I’m a Max-Level Taoist Master, and You’re Throwing Me Into a Rules-Based Horror Game?! - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: A True Cultivator of This Era, Peerless in the World!

Two choices of death now lay before the goblin security guard.

If he didn’t escape before 8 o’clock, he would most likely die.

Even if this new guard didn’t kill him, the one arriving at 8 would.

So this was his last chance.

He couldn’t just sit and wait for death, could he?

After a moment of thought, the goblin guard spoke carefully: “I don’t know the identities of the guards outside, but back when I was on duty, I heard an urban legend about ‘Cleaners.’ They only appear at specific times, taking on special roles to eliminate those who break the rules. The best way to deal with them is to follow their rules.”

Here, the goblin guard was playing a sly trick.

His entire speech was designed to manipulate Zhang Yangqing into opening the door—yet not a single word of it was a lie.

The Cleaners would deal with rule-breakers, but whose rules? The guards’ or the Cleaners’? The goblin deliberately left this vague, leaving it up to Zhang Yangqing to interpret.

For once, Zhang Yangqing fell into deep thought.

He could tell the goblin was scheming. Opening the door would undoubtedly bring danger—that much was obvious.

The goblin was a native of this supernatural world and understood its peculiarities.

Zhang Yangqing’s theory was that these so-called “Cleaners” might be manifestations of the rules themselves.

If the goblin wasn’t lying, the two guards outside were akin to the rules—entities bound by a specific code, eliminating anyone who violated it.

Outsiders called them “Hidden Anomalies.”

There had been a case in the past where a Chinese contestant, believing he had the protection of a “Guardian,” broke a rule by sharing food with others, thinking his victory was assured.

In lower-difficulty scenarios, finding and earning the trust of a Guardian was often key to survival.

But that single act of rule-breaking seemed to summon the Hidden Anomalies. Both the Guardian and the contestant were slaughtered—no match for their power.

Zhang Yangqing’s mind raced through the plot of this scenario.

If the “Guardian” here was the Ice Statue, that made sense.

By all accounts, it could help contestants survive, and they did need its assistance.

But without knowing its preferences, most wouldn’t risk provoking it by trying to curry favor—lest they trigger its wrath instead.

That lesson had been learned in blood.

Now, judging by the goblin’s fear, the two Cleaners outside were likely this scenario’s Hidden Anomalies—entities even more dangerous than the special anomalies.

Zhang Yangqing suspected they might enforce an “inescapable death” rule—though that wasn’t certain.

In other words, for most contestants, these guards were an inescapable death sentence.

But for Zhang Yangqing? Maybe not.

For now, as long as he didn’t open the door, he was safe. Every contestant and viewer knew that.

As long as the door stayed shut, no rules were broken.

Even the Hidden Anomalies outside couldn’t violate the rules—here, the rules were absolute.

But Zhang Yangqing was different. He wanted to see how powerful these rule-manifested entities truly were.

So he stood up and headed for the door.

The entire nation of China collectively held its breath, faces grim.

[Chat logs flash across the screen:]

• “Master Zhang, there are only ten minutes left! Please don’t push your luck!”
• “It’s not that we doubt you, but now’s not the time to challenge the rules!”
• “I’ve seen the other screens—those two outside aren’t ordinary. They’re Cleaners, Hidden Anomalies stronger than the boss! Can’t the experts call him? Warn him not to open the door!”
• “No comms in this scenario… We’re screwed.”
• “All we can do is pray Master Zhang holds his own. Even if he can’t win, maybe he can escape fast enough.”

Zhang Yangqing, of course, couldn’t hear them.

His power shaped his perspective.

In this unknown world, many rules and secrets were uncovered only through sacrifice.

Since he was here, he might as well test the limits of these rule-bound entities.

As he reached the door, the goblin guard’s shifty eyes darted around, searching for an escape route.

He knew the two outside were no pushovers—nothing like the timid Ice Statue.

When the door opened, the two plain-faced guards made no immediate move, simply stepping forward to enter.

But Zhang Yangqing raised a hand. “Stop. I didn’t say you could come in.”

The two guards exchanged puzzled glances.

Zhang Yangqing was toeing the line between obeying and breaking the rules—leaving them unsure whether to act.

If they entered, or if he stepped out, they could strike.

Seizing the moment, Zhang Yangqing grabbed the goblin by the scruff and hurled him outside.

The force was so great that the goblin’s head and upper body plowed into the ground like a uprooted weed, leaving him dazed, motionless, and barely alive.

Then Zhang Yangqing stepped out, locked the door behind him, and smirked at the two guards.

“I’ve broken the rules now. Go ahead—do your worst.”

The sheer audacity stunned not just the viewers, but the two Hidden Anomalies themselves.

You know our hidden rules… and you still walk out? Are you mocking us?

These entities had likely never encountered someone so fearless.

Without another word, the three clashed.

In an instant, thunder roared at the museum’s entrance, shockwaves rippling through the air.

The entire area trembled under the force of their battle.

At first, Zhang Yangqing held back, testing their strength.

The two guards mistook his restraint for weakness.

But when he unleashed his true power, they realized he’d been toying with them.

BOOM! BOOM!

Two deafening thunderclaps later, the guards lay split in half.

Just as Chinese viewers began cheering—their celebration cut short.

The bisected guards slowly reformed, fully restored within minutes, completely unharmed.

As panic threatened to set in, Zhang Yangqing simply summoned another lightning strike, splitting them apart again.

This cycle repeated several times.

The two Hidden Anomalies were utterly bewildered.

To any observer, it was clear: Zhang Yangqing was torturing them.

The audience relaxed, comments flooding in:

• “666! Hidden Anomalies? More like Master Zhang’s playthings!”
• “All that worry for nothing. Master Zhang is truly invincible!”
• “The Zhang Tian-Shi of Longhu Mountain—a true cultivator of this era, peerless in the world!”
• “So in the last ten minutes, Master Zhang just went out for fun? Everyone, calm down—it’s no big deal.”
• “Exactly! This is just routine for him. No need for hype!”

To the average viewer, it seemed like entertainment.

But the experts across every nation widened their eyes in realization.

Zhang Yangqing wasn’t just playing—he was experimenting.

An experiment that could mark a monumental leap forward for all of humanity.