Official attendants filed in one after another, instinctively dividing into two groups—one to tend to the injured, the other to inspect the scene, make final adjustments, and eliminate potential hazards. A female member of the Hundred Flowers Association knelt down to examine two fire engineers who had been poisoned, her tone shifting slightly. "Commander, their vital signs are weak. They must take the diluted Life Primordial Liquid immediately or risk losing their lives." While both musicians and wood spirits in the Order of Harmony possess life-related abilities, neither has the capacity to revive the dead at the extraordinary stage. Such a powerful recovery skill is reserved for elite attendants. Consequently, the Life Primordial Liquid—used by musicians—has remained a crucial strategic resource for the official forces, providing immediate life-saving effects to critically wounded patients. The Five Elements Alliance purchases large quantities of this liquid annually from the three musical families, making it highly valuable. Fu Qingyang said firmly, "Begin immediate treatment." The female wood spirit removed her tactical pack, extracted two vials of injection, and administered intravenous infusions to the two fire spirits suffering from poisoning. The severely injured, unconscious giant muscle warrior also received this treatment. Li Dongze, however, could not be treated as thoroughly—only receiving basic hemostasis, detoxification, and bandaging from the wood spirits of the Hundred Blossoms Association. The others, including Qingteng, were likewise rescued. Fu Qingyang approached Guan Ya, removed his coat, and draped it over her, then frowned, asking, "Are you all right?" Guan Ya smoothed the collar of her suit and shook her head. At that moment, the team leader in charge of battlefield cleanup returned with a report: "Commander, all the enemy forces have been eliminated—no survivors." The team leader remarked, "The four spirit beasts each reached the level of third-tier fire spirits. Yet you managed to defeat them without any casualties—this is truly remarkable. However, there's one thing I don't understand: two of the beasts showed no wounds at all, their bodies rigid and cold, as if they had been dead for several hours. How did you accomplish that?" "Heard that, Ling Jun raised an eyebrow and immediately stepped over to the body of 'Heng Xing Wu Ji,' crouching down to examine it closely. Fu Qingyang's mind stirred, turning to Guan Ya and asking, 'What's going on?' 'Those two were killed by Yuan Shi,' Guan Ya replied succinctly. 'No, not two,' added Bai Long, who had just received treatment, holding his sword. 'Three.' 'Yuan Shi Tian Zun? The newcomer who passed through the S-tier Jin Shui Theme Park? Where is he? I haven't seen him yet.' The young girl, who had just been wrapping up Da Ji Bu, looked up with eager excitement. Her direct supervisor, however, returned her enthusiasm with a stern gaze. 'Three,' Fu Qingyang noted, turning to Qingteng Tang Guoqiang. Seeing that neither of them contested the point, and noticing that the several injured Level 2 Travelers seemed to recall something, their faces now a mix of admiration and fear. 'Indeed, it's the style of a Night-Wanderer,' Ling Jun murmured, nodding. 'A Level 2 Night-Wanderer—such strength already?' How long has this young man been a Spirit Realm traveler? Upon saying that, he added with regret, "It was a mistake to send him to the Five Elements Alliance." Fu Qingyang glanced at him and then turned to Guan Ya, "Where is the Prime Immortal?" "He's upstairs," Guan Ya looked up, "handling some matters." ... Compared to the disorder in the main hall, the rooms on the second floor were still relatively intact. In the third room from the outside, Zhang Yuanqing found the artifact. It was a incense burner—made of bronze with a three-legged base, and the body carved from black wood in the shape of a toad, seated and facing upward with its mouth open wide. The toad incense burner sat quietly on the table. Zhang Yuanqing suppressed the itch in his throat and staggered to the bedside, pulled back the curtains, opened the window, and took several deep breaths of fresh air. The sensation of dizziness has somewhat subsided, and now he returns to his table, picks up the frog incense burner, and a message appears in his vision: 【Name: Celestial Frog Incense Burner】 【Type: Equipment】 【Function: Toxicity】 【Description: During the ancient times, a prodigy from a Wuzhu tribe in Nanling decided to develop a colorless, odorless toxin that would kill silently and without trace. After years of persistent research, he successfully crafted this incense burner. However, he found that the toxin within was indeed colorless and odorless, yet its potency was relatively weak and its effects developed slowly. Consequently, he discarded it. Fifteen days later, every single member of the tribe perished.】 【Note: Have you equipped yourself with sufficient toxin resistance?】 Zhang Yuanqing immediately places the item into his inventory, thinking how poorly designed this piece truly is. From the description and note, he now understands the item's characteristics: first, the toxin affects both allies and enemies alike—its owner is no exception—and the ability to withstand it stems from the high toxin resistance typically possessed by Wuzhu practitioners. Secondly, the Tianchan incense burner is a type of artifact whose toxicity intensifies with age—it continuously emits its effects, and if not properly preserved, it can endanger an entire region, even proving lethal to the people of the Wugui tribe. "Hmm?" Zhang Yuanqing reopened the inventory to review the details of the Tianchan incense burner. "From the ancient times… the Nanling region… the Wugui tribe?" He extracted several subtle nuances from the description, inferring that this artifact was likely crafted by a high-level spiritual traveler from an ancient era. It may have later been discovered by the spiritual realm through the "Wangxing Wujie" process, or perhaps it has always circulated within the real world—though these details were less significant. What mattered most was the reference to the "ancient times." What exactly did "ancient times" refer to? How many years ago? Did spiritual travelers exist in that period? Yet the attribute panel itself seems to be a concept entirely modern. Well, perhaps the modern concept is indeterminate—but if ancient people had a panel concept, that would be quite incongruous… Zhang Yuanqing murmured softly, “I’ll take some time to investigate the origin of the Lingjing realm; if I have the authority to do so.” And if the ancient world never had a panel concept, then the panel information familiar to them today would be quite strange. Indeed, even the very concept of Lingjing travelers in antiquity might be questionable. “The Lingjing realm itself holds many mysteries. I’ve always found the existence of moral points rather illogical—so heavily artificial, not at all natural, like something deliberately engineered…” At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing noticed his colleagues below beginning a large-scale evacuation. Without further hesitation, he left the room and descended the stairs. The official traveler in the main living area had already been evacuated. In the center of the living room, a young man in a white suit sat in an upholstered chair, with broken furniture, crimson bloodstains, a toppled sofa, and cracked walls in the background. He wore a white suit like snow, his features handsome and his demeanor cold, serious—standing in sharp contrast to the surrounding environment. Zhang Yuanqing examined the white suit, and the white-suited young man in turn studied Zhang Yuanqing. When Zhang Yuanqing reached the final step, the young man gave a slight nod: "Fu Qingyang." There are indeed men in the world more handsome than me... Zhang Yuanqing bowed respectfully: "Good morning, Captain." He had long admired this captain, having heard of him repeatedly from Li Dongze—born into a noble family, naturally gifted, calm and wise, decisive and upright, with a certain generosity of spirit—though the last trait was attributed to Guan Ya. Now, finally meeting this "legend," his first impression was of pride, nobility, and sharpness—someone so commanding that even making a joke with him would require careful thought. Yet strangely, Zhang Yuanqing did not find it off-putting, because Fu Qingyang's nobility and pride were pure, perfectly matched with his refined demeanor and appearance. Fu Qingyang sat upright in his high-backed chair, speaking calmly: "There's no need for formalities. I've been paying close attention to you for a long time, and I've wanted to meet you for some time now. But Guan Ya said you're a colorless, timid man—someone with ambition but lacking in courage—so she wanted to keep observing you." Does she have a prejudice against such a man? No, I'm not such a man," Zhang Yuanqing explained. "It's her misunderstanding. I believe Fu Bai, as the commander, should make his own judgment." Fu Qingyang replied evenly: "She strongly recommended that I promote you to the rank of Shazhang, believing you to be one of the top talents among the Wuxing Alliance's new generation." Zhang Yuanqing shifted his tone: "She has a keen eye for talent." Fu Qingyang looked at him with deep, penetrating eyes. For some reason, Zhang Yuanqing's gaze instinctively shifted away. He didn't particularly like this sharp, all-seeing kind of gaze. I hate the way the scouts are looking at me... Zhang Yuanqing murmured his discontent, just as he was about to meet their gaze, when Fu Qingyang shifted his eyes away, gazing instead at the corpses trampling through the battlefield, and asked, "What do you think of this battle?" His tone was calm—more like an assessment of a subordinate he held in high regard than a simple inquiry. Thinking of how this centurion valued him, Zhang Yuanqing responded carefully, "The enemy had already learned of our deployments and troop numbers; they know us inside and out. Their influence runs deep." Fu Qingyang stated directly, "There are people within the official ranks who have been colluding with the unruly ones, betraying you." In other words, one of us has turned traitor! Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "So I've sent everyone away. From now on, only you and I will know what happens next." Fu Qingyang glanced at the corpse of the unruly one. Zhang Yuanqing understood his intent and stepped forward, approaching the grotesque, fierce body, as dark, viscous substance surged within his eyes. The spirit lingering within the body awakened, drifting out in wisps, coalescing above the corpse into a semi-transparent silhouette that gnashed its teeth at Zhang Yuanqing with fierce, aggressive intensity. "I may grow somewhat mad after consuming the spirits of evil-affiliated professions," he said, producing the Vengeance Staff and offering it to Fu Qingyang, "This item can purify spiritual contamination." He had entrusted the Staff to Li Dongze out of trust in his character, but to Fu Qingyang, he did so because Fu was both simple-minded and financially well-off—indeed, wealthy enough that he wouldn't covet his possessions. Fu Qingyang accepted the item and gave a gentle nod. Zhang Yuanqing said nothing, merely took a deep breath and drew the spirit into his mouth. ... Suddenly, his brow swelled as something foreign and powerful surged into his consciousness. A flood of fragmented scenes surged forth, sweeping past like a carousel of memories—moments from his life that stood out vividly, memories of a life unrelenting in its momentum. Heng Xingwuji comes from a humble background, striving through hard study to change his fate. Once established in society, however, he finds that his prestigious education offers little practical advantage. After several years of dedicated work, he discovers that the more diligently he performs his duties, the more tasks his supervisors assign—eventually becoming a typical corporate employee. He struggles to compete against well-connected colleagues, or those who are skilled at flattery yet lack real competence. After ten years of steady effort, he still cannot afford a home, which is the essential foundation for marriage—especially since his father is a hardworking farmer with limited savings. While he remains grounded and reliable, he sees little hope ahead. Meanwhile, those who pursue alternative paths thrive financially. Heng grows increasingly uncertain about his future, until one day, leveraging his position to amass substantial wealth, he begins to lose his way and embraces the thrill of risk. Eventually, the landscape shifts, and Zhang Yuanqing sees the dimly lit bedroom, the spectral figure floating beside the bed. "Where is the Black Immortal? Trust is the foundation of collaboration. It seems we still haven't earned enough mutual trust." "You have two options: one is to wait for the fallen ones on the roster to gradually lose control..." "To express my sincerity, I'll share with you the official envoy's deployment and actions." ...In the same dimly lit bedroom, the one who had been unyielding now cut his wrist, letting the blood flow into a black wooden bowl inscribed with incantations. The blood within the bowl twisted and coalesced into the shape of a face. "Boss, the Night Rose people have come to see you." "It's still too early to meet them—we're trying to negotiate with a tiger, so we must be cautious. Has their leader arrived?" "I don't know. Boss, the key is to secure control of the Fallen Chalice early." "Are you teaching me how to do things?" "I'm not sure... I'm not confident at all." "What else did he say?" "He said he'll provide me with the official team's operational plan, and ask me to set up ambushes to relieve your pressure." "That sounds promising—let's try it." What is the Night Rose? The Black Unchanging is stationed in the Pine Sea, waiting for the leader of the Night Rose— They seem to be plotting something huge—well, the information this time is quite substantial. A golden light flashed, the image faded, and consciousness returned. Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes to find himself handcuffed to a high-backed chair. Hmm, no pain at all, no signs of being beaten... Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of delight, only to realize shortly after that this actually meant Fu Bai had completely outmaneuvered him, and thus, his joy waned. Upon seeing him awake, Fu Qingyang immediately asked, "What have you learned?"