The gap between the sages is unexpectedly vast... Zhang Yuanqing reflected once again. That very day, at the Fenghua District Public Security Office, when Fu Qingyang had pierced Pang Zhi Shi with a single sword, he had felt the same sentiment—though back then, everyone had been holding back, not truly engaged in life-or-death struggle. He had assumed that when the moment truly came, Pang Zhi Shi might be able to hold his own against Fu Qingyang. Yet, instead, Pang had only managed a few more spasms. Now, standing on the balcony, Zhang Yuanqing stepped into the blood, his eyes dark with stirring energy, connecting with the spirit lingering within his body. At that moment, he felt someone lightly tapping his arm. He turned to see Fu Qingyang’s composed face. "Hand me the Fumag Stick." "Ah, yes..." Zhang Yuanqing thought, almost forgetting, and immediately produced the Fumag Stick, handing it over. Then, hesitating slightly, he added, "Could we maybe not cuff me this time?" Fu Qingyang nodded calmly. "It's just a single slap, after all." "...Ah, never mind—don't bother talking to me!" Zhang Yuanqing continued communicating with the remaining spirits, and only after several seconds did he successfully gather the fragmented ones and summon them forth. Pang's spirit was serious in demeanor, slightly呆滞, yet remarkably solid—far more so than any spirit Zhang Yuanqing had ever encountered. A spirit at the Saint level—how much experience would this grant me? Zhang Yuanqing felt both delighted and concerned. Beside him, Fu Qingyang said, "Pang is a Saint of Level 4. Consuming his spirit carries a risk of mental disorientation, but with this purification artifact in place, that risk is minimized to a bare minimum, while the benefits remain substantial." Ah, compared to the benefits of consuming a Saint-level spirit, this level of risk is entirely manageable," Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Fu Qingyang continued, "However, this artifact is not all-powerful. You must understand the limits—Level 4 Lawful is your absolute ceiling. Spirits of Level 4 Chaotic, such as the Night Wandering Spirit, or Level 5 Lawful, should not be touched." Zhang Yuanqing: "What happens if we do touch them?" Fu Qingyang glanced at him: "You'll die." Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and swallowed the spirit of Pang the attendant whole. Instantly, a surge of spiritual energy, like a flood, carried with it fragmented memories and negative emotions, surged into his consciousness. He felt himself a drowning man clutching at branches along the shore, barely holding on—any moment now, he might be swept away and ground into powder. This was the most perilous encounter he had ever had with a spirit. After enduring with great effort, he didn't know how long it had been before the mighty flood finally subsided, and his consciousness stabilized. Then, with eager hunger, he absorbed the memory fragments. In a hazy state, he saw a refined room filled with sandalwood incense, a figure in a cloak standing by the window. The voice was rough, its tone hard to discern: "What you do on a daily basis—if discovered by the Five Elements Alliance, even if you're not executed, you'll have to spend years in prison. How do you weigh your decisions? How do you think about them?" Then Zhang Yuanqing heard Pang's voice: "What can you offer us?" "Your talent is exceptional. Once you join the Night Rose, you will be well-cultivated. We can also provide you with internal resources and support for advancement within the Five Elements Alliance, and assist you in passing the major physical examination. Of course, the most important point..." The figure by the window paused, then spoke slowly: "The Night Rose will ultimately rule the Spiritual Realm. The leader will become the supreme Night-Wanderer, replacing the head of the Taiyuan Sect." "Agreed—I accept the invitation to join the Night Rose!" "Excellent. From now on, I shall be your superior. You may address me as Grand Protector." ... The scene changed, yet it remained the same elegant room, fragrant with sandalwood. The figure by the window spoke quietly: "Black Unchanging has reached out to us. He is currently hidden within Songhai, and the leader has entrusted me with handling the negotiations with him." "What would you like me to do?" asked Pang. "Keep a close eye on the Five Elements Alliance's every move, and then wait for my word." "Good!" Pang, hesitating and expressing doubt, asked, "What are the Leader and Black Immortal plotting?" The cloak-wearer, his voice rough and strained, smiled. "With the Magistrate and the Judge of Mysteries both fallen, that item and the Fallen Holy Grail now balance each other, creating equilibrium. If Black Immortal wishes to control the Fallen Holy Grail, he must seek our Leader's assistance." "What item?" "That is something the Magistrate once held—the highest-tier item among the Night-Wanderer's professions. It has been a constant focus of both the Grand Master of Taiyuan and the Leader himself." ... The river flowed beneath the dark night sky, through a dim archway of a bridge. A mature male voice came from within: "Kill the Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign, to avenge the one who had long ruled unchecked." "The Judge of Mysteries indeed perished at the hands of the Magistrate. Among those present at the time, besides the senior leader, there was another—one whose spiritual realm ID was designated 'Young General.'" "Three days from now, if I haven't heard that the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign has been killed, I'll still be here, and I'll give you the profile of the 'Young Military Prince.' The real-world identity documents of the Young Military Prince?" By this point, Ling had finally cursed under her breath. What she'd feared most had come true—the Night Rose was also actively seeking the Heir of the Demon King. Once the Night Rose learned the Young Military Prince's identity, her own status as the Demon King's heir would be completely exposed, forcing her to come clean to the Five Elements Alliance. Yet, she still didn't know what the true purpose was behind the Taimei Sect and the Night Rose's search for the Demon King's heir. Fortunately, the Night Rose and Hei Wuxiang distrusted each other, and Pang the Official hadn't revealed any information about the Demon King's heir to the "Unjust Heaven's Way." It was like dancing on a tightrope—S Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself. Still, considering the significance of this information, if used wisely, it might just allow her to catch Hei Wuxiang. … A scorching, clear golden light surged forth, penetrating his awareness, purifying his spirit. Zhang Yuanqing broke free from the state of inquiry and awakened. “Hmm…” He found himself lying on the sofa, his head pounding as if steel needles had been inserted. Was it a lingering effect of the inquiry, or had Fu Qingyang knocked him senseless? Had he suffered a hemorrhage? Zhang Yuanqing supported his head and sat up. A few meters away, on a single sofa, Fu Qingyang spoke with a touch of hopeful anticipation: “Any leads?” Zhang Yuanqing pressed his temples, waiting for the pain to ease, and replied: “The superior of Pang’s supervisor is a wandering monk who calls himself the ‘Great Guardian.’ Each time he meets him, he wears a cloak. They must have a special means of communication, though I haven’t seen it recorded in the spiritual memories—perhaps it fades with death, or perhaps it has been deliberately concealed.” He gradually unfolded the information gathered through his inquiry, beginning with the existence of the Great Guardian, then describing the Great Examination, and finally explaining the power of the Holy Cup that balanced the魔君’s influence. Fu Qingyang listened patiently. When he learned that the Night Rose had a way to evade the routine physical examination, he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is there anything else?" Fu Qingyang asked. The information was valuable, but still fell short of his expectations and did not significantly enhance the efforts to track down Hei Wuxiang. Zhang Yuanqing replied: "I know why Pang the Senior wanted to kill me. Last night, he met with 'Tian Dao Bu Gong,' a close aide of Hei Wuxiang. Tian Dao Bu Gong demanded that Pang kill me in order to avenge the ongoing injustices." Fu Qingyang's eyes lit up immediately, and he straightened his posture, nodding. "Excellent! This is our breakthrough. As soon as we capture Tian Dao Bu Gong, we'll be one step closer to Hei Wuxiang." Zhang Yuanqing asked: "What plans do you have for the Centurion?" Fu Qingyang looked at him directly, lifting a corner of his mouth. "Then it will be your turn to meet your end. I'll grant you two days of leave. You're to gather at Fu's Village at nightfall tomorrow." Zhang Yuanqing praised, "Excellent idea—indeed, the centurion is wise. As for Pang, the official..." Fu Qingyang was in a good mood and said, "I'll take care of that. You may now return." Zhang Yuanqing bowed and departed, exhaling a deep breath of relief as he stepped into the elevator. "Fu Qingyang probably hasn't noticed my concealment yet. A celestial cultivator's body—10% experience points, what a delight!" Zhang Yuanqing happily felt the changes brought by the experience points gained. The night-wandering skill's invisibility duration finally reached 37 seconds, and other passive abilities had significantly improved. "If I can defeat another seven or eight celestial cultivators, I might just reach level three. Compared to the people from Taimei Sect, Fu Qingyang still trusts me more. If I can secure justice against the heavens' injustice, I'm certain he'll come to me for spiritual inquiries. Then, I'll keep the information about Bingge's whereabouts hidden." Hope the actions tonight go smoothly. ... The next day, at 8:30 a.m., Guan Ya arrived at the office in her blue sports car. She held a luxury handbag in one hand and a homemade low-fat nutritious breakfast in the other. Wearing a white shirt, black skirt, stockings, and long legs, with a refined, modern hairstyle and a fair, delicate complexion typical of her mixed heritage. Every morning, as she stepped out of her sports car, young men and middle-aged men would appear by the windows of the Administrative Building of the Public Security Bureau, pretending to smoke, and quietly admiring the goddesses from the specialized departments. These days, it's easy to find beautiful women—thanks to cosmetic enhancements and Korean semi-permanent treatments—especially if their natural features are already good. But women with both striking figures and a refined grace, who can afford a sports car, are rarer. Even fewer manage to combine all three. Chen Yuanjun smiled slightly without explaining—this woman was indeed beautiful, but his aesthetic standards had been raised from a young age by his sister-in-law. No matter how beautiful a woman was, she rarely managed to impress him. "By the way, lately there's always a young man accompanying her, coming and going together—probably her boyfriend," said the middle-aged security officer. "I'll let you know when I see him." The elder members of the Fu family placed great importance on her, believing she would experience a significant leap in her overall strength once she reached the Saint Realm. Yet Guan Ya had little desire to advance. She enjoyed delicious food, shopping, watching dramas, getting manicures, and driving—she simply didn't care much about upgrading. After years of being a lazy, laid-back person, the elder relatives eventually gave up on her, and even her mother began to plan to arrange a marriage alliance for her. So Guan Ya sought refuge with her cousin. Nevertheless, she still didn't feel motivated to upgrade. "Ah, the more the ranks widen, the less we'll be able to hang out together. I can't keep being a lazy fish anymore. I'll just make an effort and aim to reach Level 3 next month," Guan Ya thought while eating her plain breakfast. As she sipped her breakfast, she opened her phone and logged into the official forum. A highlighted, top-posted thread caught her attention: #The Night-Wandering God of the Second Team from Kangyang District unexpectedly passed away# ...It was a bright morning, with sunshine pouring in. A park outdoors. A man in a hooded sweatshirt sits on a bench, wearing a hat, a mask, and sunglasses, covering his face so thoroughly that his features are nearly invisible. "Ding!" The notification sound rings out. He pulls out his phone and checks the message. "The Yuan Shishen of Kangyang District's Second Team has passed away. There's a post on the Five Elements Alliance's official forum, claiming the news was relayed directly from Yuan Ting, the Night-Wanderer deity—known for being a talkative person, though the details are highly credible. I'll keep an eye on this and verify further." He attaches a screenshot of the post. This message comes from a source he has cultivated—being a capable Wu Gu master, the Celestial Dao itself maintains a network of connections. After making contact with the Night Rose members that day, he had assigned his own informants to closely monitor developments on the Five Elements Alliance's forum. The Celestial Dao chuckles, turns off his phone, inserts his hands into his pockets, and walks away with his head down.