"I... I think I heard it was the Prime Heavenly Sovereign. Yes, he called himself the Prime Heavenly Sovereign. What did he say?" one of the Five Elements Alliance members exclaimed with excitement. "The Prime Heavenly Sovereign?" Jiang Jingwei's ears perked up; she lifted her feet slightly and glanced toward the source of the voice, her face brightening. "What did he say, exactly? Is he coming to help us fight the boss as well?" The voice, when it reached the listeners, had already become somewhat distorted. Added to that, the surrounding tree immortals and tree kings had awakened, creating a great deal of background noise, making it even harder to hear clearly. Yet, the fact that it was the Prime Heavenly Sovereign—long missing—sparked a surge of energy among the official spiritual travelers of the realm, as if a leader had finally been found. "What was he saying?" "Did you catch it clearly?" someone from the independent practitioners asked, listening intently. Though it was unwise to be distracted at this moment, the news of the Prime Heavenly Sovereign always drew people's attention involuntarily. The behavior of the evil profession was no different—several wizards and diviners, leaning in, relied on their enhanced hearing from the "transformation into insects" to catch the distant sounds. Have you all thought this through? The Tree Sovereign has only one life left, and his attack strength has clearly weakened. If we now unite and defeat him together, we'll earn points. "Exactly. Just a moment ago, when we didn't assist in pushing the boss, we only called for help when danger arose—what a display of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign! He's treating all the Five Elements Alliance members like fools, no, like shields to absorb the blows." These stirring, persuasive words immediately made the official travelers unfamiliar with the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign hesitate. At that moment, among the independent practitioners, someone took a moment to glance at the points leaderboard and suddenly gasped, exclaiming, "The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is now first on the leaderboard!" Everyone was taken aback, their expressions shifting instantly, and hurriedly opened the leaderboard. Indeed, the once-leading figure with 110 points—A Yi—had now dropped to second place. The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's score stood at 140 points. When the group had been attacking the Tree Sovereign, he had only 20 points, far behind—yet within a short time, his score had surged by How did he do it? This... person who had previously been completely at the mercy of his slippers, suddenly grew pale: "Has the Prime Immortal Master completed the side quests?" The statement sparked a wave of astonishment. Accumulating points by defeating tree demons was impossible—within a short timeframe, the Prime Immortal Master couldn't have defeated so many, and the Tree King himself remained alive. The only source of points came from rewards granted upon completing side quests. This was simple logic. Anyone brave enough to enter the combat dungeons—though not necessarily wise—would surely have realized this immediately. "Ah, so the path of pushing the boss was indeed mistaken. There are other ways to reach the second stage, and the Prime Immortal Master has successfully navigated them." "Among the two major factions—Lawful and Chaotic—so many brilliant talents... only one, the Prime Immortal Master, has been successfully conquered. It's no exaggeration. This is what it means to master two S-tier characters. This is what it truly takes to conquer a dungeon." "It's no wonder he remained quiet all along—he's been saving his strongest move. Truly, the Prime Immortal Master!" Amid the crowd, the part-time practitioners began murmuring softly. The other evil-affiliated professions, meanwhile, displayed a mixture of astonishment, anger, and growing satisfaction—both surprised and relieved. Once the Primordial Sovereign had revealed his effective strategy, they could now emulate it, entering the central region with minimal cost. The elite practitioners—those renowned for their tenets of "unlimited possibilities," "my fate, not heaven's," and "only I am supreme"—looked notably serious and even stunned, for the first time sensing a genuine gap in their standing relative to the Primordial Sovereign. Zhao, though strong, had never previously given them this sense of disparity. For the first time, Ai Yi's previously blank gaze flickered with unusual energy. On the official side, the members of the Five Elements Alliance suddenly drew deep, their faces lighting up with intense joy. Indeed, the Primordial Sovereign lived up to his reputation—no disappointment at all. Though earlier, the official agents had watched his stagnant points accumulation with growing concern. While they were well aware of his caliber through the tournament matches, they still feared a possible underperformance. Fortunately, Yuan Shi Tian Zun didn't disappoint, and the heavy stone hanging over everyone's hearts finally settled, sparking strong confidence and joy. In that moment, within just a few seconds, all the participants' emotions and mental states underwent significant shifts. Yet Jiang Jingwei didn't dwell on it—her face lit up with a bright smile. "Yuan Shi Tian Zun has invited us to proceed!" With a simple gesture, she waved to her companions and, without hesitation, moved with fluid grace, weaving through the cascading vines that fell from the sky, darting into the dense forest toward the source of the sound. Seeing this, the fire masters of the Five Elements Alliance quickly followed—partly because they acted faster than they thought, and partly because the senior leaders of Chì Huǒ Hall had personally spoken with them, emphasizing that, whenever possible, they must protect Jiang Jingwei during the combat quest. The members of Tai Men, led by Zhao Chenghuang, did not immediately move—instead, they remained vigilant, watching the forces of evil. Once the Five Elements Alliance members had moved out of sight, the eight of them spontaneously entered the night journey, vanishing from view, each following the path of the "Come on, let's go—let's follow the official staff." "We're lawful characters, all good citizens. Yuan Shi Tian Zun will teach us how to navigate through the gates. Hurry up, hurry up!" The lawful characters, the independent practitioners, scattered in a hurry. "These two, who've been humbled by Yuan-Shi Tianzun in the副本, never doubt his wisdom—clearing the passage conditions is a given, merely requiring patience. By the time Tianxia Guihuo had traveled a fair distance, he caught up and remarked, 'Though my points are a bit lower, safety is what counts. Before entering the killing副本, my senior steward offered a key tip: in such a setting, survival comes first, since one's life is only one, while there are twenty-four Saint slots. "We don't need to vie for first place, nor even the top ten—just securing one of those twenty-four spots will suffice." Upon seeing that Yinchi kept gazing toward the Tree King's direction, he furrowed his brows and emphasized, "This is the senior steward's experience—have you heard it?" Yinchi turned his gaze and smiled, "Your senior steward must not be a Fire Steward. If he were, he'd say: 'Just go ahead and do it—run if you can't make it.'" Tianxia Guihuo shook his head, serious in tone, "No, you're mistaken!" "He'll say: 'If we can't make it, we'll bring in reinforcements and keep going!' The music-illiterate one was stunned, then burst out laughing: 'Thank goodness this is a副本, and we're the only two here. If any other fire master heard this, you'd be in serious trouble.' ... He is the Prime Primordial Sovereign. He truly is the Prime Primordial Sovereign... The plump, graceful Peony Immortal, gazing at the young man beside her, saw astonishment, bewilderment, and finally, a sense of relief in her eyes. There aren't many Night-Wanderers in this副本, and among them, few are so skilled at navigating the challenges. After all, only the Prime Primordial Sovereign fits this description. She had suspected it all along, but the one she saw here was different from the one she'd encountered during the shadow transformation and the arena encounter. And, while Night-Wanderers at the transcendent stage are capable of switching out powerful shadow bodies, few have ever done so with such ease. Thus, she had remained uncertain, hesitating to confirm. Now, with him personally revealing his identity, the Peony Immortal finally confirmed it—Wang Tai I just stepped into the realm and suddenly encountered the Prime Immortal—those little hooves who've been dreaming of him all along. Oh, and he's also someone I've been longing for... The Peony Immortal heard her own heart pounding in rhythm. She felt the very air around her carrying a subtle warmth and intimacy. Suddenly, she regretted not having shared any meaningful moments with him, maintaining such a distance all this way. "Ah! Ah! Ah!" Shina Ryō shrieked, bouncing around like a typical anime girl, her cheeks flushed. "You're the Prime Immortal, isn't it? That's why you're such a noble ally. I've finally seen the Prime Immortal! Once I survive this killing realm, I'm telling my parents, telling my master!" Your excitement is so vivid—it's as if you're a country girl from a small town... Zhang Yuancheng thought to himself, noticing the unusual gaze of the Peony Immortal. He arched an eyebrow, gave her a flirtatious glance, and smiled. "Surprised? Unexpected? Well,牡丹, are you still planning to kiss me? From where shall we begin?" "...The Peony Fairy suddenly felt a bit out of place. Zhang Yuanqing removed his disguise ring and restored his true appearance. Having now revealed his identity, there was no longer any need to maintain the facade of Wang Tai. Ah well, he had originally hoped to play the part of a humble pig, quietly distinguishing the pawns of the Night Rose, but plans always seemed to fall short of reality... Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly. The Peony Fairy found the young, handsome face now quite convincing. After all, during the tournament, the Prime Immortal had often been seen removing his pants—exactly this appearance. 'Prime Immortal!' A bright, distinct voice, uniquely feminine, broke the stillness. The dense forest ahead rustled, and a red-haired girl stepped forward. Then came one after another of the official messengers—the Overriver Soldier, the Eternal White Tiger, the Little Boy Who Sells Matches, the Cowshed Fairy, the Rain-Neutral Girl, the Duck-Duck... a total of eighteen. In the battle against the Tree King, the official forces lost seven personnel." Then, Zhao Chenguang of Taigongmen, along with the one who can't sing and Tianxia Guihuo, arrived successively. Relieved that no evil-class characters had come, Zhang Yuanqing exhaled—he would otherwise have had to engage in battle right here. Jiang Jingwei chattered excitedly, "How did your points become first? Did you actually pass the second stage? How exactly do you meet the requirements?" This was a question shared by everyone, especially regarding the criteria for entering the second stage. A series of expectant glances were directed toward Zhang Yuanqing. Then, he raised a branch from his hand, adorned with clusters of red fruits, and said, "Eat one fruit, and you'll enter the central part of the forest." The official attendants were stunned by this simple answer. "So straightforward?" "It looks delicious," Jiang Jingwei bounced forward, gazing at the vibrant red fruits and swallowing a lump of saliva. Zhang Yuanqing plucked a red fruit the size of a dragon eye and offered it to her. Jiang Jingwei stuffed the fruit into her mouth and barely chewed before swallowing. "I didn't taste anything," she said. As soon as she finished speaking, she sighed contentedly, her smooth, collagen-rich face flushed gently. Then she emitted a series of soft "shh-shh" sounds as a shimmering black vapor rose from her body. Under everyone's watchful eyes, she stepped over the notice board and successfully entered the forest's central area. Witnessing this, no one remained doubtful—everyone rushed to claim a fruit. With wonder and anticipation, they swallowed the red fruit and hurried toward the notice board. They effortlessly passed through the second stage, unimpeded by the invisible barrier, and received a task prompt sound, each gaining 20 points. "We actually made it in!" "Does the fruit also have healing and energy-recovery effects?" "I saw a note on the board mentioning that wild fruits are edible, but along the way, I only saw colorful wild fruits and mushrooms—so I was hesitant to eat any." The official messengers had incomplete information; after exchanging updates and assessing the current situation, they immediately clarified their strategies. The challenge for the faction choosing the Lost City lay in defeating the boss. For the faction aligned with the Mountain God, the difficulty stemmed from gathering all the required notes without violating any stipulations, despite information asymmetries, and deducing the correct course of action. The dungeon was fair—each faction faced its own distinct challenge. Zhao Chenghuang took the fruit from Zhang Yuanqing, swallowed it, and felt a warm current surge through his limbs, gradually restoring his strength. He exhaled slowly, deeply refreshed. Having fought a grueling battle against Wei Wo Duzhun, he had been drained of energy—this fruit revitalized him, enabling him to enter the second stage in peak condition. "Thank you!" he nodded. Then, hesitating slightly, he murmured, "The neutral wandering practitioners are en route. How do you intend to proceed?" "Hey, rare indeed—Prince of Tai Men has come to talk to me on his own initiative... Zhang Yuanqing didn't hesitate, as he'd long had this in mind. He said: "This is a faction-versus-faction raid. The more allies we have, the better—so naturally, we want them to join. But only lawful-class characters; any chaotic ones who show up will be immediately eliminated." Zhao Chenghuang nodded in satisfaction: "Exactly as I anticipated." Now, nearly all official survivors have gathered, yet Guan Ya remains absent. Zhang Yuanqing grows increasingly anxious, casting urgent glances around, and asks, "Where is Guan Ya? Has anyone seen her?" "Jingwei, do you know?" Guan Ya's ID still appears on the leaderboard, indicating she hasn't perished—yet she hasn't joined the official group, suggesting she's encountered difficulties and can't free herself. Night has fallen—the time when the Mountain Ghosts are active. The Mountain Ghosts belong to the Lost City faction. Time is running short for him; every extra second spent outside the outer layer risks being caught by that boss. Jiang Jingwei shook her head: "I haven't seen Lady Guan Ya before." At that moment, the river-crossing pawn, dressed in camouflage pants, responded in a steady voice: "During the battle against the Tree King, there were snipers supporting us—unbelievably accurate, surely from the scouts." He pointed toward the southwest. "The trajectory came from that direction." Indeed, the scouts possess remarkable observational skills... Zhang Yuanqing was delighted and exclaimed: "Thank you! You may stay here and explore the central region at your convenience. Zhao Chenghuang, I'll entrust the handling of the orderly cultivator to you. I'll be right back." Without waiting for any response from the group, he darted into the dense forest and soon disappeared. The malevolent classes shouted out in frustration. Facing the inquiries and scathing remarks from their allies, "My fate lies in my own hands, not in heaven's," lifted a strand of hair from her temple, turned to the solitary one, and smiled lightly, asking, "You, and the other lawful independent practitioners—why haven't you followed us?" The Sole Ruler responded with a cold tone: "This instance features two main factions. The faction of the Lost City is focused on pushing the boss, and I believe this choice offers a more rewarding reward." Bai Wu Jian Bi then asked, "Three bosses aren't exactly easy to handle." The Sole Ruler glanced at him: "One of my key notes states: when encountering the Mountain Spirit, one may seek assistance from the monkey group. Clearly, the Mountain Spirit belongs to the Lost City faction. Therefore, all we need to do is follow the Mountain Spirit and push the boss together." Bai Wu Jian Bi then glanced at the several malevolent classes still shouting, and remarked, "Now it makes sense." "... Guan Ya found herself in serious trouble. Upon hearing Yuan Shi's call, she had never before withdrawn her weapon so swiftly—without hesitation, she dashed toward the sound, rushing to meet the young man. Unfortunately, she had stumbled upon a trap left behind by the evil class. ——A row of wooden thorns buried in the ground, concealed beneath dry leaves, making them hard to spot. Though the thorns were sturdy, given the soft, damp soil, they should not have pierced the thick soles of her military boots. Yet they did—piercing through, and even poisoned. Worse still, as the Tree King revived, the tree spirits in the forest also awakened, and there were no fewer than twenty tree spirits surrounding her. It seemed as though she had been cursed by the goddess of misfortune. Yet Guan Ya knew this was not the goddess's fault—it was the fault of that outdated rifle. Fu Qingyang had gifted her a rifle known as the 'Rifle of the Unfazed,' renowned for its exceptional offensive power. Even the most defensive earth-based monsters would suffer wounds upon being struck by a single shot." With a full magazine of shots, even the Earth God would have to suffer a defeat in the west. But there comes a price: after using it, the user will be plagued by misfortune for the next half hour. "Pap, pap, pap..." The vines and branches rained down upon her, yet were stopped by a thin layer of soil. Guan Ya collapsed to the ground, wearing a mask made of terracotta, passively enduring the tree spirits' furious lashes. Using her wood spirit's equipment, she removed the toxins and treated the wounds from the thorns at her feet. To withstand the vines capable of killing her outright, she had to resort to her earth spirit's equipment as well. Though this saved her from certain death, the mask came with two costs: first, she could no longer move, and second, she had to answer every question truthfully—she could not lie (a straightforward person). The latter was acceptable, but the former left her unable to flee. The situation was dire—the equipment had its limits. The mask could not last long under such relentless attacks and would inevitably break at any moment. Without the protection of her gear and lacking defensive prowess, the scout could not survive the relentless assault from so many tree spirits. Even her insight ability couldn't save her. Once the scout entered the rain, she'd still get drenched—no matter how clearly she could track each raindrop's descent. "Crack!" Just when she'd feared something would happen, the mask covering her face emitted a faint crack. A daughter of a noble family like Guan Ya couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Fuck,"—she was simply too unlucky. Pattering, continuous thuds echoed on, spreading rapidly across the mask's cracks, with signs of imminent disintegration. Guan Ya felt utterly hopeless. At that moment, a voice of relief, laced with a touch of playful cheer, came from nearby: "Hey, Guan Ya, I finally understand why I couldn't find you for so long—you've been playing the part of a 'm' all this time! You should've told me earlier—I'd have been willing to upgrade my XP for you." Even Guan Ya, a noble-born with broad experience, felt a flutter in her heart at that moment. When you're going through a crisis, when you're at your lowest, and someone steps up and says, "Guan Ya, I never knew you liked being the receiving partner," it's a deeply happy and touching moment. Guan Ya pressed her lips together, intending to respond with the special way of communication that was unique to them—only to end up explaining with a serious, mournful expression: "My rifle reduces my luck points. I'm not the receiving partner—I'm just really unlucky." This is the price of wearing the mask. Zhang Yuanqing paused, asking, "Has the infantry always been lucky with an E rating since ancient times?" Guan Ya cried out in frustration, "Are you still making jokes? Save me now!" Realizing that Guan Ya might have been genuinely startled, Zhang Yuanqing adjusted his tone and immediately summoned his Blood-Drinking Blade, his spirit separating from his body, weaving through and spinning with the weapon, cutting down one vine after another. He chose not to use fire, as that would violate the guidelines. Likewise, he didn't eliminate the tree spirits, but instead opted to sever the vines. Sections of vine fell downward, their cut surfaces smooth and even, as the tree spirits cried out in sharp distress and retracted their vines in twos and threes. Soon, a clear vacuum formed around Guan Ya, the pressure dropping sharply, and the remaining tree roots no longer posed a threat to the scout, who possessed the ability of keen observation. She immediately removed her mask, retrieved her inventory, and moved with agility—sidestepping and leaping laterally—skillfully avoiding the encircling roots and successfully breaking through the danger zone to join Zhang Yuanqing. Both of them felt a deep sense of relief. Zhang Yuanqing spoke rapidly: "I've already identified the method to enter the second stage. We must not delay—let's move quickly. By the way, Guan Ya, why haven't you made an appearance earlier? Did you hide somewhere?" Guan Ya ran beside him, instinctively responding: "As soon as I entered the instance, I encountered a seductive spirit that made eyes at me, eager to make advances. I dispatched it with a single lance." Though my shooting and combat skills are strong, my experience is still too limited. I can handle one evil-classed opponent, but if there are two, I'm certain to fall. "Just hide and wait, stay passive and observe. Oh well, if I'd known how dangerous the killing raid would be, I'd never have joined. Now I'm comfortably lounging in my office, enjoying air conditioning and watching TV." She looked deeply disappointed. What's wrong with this woman? Zhang Yuanqing stared at her with a strangely puzzled gaze, almost questioning whether this was truly the real Guan Ya—or someone else wearing her skin. A normal Guan Ya would cheerfully say: "I'm a woman—I naturally stay still!" and then roll her eyes at him. "Guan Ya, calm down! You were knocked out by the vines just now, weren't you?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. ...Guan Ya instinctively replied: "I wasn't hit on the head—I used props to block the blows. As for my speaking style, well, the cost of the mask is truthfulness—every question, I answer honestly." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. The sky had now turned half-dark, with a lingering streak of determined azure. After running for some time, they still hadn't seen the Shang Gui appear. Shang Gui belonged to the Lost City faction, and Guan Ya also belonged to that same faction. If they hadn't encountered Shang Gui, was it perhaps due to Guan Ya's unusually poor luck? Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but wonder. Could it be that Shang Gui hadn't come to save her because of her bad fortune? With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt less urgent and stopped walking. Guan Ya also halted, frowning, "What's wrong?" Just as she asked, she saw Yuan Shi retrieve three items—a vine-armored vest, a pair of arm guards, and a set of leg guards. "These are official loaned sets from the Lost City, a mid-tier set. However, in the transcendent stage, they're considered top-tier jewels," Zhang Yuanqing explained. "Guan Ya, I'd like to give these to you. With them, you'll be able to better leverage your close-combat strengths. I still have other reserves—this set, to me, is merely an added enhancement." As he spoke, he gazed earnestly into Guan Ya's eyes, his expression sincere and his tone heartfelt. The things he said—Guan Ya was stunned. She found it hard to believe, staring blankly at Yuan Shi's eyes. His eyes were clear and genuine, as if brimming with a power that could enchant the heart. Guan Ya's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she shifted her gaze,低头 picking up her suit and dressing in it without paying attention. Only when she had finished dressing and checked the attributes of her gear did she realize the terrible cost. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Guan Ya exclaimed, her eyes wide. Zhang Yuanqing looked puzzled. "What did I say?" He should have mentioned the passion—such an important cost! Guan Ya took a deep breath, about to say nothing, but then blurted out: "Ah, the passion—why didn't you mention such an important cost?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. "I thought, in the face of a killing raid, any cost would be insignificant." Guan Ya was left speechless. Then they'd have to wear it continuously—either succeed in the quest or perish within the dungeon, absolutely never removing it. She took another deep breath, pretending to be completely composed. But at that moment, she heard Zhang Yuanqing's innocent voice: "Guan Ya姐, where do you live?" "New Gate Road 291, Tianchen Apartment, Room 302..." Guan Ya answered instinctively. Guan Ya: "...” … They soon reached the information board in the central part of the forest, with no further surprises along the way. Most of the members of the Five Elements Alliance remained in place, while the night-wandering deities from Tai Men and independent practitioners had vanished—likely heading deeper into the forest's heart. Zhang Yuanqing stopped in front of the board and finally pulled out the red fruit she had prepared for Guan Ya. She had hesitated to give it to her earlier, fearing that once Guan Ya changed her allegiance, the misfortune might summon the mountain spirits to attack. After Guan Ya had eaten the fruit, the two passed beyond the board. Zhang Yuanqing heard a task notification sound in his ears: 【Ping! A fellow ally from the same faction has been detected. Would you like to form a team? The team size must be between fifteen and twenty-four members.】 【Ping! Reciting the ally's Lingjing ID will issue a team invitation.】 【Ping!