"Win? Win! Yuan Shi has defeated Li Xianzong—our victory!" Hearing the voice in her ears, Queen Teng rose instantly, her radiant face glowing with joy. Excited and energized, she stood up swiftly and vigorously. Li Chunfeng clenched his fists, raised them in a series of vigorous motions, then muttered under his breath, "Crap!" to release the emotions building inside him, before saying, "This has been the most perilous quest I've ever encountered. To turn things around under such dire circumstances—something I simply can't do. Truly, no surprise that he's a genius who has cleared two S-tier challenges. Truly, no surprise that he's the Prime Immortal..." Li Chunfeng, calm and wise, excelled at outmaneuvering the deeply enigmatic Guan Ya. The queen and the Fire-Elementary army, both strong in capability, far surpassed the quality of companions he had encountered among the Lingjing travelers before. Moreover, there was Yuan Shi—such a star player. The adversaries on the evil side were equally formidable. These were true masters, exceptional players at the transcendent stage. It was wonderful that they had survived—truly remarkable. Li Xianzong had been killed in the instance, and upon returning to reality, he would surely astonish many. It was always such big news—his reputation and the reward ranking would surely rise again. As Guan Ya lay back, relieved, a quiet smile tugged at her lips. To see a slender person triumph like this, as if in a dream—how could it be? How could such a challenging instance be cleared so easily? The earnest and sincere man felt a touch of humility. He had done little, and even enjoyed himself at the expense of Xu's widow—felt utterly unworthy of completing the instance. At this moment, the queen's breathing suddenly quickened: "Excellent rewards! Ah, I'm going to love Yuan Shi Tian Zun so much!" The others immediately focused their attention to check the task completion. Guan Ya glanced at this woman once again. ... [Reward processing... Obtained item/prop: Clan Command] [Experience gained: 28%] [Main storyline completed... Ding! Congratulations on completing the hidden quest. Rewards are now being processed...] [Obtained item/prop: Yin-Yang Robe] [Experience gained: 30%] [Hidden quest completed... Ding! Congratulations on advancing to Level 3 Night-Wanderer Spirit!] [Ding! Character card reward activated. Reward item: Endurance Spray.] [All rewards processed! Exit the spiritual realm in ten minutes...] "Indeed, the Clan Command has appeared. Now I can form my own small team!" Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. The rewards from the faction's command have a relatively low probability and only activate once a certain hidden score is reached—clearly, the intense combat between the two teams, the series of dramatic reversals, and his strategic command and comeback efforts have earned recognition from the instance. The role card rewards for the Mage King arrived as promised, still in the form of items, though their names seem off. Zhang Yuanqing didn’t have time to examine the items; a scorching sensation surged across his brow, and the black circular moon seal became prominent. A powerful Yin energy surged forth from the seal, entering his body with an almost forceful, unreasonable intensity, bringing with it intense pain and a burning sensation that altered his genes and restructured his very life. He involuntarily convulsed, instinctively lowering his head to gaze at himself, only to be startled to find his body still in place. Had he once again spirit-separated? The last time he had experienced this was right after completing the Shu Ling Tunnel and becoming a Level 1 Night-Wanderer. Approximately three minutes later, the spiritual essence returned to the body, and the turbulent, powerful Yin energy settled. Zhang Yuanqing sensed the changes within himself while opening his attribute panel: 【Name: Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun】 【Race: Human】 【Class: Night Wandering Spirit】 【Level: 3】 【Skills: Night Wandering, Spirit Devouring, Yin Spirit, Moon's Roar, Enchantment, Spirit Scroll, Divine Soaring】 【Experience: 8%】 【Moral Value: 140】 【Reputation Value: 40】 【Spirit Scroll (Active): Unique spiritual script of the Night Wandering Spirit, capable of drawing talismans and arrays. Note: Fully completed—can now draw and craft the Yin Corpse Array.] 【Divine Soaring: The spirit essence detaches from the physical body, lasting for twenty minutes.】 "Indeed, the Night-Wanderer Spirit possesses the ability to detach its soul—after all, it's particularly skilled in this area. I only didn't expect that it would take until level 3 to learn these abilities. Finally, I've mastered all of the Night-Wanderer's skills." As he finished reflecting, Zhang Yuanqing was about to check his items when a soft clicking sound reached his ears. The once-lustrous red dance shoes, now dimmed in color, staggered forward, wobbling between east and west, as if a drunken man, rather uncoordinated. How could it still be seeking a dance from me after all this? With the curse effect still active, Zhang Yuanqing got stuck with a bug and promptly returned the shoes to his inventory. Next, he one by one placed the items—such as the Eyes of Insight—into his inventory, finally able to focus fully on the newly acquired items. 【Name: Faction Command (Pending Activation)】 【Type: Token】 【Function: Establish a Faction (Upgradable)】 【Description: Level 1 Faction Command enables the formation of a six-member team. It allows the creation of a unique instance for the team. Members receive experience point bonuses (Faction Leader's bonus is double that of regular members). It enables inviting teammates of the same level to join the instance. It unlocks the Faction Warehouse...】 【Note 1: Faction-exclusive instance, accessible once the team reaches six members.】 【Note 2: Faction Warehouse (Not Yet Unlocked)】 【Note 3: The Faction Command disregards faction alignment and allows recruitment of opponents from opposing factions.】 【Note 4: Members within the faction cannot betray one another or engage in internal conflicts.】 "Wow, this thing is way more valuable than just a regular prop. Anyone with both capability and ambition—once they get the Clan Mandate, given enough time, will absolutely rise to become a regional powerhouse. Take me, for instance." "I want to use it to build my own team. Ideally, I'd establish a team independent of the official structure, centered around wild travelers. That way, I can expand my channels and avoid overlapping networks. So, I'll skip the people from the Wuxing Alliance..." Zhang Yuanqing summoned the Clan Mandate—a bronze-triangular token inscribed with the characters "Clan" on the front. Holding the token, the blue interface automatically popped up. With his finger as a pen, Zhang Yuanqing typed in names he had just thought of: 【Chanyao】 【Ding! Name already taken. Please choose another.】 【Wangzhe Guilai】 【Ding! Name already taken. Please choose another.】 【Wangzhe Guilai】 【Ding! Name successfully assigned. Clan Mandate activated. Clan warehouse is now open.】 Note: The clan warehouse is not part of the inventory and is linked to the Clan Scroll. Each member can open the clan warehouse to view items, but must receive approval from the clan leader to withdraw items. But the cost is that aesthetics gradually tilt toward the sow, and at first glance, it seems not particularly fatal or dangerous. Yet over time, the orientation becomes irreversibly distorted, even the purifying effects of the Vamana杵 prove ineffective. The very meaning of human existence now reduces to simply admiring the sow's rear. That's terrifying. In the end, Zhang Yuanqing drew out the "Longevity Spray" as a reward from the character card. Its appearance is similar to a standard anti-predator spray, and within a few seconds, the item details appear: 【Name: Longevity Spray】 【Type: Health Supplement】 【Function: Extends Duration】 【Description: This is a creation of a physician-magician. When young, he sought quick profits by selling erectile tonics to wealthy gentry and officials, earning widespread acclaim and receiving countless requests—so popular that demand often outpaced supply. Inspired by this, he developed a convenient spray that, when used once, extends activity by two hours. Users have confirmed that consistent use leads to noticeable improvement in stamina.】 【Note: Do you know how difficult it is to maintain abstinence? Do you know that? So please treat it seriously and use it with care. Oh my goodness, what on earth have I just seen? There truly exists such a marvelous treasure... After reading the item details, Zhang Yuanqing remained speechless, his mind filled with one thought: Damn, another windfall! Isn't this the dream come true for middle-aged men? Can't we charge a full ten thousand for just one spray? "As for the cost, it should be that over time, you'll develop a strong dependency," Zhang Yuanqing was thinking, when suddenly a flurry of hurried footsteps approached. He turned around to see Guan Ya and the others coming toward him. At that moment, only three minutes remained until the return. As the group drew near, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the joyful faces of his companions and smiled, "It seems you all came away with solid gains." "All thanks to you!" Li Chunfeng's smile was so warm it could hardly be contained. "My experience level has now reached 90%, which might qualify me for the mid-year combat raid and a chance to become a Saint. Plus, I've obtained a decent piece of equipment that helps compensate for my previous weakness in damage output." "Queen smiled gently, 'I've also obtained a piece of equipment, and now my experience points have reached 87%. Even among the third-tier practitioners, I'm considered mid-to-upper level. I'd like to join the mid-year slaughter raid dungeons as well. By the way, Yuanshen—shouldn't you be approaching third-tier status now?' She immediately turned to look at Yuanshen. 'I've already reached third-tier status and can participate in the mid-year slaughter raids, Yuanqing. How about you?' Yuanqing chuckled. '...I've also reached third-tier status.' Guanyu's expression was stunned. What on earth was going on? Three consecutive dungeon runs, and three level-ups? This was truly a phenomenon in terms of progression speed. Ordinary spiritual realm practitioners typically needed to complete three to four dungeon runs—sometimes even more—to advance just one level. Yuanqing's pace was comparable to that of the young witch in the family. 'You've only just become a spiritual realm practitioner for about a month, haven't you? This should be your third or fourth dungeon run,' the Queen said, her mouth slightly agape. Yuanqing then turned to the fire master, 'Hasn't he woken up yet?' "Li Li Yuan Shang Cao explained: 'He should be regaining consciousness now, though the toxin has paralyzed his nerves. Once his mind wakes up, his body will follow—after returning, he'll just need a few days of rest.' Zhang Yuanqing then asked, 'Guan Ya, how is your condition?' Upgrading can only strengthen his constitution and slightly slow the progression of injuries—it doesn't restore the injuries themselves. Right now, he feels extremely weak and longs to sleep all day. It's only now that he's remembering to ask about his condition—Guan Ya mentally sighed, ignoring him. Hmm? Zhang Yuanqing looked at her a few times, slightly puzzled. The Queen checked the countdown on her panel and quickly said, 'Let's exchange contact information—being able to share hardships together is simply fate.' The official Wayfarer's development path primarily involves forming team bonds during dungeon missions. In typical competitive dungeons, if the team succeeds, a certain level of camaraderie and trust naturally develops, greatly increasing the likelihood of maintaining contact beyond the mission. Even some journeyers from the Spiritual Realm have grown close, becoming lovers or spouses. After exchanging contact information, the countdown precisely ended, and the scenery instantly warped. ... The image gradually sharpened, and Zhang Yuanqing saw the familiar bedroom and the messy bed. The electronic clock on the nightstand displayed the time: 05:20. The May weather had already brought morning light, with clear, melodic bird calls outside and the soft voices of early-morning residents in the neighborhood, faintly audible. Peaceful and serene. Zhang Yuanqing stood by the window, breathing in the cool, moist morning air. Each time he returned from the Spiritual Realm, he felt as though he had stepped into a different world. "Daylight has come. I'm so tired, so sleepy…" His eyelids felt heavy, every cell in his body exuding a lazy sigh. He longed to collapse and sleep, to restore his strength and energy. He returned to his desk, tore off a sheet of paper, and quickly wrote: "Today no classes. Stayed up late playing games. Skipped breakfast. Please don't disturb (＾ω＾)" He pasted the note on the door, closed the room door, and sent a message to Li Dongze to inform him he had exited the副本, then immediately fell asleep. ... The next morning, in a high-end residential complex near the Public Security Bureau, Li Dongze woke up on time to the sound of his alarm. His first reaction was to pick up his phone and check for any missed calls or messages. Indeed, there were two unread messages—one from Yuan Shiyuan, the other from Guan Ya. He opened Yuan Shiyuan's message, sent at 5:30 a.m.: "Shizhang, I've just exited the副本. A bit tired. I'll rest now." Finally out! Ah, what a relief—every time I enter the副本, I'm constantly on edge, more nervous than I am when I first enter one myself... Li Dongze sighed, finally letting his breath ease. Compared to the previous two instances, this time, Yin-Yang Town has given him a slightly more composed mindset. Indeed, Yuan Shi did not disappoint. Li Dongze naturally began analyzing: "Yuan Shi's tone was calm. Guan Ya also joined us. The duration of this mission was about five hours—standard. Yin-Yang Town's difficulty is moderate to above-average among A-tier missions, primarily centered on factional conflicts. Yuan Shi and Guan Ya are both level 2. Their opponents, therefore, should not be particularly strong." As he thought this, he opened the chat window with Yuan Shi and checked Guan Ya's message, which had been sent just a few minutes ago. "Shi Chang, I've come out with Yuan Shi. The enemies we encountered were Li Xianzong. I sustained some minor injuries and am a bit tired—let me rest for now." Upon seeing Li Xianzong as the enemy, Li Dongze instinctively stiffened, and a sudden thought flashed through his mind: "Oh no—Yuan Shi and Guan Ya are definitely in trouble!" Only then did he realize it was after the event—the team had exited the副本, which meant Li Xianzong had perished. What on earth? Li Dongze stared at his phone screen, motionless, as if frozen. Who had they encountered in the副本? How had they managed to defeat Li Xianzong, a top-tier extraordinary-stage fighter? Were they among the few from Taiyuan Gate, or from the official ranks, or perhaps some hidden master from the civilian circles? He couldn’t sleep anymore—he had to get up and write the report! His eagerness for their reports was unbearable. He wasn't too concerned about Guan Ya and Yuan Shi—these two, one a combat prodigy, the other clever with a wide array of tools—would likely handle the Yin-Yang Town dungeon without much trouble. Fu Qingyang relaxed slightly, set down his knife and fork, and took the phone. "We're out, right?" His tone was calm, as if it were a matter of little consequence. Guan Ya nodded. "I've prepared a report—please review it and decide whether to submit it to the database. I'm tired; don't call me unless it's urgent." She believed the content of the report wasn't suitable for direct delivery to Li Dongze. Moreover, it contained her personal assessments of Yuan Shi Tianzun, things best shared with close colleagues. "Good!" Fu Qingyang gave a slight nod. After hanging up, he returned the phone to the rabbit maiden and instructed, "Bring my laptop over." Ling Jun set down her utensils, straightened her posture, and asked, "What does Guan Ya mean?" Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Once you've read the report, you'll know."