The real challenge in this courtroom phase isn't gathering clues or investigating the case—the leads and evidence have already been provided. The true difficulty lies in swiftly uncovering the truth behind the case. Each contestant is given only ten minutes to present their defense. Those lacking strong deductive reasoning, keen insight, or mental agility simply cannot make sense of the entire case within that time frame. Without clarity, how can they defend themselves? Thus, when Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn calmly dismissed the evidence presented by Zhao Chenghuang, several contestants felt a sense of weight in their hearts. This opponent is indeed formidable. And when Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn found the strategy to refute the second line of evidence in under a minute, the seven contestants' demeanor had become profoundly serious. How could he have grasped the full scope of the case so quickly—only a few minutes after exiting the sealed room and arriving at the scene? Was his assumption that the murderer had been concealed within the house a mere lucky insight, or a well-prepared, confident judgment? … The Colosseum, the Elder's Gallery. Elder Hongying smiled and said, "The purpose of the design of this stage, as the Grand Masters have intended, is to test the contestants' intelligence and adaptability. In the mission, agility of mind and strong adaptability rank right after martial prowess." She turned to Elder Sun beside her and said, "Has that young man truly unraveled the entire case? He's no mere scout." Elder Sun scoffed, "He's probably just making a show of it—faking confidence. Even a scout needs time to think; how could he possibly act so swiftly?" … Indeed, Zhang Yuanqing was making a show of it. The time was too short—only just over a minute from arrival at the scene to the arrival of the detective team—leaving him no time to fully grasp the case's overall structure. Observing the bloodstains on the clothes and the issue with his glasses was a relatively straightforward matter, something that required only a bit of natural association. But how to prove the murderer was actually on-site required a complete understanding of the case's sequence of events—his reasoning for believing the murderer was present stemmed entirely from his own sense of innocence. He hadn't truly solved the case. Indeed, he hadn't fully grasped the case's essence; though he had identified the underlying logic that could overturn the evidence, he still lacked a clear, coherent narrative. As Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn remained silent, the contestants shifted from concern to growing optimism. Zhao Chenguang also silently exhaled, relieved. It had all been a show of strength. To prove the murderer was on-site would suffice to refute the evidence—but how to prove it? The scene only bore the fingerprints of three people, and the murderer had left no clear trace. Yet the murderer was undoubtedly real—definitely the one who knocked me unconscious. After knocking me out, the murderer fought with Professor Li, killed him, and then fled, leaving the scene and framing him. Yet, throughout the entire phone video—from beginning to end—no third person appears, and Wang from next door hasn't seen anyone else visiting in the afternoon either… Unless the murderer arrived very early, slipped into the room before I came, struck me unconscious immediately, killed the victim, staged the scene, and then quietly left, leaving me to bear the blame… But to prove the murderer was present in the room, evidence must be presented, and the killer’s motive and sequence of actions must be analyzed. It's been four minutes now—six more to go. Don't rush. Stay calm—especially now. At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing hears Tianxu Guihuo narrowing his eyes and smiling: “Are you acting like someone desperate, trying random solutions? How could there be a murderer in the room? If there were, why no fingerprints? Your reasoning is flawed, Yuanshishen. Time is running out. Think of another angle.” "Actually, you might want to question Professor Li's wife—perhaps she's the murderer. Of course, in that case, you'll need to figure out why you were already unconscious and Professor Li had already passed away when she arrived. "Here's an idea: she slipped home during her lecture, killed him quietly, and then left without a trace. When she returned home at the end of the class, she happened to stumble upon the scene." Stupid—Li's wife is just as unremarkable as Old Wang next door. There's hardly any information provided about them, yet the current scenario is all about mental acuity and deductive reasoning, not about gathering evidence. Zhang Yuanqing instinctively countered this in his mind. Yet soon, he realized he had been outmaneuvered. Tianxian Guihuo was merely talking at length, deliberately interrupting his thoughts and disrupting his composure. Zhao Chenguang immediately grasped Tianxian Guihuo's intention, and responded calmly: "A true Yuanshish Tianzun, losing in the very first match—doesn't that seem rather embarrassing?" "What he's saying is intended to heighten the other party's anxiety—this is a follow-up to the strategic provocation from the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign just now. ... Outside the arena, among the spectators. Elder Hongying watched the footage and smiled, saying, 'Master Sun, you're absolutely right—he's truly exaggerating.' Master Sun murmured, 'The alliance leaders are quite stingy. They knew there were no scouts among the eight finalists, yet still designed such a scenario. It's likely the female marshal's idea. With no scouts at all among the eight, she must be quite dissatisfied.' Elder Hongying asked, 'Then doesn't that mean even the last member of the White Tiger contingent has been eliminated?' Master Sun nodded gently, 'The female marshal has indeed set herself up to fail.' How am I supposed to respond to that? Elder Hongying shook her head with a smile and continued observing the match. At this moment, the spectators were most frequently murmuring, 'Four minutes now,' 'Which scout can explain this,' and 'The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign must be thinking, "This question is too difficult—I simply can't solve it."' By now, everyone has clearly grasped the point. The murder case isn't primarily testing their investigative skills—it's testing whether the suspect can, within the shortest possible time, quickly reconstruct the truth based on available information and identify a path to survival. Beyond the case's surface, it's essentially assessing whether the celestial travelers can, when facing life-or-death crises within the realm's dungeons, promptly break through their predicaments and find a way out. Even Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, someone who has successfully navigated S-tier dungeons, seems to be at a loss. … Inside Room 404, Tian Xia Gui Huo's monotonous complaints continue. Zhang Yuanqing pays no attention to the stream of words, his insights sharpened by his glasses of perception. As his thoughts rapidly unfold, he reviews every detail and suddenly spots an inconsistency. The killer could not have known he had visited in advance. Zhang was a highly sought-after guest of Professor Li. Professor Li, who taught while also writing part-time, was a well-known author. It would be rather unseemly for him to publicly mention such a visit—so he certainly wouldn't have made it into a public story. After clarifying this point, Zhang Yuanqing became open-minded and cheerful. "Ah, I see—I had been trapped in my habitual thinking. The murderer wasn't trying to frame me, nor was he hiding in the room... Zhang Yuanqing smiled warmly. "Innocent detectives, let me now reveal exactly where the murderer has been hiding." Tian Xia Gui raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly?" Zhang Yuanqing stepped back two paces and pointed to the single bed in the corner of the study. "Look here!" The group turned to examine the spot. They noticed that the central area beneath the bed had been wiped clean of dust, while the surrounding dust remained undisturbed. It appeared that someone had recently crawled beneath the bed, brushing off the dust with their body. Yuan Ting gasped, "So you're saying the murderer was actually hiding beneath the bed at that time?" Before Zhang Yuanqing could respond, Sun Miao Miao challenged his reasoning. "That's impossible. If the murderer had been beneath the bed, Professor Li would have surely been unaware of it." If Professor Li was aware of it, then what was his relationship with the murderer—someone who wanted to kill him, yet was allowed to hide beneath the bed? Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the bright-faced young woman. She was quite clever. If he followed her line of reasoning, he'd have to prove a connection between the murderer and Professor Li, but that was impossible—there simply wouldn't be enough evidence, and his deduction would come to a dead end. Zhang Yuanqing had his own thoughts and remained undisturbed, smiling, "I didn't say the person hiding beneath the bed was the murderer. The person hiding beneath the bed is Professor Li. Oh, he didn't get there himself—he was pushed underneath by the murderer." The murderer pushed him in? The contestants were taken aback. Zhao Chenghuang spoke calmly, "Then, who did the suspect see in the room?" "Of course, the murderer!" Zhang Yuanqing raised his phone, turned on the screen, and said, "Please see this video." He opened the video and oriented the phone screen toward the audience. To save time, the video was paused at the moment when the speaker said, "I no longer have any interest in your script." Zhang Yuanqing looked at the detectives, thoughtfully, and said: "The professor the suspect saw is the murderer. Therefore, he had to draw the curtains and wear a mask during the day. But I, due to my damaged glasses and blurred vision, couldn't see that the professor was a fake—thus allowing him to pass undetected." Sun Miao Miao furrowed her brows: "That doesn't add up. How could the murderer have known in advance that my glasses were damaged and my vision blurred? How could he be certain that I would definitely notice the deception? Wearing a mask can indeed be due to a cold, and drawing the curtains is a matter of personal preference. Your nearsightedness doesn't necessarily prove that the professor in question was the murderer. The dust beneath the bed could also have been removed for other reasons." "Your assumption is bold, but largely speculative—lacking solid evidence." She didn't hesitate to deploy the classic 'talking about the sky and fire' tactic, but she could find weaknesses in Yuan Shǐ Tiān Zūn's reasoning. Surveying the detectives, Zhang Yuanqing spoke with confidence: "Everyone has overlooked a detail—my status as a favored suspect of Professor Li has not been particularly光彩. Therefore, Professor Li has instructed that this meeting remain confidential. In other words, my arrival was entirely unexpected, outside the凶手's anticipation. With the insights provided by the observer glasses, Zhang Yuanqing spoke more and more fluently: "He deliberately invited me to have a drink, knocked me unconscious while I was unprepared, and then, according to plan, dragged Professor Li out of the room, stabbed him through the heart with a fruit knife, and placed the knife in my hands, leaving my fingerprints on it. I sustained an injury to my back of the head, and the force of the blow came from behind. Therefore, when I lost consciousness, I either leaned forward and collapsed or fell sideways—this explains why blood splattered onto my back and the back of my pants, as I was lying on my stomach at that time." Chang Yuanqing asked, "Young and inexperienced detectives, after watching the video, take a close look at the study—have you noticed anything missing?" Qing Songzi expressed his displeasure, saying, "Discussions may continue, but you're inserting your own agenda, seeking an opportunity for retaliation. Indeed, the study's arrangement has been completely disrupted. If I must point out something missing—it's the keyboard. The keyboard is gone." Qing Songzi then turned to the wine cabinet by the window and said, "And that bottle of wine is also missing." Chang Yuanqing gave a sharp nod, saying, "He had to take both the keyboard and the wine bottle with him, as these were items he personally touched while acting in Professor Li's name—he left fingerprints on both. The disorder and traces of struggle throughout the room were all staged to conceal the actual disappearance of the keyboard and the wine bottle." "As shown in the on-site photographs, both the keyboard and the wine bottle were already missing when the security staff arrived." And in the videos recorded by the suspect, they are there—meaning they were taken by the killer after he had knocked me out, killed the victim, and left the scene. "Therefore, the missing wine glasses and keyboard serve as concrete evidence that the killer was present in the room at that time." A well-structured, seamless argument. 【叮！Detective must prove within ten minutes that the suspect is the killer. Countdown begins…】 The seven contestants pale under the pressure, fully convinced by the Yuanshishizun's reasoning. Now it's the detective team's turn to present their evidence and point the finger at the suspect. Yet, their evidence has run out. From witness statements to fingerprints and autopsy reports, every available piece has been used—and still, the Yuanshishizun remains uneliminated. Thus, the situation has reversed. Ready-made, irrefutable proof is the detectives' strength—they don't need to think deeply; merely listing the evidence is sufficient to bring down a suspect. Yet they have one critical weakness: once the suspect successfully undermines the evidence, the detectives will find themselves in a passive position. We no longer have time to gather new evidence—we must now refute the arguments of Yuanshǐ Tianzun. This is the correct course of action once our evidence is exhausted… Sun Miaomiao turned her eyes slowly, saying, “There’s a flaw in your reasoning. If there are fingerprints on the keyboard or the wine bottle, they could simply be wiped off—there’s no need to remove them. Therefore, your reasoning falls short!” She then listened intently. Zhang Yuanqing smiled slightly, “You’re right—wiping fingerprints is indeed a viable method. However, this doesn’t contradict my reasoning. My argument is based on the disappearance of the keyboard and the wine bottle. You’re merely countering for the sake of countering, without any supporting evidence.” Indeed, the in-game prompt remained silent—Sun Miaomiao’s counterargument failed to take effect. Zhang Yuanqing added, “In fact, if we simply ask Old Wang next door—whether anyone visited Professor Li in the morning or at noon that day—we could identify the murderer. Though this falls outside the scope of our current confrontation.” "This round doesn't require us to identify the killer—Old Wang from next door is just a background figure, possibly not even present in the scene at all." "Moreover, I suspect there's something wrong with that bottle of wine. Professor Li died from a stab wound to the chest, with no other injuries. If the killer had knocked him unconscious, they would have left some trace—so how did he lose consciousness? It's likely that the killer poisoned the wine. That's why they took the bottle, and also why they took the wine glass as a piece of evidence." Tian Xiang Gui, Zhao Chenghuang, the person with poor musical taste, and others furrowed their brows, deeply pondering, striving to find evidence that could refute the reasoning of Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn. Time passed slowly, and gradually, the detectives grew increasingly frustrated, both unconvinced and helpless. Zhang Yuanqing said: "Wait a minute—seven brilliant minds can't outperform one? All of you are distinguished figures at the extraordinary stage. If this is the end, how will we face the future? There are so many spectators watching from the stands." "I'd like to name this match something memorable for future conversations—how about 'The Primordial Sovereign and the Seven Little Stouthearts'? " The tides of fortune have turned; now it's his turn to create anxiety and shake the opponents' confidence. The Primordial Sovereign and the Seven Little Stouthearts? Even the land god is visibly shaken, gritting his teeth and muttering, "Boy, you're really showing off your lack of grace today." The other six contestants look utterly devastated—they've personally experienced the power of well-chosen insults and the effectiveness of the psychological tactics, knowing now that the opposition is deliberately trying to unsettle and provoke them. Yet, despite this, they still feel emotions, get angry, and are affected. The Primordial Sovereign keeps repeating, "The Primordial Sovereign and the Seven Little Stouthearts, the Primordial Sovereign and the Seven Little Stouthearts..." Veins bulge one after another across the foreheads of the seven contestants. Finally, amid the awkward tension and rising waves of pressure, the scenario prompt sounds: 【Ping! Time's up. The detective team has failed to present their evidence. The suspect is acquitted!】 【Ping! All members of the detective team lose 10 points, the suspect gains 30 points. The match ends, and the arena will switch in three minutes!】 …… At this moment, the arena erupted with enthusiastic cheers, celebrating the remarkable comeback of this intellectual duel despite no physical combat. "Outstanding! Though there was no actual fighting, it was so thrilling—my favorite kind of comeback. It's incredibly exciting. Master Yuan Shi truly faced off against seven opponents single-handedly. He's absolutely outstanding." "Look at this—this is the genius behind the game's strategy. This is exactly the brainpower needed to clear two S-tier dungeons." "Only Master Yuan Shi is the suspect. If any other contestant had been in his position, they would have been eliminated long ago. Even Master Yuan Shi came close to falling just a moment ago." "Master Yuan Shi, the ultimate!" The atmosphere reached the peak of a concert. "Clap, clap!" Ms. Xie was thrilled, clapping her hands vigorously. "Beautiful! Truly beautiful! So much more engaging than a drama series!" My dear, you have a better eye than Mom—your choice of husband is far stronger than Dad's. Why don't we invite Yuan Shi Tian Zun to be our son-in-law? The young mother beamed with delight, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with excitement, bright as stars. Just as Xie Lingxi was about to speak, a sudden chill ran through her. Drawing on years of experience in "battle," she sensed an imminent threat. If she agreed, the sharp-witted witch would follow up with: "Oh? You too think Yuan Shi Tian Zun is stronger than your father? Then I'll tell your father!" Xie Lingxi smiled gently and said, "I think Yuan Shi brother is just as impressive as Dad." The mother nodded warmly, her expression pleased. Fu Qingyang turned his gaze to his cousin and said, "I've mentioned before—he's someone who truly shines under pressure. The more challenging the circumstances, the more his potential unfolds..." Seeing his cousin's joyful expression, her eyes full of delight, Fu Qingyang's face suddenly went stiff. The young Yuan Shishen should be dismissed—cut off all ties with Guan Ya. On the other side, Zhu Rong narrowed her eyes, her long lashes shading her gaze. To control Yuan Shishen, one must achieve mastery during the transcendent stage; once he ascends to the status of a Sage, it will be impossible to contain him. Regardless of his combat prowess, Yuan Shishen’s intelligence reminded her of the Magus. That Magus, though morally flawed, was exceptionally sharp—he had already uncovered key secrets of the Spiritual Realm during the transcendent stage. The name "Magus" stirred a wave of weakness in Zhu Rong’s legs, triggering an immediate physiological response. This deepened her resolve to subdue Yuan Shishen. At the elder’s table, Hong Ying clapped enthusiastically: "Remarkable! Remarkable!" Such a level of competition wouldn’t be a spontaneous effort from the elders, yet she found herself thoroughly engrossed. The dog elder, sitting one table over, lifted his dog head, glanced at his neighbor, the grandson elder, and remarked calmly, "Good—survived the first wave." "You just speak, what do you want me to do?" Sun elder was quite sensitive, sensing the words "You're truly dense" clearly written on the other person's face. Dog elder ignored him and said, "The next round should be a combat round; we don't yet know the rules, but several contestants will likely be eliminated." ... The feedback from the audience and the contestants inside the副本 could not be heard or seen. In just three minutes, a prompt sound from the副本 reached their ears: 【The second round is now beginning. This round is named—the Great Reporting Era!】