The heads of the Five Elements Alliance hold the most profound secrets of the spiritual realm... Does the leader of the malevolent organization do the same? Zhang Yuanqing did not immediately open his eyes, remaining motionless as he pondered the information gleaned from Xiahou Tianyuan's memories. Suddenly, he recalled the conversation between the魔君 and a member of the Beauty Goddess Association—the woman had enticed the魔君 to meet the association's president, offering the supreme secrets of the spiritual realm as her bargaining chip. If the heads of the Alliance indeed possess this so-called ultimate secret, then the official research on the spiritual realm must be remarkably thorough. Only the lower and mid-level personnel lack access—how much do the senior-level spiritual travelers know? Indeed, Xiahou Xin has some awareness of it, and the elders certainly do, though they likely don't hold the reins themselves. The Night Rose indeed has grand ambitions—the leader of this organization, though perhaps not yet at the level of an Alliance head, is very close. Zhang Yuanqing finally opened his eyes, meeting a pair of deep, luminous gaze. "How is it?" Fu Qingyang asked. "Some harvests..." Zhang Yuanqing reported the findings from his inquiry to Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang frowned, his handsome, sculpted face growing even more like a statue. After a while, he slowly nodded, "Xiaohou Chi isn't the most outstanding among Xiaohou's descendants, but his ambition is considerable." Zhang Yuanqing didn't immediately grasp the meaning, only realizing after a few seconds that Fu Qingyang was analyzing the reasons behind Xiaohou Chi's decision to join the Night Rose. He seemed to be gradually treating him as a peer—someone who could understand straightforward explanations. That was good, but it would be quite tiring... Zhang Yuanqing said, "Xiaohou Tianyuan has limited knowledge of the Night Rose; he should merely be a part-time member." Zhang Yuanqing subtly laid a claim for revenge—implying that it was time to eliminate Xiaohou Xin. Fu Qingyang nodded, "I've already assembled the necessary personnel. We're setting off now to arrest Xiaohou Xin." The two of them walked up the stairs back to the first floor. By the staircase entrance, Ling Jun, wearing loose trousers, slippers, and a slightly loose short-sleeved shirt, leaned gracefully against the handrail with a serene smile, asking, "What intelligence have you gathered from Xiahou Tianyuan?" Not quite. The correct way for Lingjing Xingzhe to survive is to conserve resources—after all, without reputation points, fellow members of the same faction can hunt one another without deducting from their moral standing. Zhang Yuanqing mused, "Sharing strategies?" That would probably be the best reason if we had to name one. Lingjun nodded, "Partially correct. To alleviate suspicions and wariness among Xingzhe, it's not about strategies, but about something called the 'Faction Mandate.' " "Faction Mandate?" As a gaming enthusiast, Zhang Yuanqing recognized the familiar term. "The Faction Mandate is a piece of equipment that enables Lingjing Xingzhe to form their own power groups. As a young person, you should clearly understand this concept." "Linjun explained: 'The Guild Command offers many benefits. For instance, within the Spiritual Realm, Travelers' attributes receive certain bonuses; upon completing tasks, travelers earn additional experience points; members gain access to exclusive guild dungeons; they receive guild-specific quests; and they can form teams with fellow guild members to tackle dungeons—benefits are especially abundant when teaming up with members of the same realm level.' 'You should know that the Five Elements Alliance is a coalition formed by five major organizations, each of which began as a small guild and gradually evolved into the five strongest powers in the Spiritual Realm.' At this point, Linjun turned to Fu Qingyang, giving her a slight disdainful look: 'As Guild Master, you receive the greatest attribute bonuses.' "It's no wonder the Five Elements Alliance has so many branches scattered throughout the land. It's no wonder Guan Ya mentioned to me back then that I belong to the White Tiger Army, and that once I reach a higher rank, I'll likely join the alliance—its master being that female marshal. I never knew there was such a thing as a faction summons. If I can obtain one, I can build my own power base, specifically to house informants like the Master of Zhishi Palace and Master Wuhen. Zhang Yuanqing asked with keen interest, "How can one acquire a faction summons?" Fu Qingyang replied, "By successfully completing a multi-player cooperative dungeon and leading the team as the primary commander to victory, there's a certain chance of receiving a faction summons as a reward." Ling Jun hummed, "When Fu Qingyang was at the Transcendent stage, he had a lucky break and obtained a Level 2 faction summons." "Can factions be obtained multiple times?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly wondered—what if the Five Elements Alliance originally consisted of five separate factions? Given Fu Qingyang's status, he should have joined the White Tiger Army long ago. "Of course, there's no conflict in that." "Linjun narrowed his eyes, smiling, "Take myself, for instance. I'm from the Taiyuan Sect, I'm part of the Hundred Flowers Assembly, and I'm also a member of Fu Qingyang's White Shield Guard. This way, whenever I match with any one of the three major factions during dungeon runs, I receive a bonus. But if I'm matched with representatives from all three assemblies, I'll have to choose just one." Wow, so you're a third-generation descendant of three families! Zhang Yuanqing glanced at him with a sideways expression. Being a member of the White Shield Guard indicates that Fu Qingyang holds him in high regard. At that moment, Fu Qingyang turned toward the hall, speaking calmly, "Let's save the small talk for later—we should be setting off now." A group of people just entered the hall—White Dragon, Green Vine, Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and Acting Squad Leader Teng Yuan. Though the number wasn't large, they were all elite members. Jiang Jingwei crossed his arms, strode with an unyielding gait, and from a distance, chuckled warmly, "Faceless male, with a half-smile—here we are again." Her fiery long hair swished back and forth as the young girl approached, giving Suan Yuanqing's shoulder a firm slap. "You're here too!" Her height only reached Suan Yuanqing's chest; she had to tip her toes to make contact. Gasp—this girl had a surprisingly strong grip. Suan Yuanqing gritted his teeth silently. "Long time no see, Jingwei!" Ling Jun stepped forward, angrily rubbing the girl's head. "How's your brother?" "Don't touch my head!" Jingwei erupted in anger, delivering a solid headbutt. Ling Jun nimbly stepped aside. Suan Yuanqing quickly grasped the girl's soft little hand, preventing her from ending up with a doggy-style mud bath. Fu Qingyang said, "Let's go!" The Teng Yuan team leader nodded first, then turned to Suan Yuanqing and said, "One shift, a bonus of one thousand yuan." "Thank you, team leader!" Suan Yuanqing said warmly. ... Four business vehicles entered Junli Hotel, and the group took the elevator directly to the 39th floor, where Xiahou Xin and his bodyguards were staying. The entire floor had been reserved by the Xiahou Fu Qingyang led the team to the presidential suite at the end of the corridor. He didn't ring the bell; instead, he listened quietly, then furrowed his brows and said, "No one's in the room, Guan Ya—go check if anyone else from the Xiaohou family is there." Guan Ya immediately knocked on the door of the room adjacent to the presidential suite. A middle-aged man in a black suit opened the door. He was tall and slender, with a stern expression. "Who are you looking for?" the man in the black suit asked, his gaze sharp and assessing the group. Guan Ya studied him for a moment, confirming that he was a Lingjing traveler, and replied coldly, "We are official Lingjing travelers from Kangyang District. We need to speak with Xiaohou Xin—he's not here, is he?" The official—this man in the black suit—frowned slightly, "Mr. Xiaohou Xin is currently resting in the room." Guan Ya shook her head, "He's not in the room." The man paused, then responded calmly, "I'll call him." He pulled out his phone from his pocket and dialed Xiaoh After a while, the slender security guard put down his phone and said with a sigh, "Mr. Xiaohou Xin hasn't left the premises today—at least, I haven't received any orders for him to do so. You may stay here, or you may go back first. I'll inform him once he returns." Guan Ya turned to Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang spoke evenly, "Call the hotel manager and have him come to open the door." "You cannot enter Mr. Xiaohou Xin's room without permission," the middle-aged security guard stated firmly. "Oh, really? Then let's have a one-on-one showdown?" Jiang Jingwei crossed her arms, her temper rising. Teng Yuan, the platoon leader, pushed his glasses up his nose and said blankly, "I'll file a workers' compensation claim on your behalf." "I'm strong—I won't get hurt," Jiang Jingwei insisted. Teng Yuan replied calmly, "All I'm doing is informing you of employee benefits." "Excellent leader!" Zhang Yuanqing gave him a thumbs-up. "Sir, I feel a bit hot—can I apply for a heat allowance?" "Veng Yuan nodded." "I'll have a request prepared for you later." Fu Qingyang watched silently, considering whether to disband and reorganize the second team, or to recall Li Dongze earlier. After a few minutes, Guan Ya returned, representing the security officer, accompanied by a hotel staff member. The group cleared a path for the staff member, who produced her employee card and swiped it to open the door to the presidential suite. "Click!" At the very moment the staff member turned the door handle, everyone present simultaneously sensed an invisible "barrier" shatter, forming a gentle breeze that swept through the corridor. Fu Qingyang narrowed his eyes, stepping into the suite first. Zhang Yuanqing and the others followed. The living room was empty. As the officer, Fu Qingyang stood still in the room, showing a passive, lifeless demeanor—Veng Yuan remained motionless as well, while the others moved off to inspect the restrooms, study rooms, and bedrooms. Jiang Jingwei opened the bedroom door and glanced inside, then suddenly turned around and exclaimed, "He's here!" Everyone immediately gathered around. The bedroom curtains were closed, the light dim, and a figure lay quietly on the bed. Ling Jun clicked on the lights with a sharp sound. The person lying on the bed was Xiaohou Xin. His body was rigid, motionless. Captain Qingteng, stepping gracefully on her heels, approached the bed and examined him carefully, then said in a serious tone, "He's deceased. Based on the rigidity of the body, it has been more than five hours." Xiaohou Xin was dead? Dead just at this crucial moment?! Zhang Yuanqing found himself unsure whether to feel elated or deeply weighed down. Xiaohou Xin's death was truly fortuitous. The bodyguards who had accompanied them were initially stunned upon seeing Xiaohou Xin's body. Upon hearing Captain Qingteng's words, they grew alarmed, exclaiming, "That can't be right. At 9:30 a.m., Xiaohou Xin had actually called for breakfast." Now, it was exactly 11 a.m. Fu Qingyang remained calm. "White Dragon, Qingteng, Jiang Jingwei, and Teng Yuan—please go outside." Once these people had left, Fu Qingyang closed the bedroom door and turned to Zhang Yuanqing, saying, "The degree of rigidity of a corpse doesn't always accurately reflect the time of death. Do you remember how 'Hengxing Wuxi' died?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized, "Was the person who killed Xiahou Xin a Night-Wanderer?" Fu Qingyang nodded slightly, "The senior management of the Night-Wanderer Rose are Night-Wanderers." Guan Ya furrowed her brows deeply, "So Xiahou Xin was silenced by the Night-Wanderer Rose?" Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the elderly official, realizing that these details were beyond the scope of ordinary official investigators—clearly, Guan Ya had gathered many key pieces of information privately from Fu Qingyang. After all, they were cousins. "We just eliminated Xiahou Tianyuan, and Xiahou Xin was already silenced? That's impossible—unless there was a massive leak of information, it couldn't have happened so quickly…" Zhang Yuanqing, who was familiar with some aspects of investigative reasoning, found the situation utterly illogical. At that moment, Ling Jun leaned against the wall, eyes half-closed, saying, "If it's a high-level night-wanderer who's acting, they might not need any intelligence at all." What does that mean? Zhang Yuanqing didn't understand. Fu Qingyang nodded, saying, "Yuanshi, go check whether Xiahou Xin's spiritual body is still there." Why don't night-wanderers need intelligence? I hate the way you all speak... Zhang Yuanqing walked to the bedside, his eyes dark with stirring energy, trying to communicate with the lingering spirit within the corpse. A few seconds later, the darkness in his eyes faded, and he shook his head at Fu Qingyang and the others. "The spiritual body is gone." Fu Qingyang had anticipated this, so he was not surprised. He looked at Zhang Yuanqing and said, "High-level night-wanderers have the ability to glimpse fate. If Xiahou Xin happens to meet the murderer, the night-wanderer will see the course of fate unfold." Night-wanderers also have this ability? To see the course of fate unfold—ah, now I understand. We came here specifically to arrest Xiahou Xin and eliminate How terrifying is a high-level night wanderer who commands the powers of the Yin and Yang of the Moon and Sun and can glimpse destiny? He immediately frowned: "Is Xiaohou Chi also in danger now?" If he were a senior executive of the Night Rose, and if he had glimpsed Xiaohou Xin's fate, sensing that Xiaohou Chi's lineage had already been exposed, he would surely continue to eliminate them one by one. "Don't worry!" Ling Jun smiled. "Xiaohou Chi is held captive in Dog Elder's zoo. It won't be easy to kill him and eliminate him." "How can you scold the elder?" Zhang Yuanqing was astonished. Ling Jun was momentarily stunned. "I haven't scolded the elder at all." "Dog Ling Jun!" "How do you scold people?" "Exactly. So why are you scolding the elder?" Fu Qingyang gave them a cold, piercing look, cutting off their conversation. He had noticed that Yuan Shi had one flaw—he was overly active. He could always strike up a conversation with anyone, and he could laugh, scold, or argue with anyone. … In the returning business vehicle, Fu Qingyang dialed the number for Elder Tedi "Senior, Xiaohou Xin has been silenced." "Understood." Fu Qingyang spoke calmly. "The Night Rose is pressing us for time—the large-scale health check has been postponed, the Xiaohou family's leads have broken here again, and our pursuit of Hei Wu Chang has returned to square one. Moreover, the Night Rose has now been exposed. She will surely accelerate her coordination with Hei Wu Chang. Senior, we don't have much time left. Our only breakthrough right now is Xiaohou Chi." A silence followed on the other end. Then, the voice replied, "Xiaohou Chi is at the peak of the Saint Realm; just one more step, and he becomes a Sovereign. To eliminate him, we'll need to convene the other four senior elders and secure communication with the Xiaohou family—this will take time. Let's put the Night Rose line on hold for now." "Agreed!" Fu Qingyang spoke with calm composure, his expression unchanged. After ending the call, he leaned back in his chair and remained silent, eyes closed. … In the other vehicle, Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow: "Xia Hou Chi is temporarily immobile. With the dark night rose as our lead, our plan to trace and capture Hei Wu Chang has collapsed. Well, we're back to square one—once again searching blindly for the witches and demons. 'Ah, if we delay any further,' he sighed, 'the servants of the mysterious eye judge will begin to fall one after another. The leader of the dark night rose will finally meet Hei Wu Chang successfully, and the official image will suffer a major setback. Meanwhile, Hei Wu Chang himself—once a solution, now a source of trouble.' Even as clever as he is, he couldn't think of a better course of action at the moment. Zhang Yuanqing wanted to consult his teammates, but glanced at Jiang Jingwei on his left, then at the disengaged Teng Yuan, the senior sergeant. Old Si Ji had taken her nephew's vehicle. He sighed and decided to think things through on his own. "How did that man die? Truly dull. I thought he'd fight!" Jiang Jingwei's voice was clear and bright. She still hadn't grasped what had happened today, and looked deeply regretful "I've been reading, I just never go to school," Jiang Jingwei said, squatting on the wide chair. "My father says the teachers at school don't teach anything. He hired a private tutor for me. He hires one, and I beat him up one." The little girl beamed with pride as she spoke. "And now even the private tutor is gone?" Jiang Jingwei's face fell. "Later, he hired a fire master from the Saint Realm as a tutor. Every time I meet the tutor, I beat him up." Was this really the legendary tale—magic defeating magic, a fire master defeating another fire master? Zhang Yuanqing was utterly frustrated. ... Late at night. Kangyang District, at the river bridge arch. In Longhai, the night sky is devoid of moonlight, and the streetlights fail to reach this dim corner. A figure in a wind coat, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, steps out from the night and stops before the bridge arch. He gazes into the dark arch and murmurs, "At last, you've answered my calls. The heavens themselves seem unjust." A cold snort came from within the arch: "Hengxing Wujie has died. The leader is deeply dissatisfied with you all, and his dwindling trust is being eroded with every passing day." The figure wearing a baseball cap spoke solemnly: "Hengxing Wujie's death was unforeseen—no one could have imagined that the Primordial Celestial Sovereign held such reserves. Moreover, this incident has brought our Night Rose into the official spotlight. Even more troublingly, the Xiaohou family has also been exposed. Fortunately, the Grand Protector remained alert and eliminated Xiaohou Xin; otherwise, I myself would have been at risk of exposure." The person within the arch added: "This is precisely why I've responded to you. The official forces are gradually closing in. If we continue to delay, it will be detrimental to everyone. The leader needs to see your sincerity." The figure in the baseball cap asked: "What exactly does Black Wuchang want from us?" The person within the arch replied coldly: "Kill the Primordial Celestial Sovereign and avenge Hengxing Wujie." The figure in the baseball cap paused, then said: "Understood." "So, have you gotten an answer to the question I asked you?" the person in the arch said. "The Strange-Eyed Judge indeed died at the hands of the Mage King. Among those present at the time, besides the head leader, there was another person—his spiritual realm ID was called 'Young Soldier King.' "Young Soldier King..." the man wearing a baseball cap murmured, pausing for a few seconds before saying, "Who is he? Do we have any records of him in the real world?" "Yes! The head leader knows his information." The man's tone grew urgent. "I need all of his records." "Agreed. Three days from now, if I receive the news that the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign has been killed, I'll meet you again at this very place, and I'll deliver the complete records of 'Young Soldier King' to you." After speaking, the person in the arch asked, "Why are you looking for him?" The man wearing a baseball cap replied calmly, "You needn't know." ... "Fizzzzz..." The current sound emitted by the Cat King speaker startled Zhang Yuanqing, who was half-asleep. This thing just randomly plays audio without any warning... He掀开被子, walks to the desk, opens the drawer, and pulls out the King Cat speaker. Notably, there's also a white lace bra from his aunt in the drawer—Zhang Yuanqing had originally planned to quietly tuck it under her bed, but since he came back late today, he's decided to wait until tomorrow, when his aunt goes to work. To avoid the sounds of the magic lord and the women playing cards waking up the family, Zhang Yuanqing holds the King Cat speaker ready to go on a nighttime stroll. A steady hum of static continues for several seconds, then a familiar voice speaks: "What do you want from me? Didn't you say we'd never see each other again?" The voice of the comrade... Zhang Yuanqing's eyes widen. Then comes the voice of the magic lord: "I'm about to reach that realm, but before that, I want to eliminate the Ghost-Eye Judge and the Young General. I need you to help me. Don't you want to free yourself from the Ghost-Eye Judge's control?"