I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 185

Chapter 185: Is That All You’ve Got? Maybe You Should Just Leave the Mountain!

That earlier technique, the Golden Light Curse that enveloped the entire city, is something the Taoist priests present here probably couldn’t master in a lifetime.

So, Zhang Yangqing decided to teach them something they might actually have a chance of learning in this lifetime.

Zhang Xuanjing was also incredibly excited, thinking to himself that the Celestial Master was finally going to share some real, practical knowledge.

His other junior brothers all widened their eyes, hoping to openly ‘steal’ a few techniques.

The unsealed, bizarre colossal creature opened its bloody maw, and dark red energy began to coalesce, sweeping up everything around it.

Knowing escape from the figure before it was impossible, it drained all the power from its body, preparing to trade its life for this human’s in a final, desperate move.

The sphere within its mouth grew larger and larger, the energy within shaking one’s very soul.

Some even wondered if Zhang Yangqing had overplayed his hand this time, not even putting up a shield while the monstrous creature charged its ultimate attack.

Or at least not interrupting it?
BOOM!
The sphere shot forth from the creature’s mouth. Wherever it passed, whether houses or the earth itself, everything turned to ruins. The very void around it began to tremble.

In contrast, Zhang Yangqing let out a yawn, as if annoyed by its slowness.

A shield? When had Zhang Yangqing ever used such a thing?

Watching the massive red-and-black energy ball fly towards him, the expressions of many cultivators on the scene changed drastically, and they instinctively retreated a distance.

They didn’t know if the Celestial Master could withstand such immense energy, but they were certain they couldn’t.

While their minds were still reeling, Zhang Yangqing made his move.

A piercing, whirring sound filled the air.

Hundreds of golden lights shot out, spinning like spiral cutting machines.

The Golden Light Curse was compressed incredibly flat, its density terrifying.

Its edges were sharp as daggers, combined with the terrifying vortex and deafening hum created by its violent rotation.

The mere sight of it made the cultivators present break out in goosebumps, their hearts filled with trepidation, terrified that Zhang Yangqing might miss and they would be caught in the attack, certain to perish.

With a sweep of Zhang Yangqing’s hand…

The hundreds of golden spiral blades instantly sliced through the energy ball spat out by the colossal creature.

It was as easy and casual as cutting a watermelon.

After cleaving the energy ball, the golden spiral blades, their power undiminished, shot straight towards the bizarre colossal creature.

Rip! Tear! Shred!

The golden spiral blades mercilessly carved into the creature’s flesh.

The horrifying scene made even Master Hui Kong consider turning off the camera feed.

It wasn’t just bloody; the golden spiral blades were like ruthless meat grinders, creating an absolutely explosive spectacle.

The bizarre colossal creature wailed incessantly, its entire body being chopped into mincemeat.

Blood flowed freely, chunks of flesh splattered.

Only after the bizarre colossal creature was completely reduced to a pulp did Zhang Yangqing wave his hand, causing the golden spiral blades to vanish.

This had been a rare target. Zhang Yangqing looked at the stunned Zhang Xuanjing and said, “Don’t be confined by the form of the Golden Light Curse. How you use it depends on what you’re facing. That’s what you need to consider at your current stage. I’m tired, I’ll take my leave first.”

With that, Zhang Yangqing casually strolled away, leaving Zhang Xuanjing and the other disciples behind to ponder alone.

Zhang Yangqing was a rather easy-going person.

He had explained the method and demonstrated it once.

As for how to compress the density of the Golden Light Curse, how to generate greater power through rotation… Zhang Yangqing couldn’t be bothered to explain slowly.

If they couldn’t even grasp that much, it proved their comprehension was just average, and further explanation would be a waste of time.

The vast majority of people were still reeling from the explosive power of that last technique, the towering waves in their hearts taking a long time to subside.

As Zhang Yangqing left, the golden divine light in the sky slowly faded.

The anomalies in Huaiyin City had been completely eradicated, not a single one remaining.

The surrounding crowds who witnessed this scene felt as if they had seen a divine miracle.

The city, which had been shrouded in strangeness just moments before, was now clear and ordinary again.

The bizarre colossal creature that had terrified everyone just moments ago… had it really been so utterly dominated?
Watching Celestial Master Zhang’s performances on the big screen had already felt exaggerated, but seeing it in person made it clear that his previous displays had been conservative.

Seeing Zhang Yangqing walk out, many citizens began to cheer and applaud, already regarding him as a deity.

With Celestial Master Zhang here, it seemed they had nothing to fear.

As for the other superhumans present, their reverence for Zhang Yangqing grew even deeper.

Witnessing his destructive power firsthand, the superhumans could accurately judge that if this man wanted to kill them, it would be easier than crushing an ant.

In the face of such a top-tier powerhouse, all that remained was respect.

Even a master like Hui Kong couldn’t help but sigh, “The Celestial Master of the Taoist tradition truly lives up to his reputation.”

One could also say that only by seeing Zhang Yangqing act in person could one understand just how powerful he was.

This was also why so many of Dragon Country’s young geniuses acted so humble in his presence.

No matter how arrogant these young talents were, or how rampant they were elsewhere, in front of Zhang Yangqing, they could only watch his expression calmly and peacefully.

Even if Zhang Yangqing couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge them, they could only stand by with smiles on their faces.

Never mind whether they would speak ill of Zhang Yangqing behind his back; in his presence, they all acted properly and obediently.

When the footage of Zhang Yangqing suppressing the anomalies was uploaded online, it caused a massive reaction worldwide.

Top-tier supernatural organizations in other countries were also suppressing anomalies, but with vastly different results.

In some cases, they simply cordon off the area and then gradually purify the anomalies within it, thereby reducing the danger.

Others divided the affected cities into sectors, tackling them one by one.

But like the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master, who went in and cleared the entire field in an instant? That was truly one of a kind.

Some smaller countries even had superhumans who weren’t powerful enough to eliminate the anomalies. Expert teams from these countries came to Dragon Country, requesting the Celestial Master’s assistance. Unfortunately, they never got to meet him.

Basic Taoist cultivation methods and the like were already circulating online. Combined with Zhang Yangqing’s recent display in the real world, it further solidified many people’s determination to learn Taoist techniques.

Although the anomalies in Huaiyin City were completely suppressed this time, the expert team was dumbfounded. According to their statistics, the destruction caused by Celestial Master Zhang far exceeded that caused by the anomalies themselves!
In other words, the damage inflicted by the anomalies over many days in this city wasn’t as severe as the damage caused by Celestial Master Zhang in a single night!

However, the Celestial Master did indeed suppress the anomalies, which counted as a great achievement.

The members of the expert team discussed that unless absolutely necessary, they really shouldn’t invite him to act again. It would be better to just seal off the areas where anomalies appeared and wait for the Celestial Master to gradually clear them by completing the strange tales.

Otherwise, while the anomalies would be eliminated, the cities would also be reduced to rubble.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain team had also successfully completed their mission of vanquishing demons and upholding the Dao this time, and the disciples gained considerable experience.

Meanwhile, in the back courtyard, Su Muyu was scolding Xu Xiu, asking why he didn’t try to stop Zhang Yangqing when he had the chance.

Now, sure, the job was done, but everyone thought of Dragon Tiger Mountain as a demolition team, too afraid to easily invite them for help.

Xu Xiu didn’t dare say a word, knowing it was a no-win situation.

Offend the senior brother, or offend the Celestial Master?

Whichever he chose, he’d suffer, so it was better to just take the scolding in silence.

After being reprimanded by the senior brother, he still had to face the Celestial Master’s training later.

These few were having a tough time, but their strength was visibly increasing.

After the other junior brothers left, Su Muyu asked Zhang Yangqing, “Was that on purpose, or was it an accident?”
Zhang Yangqing’s reply was, of course, “On purpose, accidentally.”

He hadn’t destroyed any other city. If he hadn’t done it this way, he would have had to stay stationed in Huaiyin City for a while.

Not only would the workload be large, but he would also be treated as cheap labor.

So, Zhang Yangqing raised his hand and unleashed a full-scale ultimate move, ensuring they wouldn’t trouble him again.

At the very least, if they wanted to ask for his help, they would have to consider the cost.

Hearing Zhang Yangqing say this, Su Muyu felt a headache coming on. He thought Zhang Yangqing had actually found a way to justify his laziness.

But by doing this, Zhang Yangqing probably had his own plans.

It certainly did establish Dragon Tiger Mountain’s fearsome reputation.

Just looking at the pile of rubble that was Huaiyin City was enough to understand the scale of Zhang Yangqing’s power.

The expert team didn’t dare say anything; Huaiyin City had been under anomaly influence for so long that significant contamination was inevitable. Rebuilding was indeed the best option.

After all, Celestial Master Zhang hadn’t given them any other choice.

The strange tale world hadn’t ended yet; the Australian challenger, Williams, was still surviving on the edge.

This meant Zhang Yangqing couldn’t enter the strange tale world.

And the disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain were suffering as a result.

The first to suffer were Xu Xiu, Xiao Xuan, and the others. With nothing else to do, Zhang Yangqing spent his days catching them for ‘training’—which mostly involved beating them up.

Xu Xiu was somewhat better off; Zhang Yangqing’s main focus was Xiao Xuan, the junior brother with the innate Xuan Thunder Body.

To put it simply, Xiao Xuan was dragged out by Zhang Yangqing first thing in the morning.

The ‘privileges’ he had received from the Old Celestial Master? Zhang Yangqing honored none of them.

What followed was high-intensity training.

Early in the morning, cries of anguish from Xiao Xuan could be heard from the training ground.

Along with Zhang Yangqing’s ‘encouraging’ words.

“Is that all you’ve got? Maybe you should just leave the mountain.”

“If it’s really too much, go find a job. Don’t just idle around here.”

The other junior brothers watching this broke out in a cold sweat.

The only one who could maintain a decent mindset after being talked to like that by Zhang Yangqing was probably Xiao Xuan.

But Zhang Yangqing was also prescribing the right medicine; if Xiao Xuan’s mindset weren’t resilient, he wouldn’t speak to him this way.

Every noon, Xiao Xuan could still hold his own bowl during meals.

Every afternoon, Xiao Xuan’s hand trembled so much he could barely hold his chopsticks, a testament to the intensity of Zhang Yangqing’s training.

This made many junior brothers envious; receiving Zhang Yangqing’s ‘care’ was something they longed for.

Xiao Xuan was also speechless, thinking, How about we swap?

Once, Xiao Xuan went to Senior Brother Su Muyu to beg for mercy, pleading with him to ask the Celestial Master to lower the standards.

Su Muyu nodded in agreement.

The next day, Zhang Yangqing doubled the training intensity.

That day, Xiao Xuan had to be carried to the infirmary by his fellow junior brothers; he couldn’t even walk.

When Su Muyu arrived with medicine, Xiao Xuan was nearly in tears.

He said, “Senior Brother, didn’t we ask you to plead with the Celestial Master for us? Why did he increase the intensity even more today!”

Su Muyu shrugged and said, “I talked to him yesterday. He did lower the standard, just not the training standard—he lowered the standard for what counts as you being injured.”

According to Su Muyu, the previous standard was for Xiao Xuan to be able to leave standing, at least able to move on his own.

Since you asked me to lower it, then don’t expect to walk out on your own. If it were lowered any further, it would be life-threatening.

Xiao Xuan was stunned. I asked you to lower the training standard, not that standard!

However, Su Muyu was playing the good cop this time. The Old Master had been too lenient with Xiao Xuan before; it was indeed time for him to train seriously.

In fact, if Zhang Yangqing hadn’t increased the intensity, Su Muyu would have demanded it.

A few more days passed, and Xiao Xuan finally saw the light of dawn.

The Australian challenger, Williams, had finally cleared the stage and exited.

He had found the Queen Bee, completed the task she assigned, and obtained the potion to lift the curse.

There was a crucial detail here: Williams ate and drank his fill before lifting the curse and restoring his mechanical body, ensuring his battery was sufficiently charged.

Then, before his battery drained, he followed the map on his goggles to the area where the Green Skins lived and sent a distress signal.

He was rescued by mechanical patrols on the sea.

Despite this journey through a strange tale of despair, Williams actually managed to get an SSS rating.

His performance in the early stages was average, but in the later stages, both his survival time and the number of tasks he triggered were considerable. Managing to find a way out in the most desperate of environments, an SSS rating made sense for him.

As for the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master’s SSSSS rating, everyone accepted it wholeheartedly.

After all, this one completed every possible task, obtained every possible reward, and even killed everything that could be killed.

Even the Green Skins suffered a devastating blow.

There really was no reason not to give him a perfect score.

The Argentine challenger, Ramírez, almost got a rating above SSS, but unfortunately, he didn’t perform well in the final stage and had to settle for an SS.

The Spanish challenger got a standard S. He had been too hesitant at the elf stage, not ruthless enough, though his performance in other stages was decent.

Greco could understand all these ratings; one could say they were mostly within his predictions.

What Greco couldn’t understand was, how did the Holy Knight Sidney get a high SS rating?

Greco couldn’t help but say, “In the last stage, I even saved quite a few people and defeated a major boss, and I only got an S. How does Sidney deserve a higher rating than me?”

Because Greco felt Sidney’s performance was much worse than his, yet his score was higher. Had the strange tale world made a mistake?

Actually, Sidney didn’t know why either. He thought he’d be lucky to get a B rating, not even hoping for an A.

At that moment, a Cardinal said, “It’s because Sidney completed each stage the fastest. He didn’t have any superfluous actions, meaning there were no so-called ‘mistakes.’ During the final calculation, this might be the basis for his SS rating.”

Hearing this, Greco was stunned. That works?

Thinking about it, it made sense. Sidney just barely completed the tasks in each stage and was always the first to report back.

Even though he got no rewards, he miraculously passed, which naturally boosted his rating.

But SS was probably his limit. To get an SSSSS like the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master, speed alone wasn’t enough.

Sidney’s strategy also gave many superhumans on Blue Star food for thought. Trying to emulate the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master seemed impossible for them, but if they just focused on speed, they had some capability. One could say it developed a new strategy.

However, each strange tale world was unique, and whether a strategy would work depended on the specific instance.

Amid everyone’s anticipation, the strange tale world opened once again.

Who was anticipating it? It had to be these disciples of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

If it didn’t open soon, and if Zhang Yangqing didn’t enter, they might just perish.

You couldn’t comprehend what absurd things the Celestial Master would do when he had nothing better to do.

The Australian challenger, Williams, exited at noon, and the strange tale world opened at 10 PM.

Moreover, there were no hints, just a countdown for everyone.

A strange tale that opened at night, regardless of its danger level, was definitely going to be the horror type.

Over at the Church, the madman Greco was already prepared, hoping this would be a journey of slaughter.

Just thinking about it made the evil energy within him stir with excitement.

Seeing Greco like this gave the Pope a headache, wondering if making him the successor was a good or bad idea.

But there was no other choice now. Sidney’s flaws were even greater than Greco’s, so they had to keep sending him.

Having received the baptism of the Temple of the Holy Lord, Greco had improved a level, slowly developing in an all-rounded direction.

Now, any supernatural organization could understand that to gain benefits in the strange tale world, one needed to be as versatile as the Dragon Country’s Celestial Master.

Back at Dragon Tiger Mountain, upon hearing about the clearance, Su Muyu immediately went to find Zhang Yangqing.

He urged, “Hurry up and check what resources this strange tale world has given us.”

He seemed even more anxious than Zhang Yangqing.

Zhang Yangqing opened the rewards section. The national rewards were the same as before: two cities were cleared of anomalies, all citizens received a +2 attribute boost, and then there was an increase in mineral resources.

This time, they actually added freshwater resources, which was quite good.

Next came the point that Su Muyu was urging.

[Congratulations on clearing the strange tale ‘Journey of Despair’.]

[Standard Reward: All attributes increased by 10 points.]

[Special Reward 1: Spirit-Gathering Well.]

[Special Reward 2: Death-Substitution Doll.]

Spirit-Gathering Well: A spring of spiritual water that can enhance physical constitution, promote blood circulation, remove stasis, recover spiritual energy, and can also be used as spiritual water for alchemy.

Note: Daily output of 2 tons of spiritual water.

Death-Substitution Doll: Can block one fatal injury that does not violate failure rules.

Note: Can be used once per strange tale.

The Death-Substitution Doll wasn’t very useful to Zhang Yangqing personally, but it didn’t hurt to keep it.

The most crucial item was the Spirit-Gathering Well. Zhang Yangqing placed it in the back courtyard.

An area where ordinary disciples simply couldn’t enter.

Zhang Yangqing and Su Muyu went to check it out, drawing a bucket of water.

The spiritual water was soft on the palate, smooth going down the throat, with a slight sweetness.

It really tasted like the fabled nectar and divine liquor.

Having trained his junior brothers all morning, Zhang Yangqing was quite tired, and his spiritual energy was nearly depleted.

After a few mouthfuls, his spiritual energy recovered almost completely, and his spirits improved significantly.

Su Muyu thought that if any distinguished guests were to visit in the future, this could be used to brew tea, which would be enough to showcase the rich heritage of Longhu Mountain.

Let everyone know that Dragon Tiger Mountain truly possessed rare treasures.

Zhang Yangqing held the opposite view. No matter who came, let them drink bottled water. He wouldn’t give this stuff to outsiders even if he used it to wash his feet.

If they didn’t like bottled water, they didn’t have to come. He wasn’t begging them to visit.

Otherwise, once others discovered this treasure, they’d come begging every day, and he’d find it troublesome.

After all, Zhang Yangqing could disregard the feelings of his fellow sect members, but the other disciples still had to operate within Dragon Country and had their own social circles, making it hard to refuse.

Anything troublesome, Zhang Yangqing wouldn’t do.

Of course, if visitors brought even better gifts, he might consider offering them a cup.

Want to get something for nothing from Zhang Yangqing?

Sorry, not a chance!

Around 10 PM, Zhang Yangqing took a sip of the spiritual water and began his preparations.

Having rested for several days, he was fully refreshed.

Before the news that personal rewards could yield large amounts of cultivation resources spread, Su Muyu urged him to farm more, striving to make Dragon Tiger Mountain’s progress unreachable by other supernatural organizations by the time they realized it.

After all, as long as Zhang Yangqing signed up, the expert team wouldn’t include anyone else on the list.

A familiar white light appeared, and Zhang Yangqing arrived in the familiar strange tale world.

Before he even opened his eyes, a piercing cold assaulted him.

Everything before him was a snowy white, his feet sinking into thick snowdrifts as large snowflakes fell continuously.

The surrounding snow-capped mountains were shrouded in mist and clouds, giving a sense of majestic, towering, cold, and holy beauty.

The faint light reflecting off the snow provided some visibility even in this night.

But these weren’t the main points. The main point was that not far in front of the challengers lay what seemed to be a person.

More accurately, a corpse that had been dead for who knows how long.