Was the prize for the Transcendent Realm unexpectedly generous? As Zhang Yuanqing, a member of the Transcendent Realm, felt a surge of spirit, he immediately opened the post. The content of the post was remarkably concise—just a list of rewards for the top ten positions. [1: Post-Soil Boots, C-tier merit.] [2: Illusory Robe, D-tier merit.] [3: Adorable Hairpin, D-tier merit.] [4: 700,000 cash, E-tier merit.] From fourth place onward, the rewards were all cash, gradually decreasing in amount, while the merit level remained constant at E-tier. C-tier merit was the upper limit achievable by ordinary Realm-level practitioners and served as a stepping stone for those aspiring to become stewards. Thus, securing first place in the Transcendent Realm essentially meant becoming a candidate steward. Upon successfully completing the Killing Trial and attaining the status of Saint, one could immediately assume the role of a steward with significant authority. "Yet, if it stopped there, it wouldn’t truly be described as unexpectedly generous. The real standout is the Post-Soil Boots," Zhang Yuanqing quietly mused. He pulled down the screen to browse the reviews, and indeed found a review introducing the Houtu Boots: 【Head and shoulders above the rest with wine: this is the Houtu Boots, truly impressive! Its quality has reached the Saint level, making it a compelling attraction for cultivators at the Transcendent Realm. But what truly sets these boots apart isn't just their inherent attributes—it's a single special trait.】 【Call me Queen: what trait is that? How impressive is it? How remarkable?】 Indeed, there's this woman... Zhang Yuanqing saw the familiar ID and silently muttered under her breath. She seems to be constantly idle, always surfing the web—either here, or there. During the Yin-Yang Town period, her overall capabilities were clearly captain-level, indicating strong potential. If she could dedicate all her energy to cultivation, she'd surely advance further. Speaking of which, Queen's figure is genuinely outstanding—full-figured, lush, and even surpassing the ripe peach. Zhang Yuanqing quickly stopped herself and continued reading the reviews. The response from "Ceftriaxone" sparked enthusiastic contributions from a group of official participants, with countless curious inquiries—like the Queen's—rising up. [Bamboo and smoke: Huh, I actually saw a couple ID—wait, no, it's a brother ID. Brother, you've been holding back too long! Hurry up and tell us—what's the story behind this Hou-Tu boot?] [South Edinburgh: What's going on with the Hou-Tu boot? Also, isn't it common to have couple IDs? I do have one too. @NorthGotham] After much anticipation, "Ceftriaxone" finally responded: [No more holding back—here's the scoop. This Hou-Tu boot is part of a set. Hmm, you might not be familiar with what a set is. Currently, the official team categorizes items into three main types: cost-based, rule-based, and XX-based.] ] But there's no general explanation about sets—actually, the concept is quite simple. Anyone who's played the game knows that certain items can combine and enhance each other due to specific reasons, creating a 1+1>2 effect. That's what a set is. ] The Hou-Tu boots are of Saint-tier quality. Once the full set is assembled, the set's quality might even rival that of the Master-tier. How precious the Hou-Tu boots must be, then. The organization has truly invested heavily this time. ] Call me Queen: Now I understand—this is the first I've heard of the concept of sets. Wow, I'm so eager to learn more! ] Jenny, the sentimental one: I'm suddenly full of enthusiasm! Unfortunately, I'm only level 2, so I'm not yet eligible for this item (teary-eyed). ] Long-term vision: A Saint-tier set, when fully assembled, might indeed be able to compete with Master-tier items. That's impressive. Still, Brother Head孢, how did you come to know all this? 】 【Head and shoulders better with cephalosporin and wine: This item belongs to my superior, reportedly obtained in a special dungeon for a ground-level monster. It has accompanied him for many years. Initially, he went everywhere seeking the other components to complete the set, but couldn't find them. Over the years, as his level grew, he gradually exchanged this item and his merits with the organization for higher-tier gear.】 【The days are long: Oh, your words have chilled me to the core—seems like completing the set will be extremely difficult.】 【Call me Queen: The greater the difficulty, the more powerful the set must be when complete. I've decided—I'm going to fight my way to first place among the transcendent realm this year.】 What a fuss! With your current strength, what are you going to fight with—your 36D bust? Zhang Yuanqing grumbled. "The Later Earth Boots, one of the components of a set..." Zhang Yuanqing instinctively thought of his Yin-Yang ceremonial robe. "I remember the set of the Yin-Yang ceremonial robe includes four other pieces: boots, belt, crown. The robe itself embodies the properties of water and fire; the other three should correspond to the three professions—Metal, Wood, and Earth. Could the Later Earth Boots be part of the Yin-Yang robe set?" The more he thought about it, the more likely he found it. If there were many such sets, the probability that the Later Earth Boots would be one of the components of the Yin-Yang robe set would be low, and he wouldn't have thought of it so strongly. Yet in reality, sets are rare among items—even among officially trained officials, many are unaware of the concept of sets. He needed to ask someone. Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing opened his chat app and sent a message to Fu Qingyang: "Commander, could I please see the attribute details of the Later Earth Boots?" He was confident that Fu Qingyang could obtain the attribute information. A few seconds later, Fu Qingyang replied: "For spiritual realm practitioners, equipment is a vital component of combat strength. Therefore, the attributes of the Hou-Tu Boots are strictly confidential—even I haven't been able to uncover them. If you'd like just a general understanding, I can arrange for someone to retrieve the basic information about the boots, without involving their functions or costs." That's enough. I just need to find out whether the Hou-Tu Boots are part of the Yin-Yang Robe set... Zhang Yuanqing replied: "Thank you, Captain." Fu Qingyang was exceptionally efficient. After a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing received his response: [Name: Hou-Tu Boots] [Type: Shoes] [Description: Crafted from the silk of the sacred mountain silkworm, these shoes are light as feathers and impervious to blade cuts. Buried beneath the sacred mountain for thirty-three years, they absorbed the dragon's pulse energy and refined the essences from all eight directions, thus becoming the Hou-Tu Boots.] [Note 1: It is one of the components of the sacrificial ceremony attire. The other three components are: crown, robe, and sash. It is said that when all Functionality and cost—these are the most fundamental pieces of information. To others, they carry no meaning, at best offering a basic understanding to Hou Tu Boots, but to Zhang Yuanqing, they are profoundly significant. "Indeed, one of the Four Sacred Sets for celestial rituals!" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed, rolling excitedly on his bed. He had never expected, just one month after receiving his Yin-Yang Robe, to encounter the other components so soon. "For ordinary transcendent-level cultivators, such a set is merely a dream; for me, however, it holds immense value. I already possess one Yin-Yang Robe. With the acquisition of the Hou Tu Boots, I now have half of the set complete. Moreover, I wonder whether completing two such sets will unlock any synergistic effects." Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of enthusiasm. As his cultivation level advanced, the utility of his existing items gradually diminished. His primary offensive tools—the "Frenzied Fighter Gloves," the "Explosive Pistol," and the "Bloodthirsty Blade"—had begun to fall behind. Even the rule-based item, the red ballet shoes, seems lacking when faced with a Saint. This disparity becomes even more pronounced after one is elevated to the rank of Saint. Thus, he finds himself in an awkward position—though he has many items, they do not match his current level. The Heavenly Sacrifice Set is different; it inherently possesses Saint-level quality. Once the set is complete, it may directly rival or even surpass the equipment of the Dominant Realm, offering growth potential and usability all the way through the Dominant Realm. The gap between a Spirit Realm practitioner with such equipment and one without is therefore significant. He reopened the official forum and clicked on the post to read: ["Just yesterday, the Taimei Gate official forum suddenly issued an announcement stating that this year they will jointly host a tournament with the Wu Xing Alliance.众所周知, the Ye You Shen is a top-tier profession, with an average combat strength surpassing the other seven lawful roles. I wonder if the strong players from the Wu Xing Alliance are now feeling the pressure."] ["Of course, in recent years, the Wu Xing Alliance has produced an impressive array of talents—there's Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, a rising prodigy at the Transcendent stage; Fu Qingyang, hailed as invincible at the Saint level; and several other seasoned champions. This year's tournament is sure to be nothing short of spectacular."] 【Longer days lie ahead: The Celestial Sovereign isn't up to par, but Fu Qingyang's prospects are promising.】 How could I possibly be falling short? You, of all people, criticized me last time during the Li Xianzong incident—were you jealous of me? Zhang Yuanqing gave a mental scoff. 【Call me Queen: The Yuan Shi Celestial Sovereign still has a realistic chance to reach the top three—perhaps the person above is envious.】 【Longer days lie ahead: Not at all jealous, Queen. I'm not a critic of the Celestial Sovereign. My assessment is objective. First, Yuan Shi is a newcomer, and while he's progressing quickly, he can't escape the fact that he's still a rookie. Qualities that develop over time—mental resilience, practical experience, physical techniques—are his weaknesses.】 【Longer days lie ahead: Moreover, he's only just reached level 3. I recall you mentioned personally that he achieved level 3 within the Yin-Yang Town instance. So his current experience points should be under 10%.】 Indeed, among the Taiyuan Sect's senior Level-3 practitioners, there are many with over 90% experience points, and these individuals are well-equipped with powerful artifacts. Therefore, facing such seasoned masters, the Heavenly Sovereign lacks a clear advantage. Long-term perspective: Ultimately, the senior Level-3 practitioners within the Taiyuan Sect all have spiritual attendants and shadow corpses. I'm not fully aware of the Heavenly Sovereign's situation—should he also possess such attendants and corpses, then he might still close the gap; otherwise, not quite. Long-term perspective: The Heavenly Sovereign's primary strength lies in his renowned reputation, which has made him the emblem of the Five Elements Alliance's extraordinary stage. As a result, many perceive him as invincible. Even when Li Xianzong launched his hunt against the Sovereign, it was largely driven by his fame. Lady Consort: This person upstairs claims not to be envious, yet his words subtly diminish the Heavenly Sovereign. You're absolutely right—yet even among the senior Level-3 practitioners, the Heavenly Sovereign is no weak contender; he simply lacks a strong chance at winning the championship. I believe there's a solid chance of making it into the top five, or even the top three. [Head孢 paired with wine gets better with each sip—my only hope is that the Houtu Boots don’t get snatched away by someone from Taimei Gate. I remember our Five Elements Alliance has several strong 3rd-level performers who are quite reserved. Who should we compile a list of?] [Wang Tai: Regarding the list, our scholars from each division have formed a small group, currently consolidating data on all 3rd-level practitioners across the Five Elements Alliance and Taimei Gate. Using metrics such as equipment, combat techniques, and past performance records, they’ve developed an intelligent algorithm. By tomorrow afternoon, they’ll be able to generate a ranked list based on big data analysis.] So this is why you’ve been working late nights and putting in extra effort? Zhang Yuanqing didn’t continue reading the comments. The one who said, "The days will grow longer," actually put it quite realistically—Zhang Yuanqing knew his own true standing. At the beginning of the 3rd level, with foundational combat skills and without relying on any props, his abilities are solid. But to outperform those at the extraordinary stage? Take Li Xianzong, for instance. Now, without relying on the Yin-Yang robe, he can only claim to be able to compete with others on equal footing—far from having a guaranteed victory. At best, it's a 50-50 chance, or even a 40-60 split. "Experience points can no longer be gained. My solo spiritual realm hasn't arrived yet—scheduled for late May, when the tournament has already concluded. The only way to compensate for my combat strength now is through the Yin Corpse. "I hope Xiao Yuan follows through and swiftly hunts the Enchanted Beasts." Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly spotted a post: #Historical Tournament Formats—Predicting This Year's Tournament Structure# Is there still a tournament format? Zhang Yuanqing's mind stirred, and he reached for the post, only for the bedroom door to be violently swung open. He had already heard the footsteps and wasn't surprised, calmly glancing over. Yet when he saw his grandmother holding a broom, Zhang Yuanqing's face tightened with concern, and he quickly set down his phone, instinctively straightening his posture: "Grandmother? Grandma?" Grandma slid the handle of the broom over her grandson’s neck and said coldly, “They say you’re being supported financially?” “You don’t learn a single thing from your uncle—how about eating off the shelf?” Zhang Yuanqing’s first reaction was: My cousin has betrayed me! But then he thought of his cousin’s maturity and steadiness—he wouldn’t do something so mean as to betray his younger brother, so he carefully asked, “Who told you that?” Grandma sneered, “By the time tomorrow morning comes, it’ll be all over the neighborhood. You didn’t come home yesterday in your aunt’s sports car, did you?” So it was this matter after all. Zhang Yuanqing argued, “That doesn’t prove I’m being supported.” Grandma glanced at him sideways, “Would people who gossip care about that? Besides, given your personality, being supported seems entirely possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if you eventually became a son-in-law to someone else.” With a firm press of the broom, Grandma snapped, “Now tell me—aren’t you being supported?” Grandma is a traditional woman and absolutely refuses to accept the idea of her grandson being treated as a ‘white-faced’ man, being supported financially. Zhang Yuanqing then repeated the arguments he had used to persuade his elder brother. After listening, Grandma's expression slightly softened, and she took the broom from around her grandson's neck and said, "Really?" "Yep!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded eagerly. "Then that's good enough!" Grandma changed her tone: "If you invite her over for dinner at my place, I'll believe you." "Oh?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly looked stunned. Grandma chuckled coldly: "With just your word, I'd be foolish to easily believe you. After all, I've been married to your grandfather for decades!" "...Right." "Then it's settled!" Grandma made no further room for argument. "You decide the time—any day this week will do!" With that, she picked up the broom and left, hurrying out the door. She needed to explain to the neighborhood caregivers that her grandson wasn't being pampered—he had actually met a wealthy girlfriend. Old Chen had been a police officer all his life and still enjoyed considerable respect in the neighborhood. Old Chen's reputation couldn't be ruined by this little troublemaker. Though the reputation of the family's wayward members, relying on others for support, had long been established.