Why is my treasure-hunting instinct kicking in now? There might be members of the Night Rose hidden nearby... Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly said goodbye to the store attendant and rushed out of the convenience store. Among the Night Rose members, there must be someone who's a night wanderer—once Little Comedian bumps into them, it'll be a disaster. On the quiet, empty streets, cars occasionally sped by, yet no one seemed to notice the intense battle unfolding at the school, nor the many lit windows in the nearby residential buildings. The city is full of night owls, yet no one has been drawn to the school's action. After leaving the convenience store, Zhang Yuanqing followed Little Comedian along the sidewalk, keeping a respectful distance. When the infant spirit reached the intersection, he lifted his sparsely haired head, glanced here and there, and then sniffed around. Finally, he settled on a direction, lowered his head, and swiftly crawled forward. Zhang Yuanqing had to speed up, now following at a comfortable distance. … The senior protector draped in black robes surveyed the lush forest, his voice hoarse: "The zoo projection... at last, you've finally summoned this rule-based artifact, old fellow." Perched atop a towering tree, Teddy with his curly fur sat in quiet contemplation, gazing deeply ahead: "A 7th-level day-god is rare even among the Taiyuan Sect. I've already sensed your presence—unless you're from Taiyuan, you're merely a passing guest. If so... ah, your time has come." As they spoke, Fu Qingyang trailed behind, casting a pale afterimage, moving across dozens of meters with pure physical strength, arriving at the back of Hei Wu Chang. The young master of the Fu family maintained a cold, impassive demeanor, like a detached assassin, raising his bronze octagonal sword. At that moment, Hei Wu Chang's face revealed profound fear; his limbs convulsed violently, unsure whether to move left or right, as though his mind had frozen, unable to send any further commands to his body. Even at the peak of their evil prowess, the saints felt a profound sense of helplessness when confronted with Fu Qingyang's sword. They could not evade it—could not evade it… Black Wucang acted decisively, hardening his skin into a layer of keratin, then knelt instantly and cried out, "I bow to you!" Thud! His forehead struck the ground with force, cracking the cement. Fu Qingyang's sword, mid-swing, suddenly froze. His face took on a pallor, as though tainted by an invisible force. Witchcraft—Wasting Fortune! Wu-gu masters, by name, command both gu (miasmic creatures) and witchcraft, both renowned for their strange and deadly nature. Wasting Fortune is an active skill mastered only by sixth-level Wu-gu masters, capable of diminishing a target's fortune through rituals, ceremonies, or array formations. Among these, bowing is the simplest method to trigger it, though its effect is also the weakest. If given sufficient time, Black Wucang could make Fu Qingyang suffer a relentless string of misfortunes—water going down the wrong way, food stuck in the teeth, bowel movements turning loose, The sword tip remained suspended in midair. Black Inconstant's hands and feet ceased their trembling, and as he rolled smoothly to the side while maintaining his kneeling posture, he seemed to settle into the motion. Suddenly, fine threads of red, as thin as human hair, began to wrap around his ankles. More and more threads extended outward, forming clusters and spreading like countless twisted tendrils. The Master of the Halt of Death floated above, her skirt billowing like that of a resplendent female demon. She spoke not a word throughout, yet her actions were merciless. A vast surge of flames surged toward the Master of Zhishai Palace, and the Fire Master of Dark Night Rose unleashed a rapid, sharp series of fire attacks, closely targeting the Master. Explosions of flame erupted continuously, sending red threads swirling through the air. On the other side, just as Black Wucang broke free from the grip of "Obsession," he saw a multitude of animals surrounding him—fierce, grinning baboons, imposing and majestic spotted tigers, towering elephants, and other creatures such as lion-leopards, dogs, oxen, and bears. Their eyes were hollow and expressionless, mere pure projections, yet they radiated immense power. Suddenly, Black Wucang felt a sharp chill beneath his saddle, followed by a piercing, excruciating pain. A hyena launched a surprise attack from behind, biting into his pouch of descendants. Fortunately, the keratinized skin once again proved effective, only cracking slightly, thus preserving the contents of his pouch. The hyena’s sudden assault seemed to serve as a signal for the others to advance—soon, they surged forward in unison. "Hmph!" The Black Robe Grand Guardian scoffed. The Elder of the Hundred Blossoms had a clear objective: eliminate Hei Wu-Xiang and restore the Fallen Holy Cup from his inventory back to the Spiritual Realm—something no one else could claim. Taking a deep breath, he expelled powerful streams of yin energy. Within this yin energy, laden with frost, spectral spirits drifted through the air, extending their limbs and charging at the animal herd. The scene instantly erupted into chaos, as the ethereal creatures and spiritual beings collided and mingled. Upon witnessing this, the King of the Parasitic Arts regained his blood, re-solidifying into a human form. Then, his body exploded, shattering into clumps of fragmented flesh that scattered across the "forest." These flesh fragments melted, flowing like oil, enveloping the trees, the flowers, and the ground. The entire campus and the entire forest were now tainted, exuding the aura of decay. This was a skill of the Wushu-Gu master at his peak, capable of corroding and polluting all things in the world. The ethereal animal forms, suddenly deprived of their source of strength, reluctantly dissolved. At that moment, a mass of flesh fell behind Black Immortal, solidifying into a human form. But in the next instant, golden light descended, erasing the embodiment of the Gushi King. A number of high-level practitioners engaged in chaotic combat, their movements disordered and entangled. Black Immortal collapsed to the ground, his left leg and right hand streaked with blood, his clothes torn into fragments, his skin cracked and bleeding. He emitted a low, strange chuckle: "You want the Holy Cup, do you? Very well. Here it is. I'm not playing anymore." With a sweeping motion of his right hand, he plucked a finely crafted crystal cup from the void. The cup was covered with cracks, its liquid a deep, crimson hue like blood, within which a golden glow swayed gently—like a miniature sun. The golden radiance passed through the crystal, casting a rose-gold hue. The tumult of battle instantly ceased, and everyone turned to gaze at the cup, captivated. On the towering ancient tree, the fluffy Teddy dog gazed intently at the crystal cup, sighed, "So it is, so it is... I never thought the魔君 had obtained this item. He is now but one step away from reaching the summit." A clump of fragmented flesh coalesced into human form, and the Queen of the Wandering Vines' eyes burned with greed, "The Judge of Mysteries died most justly, hah, most justly..." Black Unusual, with great effort, hurled the sacred cup into the night sky, shouting, "Seize it! Whoever catches it shall possess it!" The crystal cup, shimmering with rose-gold luster, soared higher and higher, drawing the unwavering gaze of all present. At the tree's summit, the fluffy Teddy leapt into the air, transforming into a celestial crane with wings stretching two meters wide, flapping its wings to reach the cup. Puff, puff, puff—fragments of flesh surged from beneath the tree's undergrowth, rising into the air and gathering into a colossal hand that reached upward, grasping the cup as it climbed higher. Even earlier, however, arrived the black-robed Grand Guardian, who appeared silently before the At that very moment, a sharp, clear cry surged forth, arriving after the others yet preceding them in impact, its waves of sound rolling out. The Black Robed Guardian, the Crane, and the Giant Hand all exhibited clear stiffness. No one could withstand the master musician's voice. "The flames surged forth, speeding up further, surpassing Bai Ying's pace. Fu Qingyang's face remained calm. With one hand gripping his sword and the other reaching out toward the void, five hues of light—black, white, blue, red, and yellow—immediately shot out and settled behind him. *Shh-shh-shh...* The five beams, fluttering in the wind, transformed into five banners embroidered with images of qingmu white tigers, flaming mountains, and flowing water patterns. In an instant, Fu Qingyang became a seasoned general on stage, his entire body draped in banners. *Roar!* The five banners shimmered, and a magnificent five-colored tiger leapt forth, its feet kicking up gusts of wind, charging toward the blazing flames above. The man and the tiger spiraled downward, intertwined. Fu Qingyang, as the last to arrive, seized the crystal cup before anyone else. "Excellent!" the crane spoke in human voice, saying, "Quickly store the items." The giant hand formed from the Gū King roared in fury, advancing toward Fu Qingyang. At this moment, the Grand Protector once again severed the red thread, yet upon witnessing the scene, he remained still, Suddenly, an eerie scene unfolded: the crystal cup held by Fu Qingyang dimmed, losing its glow and transforming into an ordinary glass cup. The flesh-bound giant hand halted mid-movement. The crane spun once, re-shaping itself into its fluffy terrier form, eyes wide with astonishment. "Ha ha ha!" The fire master, knocked down by the five-colored tiger, burst into boisterous laughter. The black Unusual One, seated on the ground, laughed heartily and then asked, "What are you laughing at?" The fire master sneered, "I'm laughing at Fu Qingyang's lack of strategy, at the young king of the gong's lack of wisdom. What are *you* laughing at?" The black Unusual One retorted, "I'm laughing at the Master of the Cease-Combat Sect's lack of strategy, at the old dog monk's lack of wisdom." The fluffy terrier returned to the tree's summit, his expression now serious: "A mesmerizing spell?" The chief protector, his voice hoarse, offered a strained smile: "Indeed. This has merely been my trick to amuse you. Well, I'm rather disappointed—had Fu "The Queen of Gūs gathered all the flesh and blood matter, solidified into her true form, her eyes blazing crimson, and said, 'Black Unchanging, if you refuse to retrieve the Fallen Holy Cup, then you shall die. I would rather it returns to the Spirit Realm.' Black Unchanging coldly laughed, 'So you lack wisdom. Do you truly believe that by killing me, the Fallen Holy Cup will return to the Spirit Realm? Do you really think the current me is my true self?' The Queen was momentarily stunned, observing him carefully before suddenly understanding, and said solemnly, 'A Gū body...'" Fu Qingyang's eyes flickered, as if remembering something, and said calmly, "Your method of transaction with the Night Rose differs from what we expected." Hei Wu Chang laughed heartily, proudly, "No wonder you're a scout. Indeed, today's arrangement is that this body, as a duplicate, signs a contract with the Grand Protector. Only after the contract is sealed will I send my true form to bring the Holy Cup. After all, the world of the martial arts is full of uncertainties—I must remain vigilant. I never expected you to find your way here; you've ended up being outwitted by us. Though losing this duplicate will significantly weaken my true form's strength, the Night Rose now holds the contract document and can initiate the transaction at any time—even without having to go to Songhai. Next time, if you wish to set an ambush in advance, it will be much more difficult. No one will be able to stop me from securing the Holy Cup and becoming the second Guiyan Judge." Fu Qingyang paused, then remained silent. The trust deficit between the Night Rose and the Black Unchanging has been made up by the "Scroll of Covenant." They could easily conduct a secret transaction at some future time and place. Tonight, however, they've lost their opportunity—and once that happens, they'll be unable to intervene further. It's all come to nothing. "The Scroll of Covenant..." the Elder of the Hundred Flowers murmured, sighing, "Well, then, King of the Wandering Spirits, Lady of the Palace—though we can no longer stop them, we shall have dealt a serious blow to the Night Rose by joining forces to defeat them." ... One kilometer from Songhai Third Primary School, at a quiet alleyway, a dark figure wearing a baseball cap and mask lies concealed in the shadows, resting against the wall, eyes closed. Suddenly, he opens his eyes, lifting a finely crafted crystal cup in his palm. The cup bears fine cracks, and within the deep crimson wine, a miniature sun rises and sinks gently. Two forces entwined and constantly eroding each other have formed a delicate equilibrium. The rose-gold light illuminates his face—long-faced, with fine eyes, distinctly unattractive, unmistakably that of the Black Unchanging. "Only the next transaction remains...," Black Unseen exhaled, his heart full of complex emotions. He had not anticipated being surrounded by official forces, though the transaction had been disrupted and he had lost one of his bodies—his spiritual essence remained intact, and these losses were far from insurmountable. Thus, prudence proved invaluable; with sufficient caution, risks could be effectively avoided without even being noticed. As for whether the Grand Guardian of the Night Rose would survive, that was no longer his concern. "Unfortunately, such a precious artifact has fallen into the hands of the Night Rose," he said, his gaze lingering on the floating "little sun" within the chalice, filled with longing. As one of the present witnesses, he fully understood the magnitude of this "sun"—if he could command both items simultaneously, he was confident he would emerge as the most powerful figure among the three major branches of the Spiritual Energy Council. But now, he had to choose between them, or risk gaining nothing at all. At that moment, Black Unseen seemed to sense something, shifting his gaze from the chalice to the entrance of the alley. The golden light from the goose-down lamp spills down, casting the alley entrance empty. Yet in Black Lament's inspiration, he faintly sees a small spirit resting nearby, its glossy eyes fixed upon him. Eyes locked in mutual wonder. Black Lament: "???"