Holding a crystal cup, Zhang Yuanqing waited a few seconds, and then a piece of item information appeared: 【Name: Fallen Cup (Damaged)】 【Type: Vessel】 【Function: Control, Fall】 【Description: A cup once cherished by a great being, by chance came into contact with the blood of that being and absorbed its laws—transforming it into a rule-type prop.】 【Note 1: Kneel before me. Submission is your only choice; only death can end this.] 【Note 2: Please gather the required materials promptly to repair this rule-type prop.] “Damaged… the description is simple, yet simplicity often holds the most terror. To be controlled by the Fallen Cup means that only death can release one.” Time was limited. Zhang Yuanqing placed the Fallen Cup into his inventory and then seized the scarecrow from the body of Hei Wuxiang, without pausing to review its information—also adding it to his belongings. Then came the red veil, the red dance shoes… after quickly clearing the battlefield, he knelt beside the bodies, searching for something. The Register! Zhang Yuanqing hadn’t forgotten his ultimate goal in capturing Hei Wuxiang. The Register is the carrier of the Fallen Ones—similar to the private ledger of Gu Yi Juan—an object that differs from a prop. Unlike props, such non-prop items cannot be stored in the inventory. Therefore, either Hei Wuxiang carried it with him or carefully concealed it somewhere. After a quick search, Zhang Yuanqing found a small notebook tucked inside the pocket of the corpse and didn’t immediately extract it—instead, he activated Night Wandering to make himself invisible. Only then did he pull out the slender booklet. The Register was palm-sized, with a black cover and pale yellow paper. He quickly flipped through its pages, searching for the entry on Bing Brother. “Flipping… flipping…” The thin sheets moved swiftly. With only dozens of recorded servants listed, he soon completed his review. None! No mention of Bing Brother! “Incredible,” Zhang Yuanqing thought. “According to the audio recordings from Cat King Audio and the memory of Tian Dao Bu Gong, Bing Brother was unquestionably a servant of Gu Yi Juan—yet why is there no record of him in this Register?” He found it puzzling. Suddenly, his expression shifted. He flipped through the Register again—this time more slowly. “Flipping… flipping…” The pages moved, then paused at a point near the spine, where a jagged tear remained visible. One sheet was missing. Clearly, the page containing Bing Brother’s actual information had been torn out. Who tore off Bing Brother's record? Hei Wuxiang? Unlikely—he held possession of the entire Register and thus had no need or motive to do so. Gu Yi Juan? Also improbable—she would have needed a reason to tear it, especially if she were acting on her own initiative. Then who? The mysterious figure who appeared earlier? Would there be any necessity for that person to tear out the Register at all? It would have been simpler just to take it away entirely. Zhang Yuanqing pondered for several seconds before stepping back from invisibility, his eyes dark and swirling—attempting to communicate with Hei Wuxiang’s spiritual essence. He wasn’t seeking to devour her spirit, but rather verifying one point. Indeed, there was no trace of the spiritual essence remaining within Hei Wuxiang's body. “The mysterious figure erased Hei Wuxiang’s spirit. Why? From Hei Wuxiang’s earlier reaction, it appears that this person is someone he knew—someone unexpected to him—a long-lost relative or acquaintance. That explains why erasing her spirit makes sense. Is the mysterious figure Night Wandering Deity? Yes—that rank of a master certainly has the capability. Even if not specifically the Night Wandering Deity, there are likely means—such as props—to extinguish spiritual essence. But alas, the mysterious figure quickly eliminated Hei Wuxiang without giving him an opportunity to speak further. If only I could hear more from him… then I might identify who he is. Otherwise, perhaps it’s better for me to simply die in silence.” Zhang Yuanqing swiftly analyzed and reasoned through these developments. He realized that behind the scene of the Fallen Cup incident, there clearly lay a hidden current of influence. On the surface, the event seemed to be triggered by the conflict between Demon King and Gu Yi Juan, culminating in Hei Wuxiang's act of carrying the Fallen Cup and initiating a chain of events. Behind this façade, however—there was the appearance of an unknown figure, the disappearance of Bing Brother’s record, the erasure of Hei Wuxiang’s spirit—all pointing to deeper currents at work. Zhang Yuanqing, known for his analytical skills, found himself unable to make sense of these intricate details. Thus, he adopted Grandfather's method—he began from the origin. All events have causes; what one observes is the effect—while the cause lies in that very hunt targeting Gu Yi Juan. This naturally raised a question: Why did the Demon King initiate this pursuit against Gu Yi Juan? “Bing Brother was one of the ‘culprits’ involved in the hunt on Gu Yi Juan. If I can locate him, perhaps I’ll begin to unravel this mystery.” At that moment, his ear twitched as distant footsteps approached. Looking toward the sound, a group arrived at the far end of the street, rushing through the night. Leading them was Tengyuan Chief—this usually unenthusiastic middle-aged man, who displayed remarkable initiative during the rescue effort. To the side were Jiang Jingwei and Gu Ya. Jiang Jingwei moved swiftly, effortlessly accompanying her 4th-level Wenchu Master. Gu Ya, on the other hand, had nearly broken her long legs from running—clutching two rifles tightly, her face filled with urgency. The second tier consisted of Bai Long, Qing Ting, and Tang Guoqiang. The third tier included several elite members that Zhang Yuanqing recognized but couldn’t recall their names. A group of more than a dozen people arrived in full stride, rushing toward them. From afar, they saw one figure standing at the roadside and another lying on the ground. The official Pilgrims—lacking night vision—immediately felt their hearts sink. Who was the one who had fallen? Who was the one standing there? With Gu Ya’s face now locked in frosty composure, her eyes blazing with intent, she raised her rifles toward the distant figure. A few seconds later, as they drew nearer, Gu Ya’s expression stiffened—then softened into a look of genuine warmth. The cold aura on her face melted away. Tengyuan, Bai Long, Qing Ting, and others all paused—each expressing a mix of astonishment and relief. The person standing there was Yuan Shi Tian Zun—the one who had fallen… who was that? A bold thought emerged in everyone’s minds—but no one dared to voice it. Impossible. At this moment, the young man standing proudly at the roadside, hands folded, glanced at his arriving teammates with a calm demeanor and said: “You came late. Hei Wuxiang has already fallen under my blade.” The group of runners stopped instantly—staring in open amazement at the body on the ground. A tall, thin figure—with long face and fine eyes—distinctly unattractive yet easily recognizable. Tengyuan Chief stared at the corpse and then at Zhang Yuanqing, pushed his glasses up slightly, and slowly remarked: “You… have just slain a Sage-level Wu Gu Master?” Not exactly. But I’ll pretend to have done so for now. Zhang Yuanqing nodded gently. Qing Ting’s large eyes widened in admiration: “Have you grown this far already…” Bai Long stood speechless, utterly stunned. Jiang Jingwei held her waist and laughed out loud: “No surprise—she's under my protection. Quite impressive indeed! But you moved so swiftly—couldn’t you have waited for me to arrive before handling him?” Gu Ya inserted her two silver rifles back into the gun holsters at her thighs, walked up to Zhang Yuanqing, and frowned as she examined him. “Are you poisoned? How do you feel? Any discomfort in your body?” Zhang Yuanqing smiled softly: “Slightly worried?” For a younger woman, this was typically an intimate remark he would not normally make. Gu Ya glanced at him with a sideways smile: “I’ve heard that Wu Gu Masters’ poisons target the reproductive system—causing vascular thinning and such. You’re so young, already lacking in confidence. If only you were a few centimeters shorter… well, even dogs might find you unappealing…” After going through his thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t think of any better response than this—he decided to temporarily accept it and plan to retaliate when inspiration strikes tomorrow. Tengyuan Chief stepped closer, examined Hei Wuxiang’s body carefully, then asked: “How did he end up here?” Zhang Yuanqing shook his head: “I only happened upon him.” True! Tengyuan Chief added: “Then how did you come to meet him?” That… I haven’t yet thought of a reason! Zhang Yuanqing said firmly. “At this moment, I believe we should contact the Hundred-man Commander—Hei Wuxiang’s presence here surely bears significance beyond coincidence.” Tengyuan nodded: “Well reasoned.” He immediately pulled out his Smartphone and dialed Fu Qingyang’s number. …… Third Primary School in Song Hai. The players engaged in a lively battle suddenly heard a low groan from Hei Wuxiang—then he collapsed straight, his spirit rapidly dissipating until life completely ceased. Dead? This unexpected development halted their activity as they observed the presence of Hei Wuxiang’s separated form. To conserve strength, Hei Wuxiang had severed the connection between himself and his duplicated form earlier—yet even so, it had been transferred to a secure location. Black Robe Grand Master furrowed her brows. With Hei Wuxiang gone, there was no longer any urgency to press on. The Fire Master, renowned as nearly unbeatable at the Sage level under Fu Qingyang’s command, now found himself struggling in defense—completely overpowered by this young heir of the Fu family. And within the encircling attack from the Wu Gu Master, the Zhishake Palace Master, and Dog Elder, his defeat was inevitable. With time now well spent—though no agreement had been reached—the grand master felt satisfied with the outcome. She simply decided to hold off on further efforts. She then opened her inventory, drawing forth a prop from the “Void”—a long sword polished from black carbon, shiny and lustrous. This blade radiated a pervasive chill—merely gazing at it made one feel cold, as if their spirit were drifting away. “Please assist me, Leader!” The Grand Master grasped the hilt firmly and placed it before her body. Instantly, dark clouds gathered overhead, surging upward and coalescing into countless figures of demons and restless spirits. The dense forest surrounding the school began to wither rapidly—animal silhouettes bowed down, trembling under the pressure. Finally, the swirling clouds solidified into a broad-faced figure with blurred features. Then, one massive hand emerged from the cloud, pressing gently against the translucent light shield. Trees, plants, and animal forms dissolved into pure streams of green light. “Move!” The Grand Master vanished—reappearing beside the wounded Fire Master, guiding him to embark on a Night Wandering journey together. Zhishake Palace Master roared in anger—the red lines that trailed behind her exploded outward, flailing and sweeping through space—but failed to capture either of their figures. Wu Gu Master emitted a cold breath, merging her flesh and blood into the earth before vanishing. The Hundred-flower Association Elder remained unbothered—she silently sat on the rooftop, gazing toward the distant horizon. After releasing her emotions, the Zhishake Palace Master’s red lines surged powerfully against the ground. Leaping upward with a powerful thrust, she soared skyward—her skirt and hair fluttering like Chang’e riding through the clouds. Fu Qingyang folded his flag behind him, surveyed the wreckage of the school, and sighed: “Elder, we’ve failed.” The Hundred-flower Association Elder nodded: “Hei Wuxiang’s transaction with the Dark Night Rose cannot be halted now. I will report this to headquarters—the responsibility lies with me.” Fu Qingyang exhaled gently—alleviating his accumulated tension. After nearly two months of relentless pursuit, all efforts had come to nothing—a complete waste of effort. As for entering the Senior Council—an ambition deferred for now, to be pursued in due time. He retrieved his Eight-Direction Sword from his pocket, pulled out his Smartphone, and adjusted it to normal mode—just about to notify subordinates to retreat when the phone rang first. The caller was Tengyuan. Fu Qingyang answered calmly: “Our capture effort has failed. Please prepare to withdraw.” On the other end of the line, there was a brief silence before Tengyuan’s weary voice replied: “Perhaps we haven’t failed at all—Chief. Yuan Shi Tian Zun has recently defeated Hei Wuxiang nearby.”