The two walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor. The second floor was a tea restaurant, supported by columns rising from the ground, with all the walls removed and replaced by floor-to-ceiling windows and carved windows, allowing guests to sit by the windows, drink tea, and enjoy the views. Kou Beiyue stood at the stairwell, taking in the scene. The hall was filled with tea tables, empty and spacious, with no one in sight except an elderly general manager standing by the counter. Ren Xuemangu led him to the counter and said, "Mr. Manager, we're here to attend the summit." The elderly man had white hair, dressed simply in a plain shirt, and was busy calculating accounts. Upon hearing this, he lifted his cloudy eyes slowly and said, "Lingjing ID—recommended organization!" "Ren Xuemangu, Lingneng Association East Branch." "Kou Nanyue, Lingneng Association East Branch." The man nodded, took out two handcards from his drawer, and said, "Put them on!" Kou Beiyue reached out to take the hand of cards. At the very moment his fingertips touched the cards, he was stunned to find that the hand—once loose and dotted with age spots—had transformed into a delicate, smooth young hand. He looked up and saw a young lady with a gentle smile, her eyes curved like crescents, clear and pure, with a touch of tenderness. She smiled and said, "Beiyue." Kou Beiyue stood still, gazing at the young woman before him, as if tears were shimmering in his eyes. He murmured, "Sister..." The young woman, in full bloom of youth, smiled and asked, "Beiyue, do you have any connections with the official authorities or the Public Security Bureau?" Hearing this, the deep, sorrowful waters of his heart stirred gently—this ripple smoothed away his grief and bewilderment, sending a sharp chill through his soul and restoring his sense of clarity. He looked again at the woman he had thought was his sister, and realized she was still the elderly woman with silver hair. I just fell under a spell. I didn't realize it, and I had no chance to react at all... A surge of anger welled up in Kou Beiyue's heart. She felt that the way the other person used her deceased sister to manipulate her was an insult to her. "Beiyue?" Her sister asked again. Fortunately, although Kou Beiyue wasn't particularly bright, he wasn't foolish. He gazed deeply into the figure she called "sister" and said, "A connection? Yes. After you passed away, I was officially pursued. Now I'm constantly hiding from the officers, and every time I see one of them, I feel especially afraid. The official forces are also hunting me down, Sister. I'm nearly out of options." The sister smiled gently and asked, "Have you sought allies?" Kou Beiyue shook his head. "I'm completely alone, and I'm hesitant to trust anyone. But... Sister, I've recently met a good friend. His name is Ren Xue Mengtong—he's part of the Spirit Energy Association. Now I've found companionship." As he finished speaking, he noticed the elderly man behind the counter nodding. "Go in As soon as the words fell, the person beside Kou Beiyue suddenly became alert, pressing gently against the prominent veins on their temple and taking deep breaths to calm themselves. What had he seen in the illusion? Even the steamed buns had stories—ah, the buns were people too! Kou Beiyue thought to himself, feigning a moment of awakening. Then, he seized the elder by the collar, raised his fist, and shouted, "You damn it!" Finally, he could vent his emotions. "Beiyue! Beiyue!" The man who had been the blood-meat bun was stunned by this display, waving a hand to push him away. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" He then bowed deeply to the elder, saying, "Senior, this young man is rather dim—he doesn't quite grasp things. Please don't take it personally." The elder smoothed out the creases on his chest and smiled warmly. "It's rare to see such an impetuous and passionate spirit of the gushu creature. I almost thought a fire master had slipped in. "Still, competitiveness is one of the defining traits of gushu creatures—after all, their sovereign is known as the Ancient War God." "Seeing the elder didn't seem to notice, the blood-mutton soup exhaled a sigh of relief and invited Kou Beiyue to wear her badge. The next moment, both of them observed that the once-empty tea restaurant was now bustling with people—sitting in small groups, dressed in all sorts of styles. Some were broad-shouldered and sharp-eyed, others draped in cloaks, quiet and shadowed, some in tailored suits, elegant and refined, while others wore only briefs, white shirts, and sandals, relaxed and carefree. It was as if a gathering had taken place, bringing together people from all walks of life—men, women, young and old. Kou Beiyue glanced at the crowd and estimated the number to be around two hundred. Just like the temple of Wu Heng, was this a gathering that only existed within the realm of illusion? She mused quietly, then followed the blood-mutton soup to a vacant seat. "It's not time yet—we'll wait a moment," the blood-mutton soup said. Kou Beiyue nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd. The human blood bun stepped forward, pointing to a young man at the window and said, "See him there—that's Ai Yi, a disciple of the South Division Head of the Spiritual Energy Association, ranked first on the Five Elements Alliance's Wanted List." Ai Yi, hailed as the strongest among the evil professions at the Transcendent Realm level? Kuo Beiyue followed the pointer and saw a young man sitting by the window, dressed in an ordinary T-shirt and seven-quarter pants, with delicate features and an expression of emptiness. From his face, Kuo Beiyue sensed a profound detachment—unconcerned with everything, as if nothing in the world mattered: human nature, morality, dignity, wealth—all mere passing clouds. "This guy is a machine devoid of emotion. He can do anything—should you need him to humiliate an eighty-year-old grandmother, he wouldn't even flinch. In the Killing Quests, you'd better avoid him at all costs," the human blood bun advised. "How strong is he?" Kuo Beiyue asked. "I don't think I'm weaker than Zhao Chenghuang. Even Yuan Shi Tianzun might not surpass him. As for potential..." the person named Ren Xuemang spoke softly, "Our elder says that Ai Shi is born a natural spirit beast, and his achievements in cultivating spirits are boundless. In just ten years—no, five years—Five Elements Alliance will face a terrifying Wugushi. That's why the Five Elements Alliance is deeply wary and would like to eliminate him." Ren Xuemang then pointed to another slightly plump figure, saying, "That one is a deliberate killer—don't be deceived by his appearance." Kuo Beiyue immediately turned to look. It was a glasses-wearing, round-faced, slightly round-bodied man, utterly lacking the sharpness or coldness one might expect from a villain, instead appearing very kind and approachable. "I know," Kuo Beiyue said, with the air of someone well-experienced. "The more kindly someone appears, the more deadly and cunning they truly are." Human Blood Bun was stunned: "Oh, I didn't mean that. He's actually quite kind—quite gentle among the more sinister professions. What I'm trying to say is, he's exceptionally good at using his harmless, approachable appearance to mislead others and then claiming them as his own leader." "What?" Kou Beiyue didn't understand. Human Blood Bun said solemnly: "This fat man is quite unusual. I've heard he's served under many different leaders, but every single one of them eventually meets a tragic end—either through death in the spiritual realm, by being eliminated by official forces, or by falling victim to conflicts among other evil professions. In short, no leader has survived past three months. Once you enter the killing-themed dungeon, if he approaches you and offers to make you his leader, you must absolutely decline—otherwise, you might be instantly transported back to the spiritual realm, and I won't even get a seat at your table. That said, this fat man is still very honorable. I heard he killed a Saint in order to avenge the last person he made his leader." "When even his senior figures are about to die? Is this some kind of curse? Kou Beiyue was utterly amazed. Then, the Blood-Meal Mutton introduced him one by one to the other renowned transcendent strongholds. Kou Beiyue was deeply engrossed in the conversation when a new arrival appeared at the stair entrance—a man and two women. The man was dark and thin, with ordinary features, wearing a golden chain around his neck. He was bare-chested, dressed in a floral trousers, looking like a man coming on vacation with his lover. "The Lust Divine General of the Army Commander's Academy—the one who's always on the move, chasing pleasure," murmured the Blood-Meal Mutton. The Divine General of the Army Commander's Academy... Kou Beiyue suddenly recalled the Magi-Eye Emperor, the ancient war god said to have intended to take him as a disciple, who hailed from the same academy. The Lust Divine General escorted the two tall, graceful women into the room, glanced around at the gathering, and then suddenly brightened, approaching a well-proportioned young woman and smiling, "Little sister, would you be interested in joining me?" The woman was in her early to mid-20s, wearing a white shirt paired with light blue jeans, her smooth, flowing hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. She was exceptionally beautiful. Kou Beiyue had just learned from the "Human Blood Bun" that she was none other than the renowned "My Fate Is Mine, Not Heaven's"—a top-tier cultivator ranked third on the Wuxing Alliance's Supernatural Realm Wanted List. The human blood buns serve as the elder's role, introducing the distinguished guests. A 6th-level illusionist—actually one rank higher than Xiao Yuan... Kor Bei Yue nodded seriously. Then, one after another, several Sovereigns arrived: the Protectors of the Western Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association—the "Snake Maiden" and "Zhang San the Brute"; the "Blood-Thirsty One" and "Water of the River of Forgetting" from the Southern Branch; the Northern Protector of the Void Sect—the "Death God" and the "Mystic Immortal"; plus the just-arrived "Spirit of the Underworld" and the "God of Desire." A total of eight peak-level Sovereigns. The extraordinary境 practitioners in the hall were so still they couldn't even breathe, sitting quietly. The God of Desire, cradling two beautiful women, performed the role of a heavenly milk-feeding king while calling out toward the counter: "Senior Master of a Thousand Faces, everyone is here—now it's your turn to step up as the host." Long, Senior Master?! Is that man a Sovereign? Kor Bei Yue was stunned, turning sharply toward the counter, his face filled with astonishment. Kou Beiyue felt a layer of cold sweat break out on her back, as if she had gone all the way around the gate of death. The old man looked down at his ledger, and said calmly, "There are still thirty seconds." Thirty seconds? What could be special about that timeframe... Kou Beiyue silently counted, and when the thirty seconds had just passed, the old man set down his ledger and stepped out from behind the counter. Dressed in a gray jacket, wearing old cotton shoes, it was hard to imagine such an unassuming, ordinary man being the master of the scene. "This year's summit is under my southern faction's responsibility. Thank you all for coming, and especially for not being late—time is of the utmost importance to me," he said, concluding his opening remarks. He then walked to the main table but did not sit down, instead standing with his hands behind his back. "Our Free Alliance hosts two summits each year, with the aim of uniting all freelance professionals, reducing internal friction, and jointly confronting the pretenders among the lawful, orderly factions in the killing instances." "For young disciples—whether independent practitioners or members of organizations—we will award a prize of five million yuan upon successful completion of the killing-run dungeons. If they rank in the top ten, they will receive one piece of a Saint-tier item; if in the top three, they will receive two. However, should any disciple switch allegiance to the Order of the Law and secretly harm teammates to gain points, they will be jointly eliminated by all." The elder then gently scanned the gathered attendees before continuing: "The Order of the Law and our free practitioners are at perpetual odds—each one's existence threatens the other. It is truly heart-wrenching that Fu Qingyang has not yet been eliminated, and this year, the Five Elements Alliance has produced another Primordial Immortal. The theme of this summit is precisely to eliminate these two." He then turned to the Saints seated at the main table, saying: "All of you are expected to participate in the killing-run dungeons. Only three slots are available for the Masters—have you thought carefully about how to handle Fu Qingyang?" The Saint of Desire shrugged: "I will not participate. I am merely attending in place of the Commander of the Army." The other Saints remained silent. The Elder with a thousand faces snorted in disapproval, turning to the beautiful and graceful Yi Chuan Mei, "You've faced Fu Qingyang before. What's your assessment of his strength?" Today, Yi Chuan Mei wore a dignified long gown, her natural charm subdued, her alluring grace hidden, and now bore the air of a true lady. She pressed her lips together and said, "Fu Qingyang's strikes have become part of the very rules. Any attempt to evade or flee falls short. Indeed, his martial prowess surpasses even the fog masters of his stage—his single strike can injure us, and he can deliver ten or even a hundred such strikes consecutively, yet we still don't know the limits of his power." Yi Chuan Mei continued, "Moreover, Fu Qingyang wields a set of gear of Saint-tier quality, and undoubtedly possesses master-tier equipment as well. There are countless pieces of Saint-tier and beyond..." Saint-tier gear, master-tier equipment, and countless pieces of mid- and lower-tier gear—these words fell silent upon the Saint and Transcendent-level attendees. Yi Chuan Mei sighed, "Fu's family has ample funds. According to the evil organization's investigation, Fu Jia Guang has been involved in over seven publicly listed companies, with his investments spanning various industries—from manufacturing and finance to technology and daily life—demonstrating an exceptionally strong financial foundation. As the eldest son of the Fu family, Fu Qingyang could easily amass an entire warehouse of props simply by spending money. While the group remained silent, the lustful divine general coldly scoffed, "Fu Qingyang, at the Saint Realm level, has already mastered the power of the rules. Should he advance to the Dominator rank, he would become a serious threat—just like the former commander of the White Tiger's army. Therefore, Silver Moon will also participate in the mid-year killing quest." The statement didn't immediately resonate with the transcendental travelers, but the Saint seated at the main table beamed with satisfaction, and the Elder of a Thousand Faces brightened visibly. Silver Moon, the commander of the Army of the Military Master, is the foremost among the Eight Divine Generals. A fiery, outspoken figure who once openly scolded the Emperor to the heavens with a loud "Gao Ni Ma!"—his temperament being only part of the reason. His true strength lies in the very confidence he holds This divine general had been blessed by the Shura, who said: "Anger is the source of strength; anger will enable you to shatter all your enemies." As a result, the Silver Moon gained power surpassing even the limits of the sage realm. Though Fu Qingyang claimed to be invincible beneath the Sovereign's dominion, this was merely an official accolade—evil organizations did not recognize it. The Elder with a Thousand Faces mused, "Is the Silver Moon specifically there to eliminate Fu Qingyang, or is she aiming to ascend to Sovereign status?" If the former, she could deliberately hold back points and forfeit her spot. If the latter, then the coming events will be most interesting. The God of Desire rolled her eyes, "That Magician has stumbled at Songhai—don't expect him to rise again for several years." The Elder with a Thousand Faces nodded in understanding. Yuchuan Mei felt particularly delighted, smiling warmly, "This is quite intriguing—I'm eager to see just who is stronger between Fu Qingyang and the Silver Moon General." The Serpent Maiden hissed, flicking her tongue, her vertical pupils glowing with radiance: "If the Silver Moon Deity participates in the mid-year killing raid, then we shall place the Silver Moon at the helm and eliminate every Saint of the Lawful order in one sweep." The Serpent Maiden was a being with a human body and a serpentine tail, her appearance enchanting and striking—her crimson lips and vertical pupils exuding a beauty both awe-inspiring and deeply unsettling. The other Saints remained silent, silently accepting the Serpent Maiden's proposal. At that moment, a chuckle echoed from the staircase: "You yourselves just mentioned that you wanted to see who was stronger between the Silver Moon Deity and Fu Qingyang—this shows that you don't have absolute confidence. Even if the Silver Moon Deity proves stronger than Fu Qingyang, don't forget that he is not fighting alone. The Fengdu Ghost King and Yin Ji of the Taiyuan Sect, and Jiang Ju, who carries the bloodline of the current Flame Emperor—each of them is a standout among the Saints." Turning to look, the group saw a tall, robust man approaching, wearing a black mask and a robe adorned with flame patterns. He strode in, approached the main table, and gave a light, condescending chuckle: "If we're to decisively eliminate Fu Qingyang, there must be no 'perhaps,' no 'maybe'—the success rate must exceed 80%." The Elder of Many Faces slowly introduced: "Allow me to present the steward of the Night Rose, representing the Night Rose, participating in this summit." The man with sunken cheeks and prominent dark circles, known as the 'Thirsty for Blood,' raised an eyebrow. "How can the Night Rose possibly be part of our summit for free-lance professionals?" IChuan Mei observed the man with a solid, commanding presence, unconsciously licking her lips, her eyes glistening with admiration. The man wearing a black mask, ignoring the hostility of the peak-level saints and IChuan Mei's subtle allure, sat squarely in the last seat at the main table, and smiled. "Because we share a common goal! For this killing quest, we will deploy four saints to strengthen our numbers—particularly in the evil-oriented disciplines—and jointly hunt down the saints of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyuan Sect." "Four peak sages? The guests at the main table were taken aback. Elder Qianmian added, "I have already reached an agreement with the leaders of the Northern Sect and the Western-Southern Confluence of the Spiritual Energy Association. For this killing quest, we are borrowing your three artifacts of level seven quality—this is the absolute limit the quest can accommodate." Upon saying this, he turned to the nearly two hundred transcendent beings in the hall. Among these two hundred, only one-third are truly participating in the killing quest; the rest are companions or promising transcendent practitioners whose potential is strong but who haven't yet reached the required level to join. Elder Qianmian's tone shifted from serious to warm, as he smiled kindly, saying, "Young ones, the enemies you're tasked with facing are the Prime Patriarch. Some of you may not be familiar with the Prime Patriarch, or may know only a little. Allow me to briefly explain: the Prime Patriarch received his character card in April this year, gained fame by successfully completing the bug-level spiritual realm tunnel of Sheli, and then further established his reputation by conquering the S-level spiritual realm of Jinshui Amusement Park." Subsequently, he defeated Li Xianzong, a disciple nurtured by the Senior Military Commander of the A-rank Spiritual Realm of Yin-Yang Town, establishing himself as an unstoppable force. The real reason we've added him to our must-eliminate list is that he recently won the Grand Arena Championship, defeating Zhao Chenghuang of the Taiyuan Sect... Oh, and it seems he has also cleared a highly perilous quest recently—likely securing substantial rewards. By the time he finished speaking, the hall had fallen silent.