"Why is it that Yuanshishitan is being charged as a suspect? Aren't they ridiculous? At this very moment, they should be targeting Zhao Chenghuang—after all, who's the most capable should be the one to step up. Any narrative they come up with is just a cover-up. What a bunch of dullards!" "The unification of the world under fire is a disgrace for the Chihuo Clan, a disgrace for the Fire Master himself. He simply doesn't embody the qualities of a true Fire Master." Fire Masters on the stands erupted in anger. The unfolding drama in the conference room left the audience outside completely stunned—hardly the straight-laced Fire Masters, even other professions found it utterly unbelievable. Yuanshishitan is indeed an expert at conquering the spiritual realms, but conquering a specific quest depends on the current state and the nature of the challenges within the quest. Yuanshishitan, no matter how skilled, isn't a jack-of-all-trades; when faced with a domain outside his expertise, he's highly likely to falter. In contrast, Zhao Chenghuang's combat strength remains a constant—steady and unchanging, unaffected by the difficulty of the quest. Therefore, eliminating Zhao Chenghuang first "Actually, the choice to prioritize Tian Shi Gui Huo is sound—he aims for the championship, and a S-tier raid presents a solid opportunity. However, with Yuan Shi Tian Zun still in the game, he lacks confidence in defeating Yuan Shi Tian Zun in the raid phase. It makes sense to secure Yuan Shi Tian Zun's spot first, unless Tian Shi Gui Huo truly doesn't want to win. "Tian Shi Gui Huo shows real strategic thinking—he's clearly different from the other fire practitioners. But that one who's a complete musical novice? I think he's actually the true fire practitioner. If the five representatives from the Wu Xing Alliance form a coalition, it becomes a five-versus-three scenario. This round ends in a draw, with everyone losing points. Then, during the raid, the five of them work together to eliminate the Tai Men representatives. The top three spots will then be decided among our Wu Xing Alliance members. That way, the Hou Tu boots won't fall into Tai Men's hands." The speaker was a middle-aged man, deeply distressed, passionately criticizing the musical novice. His spiritual realm ID was "Ceftriaxone with Wine—The More You Drink, the Better It Gets." Yet for groups less driven by collective pride, the members of Lingjing Family were now buzzing with excitement, talking loudly and full of enthusiasm, as if a grand drama were reaching its climax. "Interesting—didn't the Primordial Sovereign specialize in conquering S-tier masters? This kind of opening should truly showcase his skills. Any other contender would fall flat in comparison." "Stimulating! The match has already been so dynamic from the start. How will the Primordial Sovereign prove himself clear of accusations? Can he possibly win against seven opponents? It feels like this segment will become one of the most dazzling and hard-to-mimic moments in recent tournament history—provided, of course, that the Primordial Sovereign isn't just a name on paper." "This is so much more exciting than just mindlessly going through the rounds." In a corner, the woman with a round face turned to her daughter, furrowing her delicate brows with concern. "Baby, the situation for your Primordial brother isn't looking promising at all." Xie Lingxi didn't panic at all: "Don't worry, Brother Yuanshi won't lose so easily. You wouldn't believe how dangerous his situation was at Jinshui Water Park—far more perilous than what we're facing now." Xie Mother's eyes lit up and she hugged her daughter's shoulders, "Quick, tell me everything! I'll be sure to boast about it to the ladies at the house." To prove her innocence... Annette's deep, sea-blue eyes gazed at the blurred scene in the air, saying, "The Night Traveler isn't a scout. Solving the case should be Yuanshi's weakness, then." She gently furrowed her brows. Beside her, Mr. Bill corrected, "Not a weakness—actually, the correct Chinese term is: a 'shortcoming'!" Implied in his words was his agreement with Annette. "Rongrong, Yuanshi will be eliminated in the first round!" The young man with a neat, well-groomed appearance looked full of enthusiasm at the beautiful woman beside him. But suddenly, his expression of envy froze—he saw that Zhu Rong's brows were tightly furrowed, her face gloomy, clearly unhappy. The young face, silently swallowing the subsequent jibes, revealed a deepening sense of jealousy on his delicate, graceful features. As someone close to him, he could clearly sense that Zhu Rong's growing interest in Yuan Shiyi Tianzun was gradually causing her to pay less attention to the other handsome young men around her, her attitude growing cold and distant. On the elder's bench, Hong Ying, turning her head to look at the elderly monk sitting one position away—the Dog Elder—smiled gently and said, "Old Dog, what types of S-tier achievements did this young man have before? Could you assess whether he's capable of passing this stage?" Sun, arms folded and chin raised, huffed, "I think not!" The Dog Elder ignored him, paused, and said, "I believe it should be fine!" Hong Ying raised an eyebrow, instantly showing interest, "Then we'll have to keep our eyes open." At that moment, the slightly blurred image on the field gradually became clear. … The surroundings came into focus. He found himself in a small, cramped room, bare of furnishings. Three items were stacked on the floor: a briefcase, a dark wooden box, and a ceramic bowl. The bowl contained a large, damp clump of soil. Nothing else occupied the room. Yet he noticed a hole in the wall directly ahead—about the size of a clenched fist—through which he could see the scene beyond. This must be the cell where he had been detained. What would happen next? Would the other contestants come to fetch him for questioning? Zhang Yuanqing took in his surroundings and suddenly realized that his nightgown was gone. He now wore a light blue casual suit, with trousers and leather shoes. The edges of his shirt and the cuffs of his pants were still stained with blood. "Is this my body?" he was startled to think, quickly raising his hand to his face and then to his earlobes. Only when he confirmed the sensation did he breathe easier—his body was indeed his own, though the clothes had changed. Bloodstains… Zhang Yuanqing removed his clothes to inspect. He saw large, patchy streaks of blood on the back of his casual suit, and several spots of fresh blood on the cuffs of his pants. "Are these from the victim?" Zhang Yuanqing put on his suit again, his eyes settling on the three items lying on the ground. He stepped over and picked up the black lacquered box, instantly revealing a dialogue box in his field of vision: 【Item: Ashes of the Spirit Entity】 【Note: Upon touching the ashes, they can be transformed into a spiritual form. Note that the ashes cannot be moved to an adjacent room unless used.] 【Item: Sacred Porcelain】 【Note: The porcelain continuously produces soil, which has the ability to restore the physical state.] Two conflicting task items—what use are they? He retracted his hand and picked up his briefcase, inside which were: a broken pair of glasses, a smartphone, and a manuscript of a novel. 【Item: Glasses】 【Note: These are your glasses. You have 500 degrees of nearsightedness. They broke accidentally during your visit to Professor Li last night.] 】 【Item: Smartphone】 【Note: You've secretly recorded a video of last night's conversation, which you intend to use as leverage against Professor Li.] 【Item: Manuscript】 【Note: You're a highly valued colleague of Professor Li, but due to a decline in your work quality, you're at risk of being dismissed. Therefore, you've come to Beijing with this manuscript specifically to persuade Professor Li to continue working together.] “These should be the key pieces of evidence proving my innocence. The note on the manuscript provides me with a motive for murder, while the video on my smartphone serves to weaken that motive…” Zhang Yuanqing reviewed the items and was now considering what to do next. A notification from the spiritual realm sounded in his ears: 【Ping! The detective team is en route to execute you. You must escape the room and reach the crime scene within eight minutes. The crime scene is Room 404, Building 3 of the Teacher's Dormitory.】 【Hint 1: The key is in the adjacent room.】 【Hint 2: Your abilities have been sealed. Nothing in the room can be damaged or moved.】 】 【Tip 3: In this level, you have one opportunity to use an item.】 Huh... Listening to the spirit realm's prompt, Zhang Yuanqing's pupils constricted, and his gaze grew dull for several seconds. Proving his innocence wasn't enough—he now had to escape the room as well? Escape the room, escape the room... He glanced around, then walked to the window, punching it with a force that sent him recoiling from the invisible pressure. "The prompt isn't misleading—the items in the room cannot be damaged. Therefore, the action of using the Bloodthirsty Blade and the Brutal Glove to break through the door can be abandoned. Instead, he must follow the rules and obtain the key from the room next door." Zhang Yuanqing approached the wall on the west side and peered through the opening to observe the adjacent room. It was also a sealed room, with walls on all four sides, no doors, no windows, and no furnishings. The dim chandelier dispelled the darkness, and a bronze key lay on the central floor. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he turned his attention to the dark box—now he knew exactly how to use it. Opening the box, inside was a pale, powdery substance. As Zhang Yuanqing's fingertip touched the ashes, his body instantly transformed into a semi-transparent spirit. Immediately, he drifted toward the door, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier. In his field of vision, a dialog box appeared: 【This door must be opened with a key!】 Indeed, no bugs to be caught—he had to fetch the key from the adjacent room. Time was limited, so he didn't hesitate. Turning around, he plunged into the wall. He arrived in the neighboring room, drifting directly toward the key. Yet, as he reached out to grasp it, his palm passed right through the brass key—his spirit form could not touch solid objects. He couldn't pick it up. After a few seconds of contemplation, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. He swiftly penetrated the wall and returned to his original room. Then, he reached out and touched the damp soil in the ceramic bowl. The very next moment, his body shed its spirit state and returned to its original form. Zhang Yuanqing lifted a handful of soil from the bowl and walked to the wall with the hole, tossing the soil through the opening. This would allow him to exit the spiritual state in the adjacent room and retrieve the key. He then spread the ashes of the vengeful spirit on the soil, transforming back into a spiritual being. As he reached through the wall to pick up the soil on the ground, his body suddenly stiffened. It wasn't right—whenever he touched it, his body would return to normal, and he would be unable to go back... Zhang Yuanqing recoiled as if electrified. "Escaping the sealed room isn't as simple as I'd imagined," he quickly reviewed the details. "To enter the adjacent room, I must use the vengeful spirit's ashes; to obtain the key, I must touch the soil. But once I touch the soil, I return to my physical form and can no longer pass through the wall. Meanwhile, the ashes can't be brought here—once I regain my physical form here, I can't return. This is a dead end." As he thought about it, Zhang Yuanqing grew increasingly anxious. "Since the spirit realm's prompt, it's been nearly two minutes now—six minutes remain. How can we break through this deadlock?" "All items in the room, including the walls, windows, and doors, cannot be damaged. However, I may use one item once. With the Yin-Yang Robe, I can establish a large array with a diameter of thirty meters. Within this array, I can appear at any point of my choice. But this challenge allows only one item usage. I've already used the Yin-Yang Robe, so I'll no longer be able to use the Observer's Glasses to examine the crime scene. Without that, I'm certain to lose." The Observer's Glasses enhance observational and analytical abilities, which is why, when voted as a suspect, Zhang Yuanqing had initially held onto a desperate, last-minute counterattack hope. Now, however, he realizes that turning the tide will be extremely difficult. "Indeed, this is a true S-tier challenge—being named a suspect effectively means elimination. It's quite tough." He thought for several minutes, but couldn't come up with a solution, growing increasingly anxious. Had he not been in a spiritual state, he would have already been sweating profus "There are just five minutes left—what should I do? What should I do? How could it be that the very Grand Master of the Primordial Origin, the one they've always praised so highly, ends up eliminated right from the start? That would be utterly humiliating. All the praise they've given me in the past will now turn into ridicule." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing forced himself to remain calm—yet the more urgent the situation, the more his thoughts grew scattered. Solving problems requires skill. Sometimes, when a problem cannot be resolved, we can instead focus on the person who created it. When we can't grasp the problem itself, we can consider the person who brought it about—such as their intention in designing this particular challenge. "From the perspective of the scenario's design, the core of this stage is for the suspect to prove their innocence. Every obstacle and difficulty is laid out specifically to support this point. Therefore, before the final assessment, every challenge and hurdle must inherently offer a chance of success. Otherwise, the meeting room would not select the suspect at all—instead, it would eliminate the very ones who face the difficulties." "From a narrative standpoint, setting a deadlocked situation in this stage—thus eliminating one contestant—that would seem rather trivial. The contestant wouldn't be satisfied, and the audience would feel it's unfair, calling it a 'plot elimination.' Although contestants have the ability to use one piece of equipment, how can the one who designs the scenario be certain that the suspect has actually used a piece of equipment to leave the room? Therefore, there must be a way to resolve this deadlock—something that can be deduced directly from the information and props provided." Zhang Yuanqing's mind was racing at high speed, like a machine operating under heavy load. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him—he had it! "Once the powder is applied and they transform into ethereal beings, they can indeed pass through walls. But ethereal beings can't reach the key. When they return to their normal physical forms, they grasp the key—but then can't go back. It's a complete impasse." "Isn't that a bit exaggerated? Isn't an S-tier dungeon this difficult? This is just the first challenge—my whole team is stunned." "We don't have much time; the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is going to collapse." The atmosphere was vibrant, yet the most boisterous voices belonged to the Fire Masters. Most others were quietly engaged in deep thought, silently repositioning themselves, imagining what they would do if they were the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign themselves. They even began to challenge the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign directly, vying to see who could solve the crisis first. This was excellent—precisely the kind of opportunity to test their own capabilities. Shi's mother, chatting excitedly, said, "Oh, oh, my dear, I simply can't understand what's going on! For someone like me, stepping into an S-tier dungeon—wouldn't I be dead within three seconds? Do you think Annie and Mr. Bill remained silent, each lost in thought. Guan Ya, thinking hard, said, "Fu Qingyang, have you come up with a solution?" "Yes," Fu Qingyang replied, sitting beside her. "What solution?" Guan Ya's eyes brightened, eager to hear the answer. Fu Qingyang said calmly, "He has already given it." Guan Ya immediately turned her head, directing her gaze back to the image on screen. "What does he intend to do? Has he figured it out?" Someone spoke up loudly. The murmurs instantly quieted down, and a wave of eyes turned toward the image. There, the Yuan Shi Tian Zun returned to his original chamber. He first touched the soil, dissolving his spiritual form, then picked up a ceramic bowl and walked steadily to the opening, pouring the soil in large clumps, one after another, vertically. The soil piled higher and higher, reaching the level of the opening in no time. A solid column of mud had been formed. Then, they saw Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun swiftly toss aside the ceramic bowl, pick up the black lacquered box, open the lid, and carefully place it on the mud pillar. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun touched the powder with his fingers, transitioning into a spiritual form that penetrated the walls and reached the adjacent chamber. He bent down, touching the lump of soil that had been initially dropped there, re-establishing his physical form, and hurried to the chandelier, picked up the key, and returned to the hole, where he tossed the key through it. Next, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun extended his fingers through the hole, gently touching the black lacquered box placed on the mud pillar and then the ashes inside the box. In the next instant, his body became translucent, transforming into a semi-transparent spiritual form that passed through the wall and returned to the original room. Using the soil to re-activate his physical form, he picked up the key and headed straight for the door, inserting it and opening the tightly closed door. At that moment, the audience seats surrounding the platform fell into complete silence. A few seconds later, the noise erupted, the scene exploded into a frenzy of voices. "Is this really working? Are we hitting a "Not a bug—cleverly leveraging the properties of the task items. The greatest challenge for the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is that he can no longer transform back into a spiritual form to return to the original room. The powder cannot cross into the adjacent room. Therefore, he must overcome this difficulty. However, there are no tables or chairs inside the room. Once he regains his physical form in the adjacent room, he can no longer reach the powder. So, he takes advantage of the soil’s continuous production, using it to build a pillar to hold the boxes. Although the ghostly ashes cannot enter the adjacent room, he can extend his hand to touch them. What a stroke of brilliance! I simply didn’t think of it. "Give me a moment—I can think of it too, but not so quickly. In such perilous dungeons, a faster mind is the difference between life and death. Truly, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is no ordinary contender. He’s not just lucky to pass two S-tier trials—he’s genuinely capable. Truly impressive. If he truly proves his innocence, then the other seven contestants will surely be left looking foolish." "Ah, now that you mention it, I'm truly fired up—this game is absolutely wonderful!" Bill shook his head, murmuring in admiration, "Brilliant, brilliant. I had a vague idea of this approach, but not quite as quick as he was." Anny exhaled in relief, her heart warming, and smiled warmly, "I'm now really looking forward to what he'll do next." Yuan Shi was truly outstanding... Xie Lingxi beamed with delight, only to hear her mother beside her exclaim in surprise, "That's so simple? I can definitely see it—nothing particularly difficult at all." "The foolish always judge difficulty by the answer itself..." Xie Lingxi rolled her eyes, "Building a nuclear bomb is simple—what's hard is the very first moment of its creation." "That's quite good!" Fu Qingyang smiled gently. Just as she was about to smile, Guan Ya paused—she hadn't seen Fu Qingyang smile this relaxed in years. Usually, he was either cold and composed, or coldly dismissive, or merely smiling without any real warmth. On the other side, Zhu Rong was intently staring at the young man on screen, her heavy breathing audible to the young attendant beside her. Hong Ying, the senior monk, nodded with satisfaction and smiled, "This child is quite intelligent—he has good on-the-spot judgment. Old Master Sun, you've been rather slow." Sun nodded, slightly embarrassed. Dog Master slowly said, "Yuan Shi has an exceptional talent in tackling quest challenges. Watch closely—by now, the other seven contestants are going to have trouble." Hong Ying murmured, "It's been many years since I've seen such a promising young disciple. The last one was a mage..." Her expression softened, as if recalling a moment of disappointment. ... Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his briefcase and rushed out of the chamber. He needed to reach the crime scene before the detective team arrived to arrest him, in order to find evidence proving his innocence. According to his assessment, once he reached the scene, he would have time to defend himself. If discovered anywhere outside the crime scene, he would inevitably face a full-scale assault and be eliminated. Wait here. See how I'll take down these five traitors.