The study. Fu Qingyang sat at his spacious wooden desk, facing a 30-inch large screen. On the wall-mounted speakers, a restrained yet sharp debate unfolded. He was conducting a telephone meeting with six participants—each a senior elder from the Hundred Flowers Sect, the Water Deity Palace, the Central Courtyard, the White Tiger Army, and the Red Flame Clan. Who could have imagined that a top-tier S-rank spiritual strategy for an extraordinary realm would prompt the elders to convene a dedicated meeting? After all, senior spiritual practitioners at the elder level are capable of effortlessly destroying entire cities—highly accomplished travelers. They typically remain hands-off, rarely appear in the world of everyday affairs, and seldom take interest in ordinary matters. Only in the case of significant events or complex, difficult-to-decide issues do they step in. This very strategy for Jinshui Water Park is one such example. "Realm 6203, if handled improperly, will become the second 'Sheleng Tunnel' for the Night-Wanderers. While the latter is a trial realm and can at best reduce the number of Night-Wanderers born, Realm 6203 will significantly diminish the number of transcendent-level Night-Wanderers. The Taiyuan Sect and we are closely allied, sharing a common bond—therefore, we should hand over the strategy to them. This is also in the interest of the Five-Element Alliance." said the elder of the Hundred-Flower Assembly. Among the Five-Element Alliance, the Hundred-Flower Assembly is especially close to the Taiyuan Sect, with a marital connection between the two. The Grand Elder's daughter is the sixth wife of the Taiyuan Sect's Master, and their child, Ling Jun, is a wood-based immortal beast (the Beast King), who studies under the Grand Master of the Hundred-Flower Assembly. "We can hand over the strategy to the Taiyuan Sect, but the terms of the transaction must be adjusted. We not only require funds, but also the documentation and equipment related to the Night-Wanderers. The depth of the documentation and the quantity of "I think a slightly higher price is entirely justified given the difficulty level of the 6203rd spiritual realm. After all, even we would have been struggling back then if we'd encountered something like this." The meeting room fell into silence—everyone acknowledged the value of this guide without question. A few seconds later, a senior from the Water Deity Palace spoke in a沉沉 tone: "According to a water ghost who successfully completed the Golden Water Amusement Park in Yanchuan Province, only three survivors emerged from this spiritual realm. Among them is a young girl named 'Xie Lingxi,' who reportedly followed the Night Wandering Deity all the way through. I've already investigated—she is a direct descendant of the Xie family from the Scattered Province. Therefore, we are not the only ones holding onto this guide." The senior of the White Tiger military contingent disagreed firmly, his voice resolute: "The Xie family will certainly demand more than we are offering. Moreover, in the haunted house segment, it is precisely this guide that holds the key to successful passage. In terms of value, there's no need for further discussion." "What I'm more concerned about is that the guide explicitly points out—both in the hidden tasks and in the Night-Wanderer Must Die segment—that in the 6203 spiritual realm, the travelers will end up killing each other. If our organization happens to have members within the group, they might very well be eliminated during the Ghost Bride segment by the Night-Wanderer from the Taiyuan Sect. In such a realm where travelers kill one another, information asymmetry can fundamentally alter outcomes and shape destinies. The meeting room once again fell into silence. At that moment, Fu Qingyang spoke calmly, "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a question. " "Go on." "The Yuan-Shi makes a conjecture in the guide: he believes character assignments are based on human hearts. We could choose not to include the Taiyuan Sect, giving the Five-Element Alliance members exclusive access to the guide. But what if the person who receives the guide is assigned to a villainous character?" Fu Qingyang spoke with steady, composed tone. "We all know that being orderly in one's profession does not necessarily mean being kind." "The Elder of the Water Deity Palace spoke in a沉沉 tone, "You're right. What else do you suggest?" Fu Qingyang replied calmly, "The Taiyuan Sect has always been closely aligned with the Wuxing Alliance, so we must provide the strategy—though we need to revise its content. We should conceal the strategist's own speculations, introduce a random assignment mechanism for characters, and thus mislead the readers." "We must also rigorously investigate the clearance reports. As soon as we discover that any member—whether within the Taiyuan Sect or elsewhere—has been assigned to a villain, we will immediately apprehend them. In fact, this serves as a powerful tool for us to uncover the rogue elements within our ranks." Self-destruction is inherent to the spiritual realm's pattern and cannot be altered. The strategy must be shared, as it's a matter of alliance. If the 'Team Captain' ultimately wins, that would be ideal. Should the villains triumph, then the official organization will take up the cause, seeking vengeance and eliminating the threat." "But this remains speculative." "Therefore, it will only result in arrests." "Seeing no objections from the other elders, Fu Qingyang paused to reflect, then continued, 'Following this incident, Taiyuan Gate will surely attempt to recruit our key members. Taiyuan Gate possesses extensive experience in cultivating night-wandering spirit beings and has deep expertise in this specialty—something we cannot match. Therefore, I believe we must sincerely win over our people. I intend to govern through virtue.' The elders were indifferent to the issue of recruiting talent, yet this new night-wandering spirit was indeed exceptional. The elder from the central hall mused, 'This young man is quite capable—he has already passed two S-tier spiritual realms, and will surely reach the level of a Saint at least. Governing through virtue? How do you intend to achieve that?' Fu Qingyang calmly outlined his plan: 'You should promptly approve the bonuses and merits.' The meeting room fell into silence for the third time. The elder of the Hundred Blossoms cleared his throat, feigning that the moment of "ruling by virtue" had never occurred, and said, "I have a piece of information regarding that young man. The Tai Men has compiled recent updates on the spiritual realms and discovered that the vengeful spirits within the quest have all been entrusted with the same task—finding a young man. The young man's name consists of four characters. Given the details of the Shē Líng Tunnel expedition, it's not difficult to deduce that the Lady of San Dao Mountain is seeking the Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn. 'The Lady of San Dao Mountain is looking for him?' Fu Qingyang's stern face revealed astonishment. The other elders were equally surprised. The elder of the Hundred Blossoms smiled and said, "That young man must have concealed something in his report about the Shē Líng Tunnel. Tai Men is currently investigating this matter and may reach out to him soon. Keep an eye out." "Excellent!" ... "What a fool that Sun Elder is!" In a private team chat, Yuan Ting expressed his deep concern with this message. The night-wandering deities who are approaching the Spiritual Realm in the near future have come together, driven by their anxiety over the changes in the Realm, forming a temporary subgroup to discuss how to face the daunting S-tier and A-tier Spiritual Realms. "Not at all, not at all," the group leaders reply in unison. "The Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyuan Sect are closely aligned—merely by incurring a little cost, securing a task from the Golden-Water Amusement Park will be quite manageable." Although Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn is indeed a remarkable talent with a promising future, the Taiyuan Sect itself boasts an abundance of outstanding individuals, from extraordinary talents to those at the Saint level. After all, the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyuan Sect are allies, so in practical terms, Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn can be considered part of the Taiyuan Sect. Yuan Ting: "You wouldn't believe this—I heard from Li Dongze that, for the night-wandering deities, the Golden-Water Amusement Park is a certain death." "What?!" The group leaders are startled. Though they might not necessarily end up at Jinshui Theme Park, as long as they're still in the Transcendent Realm, if they don't meet this time, what about next time? "If it's a certain death, then that person is the Night-Wanderer God—how did he survive?" "Exactly. As long as there's a strategy, that's all we need." Yuan Ting: "I heard from Li Dongze that the Five-Element Alliance's senior elders are holding a meeting. It seems they're not eager to share the strategy with us, the One Gate. You know, senior elders' meetings usually take ten to fifteen days to produce results—quite normal. But how many people in the group can wait that long?" "Oh, really! Senior Sun must be careless!" "Senior Sun is indeed careless!" The team leaders were indignant. ... Serious disagreements emerged. Zhang Yuanqing paused and reflected, then grasped the core of the conflict, smiled, and said: "Never mind. After all, this is something the leadership will have to deal with. As long as I don't miss out on my achievements or bonuses, it's fine. What's more, I've "It's been half a month since I joined the Five Elements Alliance, yet I'm still a struggling student—no salary check yet." "Commander, I've cleared the S-tier spiritual realm. How about we gather for a meal tonight? I'll cover the costs, but I'd like you to advance the payment first—once my bonus arrives, I'll repay you." Zhang Yuanqing said, looking at Wang Tai's expressionless face, and added, "Brother Wang, why don't you join us?" "No thanks," Wang Tai shook his head. "That's not right. You should mingle with everyone, have meals together, strengthen bonds, and expand your network. After dinner, I can take you to a seafood merchant for some relaxation." "I'm socially anxious." "Socially anxious? Oh my, really? Is there such a thing as someone who's socially anxious? What could possibly be so frightening? What are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid of someone like you." “….” At that moment, Li Dongze smiled and said, "We'd like to have a dinner gathering, but you don't have to cover the expenses. Our Group Two is hosting a distinguished guest tonight, and this guest has specifically requested that Wang Tai be the host. But as you know, Wang Tai's personality simply isn't up to handling such formalities. After discussing with Guan Ya, we've decided to accompany him. "Since you've come, why not join us?" "A distinguished guest?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously. Guan Ya seized the opportunity to interject, smiling, "She's the daughter of the Lingjing Traveler Clan." "The daughter of the Lingjing Traveler Clan?" Zhang Yuanqing chuckled and tapped Wang Tai's waist. "You, with your broad, prominent brows, never seemed to have a particularly large nose—how did you manage to win over a lady from a prominent family?" Wang Tai remained expressionless. "You don't need to repeat what the head chief and Guan Ya have just said," he sighed, feeling weary. "I have no connection with the Xie family of Scattered Province. I simply can't understand why Miss Xie would wish to see me." "Guan Ya chuckled, teasing, 'With your forgetful mind, even if you've had any interaction, I'm sure you'd have completely forgotten it. After all, this is good news—Wang Tai, just keep pushing, and aim to become a son-in-law at the Xie family.' 'Oh my, what a truly admirable career,' Li Dongze remarked, smiling lightly. The Xie family? Zhang Yuanqing, however, felt a sudden pang of concern and quickly asked, 'What's the Xie family known for?' Li Dongze, never behind in educating his staff, explained, 'The Xie family is just like the Fu family—a renowned lineage of spiritual travelers. Each year, they produce numerous musicians, all of strong capability. Though not an official institution, the Xie family is a well-ordered, established profession, with longstanding ties to the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyuan Sect.' So, a martial arts guild formally integrated into the imperial court... Zhang Yuanqing understood. He thought to himself: 'The Xie family's eldest daughter—must be the one who always plays the delicate, slightly helpless, "green tea" type.' The Xie family's eldest daughter, a semi Did this girl really show up on her own? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow, paused thoughtfully, and decided to meet the young green tea. Given her family background, if she was determined to investigate him, she would surely find out about Yuan Shi Tian Zun—no, in fact, she wouldn’t even need to dig deeply; just a few posts on the Wuxing Alliance’s official forum would reveal that Wang Tai was, in fact, Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s alias. Since he couldn’t avoid her now, it made sense to face her openly. First, the Xie family counted as a semi-official organization, more reliable than wild wanderers or small grassroots groups. Second, with his current status and reputation within the organization, he didn’t need to hide his identity, and Shie Lingxi likely didn’t intend to harm him either. It was a perfect opportunity to gauge the young green tea’s intentions—so Zhang Yuanqing thought. En route, Auntie sent a message questioning. "What did I do?" Zhang Yuanqing replied. "You're kidding—she's already called you a relic of her family, a complete failure. This is clearly my brother's honor title." Honestly, he hadn't done much—just the sound effects from the bathroom video playing loudly... Zhang Yuanqing casually brushed it off: "I'm the heir to my uncle's legacy, after all. This honor title will eventually pass to my nephew when my uncle passes away. I've got to go meet some beautiful young lady now." "A young lady?" Auntie sent a string of sharp, blood-spattered emoji. The server pushed open the door, revealing a spacious and luxurious dining room with soft lighting and a thick, plush carpet. Standing at either side of the entrance were four attractive female servers. By a large floor-to-ceiling window, a young girl stood gracefully, gazing at the city of Songhai under the night sky. She wore a neat sailor's uniform—black skirt reaching her knees, a white blouse with a black bow at the collar, and a long, straight, flowing black scarf. The soft light from the ceiling illuminated her face, giving it a gentle, refined beauty that was both clear and elegant. Pure, sweet, and charming, she embodied every virtue of a springtime girl. Upon hearing the door open, she turned her head, her eyes brightening and a warm, radiant smile spreading across her face. She joyfully rushed toward them, exclaiming, "Wang Tai-brother!" Li Dongze raised an eyebrow, looking at Wang Tai beside him, visibly surprised. He had to reassess Wang Tai's relationship with the Shieh family's heiress—never having imagined that his subordinate was such a quietly accomplished charm-slinger. Guan Ya gasped, looking at Wang Tai with a playful smile and speaking softly, "I underestimated you, Mr. Xie's son-in-law." Wang Tai was utterly bewildered; he had no idea what was going on. At that moment, they saw Miss Xie ignoring Wang Tai, stopping in front of Zhang Yuanqing, gently taking his sleeve and sweetly calling out, "I found you! Wang Tai, brother."