Tian Lingling gently stroked the bare top of her head, pulled out five banknotes, and returned them, saying, "My news isn't worth this price, hey—I sell intelligence, and I stand by fairness." She lifted her glass, took a sip, and hummed appreciatively, "Black Unseen was eliminated last night by personnel from the Songhai branch, led by Fu Qingyang. You know him, right?" Aunt Xiao Yuan spoke with a cool, composed tone: "So, it was indeed Fu Qingyang who killed him? Who else participated, and where exactly did the battle take place?" Tian Lingling lit a cigarette, slowly exhaled a steady stream of white smoke, saying, "The location remains unknown—we haven't quite figured it out yet, after all, Songhai is such a vast branch. I can't provide you with the detailed account. What I've heard is that both the Holy Grail and the Register are now in the hands of the Songhai branch, and they've already organized teams to arrest the fallen members listed in the Register." "Also, half an hour ago, the official forum of the Five Elements Alliance issued an announcement: Yuan Shishizhen, a member of the Songhai Branch, Kangyang District, Team Two, has been awarded an A-level merit for his outstanding contributions during the Holy Cup incident..." After that, what he said next, Xiao Yuan didn't pay attention to—she seemed momentarily lost, remaining still for a while. Suddenly, she realized a possibility: Black Wuchang wasn't killed by Fu Qingyang; it was the newcomer named Yuan Shishizhen. If someone merely participated without playing a pivotal role, they wouldn't be granted an A-level merit—this is one of the highest honors of the Five Elements Alliance. Simply by that fact, it wouldn't necessarily make Xiao Yuan pause. What struck her was the sudden memory of what the young man had said earlier in the morning—'In this incident, I am the one who truly deserves the top credit.' Is that really Yuan Shishizhen? Xiao Yuan had always thought the young man was just an ordinary official messenger—a kind-hearted young man, perhaps a bit romantic, but otherwise unremarkable. To her surprise, he was precisely the rising star of the Five Elements Alliance, a newcomer recently highlighted on the reward list. It was him—indeed, he had been actively investigating the Black Unchanging ever since, a participant in the Holy Grail incident. Now it made sense: the artifact that had tainted his soul must have originated from the Black Unchanging. With each detail confirmed, Aunt Xiao Yuan's intuition grew stronger. She decided to find an opportunity to test this theory. "Your information is quite satisfactory," she said calmly. "Keep an eye on Li Xianzong's developments. I'll be coming by regularly." At that moment, in a corner booth, a man bare-chested approached, carrying a bottle of wine, and sat down beside Aunt Xiao Yuan, his gaze hungrily sweeping over her curves. He licked his lips and chuckled, "Hey, would you like to go over and have a chat?" Aunt Xiao Yuan turned her head, following the man's gesture, and looked toward the corner booth. There, a broad, athletic back was slowly turning toward the bar, his shoulders swaying gently as his legs wobbled. For evil professions, indulgence is the norm—lust, desire for destruction, passion… Xiao Yuan lowered her gaze, calmly saying, “Get out.” “Hmph. You’ll find out just how good I am later,” the bare-chested man said, placing his hand on the aunt’s fragrant shoulder. Suddenly, his breath caught, and he began to cough violently. His face flushed red, and black droplets of blood seeped from his pores. Tian Lingling sipped her wine, reminding, “My territory doesn’t allow killing.” The aunt snorted, rose from the barstool, and with her wind coat flapping, disappeared down the staircase. A few minutes later, the man stopped coughing, covered in a layer of black blood, gasping for breath. Tian Lingling remarked with a smirk, “That woman’s a handful—I wouldn’t dare to touch her lightly.” The man gritted his teeth, “I’ll take her once I have the chance. I’ll play with her however I please.” Tian Lingling laughed heartily, “Don’t forget to call me when the time comes.” “Of course. I’ll never forget Tian’s kindness "I mean, call me over to take your body when you're gone." As he spoke, footsteps echoed from the stairwell, and a young man in a black shirt and camouflage pants appeared at the underground bar. He was well-built, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his strong frame lifting the shirt as he held a silver butterfly knife in his hands. "Long time no see, Tian-uncle," he said, twirling the knife as he sat at the bar. Tian Lingling glanced at the young man, who carried himself with an air of confidence, and remarked, "A sage-stage Wuguo master just inquired about you—right now, it's still unclear whether he has any intentions toward you. Keep an eye out." Tian Lingling was a Wuguo spirit-being, like Li Xianzong, a member of the Bing Zhuang Church. However, his identity was kept confidential, and he was publicly known only as a wild wanderer. After Li Xianzong decided to undertake his trial in Songhai, the two had already made contact. Li Xianzong responded with a casual "Hmm." "How's the information I asked you to gather going?" "Sky, with a crisp snap of her fingers, the bartender who was wiping glasses at the wine cabinet bent down, pulled out a stack of documents from the cabinet, and placed them on the bar. Li Xianzong eagerly took them, opened them, and read carefully. The first page clearly read: 'The Prime Primordial Deity.' Sky gently held the wine glass between her two fingers, shaking it slightly, said: 'Compared to the top four on the reward list, The Prime Primordial Deity should actually be the lowest-ranked—below level three. He's risen too quickly, his foundation still unstable. Hunting him offers the best return on investment; I fully agree with your decision. However...' 'This man is quite unusual. We have much less information about him than we do about the first four. Their combat styles are well understood by us. You'll need to be cautious when dealing with him.' Li Xianzong chuckled, 'That's quite interesting, Sky. I've heard from older elders in the order that when you were younger, you were fearless—bold even—yet now, you seem so hesitant and cautious?' 'If I were twenty years younger, I'd have already taken your "Ah, quite lively," Tian Ling Ling chuckled. "Come on, fight me?" Li Xianzong boldly challenged the senior Saint-level elder, showing no regard for the occasion. Tian Ling Ling paid him no mind. Li Xianzong—having become a persuasive spirit-being妖 less than a year ago—had already reached the peak of Level 3, a natural fighter with sharp intellect. Even at Level 1, he had defeated a Level 2 peer of the same profession. By Level 2, he had become nearly unbeatable among his peers, earning the attention of one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Mage-Eye King, who took him under his wing and nurtured him. Indeed, he hadn't let the organization down—after reaching the peak of Level 3, he had single-handedly eliminated a Level 4 Saint from the Ling Neng Association's Nan Division. The more dazzling the Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun of Songhai Division was in official circles, the more brilliant Li Xianzong had become within the Military Commander's Academy. When he himself attained Saint-level status, he would surely be worthy of a visit to the headquarters to meet "Shurō." Li Xianzong flipped through the documents, "Tian Lingling whispered softly, 'After the Ghost-Eye Judge passed away, the Dongzhou branch has suffered a major blow in strength and may not participate in this year's trials. There's no one in Songhai competing with you.' Li Xianzong nodded, saying, 'Uncle Tian, I've secretly gathered several servants of the former Ghost-Eye Judges, hoping to make a significant move and gauge the response from the Songhai branch. Isn't the Original Supreme Sovereign currently in Kangyang District? As the local insider, could you please recommend a location for me?' Tian Lingling smiled and said, 'If you want to make a big spectacle, then choose a mall, hospital, or school—guaranteed to create a major commotion.' Li Xianzong stroked his chin, 'Malls are too crowded; I don't have enough manpower to manage. As for schools, my father holds intellectuals in the highest regard, so I won't bother them. Hmm, my father actually died in a hospital—before he passed, the hospital had drained our family's resources. So, let's go with the hospital.' Tian Lingling paused thoughtfully, 'Among the better hospitals in Kangyang District, Ping Tai Hospital "... The official forum has been abuzz since the recent announcement. #Yuanshish Tianzun captured the Holy Cup during his pursuit of He Wuxiang, earning an A-level merit# The announcement itself is concise—just a few sentences—and yet, this brief message has left the official travelers scattered across the regions utterly stunned. [Li Dongze: Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! I haven't slept a wink all night—yes, no doubt about it, I'm excited to the point of insomnia.] [The Princess: Who is this person, exactly? Their speech is so odd.] [White Dragon: @The Princess, Tianzun was actually adopted by this very person—purely by luck.] [The Princess: Ah, it's like my ancestral shrine is glowing with green light—what a blessing! I'm envious.] [Coming Days: Yuanshish... didn't he die, didn't he?]? [Green Vine: That was a deliberate ruse to mislead He Wuxiang.] [Coming Days: Ah, now I understand! Green Vine, so Tianzun actually did defeat He Wuxiang?]" 】 【Qingteng: Yes, I've seen it with my own eyes.】 【Call me Queen: That guy—well, no, the Heavenly Sovereign is truly defying the heavens! He was just a newcomer a few months ago, and now he's already a top-tier honoree at the A-level achievement tier. Even my own junior squad leader has to bow to him now.】 【Pig George: How many years have passed since a junior staff member was promoted to A-level? Oh, we've witnessed the rise of a true prodigy. Speaking of which, isn't the Prime Heavenly Sovereign surely among the top names on the evil occupation's reward list?】 【Days of Departure Are Few: Indeed, I wonder if he'll be hunted down by the elite of the evil occupations. Still, with the Sovereign's level of excellence, how many of the transcendent-tier fighters could possibly defeat him?】 【Pig George: Not necessarily. Take a look at our Five Elements Alliance—the top five on the transcendent-tier reward list are all oddities.】 The comment section quickly accumulated thousands of messages, most of which expressed astonishment at the Prime Heavenly Sovereign's accomplishments, sparking widespread discussion. The Five Elements Alliance has another prodigy on its roster. This wasn't entirely surprising to the official traveler who frequently browses the web, given that the Primordial Sovereign has cleared two S-tier spiritual realms. Now, receiving an A-level merit badge sends a clear signal—a sign of a rising star poised for future leadership. Once the merit badge is earned, promotion to the corresponding level will eventually lead to a formal appointment. "It's really nice—everyone just praises me a bit more, and I really enjoy that…" While people flowed in and out, and the lights shimmered brightly in the bustling mall, Zhang Yuanqing strolled with his aunt, scrolling through his phone. "You never stop playing with your phone!" His aunt puffed out her cheeks, her face resembling a steamed baozi, and complained. Zhang Yuanqing obediently put his phone back into his pocket. "How about we go see a movie later? We haven't seen one this month yet," his aunt suggested. In the past, many years ago, shopping at the mall, watching movies, and enjoying fine dining used to be their weekend routine. After the weekend, the two of them diverged—his cousin headed off to school, while his aunt settled into a corporate Zhang Yuanqing said, "Have you seen any movie tickets for 'The Jade Pillow'? " "Rolling on, rolling on!" "Ah, you've seen it too, haven't you?" ... The next day, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at the office carrying a backpack, wearing a mask and a baseball cap. "Yuanshi, Li Shizhang has returned," the receptionist smiled. "He's waiting for you upstairs." Who is Li Shizhang? My Shizhang is clearly named Teng Yuan... Zhang Yuanqing replied with a smile, "Thank you."