As Sun Miaomiao dissolved into shimmering light, Zhang Yuanqing simultaneously heard the spiritual realm's notification: 【Ping! Congratulations! You have completed the multi-player spiritual realm mission — "The Age of Large-Scale Reporting," difficulty level S. Rewards are now being settled...】 【Rewards being processed... Obtained item: Unyielding Armor (damaged) (not yet claimed)】 【Experience points awarded: 0】 【Settlement complete! The spiritual realm will exit in 30 seconds...】 Exiting the spiritual realm, hmm, is the final battle of the third stage tomorrow? Well, today has been quite exhausting, and my condition isn't great—resting one day seems perfectly reasonable. Zhang Yuanqing immediately turned his attention to the item he had acquired. The helmet given to him by the Earth God is named "The Unyielding Helmet." That means the top-scoring participant's reward is this entire set of armor. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of delight—this armor is of Saint-tier quality, and the reward is truly substantial. He immediately noticed that the armor now bore the mark of damage, whereas when he received the helmet from the Earth God, the item description had not indicated any damage. Hmm, perhaps the well-maintained armor disrupted the balance, thus becoming damaged? Well, even if it's damaged, having the complete set still makes a significant difference—my gap with Zhao Chenguang is narrowing. He then opened his inventory again, but the armor was not there. Indeed, it would only be delivered to him on the day of the final battle… Zhang Yuanqing thought. At that moment, he heard Zhao Chenguang gently exhale, and said calmly: "I've been a bit displeased today, so, Yuan Shi Tian Zun, I look forward to our battle tomorrow." "Looking forward to beating me tomorrow?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Zhao Chenguang said nothing, and gradually dissolved into light particles. … In the arena, silence prevailed. The spectators looked up, gazing at the images on screen, though the crowd was thick with heads, none of them spoke. Among them, even the senior elders in high positions at Taigong Sect appeared slightly stiff, while the elders of the Five Elements Alliance were equally astonished, staring in disbelief at the image. The way the Prime Immortal turned the tide against the odds left these sovereign-tier masters utterly amazed. As supreme beings at the pinnacle of their strength, even when engaging in intense, dramatic battles during their extraordinary phases, such feats typically failed to stir strong emotional responses among the sovereigns—much like adults observing children fighting, finding it entertaining but not particularly thrilling. Yet what the Prime Immortal achieved was not due to sheer combat prowess, but rather to his meticulous strategy and foresight, laying out a well-prepared plan in advance. Even the senior elders had not anticipated that he had been calculating every move for Sun Miao-miao from the very beginning, proactively securing a safety net. Most importantly, no one had noticed it. Indeed, no one had noticed it. It was Sun Miao-miao who had volunteered to hold the spiritual servant, who had happily cradled and gently manipulated the infant, and who had actively inquired about the reporting procedures. The entire process showed no deliberate strategy, yet it completely subdued Sun Miaomiao—this performance was equally stunning even to the elders. "This young man, so young, yet so treacherous," murmured Sun Elder, his mouth twitching with frustration. Zhao Elder, dressed in black robes, furrowed his brow, his composed demeanor now somewhat undermined. He had just boasted about his grandson's strategic acumen, only for his words to be immediately refuted by Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun. Now, his grandson had become Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's stepping stone for acclaim, merely a supporting player. "Zhao Elder, I believe my young protégé has a solid strategic mind," said Dog Elder, lifting his paw and gently stroking his side whiskers. The elders from the Five Elements Alliance smiled, their expressions now bright and approving—contrasting sharply with the earlier silence and dissatisfaction. Thus, even if Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun failed to secure the championship, he would firmly maintain second place, preserving the alliance's dignity. "The old man from the Red Fire Clan," chuckled the elderly Red Fire Clan elder, "you still seem to be missing the point." Laughter rang out, filling the elder's seats with a lively atmosphere. At that moment, the two figures in the image gradually dissolved into shimmering light particles, finally breaking the silent stillness—much like a container of dynamite had been ignited, sending out a powerful explosion. It was as if a concert had reached its climax, or a decisive goal had been scored by a player in a crucial match. "Whoa! This twist is absolutely incredible—out of this world!" "I never realized he had such a hidden move. I thought poorly of him earlier when I saw the Prime Immortal taking advantage of Sun Miao-miao. Turns out, his thinking is completely different from ours." "This feels more like watching a rollercoaster than a game—so thrilling! When Yuan Ting-jiao accused Zhao Cheng-huang, I thought the Prime Immortal had won. When the voiceless one was eliminated, I thought Zhao Cheng-huang had secured victory. But then the Prime Immortal pulled off another comeback—my mind is completely overwhelmed." "Truly, a talent who has consecutively advanced through two S-rank challenges—what a performance! Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's maneuvers revealed the diversity and depth of the world. Fortunately, we still have Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn; otherwise, the top two spots would have been completely unrelated to our Wuxing Alliance." "Indeed, indeed. The elders' faces were all darkened just now." "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn! Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn!" The queen leapt up, waving her hands excitedly, just like a devoted fan supporting her favorite idol. Hua Gongzi, always proud of his charm, greatly admired such an opportunity to shine. At that moment, he heard the Queen exclaim, "I truly admire Yuan Shi Tian Zun. I thought his habit of having his spiritual attendants fondle Sun Miao Miao's chest was just a chronic issue." Guan Ya is a very reserved and refined elder sister, rarely displaying any flamboyant behavior—rarely jumping around or shouting excitedly. "No wonder she's one of my employees," the man in elegant business attire exclaimed, waving his cane wildly, much like a passionate fan waving a flag. "Oh my God! Oh my God!" His grace, however, raised a subtle question in Jiang Jingwei's mind, instantly helping him understand Guan Ya better. At the higher seats, Bill Tarantino was thrilled: "Outstanding! "What a match! This game alone has made our entire trip to China worthwhile. I never realized how dynamic and compelling the match events organized by the Five Elements Alliance could be. "Ah, yes," he added, "they always looked down on the Five Elements Alliance's match events, thinking them merely indoor games, like playing house." Abroad, there are many renowned Spirit Journey competitions featuring participants from spirit journeyers across nations, including representatives from China's seven major lawful professions. These events truly gather the finest talents. In the face of such globally oriented tournaments, the internal tournament hosted by the Five Elements Alliance naturally falls into second place—calling it a mere "playground activity" would not be an exaggeration. Notably, China and its neighboring countries belong to the same region, and smaller nations also nurture spirit journeyers such as Water Ghosts, Wood Immortals, and Night-Wanderers, though in smaller numbers, making it difficult to form a cohesive, powerful force. Most of these journeyers remain independent practitioners. Anne's cheeks are flushed with admiration and rapture: "Mr. Bill is smarter and more outstanding than I imagined. I truly like such a man." Her growing satisfaction with the Prime Sovereign has deepened to the point where she now dreams of him possibly being a Night-Wanderer on par with a Demon King. Similarly, both the mother and daughter of the Xie family are equally impressed with the Prime Sovereign. Mother Xie beamed, saying, "Isn't it far more interesting than watching TV? I'll definitely watch it every year now. This month, I finally have something to talk about with my wife friends. Yuan Shi Tian Zun is truly wonderful—I'll definitely tell Dad about him." Xie Lingxi proudly remarked, "It's not every year that someone as skilled as Brother Yuan joins." She then suddenly realized, and exclaimed, "Mom, you also think we should make an effort to bring him into our circle, don't you?" Mother Xie blinked with her innocent gaze, "What do you mean 'pulling strings'? I have no idea what you're talking about." "... " Xie Lingxi felt her cultivation still wasn't up to par—her mother was truly the one-of-a-kind white lotus. Zhu Rong held her head high, gazing blankly at the empty image, the surrounding noise gradually fading away, and the man's cold laugh echoing, "The evil dragon never cares about the contempt of the insects. In your entire life, you'll only ever be my toy." "Hmm, Lady Zhu, you're becoming more carefree these days—there's no going back to the past anymore." Zhu Rong's eyes glistened, her gaze distant and thoughtful. After a long pause, she took a deep breath, pushing away the memories from her mind, and laughed nervously, almost hysterically: "I'm going to destroy you! I'm going to destroy you!!" ... The scene before him rippled like ripples on water. When the surface settled, Zhang Yuanqing found himself in a familiar bedroom. He immediately reached for the red ballet slippers, and awkwardly danced with them. Only after finishing the dance did he turn to the nightstand, where the digital clock read 12:30 PM. It was lunchtime already... Zhang Yuanqing murmured under his breath, and then his stomach began to rumble, making soft, contented sounds. He hadn't had breakfast, having spent the entire morning in the quest realm—now he was truly hungry. He listened carefully and noticed the living room was quiet. At this time of day, his grandparents should be napping. Both of them had always enjoyed afternoon naps. Zhang Yuanqing moved quietly into the living room, and sure enough, his grandparents were napping in the bedroom, with no leftover rice or vegetables on the dining table. The family never kept leftovers; even if there were any, Grandmother would always discard them. After leaving home, he had two large bowls of yellow-braised chicken at a restaurant outside the residential complex, feeling full and satisfied as he returned home with a round, plump belly. On the way, he also bought a cup of milk tea at a street-side tea shop. "That's so refreshing!" Zhang Yuanqing half-lay on the edge of the bed, sipping the cold milk tea, enjoying the air conditioning, feeling both well-fed and relaxed. As the afternoon sun warmed the room, laziness slowly crept up his eyelids. "I'll just sleep a while—once I wake up, I'll feel refreshed," he texted Aunt Xiao Yuan, informing her that he had cleared the S-level quest and became one of only two contestants, with a battle against Zhao Chenghuang scheduled for the next day. Then he fell asleep immediately. ... Fu Family Village. At the dining table, Fu Qingyang and Ling Jun were enjoying a rich and filling lunch. As noble young gentlemen, right after stepping out of the instance, the tall, graceful rabbit maiden with a gentle voice said, "Ladies and gentlemen, lunch is ready—shall we go have it now?" How different this was from some grassroots character who had to run out and order a braised chicken dish just to have a meal. Ling Jun picked up a crisp, translucent slice of ham, savoring it while saying, "Absolutely splendid—this battle will stay with me for a long time. You have a good eye, Yuan Shi truly shows promise. Still, how do you assess his chances of victory in his final showdown tomorrow?" Fu Qingyang's composed face revealed thoughtful consideration. "In terms of raw strength, two out of ten. With powerful equipment, that rises to three out of ten. But he possesses a strong warrior's spirit—adding one more point, making it four out of ten." "Indeed, not quite five out of ten—his chances of losing seem greater," Ling Jun sighed, suddenly remarking, "You just mentioned 'warrior's spirit'? I rarely hear you use that term to describe someone who's clearly not up to par." Fu Qingyang chewed on the grilled meat, speaking calmly: "He's different from you all. He's not trash." Ling Jun was momentarily startled. Fu Qingyang offered a quiet explanation: "I've always believed that talent isn't directly linked to strength. As long as someone possesses a strong heart, even the most humble individual deserves admiration. A strong heart means never giving up, striving tirelessly, and rising to challenges in adversity. Since I first observed him at Shē Ling Tunnel until now, there's no doubt that Yuan Shi shares with me the very same strong heart." Lingjun faintly heard fragments of conversation coming through the speaker: "What did you tell the Prime Immortal... The senior officers of the White Tiger military ranks have held the family accountable, demanding that you fully disclose what transpired, or else the investigation team will move into the Fu family. You're so careless—how could you leave such a vulnerable position exposed? What exactly did you tell the Prime Immortal?" The Fu family was deeply concerned, suspecting that Fu Qingyang may have inadvertently revealed some unsavory matters to the Prime Immortal—such as humiliating female subordinates, romantic entanglements, or even more serious violations of discipline. Otherwise, how could the Prime Immortal have spoken of such devastating consequences as "ruined reputation" and "expulsion from the White Tiger military"? The elders hoped Fu Qingyang would come forward with full transparency so they could swiftly act and potentially mitigate the situation. Fu Qingyang hung up the phone silently, his expression cold and resolute, and said firmly: "I retract what I said earlier. The Prime Immortal is nothing but a liability!" "... Zhang Yuanqing's breath stalled in his sleep, sensing something soft yet yielding slam into his chest and abdomen. 'Jiang Yubei, are you crazy? Again, you're sitting on me!' He knew it was his aunt playing tricks without even opening his eyes. The delicate, lingering fragrance in the air was uniquely hers. 'Dinner time!' As she spoke, Jiang Yubei lifted her rear end and sat down firmly. In past times, he would have surely been crushed to death by that seat. Now, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, yawned, and glanced at his aunt. She looked particularly lovely—wearing a sleeveless, stylish cotton T-shirt that showcased her full bust and slender waist, paired with high-waisted, flowing pants. She also had her eyeliner drawn, her lashes brushed with mascara, and a light layer of foundation applied. 'Are you going crazy today?' Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze away. A woman who is dressed up versus one who isn't is entirely different—her younger aunt, already beautiful without makeup, now looks like a goddess when she puts on her makeup. Jiang Yu E leaned slightly and collapsed beside Zhang Yuanqing, sighing, "Today I have a day off, but the 'heartless witch' at home sent me off for a date." Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow. Her aunt usually went to dates in plain clothes, without much concern for her outfit. It seemed today's date had impressed her, so she decided to dress up. The aunt sighed again, "The man is a distant cousin of my mother-in-law's—well, technically a distant cousin, though we're quite connected through family ties. My mother-in-law personally escorted me and even insisted I wear makeup." It's rare that both my grandmother and mother-in-law have united in pushing me for dates... Zhang Yuanqing asked, "How do you feel about it?" "I'm really satisfied," her aunt nodded, "Especially with the coffee at that café." Zhang Yuanqing looked deeply disappointed: "Ah, yet again, I couldn't arrange your marriage. What a pity—then you'll just have to stay at home and grow into a yellow-faced wife." Upon hearing this, Xiao-ai straightened her spine, mounted him once more, pressed one hand firmly against his chest, and clenched the other into a fist, striking a tiger-like pose and shouting, "Little mischievous one, today I'm going to beat you to a pulp!" They enjoyed dinner in a flurry of playful commotion. Afterward, Zhang Yuan清 retreated to his bedroom and picked up his phone to check messages. Not just casual chat between ordinary friends. Zhang Yuanqing silently deleted the unfinished messages, thinking to himself: he must remember his mentor’s advice—when responding to women, he should first observe, then reflect, then analyze. If he couldn’t come up with anything to say, he would simply send a message of warmth. Zhang Yuanqing first sent a heart emoji, then opened his laptop and logged into the official forum. There, he was certain to find official travelers’ evaluations of today’s battle and their predictions for tomorrow’s final showdown—something he could screenshot and send to Xiao Yuan. Moreover, since he personally knew H Zhao Chenghuang less well than the other official travelers, their insights and forecasts would be especially valuable. He had originally assumed the pinned post would be: #Shocked! Yuan Shi Tian Zun turns the tide against the odds, achieves fame in one match—truly a man who overturns the world’s expectations# Unbelievably, the actual pinned post from the forum reads: #By decision of Headquarters, the eight finalists at the Transcendent Stage are formally reprimanded#