"What's special about the Yin-Yang Town instance that she thinks it can't just be submitted directly to the database?" Ling Jun asked with suspicion. "Do you plan to quietly hold back the information from the Fu family?" Fu Qingyang picked up his knife and fork, relished his breakfast again, and said, "Even if that's the case, it's perfectly reasonable." Guan Ya, besides being a member of the Five Elements Alliance, is also a direct descendant of the Fu family, so it's both proper and logical for her to prioritize informing the family about valuable discoveries. Fu Qingyang himself thought it might be his cousin who noticed something unusual within the Yin-Yang Town instance. The two continued eating and casually chatted. "When are you heading back to the capital?" "I'll stay here for a year or so—returning to the capital would mean dealing with my female friends, which would be quite a hassle." "After a year or two, won't your girlfriends from Songhai start to become a nuisance too?" "It's not all girlfriends, really. I enjoy spending time with women—discussing poetry, life, and occasionally giving them little gifts. It's more of a Platonic relationship, yet they always assume I "A tiger father doesn't produce a dog son!" Fu Qingyang sneered. "You may belittle my father, but you can't belittle me. He was born to raise a Lingjing Xingzhe—my journey is different. I seek romantic connection, deep emotional resonance. Sometimes, when the feelings surge, I long for physical union." Ling Jun said, indignant. At that moment, the rabbit maiden returned with a laptop, placing it gently beside Fu Qingyang. Fu unlocked the screen, opened his email, and downloaded the message sent by Guan Ya. A few minutes later, Ling Jun watched in astonishment as Fu, who had been sitting comfortably, slowly straightened his posture, his composed expression growing serious and his calm gaze suddenly sharp. This was rather rare for Fu—based on Ling Jun's experience, such a reaction usually meant either a significant event or something that deeply moved him. Otherwise, a faceless man wouldn't respond this way. "What did the report say?" Ling Jun asked. "Guan Ya said that Yin-Yang Town has hidden storylines, and the journey each team experiences varies depending on their strength. Last night, they went through the most challenging storyline, one that has never been cleared yet." "Really?" "The difficulty of that storyline might even approach that of an S-tier dungeon." "I didn't expect Yin-Yang Town to hide such deep storylines. Still, with so many spiritual realm dungeons, there are countless ones yet to be explored—there's no need to keep this a secret, surely." Fu Qingyang glanced at him and said calmly, "The enemies they encountered were Li Xianzong." Ling Jun, who was drinking milk, suddenly sprayed it out in a puff. Fu Qingyang, who was particular about cleanliness, furrowed his brow. Ling Jun wiped his mouth casually and asked, "Were there any strong players within the Order of Harmony?" Fu Qingyang shook his head, "It was Yuan Shi who defeated Li Xianzong." Linjun paused, exhaled, and remarked, "This young man... his growth rate is making me feel a bit overwhelmed. When we were young, we hardly reached this level. In just another couple of years, won't he be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with us? Then the official fourth prince will become the fifth." He then brightened: "Ever since the trials of the Evil Faction began, the transcendent-level youths have been constantly getting beaten up. This time, they finally get their due. Ha! I can imagine the delighted expressions on the Evil Faction's travelers upon hearing the news. "Though, Sun Elder will surely be dissatisfied again. Sun Elder's... ah, I'll stop using that phrase." Fu Qingyang cast a questioning glance: "Hmm?" Linjun sighed: "A while back, Sun Elder came out of the Spiritual Realm, wandered around the forum, and suddenly expressed concern about the younger disciples' lack of diligence. So he summoned Yuan Ting to the capital and personally trained him." A few days ago, he had posted a special training video on the Taimei official website, and suddenly, no one dared to play with that reference anymore. Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Hopefully so." He took his laptop and left the restaurant. Guan Ya provided a detailed account in her report of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's performance in the quest, including various specific details, and mentioned the existence of hidden items. While she didn't elaborate on the items' specific information, she clearly stated that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had relied on that very item to turn the tide and secure victory. What he now needed to do was to refine this report—editing and trimming it slightly—while preserving the fact that Yuan Shi Tian Zun led the team to victory and defeated Li Xianzong, without revealing the existence of the hidden item. The report on successfully completing the spiritual realm was equivalent to a strategy guide. Once uploaded to the database, it would be accessible to official travelers with sufficient permissions, including potential members of the Night Rose and any problematic individuals with ties to the evil professions. Guan Ya had deliberately bypassed Li Dongze and handed him the report, asking him to decide—this was exactly what she meant. … A scattered province, the Crab City. In the upscale residential district at the city center, a 16-story building with spacious balconies. The queen—her features radiant and commanding, with silver circular earrings dangling from her earlobes—sits on a plush single sofa, a small glass round table in front of her bearing a compact notebook. Wearing sunglasses, her fair complexion, the dark frames, and her lipstick create a captivating, mature elegance. At this moment, she is gently typing in response to Guan Ya’s message: “Understood. When I write my report, I won’t mention that robe at all.” She sets down her phone and continues typing furiously on the keyboard. Reports can wait—right now, the priority is online browsing. “… After entering Yin-Yang Town, I discovered that two of our official colleagues were part of the team. You’d be surprised to know who they are. Indeed, it’s Yuan-Shi Tianzun from Song Hai Branch and Guan Ya herself.” Ah, Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun, the celebrity—finally getting to meet him. Let me share my first impression. Well, he’s a very handsome young man, early twenties, clean-cut, more handsome than I expected. Our first challenge was the "Cat of Curse"... I won’t go into the details here—those will be in the report. All I can tell you is that it was incredibly thrilling, and thanks to Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun, we managed to survive. The second challenge was a widow, reportedly quite bold. One of our teammates got unexpectedly entangled with her, nearly losing his composure—again, thanks to Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun, the entire team came out unscathed. Now, here comes the highlight—please settle in. The third challenge is the one we’re most excited about: a joint battle between both factions against the boss. I’m sure you won’t guess this—Captain of the evil faction is—Li Xianzong. "It's absolutely coincidental—never expected these two to meet in the quest. If Li Xianzong were a woman, I'd almost suspect they were destined to have a fated connection. This battle was incredibly tough. Li Xianzong truly lives up to her status as one of the top-tier extraordinary-level heroes on the wanted list. I've never encountered such a fierce and aggressive enemy class. In the final stages, due to certain reasons that can't be disclosed, the enemy became utterly invincible, and our forces suffered heavy casualties—forced to retreat. I was completely defeated, having prepared myself for certain death within the quest. But—but—let me emphasize: Master Yuanshishen truly deserves his acclaim as one of the two S-tier prodigies. His abilities, his wisdom, and his strategies surpass even what we imagined. He led us to a remarkable comeback, securing victory in the faction-versus-faction challenge, and personally defeated Li Xianzong. Ah ah ah—Lord, I absolutely adore him! After editing the post, the Queen corrected a few typos and clicked send." For the next while, she lounged lazily on the sofa, picked up her coffee, and sipped it gently. Meanwhile, the notifications on her computer never stopped—during the most active periods, several messages were received every second. Ha! Just as I expected, the buzz is absolutely booming. My post will definitely be featured at the top, and in another fifteen days, I’ll have accumulated enough points to apply for a forum management position. Queen Li is delighted with this thought. When she finally finished her coffee, it had already been half an hour. Only then did she set down her cup, refreshed her post, and checked the replies—by then, the forum was in full chaos. Her post had been highlighted and promoted by the administrators. [Long-term prospects: Really? Is this all a ruse, dear楼主? You’re clearly trying too hard to generate engagement. At least, come up with some credible stories—like Li Xianzong launching another surprise attack on Yuan Shizhen, only for the wise Yuan Shizhen to narrowly escape once again.] 【Jiang Yang: Maybe the楼主 is a big fan of Yuan Shi Tian Zun—posting a heartfelt personal piece to help rescue her idol's image, while also boosting morale among our official team members?】 【Bing Lang Plus Smoke: Indeed, that's quite dramatic. From the first to the third stage, it's all Yuan Shi Tian Zun's credit? Are we supposed to think our teammates are just average? I've never seen a captain this outstanding. Of course, it's no surprise that I haven't encountered anyone who's managed to successfully clear two S-tier characters in a row—those are as precious as national treasures. This is completely reasonable, and I'm not going to complain if you're not satisfied.】 Subsequent replies from over a dozen users questioned the authenticity of the post. Until more people discovered the post and joined the conversation, some users familiar with the Queen began to respond: 【Little Pig George: First of all, the Queen isn't a fan of Yuan Shi Tian Zun—she doesn't even follow the Four Princes, let alone Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Based on my experience with her, she wouldn't write such a personal, heartfelt piece just to boost visibility and deceive people.】 But here's the thing—if the post content is truly accurate, then I'm not doing anything today. I'm just going to stay online, catching the latest developments.】 【Jenny, the Loyal One: I remember the Queen posted last week, saying that the time until the next dungeon run was getting closer, and personally, I believe she was serious. Wow, this has really blown up—there's going to be some serious drama unfolding. Yuan Shi is absolutely amazing!!】 【The Sole Monarch with a Slight Illness: Perhaps I shouldn't have raised this issue now, but I still want to know—when she was seduced by the widow, what exactly did that mean? Was it the golden needle piercing through the peony blossom? Was the widow beautiful, fresh and vibrant? Please don't misunderstand—I'm also approaching the Lingjing realm now, and I'm keen to conduct an academic study on this matter.】 The two factions with differing opinions continue to debate fiercely, pushing the post's engagement to its peak, and then, the Lingjing practitioners from Songhai Branch begin to step forward with a series of inquiries. 【Li Dongze: My goodness, your team doesn't have any other strong members, does it? Is it 】 【Princess: I remember this person isn't under Yuan Shi Tian Zun's authority. What does he mean? Doesn't he know? The content of the notice raises serious doubts.】 【White Dragon: I'm not sure about the authenticity of the notice's content, but I know Yuan Shi will indeed enter the spiritual realm in the near future—specifically, multiple realms. We discussed this very thing yesterday.】 【Green Vine: The Queen isn't from Song Hai, so she couldn't possibly know that Yuan Shi will enter the spiritual realms soon. Therefore, the notice is likely genuine. Otherwise, how could he have known so precisely? It's astonishing, truly incredible.】 【Punch King: Damn it! I invested five million, betting that Yuan Shi and Li Xianzong would split the gains equally. Now I've lost everything.】 With colleagues from the Song Hai branch joining the discussion, the doubts were immediately allayed. Everyone continued to chat while sitting at their computers, refreshing the strategy documents in the database. Yin Yang Town is a transcendent-stage quest, accessible to official spiritual-level travelers. Even if access permissions are insufficient to view detailed records, the search itself is always possible. By noon, the forum administrator personally posted a thread: #Yuanshi Tianzun meets Li Xianzong in Yin-Yang Town; Li Xianzong falls in defeat#—sending ripples through the official forum. ... Huayu Hotel. Xie Lingxi excitedly scrolled through the official forum, having sat at her computer for over an hour. Though, as an unofficial participant, she couldn’t register an account or leave comments or posts, simply browsing the discussions and reviews about Yuanshi Brother filled her with exhilaration and contentment. Indeed, he’s the man I’ve always admired—how quickly he avenged himself! I always believed that with Yuanshi Brother’s immense potential, he could never have been defeated by Li Xianzong. Xie Lingxi satisfied herself by smoothly scrolling through the page, immersed in the deluge of conversations. Until now, the official spiritual realm travelers had been pontificating, analyzing the gap between Yuanshi Brother and Li Xianzong, expressing a tone of disappointment and frustration—like they were holding their breath for better results. Hmph. Now, they’re all calling him “the venerable Tianzun”—without any face or dignity. Yuan Shi's popularity is growing rapidly—definitely, the evil organization will raise their reward offer. That "call me Queen" thing seems to be something from our scattered province; they're absolutely obsessed with Yuan Shi Tianzun, and it's truly annoying. At that moment, the female assistant approaches with her phone, whispering, "Miss, your father would like to speak with you." She keeps her gaze fixed on the computer, saying calmly, "Tell him that, thanks to his guidance, I've completely severed ties with Yuan Shi Tianzun." "What?" the middle-aged man's voice bursts out in anger through the speaker, "Lingxi, how can you be so foolish?" "Dad, wasn't that your idea?" "I..." The man on the phone hesitates, his tone softening, "Can we still salvage this?" "I'll try, but..." Lingxi sighs, "Dad, you're going to have to make a significant investment—prepare two items and one million RMB cash." "...?" ... Stoneji Country Cottage. Bright lights pierced the night, and a white sedan parked outside the countryside homestay. Aunt Yuan, with her striking features, parked and turned off the engine, then opened the door, standing by the car and glancing at the homestay, glowing with lights in the dark. Today she wore light blue jeans, a black vest, and a women's waterproof jacket—her long legs, round hips, slender waist, and full bust exquisitely defined. Shi Jing Homestay was familiar to her—it was another black market where evil professionals gathered. Recently, she had learned that the very magical black market had been completely wiped out, with bodies scattered all over, rotting and left untouched. It was only the evil professionals who regularly visited underground bars who discovered the scene and called the police, prompting the official authorities to finally arrive and handle the situation. After a rigorous review process, Aunt Yuan entered the homestay, walked through the bustling dining hall, and, under a series of admiring glances, reached the back courtyard to meet its owner. The owner of the countryside inn was a plain village woman with dark hair streaked with silver, in her late thirties or older. She was seated by the well in the backyard, making bean skin. "Xiao Yuan," the middle-aged woman looked up, then resumed her work, "you haven't come by often lately—what have you been up to these years?" The woman was a member of the Spiritual Energy Association, once a guiding figure for Xiao Yuan, and had treated her well. However, due to differing philosophies, Xiao Yuan had not joined the association. She carried a lingering sense of regret toward her mentor and had infrequently visited. "Working at a hotel," Xiao Yuan said calmly. "Yan, I'm here to gather some intelligence." The woman didn't respond, continuing to make bean skin. "Specifically, I'd like information on Li Xianzong," Xiao Yuan said. "What he's currently doing, where he's planning to move, any hidden areas—anything as detailed as possible." She was collecting Li Xianzong's intelligence to sell to Yuan Shishen. Li Xianzong still owed her money, and if she didn't recover it, she wouldn "It's no longer necessary." The middle-aged woman looked down, busy with her tasks. "What do you mean?" Xiao Yuan furrowed her brow. "Li Xianzong was killed within the副本," the woman said. What? This news caught Xiao Yuan off guard. Though it was no surprise that a spiritual realm traveler perished in the spiritual realm—much like a general dying on the battlefield—it still sounded absurd and comical now. Such a brilliant prodigy, felled so suddenly? Even the luck of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign seemed a bit too good to be true. Xiao Yuan mused, "Was this news brought by the Commander of the Army?" "No," the woman replied. "It came from the Five Elements Alliance." "Hmm?" The woman finally lifted her head, wiped her hands clean, and spoke with serious tone, "On the Five Elements Alliance's forum, it's reported that both the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign and Li Xianzong entered the same副本. The Commander of the Army's prodigy was slain." Xiao Yuan stood still. The woman spoke calmly, "The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's reward has advanced to fourth place—now quite substantial. Songhai is not far from Jinshan City. "Ah, the official has produced such a prodigy—so many people can't sleep anymore, all fearing that another Fu Qingyang might emerge." She paused, then glanced at the dazed Xiao Yuan, her brows furrowing slightly. "What's wrong?" This one... Xiao Yuan regained her composure, took a deep breath, and casually replied, "I'll hunt down Yuan Shi whenever the opportunity arises." He picked up his phone, turned off the flight mode, and checked the unread messages. Guan Ya had sent him a message at noon, saying she had finished writing the itinerary and reminding him to rest well. Zhang Yuanqing logged out of the chat app and immediately opened the official forum, where posts praising him were everywhere—his mood instantly brightened, and he smiled, fully immersed, without realizing that half an hour had passed. How thoughtful of the queen to proactively step forward and shine in public... Humans truly need to shine in public, and public visibility helps alleviate their burdens... After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his bedroom, sat by his desk, and retrieved the "Record of Daoist Practice" of the Yin-Yang Dispersion Sect from the item panel. A figure who lived during the same era as the Three-Dao Mountain Queen, whose personal notes might hold some hidden secrets. Perhaps these records could reveal part of the mystery of the spiritual realm. Zhang Yuanqing carefully opened the yellowed, brittle cover.