Chapter 149: Officially Joining
Lin Huai brought her vehicle to a slow, controlled stop, keeping a clear distance from the figures who looked like Dragon Emerging from the Sea and his team.
The Young Miss furrowed her brow, glancing through her windshield. “Boss, why are Brother Long and his squad over here? Is it a trap?”
Lin Huai leaned back in her seat, her tone calm and completely unbothered. “Mm. You’re very sharp. Brother Long’s unit wouldn’t be standing around like that. What we’re looking at is definitely a fake.”
The Young Miss grew indignant. “I knew it! How could a veteran like Brother Long let his convoy look so sloppy? And with Cute and Sparkling’s flashy food truck missing from the rear, this has to be a Painted Skin Ghost trying to mess with our heads.”
Just as the words left her mouth, an off-road SUV and a Level 5 minivan suddenly approached from the rear right.
It was Sister Cai and Shudao Mountain.
The two vehicles pulled up alongside the RV and the hearse before idling to a halt. Sister Cai’s familiar, grinning face popped out from behind the SUV’s rolled-down window. She waved eagerly toward the Young Miss: “Miss, we made it through too!”
Remembering Lin Huai’s strict rule never to look back on this road, the Young Miss kept her posture rigid in the driver’s seat, forcing her eyes forward.
Right on cue, the ‘Sister Cai’ idling behind her shoulder called out again.
“Miss…”
“Young Miss, over here…”
The sweet, pleading tone only made the Young Miss stare harder at her front dashboard.
Lin Huai monitored the rear cameras on her console. Seeing that the Young Miss was cautious enough to resist the psychological bait, a faint smile crossed her lips.
Neither of them turned their heads. The phantom behind them continued to plead, but Lin Huai paid it no attention.
After a few more calls, a sudden engine roar broke through the stillness. To their far rear right, another off-road SUV and another Level 5 minivan appeared out of the gloom.
Sister Cai’s furious voice exploded through the squad channel: “What are you screeching for?! Who gave you permission to steal my face? Blast that fake into scrap!”
The moment she yelled, a heavy vehicle-mounted cannon fired with a deafening roar. The counterfeit SUV was blown straight to ashes, vanishing into the gray wind.
Immediately after, Lin Huai noticed a complex, golden runic pattern quietly expanding across the dirt beneath the fake minivan’s tires. The diagram pulsed with a brilliant golden glare, and in the next heartbeat, both the phantom van and the formation vanished into thin air.
Lin Huai’s eyes widened with genuine surprise. “Shudao Mountain, you can deploy tactical formations?”
Shudao Mountain’s composed voice came through the comms: “I’ve only studied a bit of the Compendium of Formations. My knowledge is quite limited.”
She paused, then asked with quiet hope, “I wonder… does this qualify me to officially join the core Elite Squad?”
Sister Cai was equally amazed by the golden formation. “Holy cow! Did you cross over from some immortal cultivation game? That was incredible!”
The Young Miss chimed in with bright enthusiasm: “Wow, Shan Shan, that was so cool! Can you teach me how to do that?”
Lin Huai chuckled softly. “Of course she qualifies.”
“Welcome to the Elite Squad, Shudao Mountain.”
Right at that moment, Milk Tea and Brother He Ping broke through their respective fog gates. Hearing the announcement, the pair immediately clapped over the voice feed: “Welcome, welcome! Warmest welcome to Sister Shan Shan!”
“Congratulations to the Elite Squad on expanding to twelve members!”
With the brief celebration finished, Lin Huai’s primary goal for this trial was achieved.
Taking point once more, she led the six vehicles forward, sweeping through the rest of the Yellow Springs Road until they reached an enormous stone platform rising beside the trail.
“We’re here. Everyone out of the vehicles!”
Brother He Ping stepped onto the dirt and looked around. Aside from the massive raised platform, the desolate landscape seemed no different from the rest of the road.
He scratched his chin, somewhat confused: “Boss, how can you tell this is the end of the trial?”
Shudao Mountain pointed toward the stone terrace. The elevated structure was built from rough stone blocks and swarming with phantoms. The spirits were all lining up quietly to climb the stairs; not a single ghost glanced toward the living survivors.
“Boss,” she ventured, “is that the Home-Viewing Platform?”
Lin Huai nodded. “That’s right. The stop immediately following the Yellow Springs Road is the Home-Viewing Platform. Finding it means we have reached the conclusion of this stage.”
The Young Miss pulled out her road guide, jogging over to Milk Tea to inspect the withered spider lilies and rocks along the shoulder. “So where is the official who stamps our pass? Are they hiding under a boulder?”
Lin Huai glanced at Shudao Mountain, reaching into her pack to withdraw three long sticks of incense.
Shudao Mountain caught the hint instantly. Reaching into her own pouch, she retrieved three matching sticks. Side by side, the two bowed low, offering words of reverence to the local underworld guardians. Though their phrasing differed slightly, their respectful intent was identical.
Sure enough, as the sweet smoke curled into the air, a weathered wooden checkpoint materialized directly before them.
Flanking the gate were two towering, muscular yakshas holding heavy tridents.
To the right of the gate sat an underworld clerk holding an ink seal. Her pale face remained totally expressionless as she looked at them. “You made good time. You’re the first team to reach the boundary.”
“Present your passes for the seal.”
The heavy crimson stamp came down on their papers with a crisp thud. Instantly, Old Hei’s broadcast echoed across the district:
[Congratulations to players Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, Shudao Mountain, Sister Cai, Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar, Peace and Violence, and the Young Miss for clearing the primary storyline trial: Yellow Springs Road. Special achievement unlocked: First Clear! All trial rewards are doubled!]
The storyline trial was not overly punishing; it simply tested a survivor’s mental fortitude and situational awareness. Having cleared it up to the tenth stage in her previous life, Lin Huai navigated the mechanics with ease.
Each member was awarded a Bone-Crushing Crate, which doubled to two crates apiece thanks to the bonus.
Lin Huai opened her prize chests immediately, delighted to find the exact rare materials she needed to push her hearse to Level 7.
Through the channel Brother He Ping had set up, Dragon Emerging from the Sea’s squad received real-time routing tips, allowing them to clear their checkpoint shortly after without taking casualties.
For the general player base, however, the trial proved brutal. Many fell into repeating spatial loops and ran out the clock before finding the exit. Others made the fatal mistake of looking back or letting illusions lead them into the deep marshes, vanishing forever from the survival road.
Even in a relatively simple trial, the mortality rate remained grim. Lin Huai checked the district roster and felt a quiet pang of sorrow. At this rate of attrition, their server would likely undergo two more consolidations before the month was out.
Determined to unlock Level 7, she planned to focus entirely on upgrading her personal skill cards once her vehicle reached the new tier. She immediately called on all surviving district members to rack up road mileage.
A few days later, the territory reached the milestone of 80,000 total kilometers, unlocking the seasonal Grand Prix Trial.
Having gained experience from the earlier tournament, the squad split up to enter different categories. Basic survival caches no longer held any appeal for Lin Huai; she wanted only the rare vehicle components awarded in high-difficulty tracks.
She signed up directly for the Circuit Lap Race.
Seeing her name on the circuit roster, the other members of the Elite Squad—except for Dragon Emerging from the Sea—tactfully avoided that division to register for other events.
Shudao Mountain, knowing her tactical formations gave her a unique edge on closed tracks, joined the lap race as well.
Lin Huai raised an eyebrow, a teasing spark in her eye: “Don’t go holding back on my account. I want to see if your formations can actually pin me down.”
Shudao Mountain offered a confident grin, bowing her head slightly. “Since the Boss gave the order, I won’t be holding anything back~”
