After dismissing the female assistant, Xie Lingxi opened the chat app on her phone and sent a message to Yuan Shǐ Tianzun: "Bro Yuan, because of you, I've had a falling out with my mother." Yuan Shǐ Tianzun: "What's going on? My mother didn't issue me a check to let me go, did she?" Xie Lingxi sent a [bashful, gentle smile] emoji: "What if my mother actually issued me a check, asking me to let you go—would you agree to leave?" Yuan Shǐ Tianzun: "What nonsense!" Just as Xie Lingxi was about to reply with a happy emoji, she saw Yuan Shǐ Tianzun send back: "Of course I'd agree! Why wouldn't I take money that's being offered for free? I'm not stupid." Xie Lingxi: "..." She gave a slight sigh and then slowly began to explain about her mother's request for the invitation letter. Every time Xie Lingxi chats with Yuan Shǐ Tianzun, she likes to digress and talk about various unrelated topics so she can keep the conversation going longer. At first, Yuanshi Brother was very attentive to her and would often seize the opportunity to request photos of her in black stockings showcasing her legs, or in short skirts revealing her shoulders. However, Xie Lingxi always hesitated and kept pushing back. Over time, Yuanshi Brother gradually stopped paying her much attention. Xie Lingxi had heard from her mother that men are like this—they only consider a woman a goddess once they offer her something in return; without such benefits, she means nothing to them. In principle, she should occasionally offer Yuanshi Brother small favors to keep him engaged, but Xie Lingxi had her own way of thinking. Based on her observations, Yuanshi Brother was someone who appeared carefree and charming on the surface but actually didn't pay much attention to women. He would notice and engage with girls who were physically attractive and well-dressed, but he would tend to keep a respectful distance from those who were more free-spirited and unstructured. Thus, Xie Lingxi was simply using a different method to keep him interested. Yuanshi Tianzun: "Ah, so this is your ungratefulness. Mother wants to attend the match—how could you not arrange it? Is that invitation truly worth The aunt can always come to me—whether it's about money or not, it really comes down to your favor. Yuan Shi is truly embarrassing... Xie Lingxi: "Yuan Shi is the best." ... A bit scattered with savings, Crab Lake Villa. In the room filled with sandalwood incense, there are wicker chairs, a tea table, a screen, and a tea tray. A plain middle-aged woman picks up a small tweezers, gently crushes the tea cakes, and slowly brews the tea with graceful, measured movements. By the tea table, on a wicker chair, a beautiful woman in a pale peach-colored dress lounges lazily. She sets down her phone, frowns slightly at her delicate nose, and murmurs: "This troublesome daughter has agreed so readily—she must surely be trying to deceive me." Her figure is full-figured and graceful, with a flat stomach like that of a young girl, yet her bust is notably fuller than that of any young woman. Her hips are well-rounded, creating a soft, full curve as she settles into the wicker chair. She appears to be in her early thirties, with a lovely, oval face and bright, lively eyes accentuated What's precious is that amidst her mature grace, there lingers a touch of youthful innocence. The woman looked across the tea tray at the middle-aged woman and said, "Ms. Wang, could you run over to Songhai and fetch me the invitation?" The middle-aged woman sighed, "Madam, why must you be so particular with the young lady?" The woman smiled gently, "That girl, she's always talking about Yuan-Shi Tian-Zun—'my Yuan-Shi brother' on one side, 'my Yuan-Shi brother' on the other. Clearly, she's developing feelings. I must go see for myself." Ms. Wang shook her head, "Is it really that true?" The woman then straightened up, crossed her arms, and scolded, "I'm going to make her realize who's the mother and who's the child. If she doesn't bring me the invitation, I'll fetch it myself—does she think she can overthrow me?" ... Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. In the chief's office, Zhang Yuanqing bit on her straw and took a sip of the cold cola. "I checked with Fu Qingyang—he has no idea what the final arena will be like. Since it's a newly established instance, there won't even be a strategy guide available." Guan Ya, sitting by the sofa, brought her black silk long legs together and said. On the opposite single sofa, Li Dongze held a cigar in his hand, murmuring, "We don't need to worry about these unusual complications. Since the chieftains themselves are personally involved, no contestant will have any prior knowledge of the instance before it officially launches." Elder Zhenyan, speaking with steady confidence, added, "However, we can roughly deduce the type of instance based on external elements. First, it won't be a death-based instance—this should be self-evident." Guan Ya and Zhang Yuanqing nodded in agreement. An S-tier difficulty, non-death type—this is the only scenario in which such instances typically appear. If the instance were naturally generated within the spiritual realm, non-death types would be rare even among A-tier instances. S-tier instances are almost always death-based. Zhenyan Shizhong continued, "Secondly, the core of the quest lies in combat—competition, and the determination of the top three. Therefore, the quest's narrative itself won't be overly complex; I mean, not complex, but not difficult. If the narrative were too intricate, the outcome would hinge on who excels at puzzle-solving. In Li Dongze's view, puzzle-solving won't carry such a heavy weight. In any quest or contest, strength always comes first, followed by intelligence. Although intelligence often enables victories through underdog strategies, such as defeating stronger opponents or outmaneuvering larger forces, it should never be forgotten that in the face of overwhelming strength, everything else remains fragile. Jingwei possessed extraordinary talent, capable of unleashing power on par with the early stage of a Sage. If the Earth God had faced her at that moment, he would have likely sustained serious injuries. "As for Sun Miao-miao, she probably just avoided direct confrontation, delayed the battle, and waited out Jingwei's peak performance. But Zhao Chenghuang—without relying on any shadow corpses, without summoning spiritual attendants or using tools—he fought directly with his own strength and emerged victorious." Li Dongze remarked with admiration. "I was there that day. Zhao Chenghuang's move was unprecedented—so powerful that even Yuan Shi, you must admit, if it had been you facing her, you wouldn't have stood a chance." I can use my Yin-Yang robe and red dancing shoes to keep her engaged, but both tools have limited durations—the robe lasts ten minutes, the shoes five minutes. As long as I don't exhaust Zhao Chenghuang within that window, I'm certain to lose. And that doesn't even count Zhao Chenghuang's own tools or spiritual attendants... Zhang Yuanqing silently sighed, maintaining a composed smile. "Commander, don't you think Zhao Chenghuang's move was rather unrefined Li Dongze was taken aback, then nodded vigorously: "Yes, extremely unrefined!" He was very satisfied with Zhang Yuanqing's assessment. At that moment, Wang Tai, with his messy hair, glazed eyes fixed on his dark circles, pushed open the office door and said weakly, "Yuanshǐ, the new ranking list prepared by the scholars has just been released—please log in to the official platform to view it." Zhang Yuanqing brightened: "Good, thank you." Wang Tai nodded: "Just leave me alone unless there's something urgent." Zhang Yuanqing, Guan Ya, and Li Dongze all looked down at their phones simultaneously. #The Top Eight Rankings Are Now Officially Released# 【1: Zhao Chenghuang】 Past performance: Has cleared two A-rank and four B-rank dungeons (note: we only record dungeons at B-rank and above). 【2: The Earth God】 Past performance: Has cleared one A-rank and six B-rank dungeons. 【3: Sun Miao-miao】 Past performance: Has cleared one A-rank and three B-rank dungeons. 【4: Yuanshǐ Tianzun. Previous achievements: Has cleared two S-rank, one A-rank instances. Note: The A-rank instance, Yin Yang Town, reportedly features a hidden quest that the Primordial Immortal, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, first unlocked. [5: Heaven's Unification under Fire.] Previous achievements: Has cleared three A-rank and six B-rank instances. [6: Aural Impairment.] Previous achievements: Has cleared nine B-rank instances. [7: Qing Song Zi.] Previous achievements: Has cleared one A-rank and three B-rank instances. [8: Yuan Ting.] Previous achievements: Has cleared four B-rank instances. "Zhao Chenghuang's status remains unshakable; throughout the entire process, we have not seen him deploy any powerful artifacts or elite spiritual attendants. Prior to the rankings being announced, our team experienced a disagreement over the standings of Sun Miao Miao and Yuan Shi Tian Zun, ultimately deciding to maintain the top three positions. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that Yuan Shi Tian Zun's likelihood of surpassing Sun Miao Miao is very high." 】 【"As a wise master of the Flame School, Flame Ranking No. 5 is well-deserved. Yuan Ting has solid strength, but he hasn't shown any outstanding performance in dungeon conquests, so we've placed him at the bottom of the list."】 Guan Ya, after reading the post, smiled and said, "Indeed, Yuan Shenshan has climbed to fourth place and shows real promise of overtaking Sun Miao Miao to claim third position." "Besides first place, all other rankings are the same to me," Zhang Yuan thought internally. Third place is no better than fourth—what's the point of awarding me a 'cute hair clip' then? Isn't that just a fashion gimmick for women's wear? The credibility of this ranking is strong—aside from some debate over Yuan Shenshan's position, everyone else's rankings have no disputes. 【Call me Queen: These bookish folks only focus on data. You never know just how impressive Yuan Shenshan is in actual dungeon campaigns.】 The Queen took the lead in championing Yuan Shenshan's cause. "Hmph, Yuan Shenshan, the Queen is already becoming your devoted fan-follower—does that bring "Guan Ya lifted her red lips and smiled, saying, 'Would you like to do something special for your fans? For instance, some sports that are particularly beloved by Scorpios.' Ah, here we go—she's testing me again... Zhang Yuanqing spoke with confidence and firmness, declaring, 'Guan Ya姐, please don't undermine the pure friendship between me and the Queen!' He first clarified his relationship with other women, then used a well-chosen phrase to praise Guan Ya's interests, adding, 'Guan Ya姐 has been very supportive of me professionally, and I'm someone who always strives to repay kindness with gratitude.' Guan Ya was slightly taken aback, her smile growing even more radiant. What a life mentor! I'll be offering my prayers to her every day now... Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of renewed confidence. 'Cough, cough!' Li Dongze said firmly, 'I can grant you two hours of leave. Now, please leave my office.' ... In the evening. Zhang Yuanqing sent away his aunt, who had come to play games in his room, changed into pajamas, and prepared to go to bed early, so he could be in top form for tomorrow's quest." As he drifted toward sleep, he simultaneously prepared contingency plans for tomorrow's battle strategy. "Facing the top three contenders, the extraordinary-tier items stored in the White Guard's faction warehouse won't be sufficient. For the contestants outside the top three, my own inventory is enough to handle them—so I won't need to request items from Fu Qingyang tomorrow." "In fact, having the scholars rank me fourth is quite reasonable. As long as the top three remain unchanged, those three will still appear as the greatest threats in the eyes of others, which gives me the opportunity to form alliances and consolidate support." "Once inside the arena, I'll need to find allies. Yuan Ting, though a member of the Taiyin Sect, is the one I know best among the others—so I can secure him as a reliable partner. The rest I'll address later." He silently pondered, yet for some reason, a persistent restlessness lingered within him. Zhang Yuanqing reflected inwardly and understood the source of his agitation. Zhao Chenghuang's formidable command over the power of Taiyin. Though he never actively mentioned it, it was undeniable that, as a fellow night wanderer who had witnessed Zhao Chenguang's performance, he felt a sense of disappointment. Equally ranked at level three, Zhao Chenguang's spiritual scroll technique was flawless, having successfully crafted a level-four yin corpse and wielding an exceptional command over the power of Taiyin. The feeling of being outpaced in every aspect was deeply uncomfortable. "If only I could master this technique," Zhang Yuan thought. "Then I could close the gap and truly have the standing to compete with Zhao Chenguang." But I can't— I lack this exquisite, refined mastery. Zhang Yuan silently pulled the blanket over himself, covering his head. Time to sleep. Sleep. The room fell into quiet, the air conditioner blowing a steady stream of cool air. After a few seconds, Zhang Yuan suddenly pushed the blanket aside and sat up, flipping over. "Perhaps I can do it..." With a thought, Zhang Yuqing realized that Zhao Chenghuang's extraordinary ability to "explode" stemmed from his exceptional mastery over his body and the power of the Taiyin. This mastery kept him in a delicate balance. He could achieve the same kind of supreme control over his body. Indeed, by triggering his long-standing illness. In that state, his brain would operate at maximum capacity—his memory would be exceptional, and his bodily control would also enhance. Once his illness flared up, if he could then drive the Taiyin power into a state of frenzy and then use his strong self-control to tame and balance it, wouldn't he be able to achieve the same "explosion" as Zhao Chenghuang? As soon as this idea formed, Zhang Yuqing could no longer fall back asleep. He got up from the soft bed, opened the drawer on the nightstand, and poured out the remaining half of the pills, holding them gently in his hands. His old ailment flared up again, compounded by the loss of control over the Taiyin energy—there was a real chance he might be sent away immediately. During the attempt, he must remain calm; as soon as he felt overwhelmed, he had to stop right away and take the pills. Standing by the bedside, he took a deep breath and then closed his eyes, visualizing his father's appearance. Suddenly, the skin beneath his sleepwear turned bluish-black and spread rapidly. In a matter of moments, Zhang Yuanqing's complexion had transformed entirely to a deep, bluish-black, and he felt a tingling sensation rising from his fingertips. Looking down, he saw his ten fingers now bearing long, dark, sharp nails, wrapped around faint, almost imperceptible strands of black energy. "Good heavens, it's so painful—my body feels as if it's being torn apart..." he stammered, staggering toward the full-length mirror by the window. Facing himself in the mirror, he saw a monstrous figure with crimson pupils, a fierce expression, and a bluish-black complexion. "Did I succeed?" he exclaimed with delight, and the monster in the mirror responded with a grim, toothy smile. At that moment, a sharp pain surged through his brain, and signs of instability began to appear in his Taiyin energy. He immediately swallowed the small blue pills in his hand. The brain pain subsided, and under the strength of his self-control, the Taiyin energy stabilized. He simply watched himself in the mirror, passing three or four minutes, before the brain pain returned. This time, he swallowed several more blue pills and then Zhang Yuanqing collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, gasping for breath. Waves of fatigue washed over him. While still conscious, he quickly assessed: "Without the blue pills, the burst of strength lasts about thirty seconds. Taking six or seven pills sustains it for three minutes. Without drug resistance, the small pills at home should be enough to keep me in a burst state for ten minutes." "I... I can also now unleash a strength surpassing the extraordinary stage..." Zhang Yuanqing cracked his mouth into a smile, then fell into deep sleep.