"A terrorist attack?" Dr. Zhao's face turned pale, and he seemed hard to believe. Songhai, with over twenty million people, is a major urban center integrating industry, finance, transportation, and shipping, holding a significant position nationwide. Over the past several decades, even ordinary crimes have been rare—let alone terrorist attacks. "Call the police! Call the police right away!" Dr. Zhao fumbled for his phone, trying to reach the Public Security Bureau. But no one answered. "Everyone who can call has already done so. The bureau's operators are overwhelmed—they simply can't take your call," Jiang Yuebi quietly closed the door and said softly, "We'll stay here. Don't move around." Dr. Zhao looked terrified, his expression urgent: "I can't stay here. The kidnappers have no humanity—they'll kill the hostages. Xiao Jiang, we must escape through the back exit." Jiang Yuebi frowned, cutting her off firmly: "Stay here!" Dr. Zhao was momentarily stunned, gazing in astonishment at his familiar colleague—this young woman, with her round face, sweet and lively appearance, always radiating the poised, gentle demeanor of a model student—had suddenly exuded a seriousness and authority that was both impressive and intimidating. This kind of sternness, Dr. Zhao had never witnessed before. Anyone who refuses to cooperate is shot dead instantly—brutal and relentless, seemingly indifferent to their own moral standing. After several such killings, medical staff and patients lose all sense of resistance and simply bow their heads, crouching down in submission. For the spiritual realm practitioners, using their abilities to kill is far more efficient and precise than gunfire, yet when it comes to impressing ordinary people, firearms remain the most effective. To compel a large crowd, sheer violence is insufficient—firearms are essential. "The first-floor personnel have been cleared, all gathered in the living room." "The second-floor personnel have been cleared, all gathered in the living room." The voices of colleagues reporting over the radio come through. Li Xianzong holds the radio steady, brings it to his mouth, and says, "Go check on the obstetrics department—seize the medical staff. If there are any pregnant women, leave them unharmed." "Hmph! You, a mere charmer of the spirit realm, playing at mercy and compassion here?" one of his companions scoffs. "I don't particularly sympathize with the weak, but my father used to tell me often: 'Children are the flowers of the country—they should be shown compassion and care.' Li Xianzong smiled and said so." Suddenly, two rabbit women stiffened and then collapsed to the ground. Fu Qingyang snapped his eyes open, his gaze sharp as a blade. Ling Jun, crouched on the sofa, struggled to keep her eyelids open, her body swaying slightly: "Yes, yes, I'm so tired... Damn it, it's the Dream-Weaver Messenger..." Her head tilted, and she drifted off into sleep. "Yi-Chuan Mei?" Fu Qingyang scoffed, closed his eyes, and settled into sleep. Zhang Yuanqing only felt as if someone had given him a solid blow to the head, the room buzzing with sound. His aunt worked at Ping Tai Hospital. Zhang Yuanqing's face turned pale, fumbling with his phone while urgently asking, "How is the hospital? Any injuries? How many kidnappers are there?" A clerical staff member shook her head, "Not quite that detailed. The Public Security Bureau has already dispatched personnel en route to the hospital. The full situation will require further investigation." At least they should have mentioned that the incident had just occurred... Zhang Yuanqing walked over to a corner, pulled out his phone, and dialed his aunt's number. "Sorry, the number you've dialed is currently off the hook. Please try again later!" Off the hook? Zhang Yuanqing cursed under his breath, "Crap!" At that moment, Guan Ya, together with Li Dongze, Jiang Jingwei, and Teng Yuan, burst out of the office. Li Dongze walked briskly, his expression calm and his speech rapid: "Let's leave immediately!" The group quickly got ready. Guan Ya pulled out two gun holsters from the drawer of her desk, too rushed to secure them on her thighs. Wang Tai carried his beloved notebook and rose to go. As the group stepped out of the glass building and onto Li Dongze's business sedan parked at the entrance, the driver accelerated, heading toward the police headquarters. The Ping Tai Hospital wasn't far from the police headquarters, and after weaving through several red lights, they arrived within fifteen minutes. At the hospital entrance, a line of emergency vehicles with flashing lights was already parked. A group of about a dozen armed police officers were confronting a middle-aged man in a hospital gown. The man stood in front of the main entrance, a walkie-talkie around his neck, using a surgical knife pressed against his throat, shouting in a nervous, frantic tone: "Stay back! Stay back! Let Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn see me!" As the business sedan stopped and the doors opened, Zhang Yuanqing immediately spotted his brother-in-charge. He silently put on his baseball cap and mask. Li Dongze held his walking stick and strode toward Chen Yuanjun, speaking in a steady tone: "What's the current situation?" Chen Yuanjun clearly recognized Li Dongze, quickly glanced over the business vehicle behind, and said in a low voice: "The kidnappers have taken control of the hospital patients and medical staff. We haven't yet confirmed any casualties. They're refusing to communicate with us and have declared they'll blow up the bomb if we enter the hospital." Pausing, he added with a slightly puzzled expression: "It seems they want to speak directly to Yuan Shi Tian Zun. I suspect the kidnappers might be mentally unstable." Li Dongze nodded slightly, studied Chen Yuanjun for a moment, and furrowed his brows: "Captain Chen, composure is a fundamental quality for a security officer. You're overly tense and urgent—what's going on?" He could immediately see the anxiety and restlessness beneath Chen's serious exterior. Chen smiled wryly: "My cousin is a doctor at Ping Tai Hospital..." Li Dongze's expression tightened, he patted Chen's shoulder gently, said nothing, and then turned back to the business vehicle. "Jingwei!" He turned to the red-haired girl, pointing at the patient at the door, saying, "Bring his radio over, and be gentle—don't harm him." Jingwei nodded enthusiastically and immediately got off the vehicle. Crouching low, she used the police car and the security officers as cover, quietly moving around half a circle and positioning herself beside the patient. Then, she slightly bent her knees and surged forward like a wild dog suddenly released. The security officers saw only a streak of black moving past them—when they reacted, the red-haired girl had already reached the patient's side. With one powerful leg kick, she sent the patient's tightly held surgical knife flying. Then, twisting her waist, she spun her body, using the motion to drive her other leg hard into the patient's back of the neck. "Crack!" The middle-aged man didn't understand what had happened and was instantly knocked unconscious. Among the Five Elements Alliance's orderly professions, fire mages rank first in speed. The security officers rushed in to secure the patient, while Jingwei grabbed the radio and sprinted back to the business vehicle. Li Dongze grasped the radio, pressed the button, and said: "I'm the team leader of the second team from Kangyang District. If you have any requests, feel free to communicate with me." He repeated this three times, and a bold, confident laugh echoed through the speaker: "I want to speak directly to the Prime Immortal." Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to respond, Guan Ya gently pressed on his shoulder. Li Dongze smoothly continued: "The Prime Immortal is not here—what is your purpose in seeking him?" The man's voice, full of determination, replied: "Not here? Then perhaps I picked the wrong time. I'm giving you ten minutes. After that, I must see the Prime Immortal. Otherwise, every minute past, I'll have one person killed. If you dare to storm the hospital, I'll have my people trigger the bomb and kill everyone." Li Dongze turned to Guan Ya and signed: "Contact Fu Bai, the battalion commander." Then, with firm resolve, he added: "You may try to trigger the bomb—our official stance will not waver. If you're willing to make the hospital's people your sacrifice, I'll honor your request." Laughter echoed through the walkie-talkie: "Mr. Shi, you've greatly overestimated me. I never had the courage to accompany ordinary people into the afterlife—just as I mentioned earlier, I arranged for people to trigger the bombs. They're all my carefully selected servants of the Judge of the Strange Eyes, already in dire straits. Upon hearing I intended to retaliate against the official establishment and society at large, they immediately agreed. Of course, my influence played a significant role." The servants of the Judge of the Strange Eyes... Li Dongze felt a weight settle in his heart: "Are you, then, a creature of persuasion?" "You should have heard of my name—I am Li Xianzong." At these words, everyone in the business vehicle exchanged startled glances. With the large-scale slaughter scenario about to unfold, they had anticipated that Yuan Shi would be targeted by the evil practitioners of the Wanderers, but never expected it to be Li Xianzong. This bloodthirsty creature of persuasion, from the very beginning, had chosen to make a bold move—neither conducting stealth assassinations nor launching surprise attacks, but instead orchestrating a full-scale terror assault. He had become extraordinarily "It's been over a minute and a half now. You don't have much time. I'm waiting for good news from you." The radio went silent. Li Dongze set the radio down and looked at Guan Ya. Guan Ya furrowed her brows slightly. "Fu Qingyang isn't answering the phone..." Another wave of concern passed through the group. Li Dongze stroked his cane, thinking. "It seems the other side has been well-prepared. If we don't see Yuan Shi within the next ten minutes, Li Xianzong will retreat, and no one in the hospital will survive. Hmm, you just heard that—the kidnappers are servants of the Master of the Strange Eye. This attack is clearly aimed at a complete destruction of both parties." With only ten minutes, the other district officers simply won't be able to reach them in time—the situation is too urgent. Teng Yundao remarked, "This man is quite strategic. Even if Yuan Shi doesn't show up, he can retreat calmly and leave us with a major problem." Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly, "He's specifically targeting me. He wants to eliminate me. Chief, let me go in." "He was a bit anxious, not knowing how Auntie was doing inside—whether she was hurt at all. Li Dongze glared at him: "You'll just die if you go in!" "No way!" Guan Ya immediately rejected the idea, frowning. "You're not that impetuous person, are you?" Only Jiang Jingwei supported him, stepping forward with enthusiasm, his face glowing with determination: "Let's charge in—watch me smash his head with a single punch."