Facing the burning gazes of his teammates, Zhang Yuanqing voiced his plan:
"I have an item that can entangle the Autobot and buy us enough time to search for the controller."
Father of the Guilty, Xi Shi, and Xie Lingxi all frowned at once.
Fire Demon and Great Sage looked confused. "An item? But didn't our skills and items get sealed?"
Xi Shi gave her signature socialite smile and explained, "Just now in the car, we found a card. It says we're allowed to use one item."
"An item?" Fire Demon and Great Sage were at first surprised, then frowned. The latter asked tentatively, "You mean, you're going to use your item to face that robot alone and stall it for us?"
Fire Demon, recalling the Autobot's ferocity, quickly shook his head. "That's not a good idea. Unless active skills are unsealed to complement it, no way we can go head-to-head with that thing."
This time, even Xie Lingxi agreed softly, "Brother Wang Tai, that's too risky. We're just at the Transcendent stage. The items we can access are all at this level. Do you really think a Transcendent-tier item can handle the Autobot?"
Items are categorized by type, not by level—but Spirit Realm walkers all know level is a hidden attribute. Items obtained at the Transcendent stage are typically only that powerful.
Father of the Guilty said flatly, "That plan is reckless. If a single item could solve this danger, we wouldn't have found that card in the car."
He was reminding Zhang Yuanqing not to misjudge the situation and waste the card. This was an S-rank mission—how could it be that simple?
Clearly, none of them thought Wang Tai's idea was reliable. But given the "prestige" he'd earned through his actions, no one flatly rejected it either.
Ordinary items definitely wouldn't cut it, but a rule-type item could! Faced with his teammates' skepticism, Zhang Yuanqing smiled slightly, confident in the power of the Red Dancing Shoes.
"As experienced Spirit Realm walkers, you're doubting my judgment? Don't forget—we're all in this together. I'm not the type to gamble with my own life."
His expression was confident, his voice calm.
And at that moment, his usual composure had its effect. Though the others still frowned, they said nothing more. They didn't entirely believe him, but they didn't stop him either.
After all, they either had no item or none strong enough for combat.
Father of the Guilty also went quiet. Never mind being experienced—the last part of Wang Tai's words, he agreed with.
"Time's short," Zhang Yuanqing said. "Let's search for the car keys."
The six Spirit Realm walkers quickly got moving. In the minutes that followed, Zhang Yuanqing found two keys, Xi Shi found one, Great Sage found one, and Xie Lingxi found another.
Each matched a car, and they hurried to unlock and check them. All but the little girl's car yielded nothing useful.
Inside Xie Lingxi's car was a metal card with the words:
[You have one chance to redirect aggro.]
If only we could drive these cars... Zhang Yuanqing lamented. Then suddenly, he heard the high-pitched roar of an engine in the distance.
Like startled deer, they craned their necks toward the sound.
At the entrance to the underground garage, the two-meter-tall Autobot appeared again, holding a chainsaw, red light glowing in its eyes, and its chest speaker blaring:
"You must all die~"
Xi Shi screamed, "Wang Tai...!"
The rest scrambled toward one of the vehicles, opened the door—but didn't immediately jump in. Instead, they looked toward Zhang Yuanqing, eyes full of expectation.
Zhang Yuanqing pulled the metal card from his pocket.
[Ding! Would you like to use the card to activate your item inventory?]
"Yes!"
In the next moment, he could once again sense the presence of his inventory. He quickly accessed it and summoned the Red Dancing Shoes.
A dim red glow shimmered into being, swirling energetically before taking shape into a pair of delicate, crimson shoes.
Tap, tap...
The pristine, elegant Red Dancing Shoes did a quick spin around Zhang Yuanqing. Their movements were full of independence and a hint of glee, as if excited to be released and ready to dance.
But to Xie Lingxi and the others, this scene was unsettling.
Shoes? Dancing... by themselves?
Perhaps it was just instinct, but staring at the Red Dancing Shoes filled them with an inexplicable chill and dread.
Sigh... if it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't use this... Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly.
In truth, when he saw the card, his first thought was: The haunted house is in the bag.
No matter how terrifying the ghosts inside might be, they were still spirits. The Demon-Subduing Staff contained solar divine power and half of the empress's yang soul—perfect counters to any yin-based entity.
Once they entered the haunted house, he would unleash the Demon-Subduing Staff, and under the radiance of the sun, even the most desperate ghost bride would collapse in tears, crying:
"No more, my lord~"
But for now, their priority was surviving this parking garage ordeal. This trial wasn't complex—but it was incredibly difficult.
There was another reason to use the Red Dancing Shoes: deterrence.
If the killer dared to assassinate him outright, the Shoes would return to their original, masterless state—and begin indiscriminately hunting everyone in the instance.
If he died, they all died.
Staring at the onrushing Autobot, Zhang Yuanqing softly commanded:
"Go."
The Red Dancing Shoes shot out.
Two streaks of eerie red light zipped across the garage and slammed into the Autobot's chest. With loud clang-clang sounds, the iron behemoth—charging like a freight train—was actually knocked backward, skidding slightly.
And that was just the beginning.
After halting it, the shoes unleashed a barrage of rapid stomps. Each step sent tremors through the mechanical frame, making it stagger.
The Autobot tried to strike with its chainsaw, but the mighty weapon passed harmlessly through the Red Dancing Shoes. They seemed to exist outside physical reality.
The only downside was that the Autobot's body was too tough—the Red Dancing Shoes couldn't actually destroy it.
But to Fire Demon, Xi Shi, and the rest, this was the most beautiful sight imaginable.
"What is that item? What is that item?!" Fire Demon was both thrilled and envious, his eyes gleaming.
Xi Shi and Xie Lingxi finally relaxed. All of them stared at the Red Dancing Shoes with varying degrees of admiration and desire.
Powerful items were so rare that Spirit Realm walkers had that craving engraved in their DNA.
"Don't hide in the cars! Keep looking for keys!" Zhang Yuanqing shouted. Then he added, "If I don't return the Shoes to my inventory in an hour, they'll kill indiscriminately."
The others' faces changed slightly. That bit of greed disappeared in an instant. They immediately resumed their search.
Great Sage reluctantly tore his gaze from the shoes and, remembering the cost, shouted, "Wang Tai, don't you dare die...!"
Because if he died, those shoes would become another deadly threat—an overwhelming one.
Over the next half-hour, the Red Dancing Shoes held off the Autobot again and again. Eventually, Xie Lingxi found the controller in a sports car.
"Is this it? Is this it?!" she cried at the top of her lungs.
Damn, that girl has insane luck... The others dropped what they were doing and rushed toward her.
In her hand was a long, black metallic object, like an old-school mobile phone, complete with an antenna and a large red button.
"Try it!" Fire Demon urged.
Xie Lingxi glanced at Zhang Yuanqing. Seeing him nod, she pressed the red button.
Everyone held their breath and turned to look at the robot battling the Red Dancing Shoes.
Suddenly, the towering metal figure froze, like someone had cut the power. Its movements ceased. The red glow in its eyes went out.
Tap, tap, tap...
The Red Dancing Shoes kicked it a few more times. Seeing it remain motionless, they paused, then ran back toward Zhang Yuanqing.
Here it comes... it's coming back to dance with me... Zhang Yuanqing felt relief and a faint twitch of his mouth.
"It worked!" Xie Lingxi cheered.
Xi Shi and the others exhaled deeply, their faces lighting up with joy.
No one had died. They'd cleared the stage without casualties.
Just as they were about to thank and praise Zhang Yuanqing—
They saw the Autobot, which had clearly powered down, suddenly reignite. Its eyes glowed red again. The engine roared.
And like a missile, it charged at them.
What the hell?! Their expressions shifted instantly.
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes snapped wide. He shouted, "Stop it!"
He commanded the Red Dancing Shoes again—
But too late. The Autobot had already blown past them, replicating its first attack, barreling into the crowd. Its target was obvious:
Xie Lingxi, holding the controller.
It all happened so fast. Instinctively, the others dove aside.
Did the controller fail?
Did the mission update? Was it all a trap?
Xie Lingxi's pupils reflected the incoming steel monster, the roaring chainsaw.
Her mind went blank.
Then, in the next instant, she saw Father of the Guilty's rugged, honest face—and the ferocity and resolve in his eyes.
He threw himself into her, shoving her aside—
And collided with the chainsaw himself.
The spinning blade tore through his torso, slicing him in half. His entrails, organs, and upper body crashed to the floor with a sickening splat. Blood sprayed like a ghastly flower.
From the speaker in the robot's chest came manic laughter:
"I'm not who I used to be... Demon Lord, you're finally dead. Finally dead. If you kill me, don't think you'll survive either..."