In the end, Chang Long had to shoo the two spirits away to stand quietly on the sidelines because they were distracting her. Their antics caused her to get scratched multiple times by the hyena beasts, leaving her with minor bleeding wounds. The two spirits then started arguing about who was responsible for distracting her and whose fighting techniques were better. They got so caught up in their bickering that they ended up chasing each other around the temple with swords, leaving Chang Long holding her head in frustration. These spirits, despite being over a hundred years old, were behaving like children.

However, their chaotic running around did have an unintended benefit. The hyena beasts, sensing the sudden shift in the atmosphere, paused their attacks. This gave Chang Long and her pets the opportunity to deal with them more easily. After two hours, they managed to slay all the level 50 hyena beasts.

"Player Chang Long and her pets have slain 20 level 50 hyena beasts, receiving 215,000 experience points, 85,000 coins, 10 Revive Stones, 20 Hyena Fangs, 2 Mid-level Claws, 1 pair of Mid-level Hyena Leather Boots, and 1 Pet Sealing Bracelet."

"Player Chang Long has fulfilled the basic requirements for beginner profession skills: Swift Movement has leveled up to 51, 52,..., 60, Evasion to 46, 47,..., 55, Swordmanship to 31, 32,..., 50, and Mystic Gust to 7, 8,..., 10. The Sovereign Sword has leveled up to 4, 5... and Kitsune's level has increased to 64..."

Chang Long sat down to rest and collected the loot scattered on the ground. She also bought a bag for Hulu to carry, making it more convenient when he was far from her. After exploring the temple, she found multiple paths leading down to the underground levels. Cedric informed Chang Long that he felt a strong pull toward the path beneath the throne of the god Amun-Ra, so she decided to head in that direction.

Descending the stairs to the first underground level, Chang Long encountered a horde of demons and zombies wandering aimlessly. The zombies seemed to drift about, unaware of time, while the demons immediately turned to Chang Long's group upon sensing their smell.

"What a warm welcome,"

Chang Long muttered sarcastically as she surveyed the creatures before her. There were heretical priests wielding golden whips tipped with white horsehair, cursed scribes carrying massive stone tablets as big as themselves, looking like unbandaged mummies and hyena beasts and hyena pup beasts roaming about. The corridor was so crowded that there was no way to pass through without being attacked.

Fortunately, only the hyenas automatically attacked; the demon pups and the scribes and zombie priests would not attack unless someone entered their range.

"The pups are so cute!"

Chang Long exclaimed, clearly taken with the hyena pups.

"What's cute about a demon, master? I'm much cuter!"

Hulu quickly interjected, fearing that Chang Long might decide to keep one as a pet.

"Did you actually let someone call you cute?"

Chang Long asked, raising one eyebrow in surprise.

"I only allow you and big bro to say that!"

Hulu replied, then ran over and kicked a hyena pup out of irritation, sending it flying several meters away with a yelp.

"Wow, kicking a hyena pup like that, you're so tough!"

Devi-chan laughed, causing Hulu, who had been smiling with satisfaction, to drop his smile immediately.

"Hmph, fine. I'll show you what I can really do, Devi-chan!"

Hulu declared, standing still as the hyenas began to circle him, joined by the heretical priests and cursed scribes in the area. A white mist with a faint iridescent sheen began to emanate from Hulu, enveloping the surrounding beasts within a five-meter radius.

"What is Hulu doing, Kitsune?"

Chang Long asked, curious about the situation.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen him use any skill other than the Armor of Virtue,"

Kitsune replied, watching Hulu with interest as well. Despite only evolving once, Hulu possessed immense power far beyond that of an ordinary beast at his level.

"Kirin Sky Leap!"

Hulu shouted, and in that instant, a radiant light appeared on his forehead, taking the form of a rainbow-colored Kirin with white lightning coursing through its body. It leapt into the air with the speed of a lightning bolt.

Boommm!

A deafening sound like a thunderclap filled the air. The iridescent mist transformed into electrical currents, electrocuting nearly ten of the surrounding beasts. Their white souls were drawn upwards, following the Kirin's form until they disappeared, leaving only their lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground.

"Wow..."

Chang Long exclaimed in awe. This was the power of Hulu in his evolved form—devastating and formidable, able to take down creatures of the same level with a single strike.

"We still have much to learn, master..."

Kitsune, equally stunned, commented.

"But where did Hulu go?"

Chang Long searched the area for Hulu, eventually spotting him standing still in the middle of the beasts' remains as the white mist dissipated.

"Hurry, masterใ Hulu is defenseless!"

Kitsune urgently called out when he saw Hulu's paralyzed state. He quickly led Chang Long to shield Hulu's body.

Several minutes passed before Hulu could move normally again. He exhaled through his nose, then turned to raise an eyebrow at Chang Long, as if expecting her to praise his prowess. But Chang Long simply shook her head and continued walking in the direction Cedric had indicated through his telepathic link.

"Ugh... why didn't she praise me, big bro!"

Hulu asked Kitsune, his tone sounding as if he were a sulking child.

"Maybe she's just shy," Kitsune replied, patting Hulu on the shoulder to comfort him before following Chang Long.

.....

After racking their brains to the point of exhaustion, Crown and his friends still could not figure out what the innkeeper had said to make the two brothers race so quickly to the finish line, despite their father's will stating that the horse that finished last would inherit all the wealth. The other group had it even worse, as their question involved calculations, and a wrong answer could spell disaster. They had to think through everything carefully before deciding to answer the Sphinx's riddles.

The sand on which they sat had become a makeshift chalkboard, where they wrote and erased their calculations repeatedly. Finally, both groups looked at each other and nodded, indicating they had found the correct answers after hours of deliberation that blurred their minds with fatigue.

Duncan used their group's private communication channel to suggest everyone rest before answering the Sphinx's riddles. They took out food and water, chatting to relieve stress. They each consumed a rejuvenating crystal to refresh themselves and ease their weariness, followed by a candy to reduce accumulated fatigue. They were fully prepared for a battle in case they answered incorrectly or if the Sphinx broke its promise. Once ready, they all stood up and approached the Sphinx, who was grinning, clearly having anticipated this moment for a long time.

"Do you have an answer for me now?"

The Sphinx asked. Crown nodded, causing it to smile in delight and immediately demand the answer to its first riddle.

"A wealthy man had two sons. When he died, the sons read their father's will, which stated that they must race their horses to a distant city, and the horse that finished last would inherit all the wealth. The two sons started the race, moving as slowly as possible, hoping to claim the inheritance. At night, they stayed at an inn and shared their dilemma with the innkeeper. The next morning, the two sons raced their horses as fast as they could to reach the finish line..."

"What did the innkeeper say to the two sons, tell me the correct answer!"

The Sphinx beamed, repeating its first riddle. Duncan took a deep breath before replying.

"The innkeeper told them to switch horses, so the other brother's horse would finish last and inherit the wealth..."

The Sphinx, which had been smugly pleased with itself, suddenly fell silent. It narrowed its eyes at Duncan and his friends, who had worked together to find the answer to the first riddle. The tension was palpable as everyone waited to see what the Sphinx would say, their skin tingling with anticipation. Finally, the Sphinx spoke seriously.

"You possess more intelligence than I anticipated... But the second riddle is not so easy. If you wish to pass, you must answer it correctly. There will be no second chances!"

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing that the Sphinx had not attacked them, indicating that Duncan's answer was correct. Now it was Crown's and his group's turn to answer the Sphinx's second riddle correctly.

"In the dead of night, Luke, Mila, Canton, and Anna were on one side of a bridge. They all needed to cross the bridge, but they had to use a torch to light the way. However, they only have one torch and the bridge could only hold two people at a time,

and each person cross at a different speed:

Luke takes 1 minute.

Mila takes 2 minutes.

Canton takes 5 minutes.

Anna takes 10 minutes.

Of course, when two people cross together, they must go at the speed of the slower person to move together while sharing the torch. Those who move faster must walk at the slower person's pace."

"Tell me, what is the shortest time they can all take to cross the bridge, and how should they do it?"

The Sphinx repeated the second riddle, then fixed its gaze on Crown, as if trying to intimidate him into making a mistake. Crown took a deep breath and began his response.

"...Luke takes 1 minute, Mila takes 2 minutes, Canton takes 5 minutes, Anna takes 10 minutes,"

Crown repeated, ensuring everyone agreed before he continued.

"Luke and Mila cross the bridge together, taking 2 minutes. Then Mila returns with the torch, taking another 2 minutes, totaling 4 minutes. Canton and Anna then cross together, taking 10 minutes, and they hand the torch to Luke, who returns to Mila, taking 1 more minute, making 11 minutes. Finally, Luke and Mila cross the bridge again, taking 2 more minutes. Altogether, they take 17 minutes to cross the bridge..."

After answering, everyone held their breath, ready for anything as they tightened their grips on their weapons. The Sphinx's face turned pale, like a boiled chicken, a hopeful sign that Crown's answer was correct. Without saying a word, the Sphinx flapped its wings and disappeared into the dark, high ceiling of the cave. Crown and his friends erupted into cheers, but they quickly fell silent when another sound echoed through the cave.

Hungryyy...

"What now!"

Crown exclaimed in shock.

"Whatever it is, I'm not sticking around to find out! It clearly said it's hungry, and I'm not about to be its midnight snack!"

Karen shouted as she quickly ran to the chest, grabbed a golden key about a foot long from it, and then sprinted toward the golden door ahead.

The guys tightened their grips on their weapons and followed Karen. The sound of wings flapping in the darkness made their skin crawl as dozens of red eyes appeared, circling above them in the shadows. Whenever they got the chance, these creatures swooped down, trying to snatch any of Crown's group who let their guard down.

These creatures had human-like faces, bird-like legs, and bat-like wings, with mottled gray skin and a terrifying, emaciated appearance. There were many of them, and they attacked in a relentless barrage, especially as the group neared the door.

.....

Meanwhile, Chang Long and her loyal pets had fought through dozens of monsters blocking their path, heading toward the route Cedric had pointed out. The deeper they went, the thinner the air became, making it easier to feel exhausted. The monsters they encountered also grew stronger, with levels now in the early sixties, making them increasingly difficult to defeat. One of the toughest challenges was the Cursed Scribes, whose stone tablets could smash through pillars without sustaining a scratch.

Chang Long was not too troubled, though. Her sword could slice through the Cursed Scribes' stone tablets as easily as cutting butter. With her sword's level increased, her attack power had reached 1600, allowing her to hold her own against these formidable enemies. Even though the monsters' attack power was much higher, her speed and the sharpness of her blade gave her the upper hand. The sluggish movements of the monsters played to her advantage.

"This place is full of priests and scribes!"

Chang Long observed, dodging a whip made of horsehair that sliced through the air like a razor-sharp blade.

"Indeed, master. Although they are high-level, they're easier to handle than those hyenas,"

Kitsune agreed.

"Look over there, master!"

Hulu pointed toward a room with its door slightly ajar. The room was brightly lit and filled with mirrors.

'That's the place, my lord! The presence of a Reaper Guardian is very strong in there!'

Cedric communicated telepathically, sounding excited.

"Let's go, then. Hulu, Kitsune, guard the entrance,"

Chang Long ordered before heading toward the mirror-filled room. Hulu and Kitsune quickly followed, positioning themselves at the door to keep watch, just as Chang Long had instructed.

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