head of a criminal syndicate in Jinshan City, and did plenty of unconscionable things.”

Zhang Yuanqing stepped inside. A man lay quietly on the bed, roughly thirty-five years old, with a lean face and a body that was toned and well-proportioned. He was packed with solid muscle, with no excess fat.

He looked the corpse over, confirmed there were no visible external injuries or broken bones, and nodded with satisfaction. The body was essentially raw material. It had to be intact. Missing limbs or shattered bones would ruin everything. This one was in excellent condition, which meant Xiao Yuan had put real effort into the hunt.

”How long has he been dead?” he asked.

The ideal window for the creation of a yin corpse was within twelve hours of death. The concentration of residual spirit left inside the body directly determined the quality of the material.

”He was killed this morning,” she said.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded again, pleased. He set his backpack down and pulled out twenty thick bundles of cash, ten thousand yuan each.

”Your payment.”

Xiao Yuan froze, and her expression went cold in an instant. ”I don’t need payment. Hunting the Enchanting Demon for you was a promise I made, to repay a favor I owed you.”

Her gaze lingered on the two hundred thousand yuan in cash for a few reluctant seconds before she firmly looked away.

She thinks I’m pitying her. How sensitive. The slightest bit of goodwill pricks her pride.

Zhang Yuanqing kept his voice steady. ”The favor is something Kou Beiyue owes me. He should repay it himself. Right now, what I’m repaying is the favor I owe you.”

Xiao Yuan frowned. She said nothing. Business at the inn hadn’t been good. The economy had been sluggish for years, and money was harder to come by. Not only that, she had a whole team’s expenses to cover. The pressure was real. Master Wuhen’s group wasn’t just her and Kou Beiyue.

Two hundred thousand yuan in cash mattered. A lot.

Zhang Yuanqing pressed the advantage, letting a note of irritation creep into his voice. ”You’re trying to repay Kou Beiyue’s debt for him, which makes me feel like an outsider. Am I really less important to you than that idiot?”

”Yes,” Xiao Yuan said.

Zhang Yuanqing found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

A flicker of amusement passed through Xiao Yuan’s eyes, but it was gone before he could be sure he’d seen it. Her expression stayed cool.

”Still, you make a fair point,” she continued. ”Kou Beiyue’s debts should be his own to settle. He’s sixteen now. It’s time he started shouldering some responsibility.”

Zhang Yuanqing seized the moment and held out the cash.

Xiao Yuan took the bundles into her arms. She pulled the door shut behind her, then paused.

”I originally planned to hunt an older woman for you, but targets like that are harder to come by, and you were rushing me. Next time you need a yin corpse crafted, give me at least half a month’s notice. As for payment...” She glanced down at the thick stacks of bills pressed against her chest, and the corner of her mouth curved upward. ”Another two hundred thousand will do.”

Bang!

The door shut.

Zhang Yuanqing stood there, stunned. Did she actually joke with me? And about that, of all things...Still, Xiao Yuan, the older women I like are the warm and lively kind, not the cold-as-ice variety.

He allowed himself a second to enjoy the moment, then tamped down his grin and turned his attention to the work ahead.

One by one, he pulled supplies from his backpack. A small white porcelain bowl. A calligraphy brush. Cinnabar. Bodily fluid extracted from a jiangshi. Black graveyard soil steeped in Yin energy. He dumped the materials into the bowl and stirred them rapidly with the brush handle. Before long, the contents had blended into a thick, paste-like substance, dark brown and viscous.

He walked to the bed and used the Bloodthirsty Blade to slice through the corpse’s clothing. Bowl in one hand and brush in the other, he dipped the bristles into the dark mixture and began using the paste to inscribe spirit runes across the Enchanting Demon’s body.

After a person’s death, their spiritual body gradually dissipated. During this process, the residual spirit still lingered within the flesh, but it had already separated from the physical form, like water in a cup. The water was inside, but it wasn’t part of the cup.

The first step in crafting a yin corpse, then, was to re-fuse the residual spirit with the flesh. Only then could one create a yin corpse with rudimentary intelligence. Without any spiritual awareness, a yin corpse was just a puppet that couldn’t move on its own, which made it nearly useless.

Additionally, once the spiritual body merged back with the flesh, it would retain certain attributes, usually a passive skill. An Enchanting Demon at the Transcendent tier had only one passive: Berserk.

Zhang Yuanqing gathered his focus and worked with painstaking care. Every brushstroke had to be precise. He couldn’t afford a single error in the spirit runes, and he had to channel an identical amount of the Power of the Dark Moon with each stroke. Any uneven distribution of that power would throw the array’s structure out of balance, and all his work would be wasted.

After about fifteen minutes, the rune work was complete. Twisted and individually distinct glyphs were interconnected in a harmonious, patterned web, forming an array that was equal parts sinister and beautiful.

Zhang Yuanqing could clearly sense the residual spirit inside the corpse beginning to seep back into the flesh and blood, returning to a body that had long since gone cold.

He let out a heavy breath, his face breaking into a grin. ”It worked!”

Creating Spirit Talismans was an innate skill of the Nocturnal Specter class, but mastering the basics was only the foundation. Whether one succeeded on the first attempt came down to practice and experience. The gap between a novice and a veteran was enormous. This was Zhang Yuanqing’s very first time crafting a yin corpse.

He drew a deep breath and pulled two glass vials from his backpack, one filled with purple liquid, the other with red. The purple liquid was blood from a powerful Yin creature, harvested in a Nocturnal Specter-exclusive Spirit Realm dungeon. The red liquid was the sap of a plant called the Blood Hand Flower, which brimmed with potent life force.

The first would nourish the yin corpse, infusing it with baleful Yin energy. The second would breathe vitality back into the cold body, loosening rigid joints and restoring flexibility to the muscles. Put simply, it was a lubricant to help get rusted gears turning again.

Finally, Zhang Yuanqing produced a yellow crystal, translucent as amber. Of all his materials, this was the most expensive, worth two million yuan. It came from an Earth Wraith-exclusive Spirit Realm dungeon. The crystal contained immense earth-attribute spiritual energy and possessed a remarkable universal compatibility, capable of fusing with almost anything.

He had chosen to infuse his yin corpse with the earth attribute. That decision had been made long ago, after careful deliberation.

The Enchanting Demon was a born fighter. Its close-combat prowess ranked among the best of any class. However, middling defensive prowess and self-healing abilities were the class’s weaknesses. Between those two attributes, Zhang Yuanqing chose to focus on defense.

A yin corpse didn’t tire and didn’t feel pain, therefore self-healing was somewhat wasted on it. Defense, on the other hand, was critical. As a puppet, a tool, it was subject to wear and damage. Against a powerful enough opponent, it could be literally skinned and gutted. And then the yin corpse would be scrap.

Zhang Yuanqing poured the purple and red liquids into the bowl, mixing them in with the thick paste, and gave the whole mixture a quick stir.

He dipped the brush into the diluted mixture and began inscribing an array on the floor of the room. It was worth noting that the inn’s flooring was made of hardwood and tile. If it had been carpet, he would have been out of luck.

Drawing the floor array was far more complex and difficult than the rune work on the body itself. To ensure accuracy, Zhang Yuanqing worked painfully slowly. After all, he only had one set of materials.

Half an hour later, he wiped phantom sweat from his forehead and felt the hollow, drained satisfaction of a child who’d spent an entire day assembling a model kit and had finally set the last piece in place. He lifted the Enchanting Demon’s body and laid it gently at the center of the array, then placed the yellow crystal on the corpse’s chest.

Everything rides on this.

He stepped back to the edge of the array, pressed his palm flat against one corner, and poured in a steady, unbroken stream of the Power of the Dark Moon.

In an instant, a cold Yin wind swept through the room and the temperature plummeted. The dried glyphs on the floor ignited with faint light—purple, black, and red.

The black and purple glow sank into the corpse, condensing into baleful Yin energy. The red light nourished the body, bringing color back to the corpse’s ashen skin. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately intensified the flow of power.

The three colors surged upward in a violent bloom, purple and black and crimson racing toward the ceiling in a dazzling display. The yellow crystal on the corpse’s chest dissolved like a melting ice cream bar, and was absorbed entirely into the yin corpse.

The body at the center of the array snapped its eyes open. Its gaze was vicious and savage, radiating a ferocious, overwhelming power that rippled outward like a shockwave, kicking up the curtains and bed sheets in a gust of spectral wind.

”It worked!” Zhang Yuanqing cried out, overjoyed.

No—there was one step left. He strode into the array, bit his fingertip, and drew a circular seal on the yin corpse’s forehead with his blood.

The moment the seal took shape, it vanished into the corpse’s body. At the same time, an identical seal materialized in Zhang Yuanqing’s sea of consciousness. This was the master’s brand, and the medium through which he would control the yin corpse.

The brand served two purposes. First, it allowed him to issue commands, assigning the puppet simple, straightforward tasks like killing an enemy, for instance. But anything requiring finesse or intelligence was beyond the ability of a low-intellect yin corpse to understand, let alone execute. Like painting a picture, for example.

That was where the brand’s second function came in. The brand let him take direct control of the yin corpse’s body, piloting it the same way he piloted his spirit servant. In that state, the yin corpse could perform all manner of precise operations.

”Let’s see what abilities this thing kept, and what the yellow crystal gave it,” Zhang Yuanqing murmured.

He concentrated, splitting off a thread of consciousness and feeding it into the brand within his sea of consciousness. The next instant, he felt himself cleaved in two. He was aware of two bodies simultaneously, two separate selves. Through the yin corpse’s eyes, he saw himself standing there in cropped pants and a white T-shirt.

The sensation wasn’t unfamiliar. It was the same as when he inhabited Little Goofball.

Once he had a clear picture of the yin corpse’s attributes, Zhang Yuanqing was genuinely shocked. Holy shit. The yin corpse’s body is stronger than mine.

First, the physical body. As a Level 3 Enchanting Demon, its raw physical capabilities surpassed his own. More than that, he could feel a restless battle hunger thrumming through this borrowed flesh, an eagerness and confidence for combat that his original body simply didn’t possess.

It’s like someone grafted an instinct for fighting onto its soul, Zhang Yuanqing noted in wonder. Is this what it’s like to be an Enchanting Demon all the time?

Second, the attributes. The Berserk passive, triggered by contact with blood, had been preserved. It was the Enchanting Demon’s sole passive skill. Enchant and Mark, the active skills, had returned to the Spirit Realm.

But what truly thrilled Zhang Yuanqing were the three attributes the yellow crystal had bestowed.

Firstly, during combat, the yin corpse could actively absorb the power of the earth to replenish its stamina, eliminating the need for its master to continuously feed it the Power of the Dark Moon. A yin corpse still had limits. It wasn’t a perpetual motion machine. Once the Power of the Dark Moon inside it ran dry, the master would need to refill it.

Secondly, the body had hardened skin and flesh for defence. It wasn’t quite copper skin and iron bones, but ordinary blades and bullets would have a hard time doing any real damage.

Thirdly, it had gained Stone Armor as an active skill. When activating this skill, the yin corpse could convert the earth attribute spiritual energy stored within its body into impenetrable stone plating and sustain it for three minutes. The stone armor’s defensive power was formidable. Even against class-specific armor piercing items wielded by an Enchanting Demon of an equal level, it could hold out for a full minute.

A realization hit him like a splash of cold water. Without factoring in items, this yin corpse might actually be slightly stronger than my real body. No wonder they say a Nocturnal Specter with a yin corpse and one without are two completely different creatures. And no wonder those Scholars ranked me eleventh...

He couldn’t help thinking about Zhao Chenghuang, who held the number one spot. That man possessed a Level 4 yin corpse. How terrifyingly strong did he have to be? Even if the yin corpse had lost most of its Saint-tier skills, it still had a Saint’s physical body, and if it retained even just one skill, it could crush the vast majority of Transcendent-tier Walkers.

And that wasn’t even accounting for Zhao Chenghuang’s own combat ability.

I was too overconfident before. But at least now I have a yin corpse of my own. The gap’s gotten smaller. He felt his confidence building. Two more days until the Tournament. I’ll make my grand entrance with my yin corpse and show them all...

He left the room with the yin corpse in tow, brimming with assurance, and took the elevator back down to the first floor. Behind the counter, Xiao Yuan heard them coming and glanced over. Her gaze lingered briefly on the yin corpse, whose baleful aura was palpable.

”You should get him a pair of sunglasses and a face mask,” she said in her usual flat tone. ”Unless you want Public Security Officers stopping you on the street for ID.”

Zhang Yuanqing looked back at the yin corpse and rubbed his chin. ”Good point. Oh, I still haven’t given him a name. Any suggestions, Xiao Yuan?”

She answered with a mocking edge. ”Call him Corpse No. 1. That suits your aesthetic.”

Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes lit up. ”A great name. It’s decided.”

His spirit servant was called Little Goofball. His yin corpse would be Corpse No. 1. They had bright futures all around.

Xiao Yuan was stunned speechless.

”Xiao Yuan, the Tournament is the day after tomorrow. Just wait and watch me take the crown.” He paused, then dialed it back slightly. ”I’ll make the top three, at least. No question.”

She looked at him. ”Making the top five would be impressive enough.”

Zhang Yuanqing bristled. ”Want to bet on it?”

”What are we betting?” Xiao Yuan shot back, rising to the challenge.

If this were Little Imperial Uncle, the wager would be a date, or a kiss. But I’m a man of integrity. Zhang Yuanqing thought it over.

”The loser sleeps with the winner!” he finally blurted out.

He and his yin corpse were both thrown out of the inn.

”It was a joke, come on...” Zhang Yuanqing muttered as he slunk away with his tail between his legs.

***

Two days later, in the early morning, Zhang Yuanqing finished breakfast, washed up, and returned to his room, locking the door behind him.

He summoned Corpse No. 1 from the wardrobe, strapped on his waist pouch, and packed the Cat King Speaker inside. Then he settled in to wait for nine o’clock.

According to the official announcement, entry into the Tournament worked the same way as entering a dungeon. All you had to do was wait at home for the Spirit Realm notification chime.

The opening ceremony was scheduled for nine in the morning.

Wait...

A thought struck him. If Yin Ji really was Demon Lord’s former lover, she would certainly recognize the Cat King Speaker. After all, the item couldn’t be stored in his inventory. If she spotted it on him, it wouldn’t necessarily prove he was Demon Lord’s successor, but she’d have questions. She’d come asking. That would be nothing but trouble.

He quickly unfastened the waist pouch and set it aside.

Back in the drawer you go. He let out a small sigh of regret. Losing a powerful support item hurts...

The minutes crawled by, and at last, the clock struck nine.