The official messengers exchanged glances but said nothing. At Guan Ya's place, Zhang Yuanqing pointed to the tall building where the old Si Ji was located and said, "Go inside and speak there. The water spirits will extract fresh drinking water, and the wood immortals will go hunting for food." The gathering crowd, still dispersed, moved off in orderly fashion, each taking up their respective tasks. As Zhang Yuanqing entered the high building, he just happened to see Guan Ya leading the Blood Rose downstairs, completely ignoring the slightly dazed expression and stiff demeanor of the latter—she was truly a pair of goddesses. A middle-aged fire master, supporting Jiang Jingwei, exclaimed, "Goodness, she's absolutely stunning! When you, Lord Yuan Shi, killed this woman to refine her into a shadow corpse, did you hesitate at all? Or were you simply drawn to her beauty?" What nonsense—do you really not know that eels are subtropical creatures? If it had been someone else speaking, Zhang Yuanqing might have suspected they were trying to undermine him. But since it was a fire master, Zhang Yuanqing trusted that he was being straightforward. The men laughed awkwardly. Zhang Yuanqing had no intention of explaining, but upon noticing several lively female colleagues silently observing him, he cleared his throat and spoke formally: "This is the corpse prepared by Fu Bai, the captain, for me. The one used in the arena—damaged during the journey to the village of speechlessness." The women suddenly understood. Now turning to Guan Ya, he smiled and asked: "Have you received the reward of the Forest Heart?" Guan Ya nodded gently and blinked: "It's such a beautiful gem—green, I'm actually trembling!" As she spoke, she glanced around at the other women. The significance of her words was substantial—she sensed that his extra explanation was meant to uphold the image of his female colleagues in their minds. Zhang Yuanqing murmured silently, though he had grown accustomed to Guan Ya's style, he still occasionally stumbled, unsure of how to respond. "Miss Guan, my stomach is really aching…" Jiang Jingwei stepped in at the right moment, furrowing her brows and walking over to Guan Ya's side. Guan Ya focused intently, examining her condition and confirming that her injuries had been stabilized. She then took a deep breath and guided her to sit on the steps. Thus, the group settled on the dusty, stone-strewn corridor, waiting for the wood spirit to return with the hunt, the water spirit to fetch the water, and the fire master to roast the meat. They chewed on the rather plain roasted meat and began to discuss their next steps. Zhang Yuanqing said: "First, let me outline the mission. We need to carry four 'Hearts of the Forest' to four different array formations, locate the array foci, and reinforce the seals. Each array must be activated within ten minutes of one another—this means we will need to divide into four teams, each heading to a different array. According to the mission instructions, as soon as one array is breached by the mountain ghost faction, they will summon the entities from the blood pool. The mountain ghost faction also possesses four Blood Jade stones—based on my assessment, these jades, like the gemstones, each represent one array. This mission has two key objectives: first, to reinforce the seals within the specified time frame. Second, we must hold the formation and prevent any of the Shangui forces from passing through it to deliver blood gems into the blood pool—none of them shall be allowed to make it. "Let us develop our tactics around these two core objectives," said Tianxia Guihuo, raising her hand to speak. "If I were leading the Shangui forces, I would simply charge straight at one formation, even if I lost a blood gem in the process—once I summon something from the blood pool, I’d be able to outmaneuver and defeat us." Yu Nü Wugu added, "The task requirements are clear: only warriors who hold faith in the Mountain God can open the formations, and we have the priority." Tianxia Guihuo frowned. "That contradicts what I just said—once we unlock the seals, the Shangui forces can still charge straight at one formation." Niu Lang Shan’s little fairy shook her head. "Each formation admits only fourteen people. We have more personnel. As long as we ensure that more of our forces enter the formations than the Shangui forces, they won’t be able to focus on a single one." Tianxia Guihuo laughed cold If I were leading the Shangui faction, I would first send scouts into the array to gather intelligence, ascertain where the Yuanshishen and Zhao Chenghuang are stationed, and then dispatch my top warriors—Ayi, Liangchen, Zhe Zhu, Wei Wo Duzhun, Jiu Lou Yu, and Tianxia Jie Bai—to form a team tasked with selecting and securing the other arrays. With this strategy, the Shangui faction would surely prevail. "I never realized how serious the situation was..." What a collection of scattered, uncoordinated troops—I had underestimated your intelligence! Tianxia Guihuo thought with disdain. Of course, he wasn't an ordinary fire master, so this remark remained only in his mind and never made it out loud. "This...?" After careful consideration, the group realized it was indeed so, and their spirits sank immediately. Among those present, only Guan Ya, Zhao Chenghuang, and a few others like Guo He Zhu had reacted. The rest were still caught off guard. Tianxia Guihuo cut short the conversation and turned directly to Yuanshishen: "You should have a plan by now, at least a clear understanding of The group, still pondering, instantly brightened. "Right! With the Primordial Sovereign present, why bother thinking? Let him draft the plan, and we simply refine and supplement it. If his plan falls short, our collective wisdom will quickly spot the flaw. Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for several seconds before saying, "As the 'Heaven Converges to Fire' faction pointed out, the situation is rather challenging. I suspect the quest objectives are dynamically adjusted in real time based on the current state of the combat arena—for instance, the two-hour 'invincibility' period. "While the副本 cannot end the battle before we reach the final stage, making the two-hour invincibility period reasonable, the fortification of the array phase presents a clear disadvantage for us. Specifically, the mountain spirits' faction has set conditions that directly counteract our numerical advantage. "Because of our smaller numbers, each unit we send in can summon monsters from the blood pool, effectively neutralizing our strength advantage. Meanwhile, the mountain gods' faction, with its larger forces, now faces this particularly difficult challenge." It feels as though there's an invisible hand constantly adjusting the difficulty of tasks, bringing both sides into a balanced state. Jiang Jingwei gave a cheerful, hearty clap on Guan Ya's thigh, with a sincere, earnest expression: "Oh, just tell me the key point." The fire masters nodded in agreement. Zhang Yuan glanced at the serious expressions of the group and smiled: "Don't worry—solutions are always more abundant than challenges. Think of it this way: balance means we have equal opportunities. As long as we can find the right approach, we're good." After offering reassurance, he got straight to the point: "To solve this issue, we need to fully leverage our strengths. We have two key advantages. First, we control when the grand array is activated. Second, our team size is double that of the Shang Gui faction—we have thirty-six members, while they have eighteen. First, we will randomly select one array and assign eleven of our colleagues to it, which means the Shang Gui faction will only be able to send three." In the realm of extraordinary prowess, even with the combined efforts of the Magistrate King, me, and the Female Marshal, defeating eleven elite opponents of equal standing would be an immense challenge—I believe the Shanggui faction will likely abandon the effort outright. Then, we will deploy eleven individuals into the second array, replicating the proportion of the first array. Though they have reserves, they will certainly not risk using them in these two arrays. Thus, these two arrays will be secure. Next, we will assign nine individuals to the third array, where our force-to-opponent ratio stands at 9:5. Finally, we will send five individuals to the fourth array. At this point, Zhang Yuanqing remarked: The Shanggui faction will undoubtedly prioritize the fourth array, which consists of only five members, and their second choice will be the third array, defended by nine. Therefore, the third array must be held by the very best among our elite—such as Sun Miao-miao, Guo Hezu, and Tianxia Guihuo. With this arrangement, they will likely concentrate their strength on the fourth array. "Heard this, even the Fire Master understood: Yuan Shi Tian Zun strategically chose the battlefield site—by sheer numbers—within the fourth array. This effectively neutralized the advantage of the Shan Gui faction's 'concentrated force, focused breakthrough' strategy. The Shan Gui faction would absolutely choose the fourth array, since they have nine members, plus their reserve strength. Even if they knew it was a deliberate strategy by the Shan Shen faction, they would still willingly accept the invitation. This is a clear, pre-arranged plan! Of course, if they opt for the third array, avoiding Yuan Shi Tian Zun altogether, that would also be safe—because the third array features the elite among the nine elites: Sun Miao Miao, Tian Xia Gui Huo, Guo He Zhu, and other night-wandering deities from Tai Men. With nine against five, their chances of victory remain strong. Zhang Yuanqing, seeing his colleagues' growing enthusiasm, added: 'However, to implement this plan, the colleagues stationed in the first and second arrays must be mentally prepared. You will likely face no enemies, thus unable to earn points through combat. Your chances of advancing to the rank of Saint remain slim.'" "A fire master shrugged, "Better than dying. The third and fourth array formations are no easy feat. If I can't make it this year, I'll come back at the end of the year." By now, the situation was clear—there weren't many choices left. Between living and advancing to the rank of Saint, rational people knew exactly which path to take. Living meant hope; dying meant everything was lost. With that in mind, I could also help preserve the survival rate of the official travelers. Zhang Yuanqing said, "Then let's begin assigning positions. Anyone willing to enter the first array, raise your hand." All the independent practitioners raised their hands, along with a few official travelers who had a clear sense of their own capabilities. Zhang Yuanqing selected eleven. Then he said, "Anyone willing to enter the second array, raise your hand." He immediately picked eleven. "Now, anyone willing to enter the third array." This time, only Guan Zhongkui and Tianxia Guihuo raised their hands. You guys have absolutely no sense of urgency! Zhang Yuanqing silently muttered as he spoke: "Besides Zhao Chenghuang, all five others entered the third array—both the Over-the-River Soldier and the Loyal Spirit Knight did too, making a total of nine." Taking a deep breath, he said firmly, "The fourth array will be guarded by me, Zhao Chenghuang, Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and Shallow Ryō." "Why these island-born people!" Sun Miao Miao protested, puffing out her cheeks and glaring at Zhang Yuanqing. "First, the Night-Wanderer Spirit is covered by me and Zhao Chenghuang; you're certainly skilled, but with duplicate roles, your contribution is limited. Second, Shallow Ryō can unleash her weak level-four power at crucial moments—her impact is significant." Zhang Yuanqing explained, then turned to Shallow Ryō, "Do you have any concerns?" "I'll do my absolute best!" Island JK, filled with passion and feeling deeply valued by the young talents from the mainland, trembled nervously, emotionally bidding farewell to "Oh Dousan" and "Oh Gasan" with tears in his eyes. Zhang Yuanqing nodded in satisfaction. As for Jiang Jingwei, Guan Ya, and Zhao Chenguang, he didn't seek their opinions. The first two were too close to him—naturally they would agree. Zhao Chenguang, on the other hand, was too proud to back down. "Then it's settled!" Zhang Yuanqing lifted his wooden bowl and declared loudly, "Everyone, I hope we can meet again in person. I'll use water as a substitute for wine—here's to all of you!" The group raised their wooden bowls in unison. ... At a distance of several kilometers, in a deserted supermarket, the members of the Mountain Spirit faction were drinking and eating meat. Nine-leak Fish lay peacefully on the ground, covered by a white cloth, as if already a corpse. His spirit detached from the body, floating above the supermarket, observing the unreservedly impassioned ones delivering ideological work—what could only be described as brainwashing—to the various evil factions. "How much effort and sweat have we poured into our ascension as saints, and into this very killing quest?" "For years, the lawful faction has humiliated us, besieged us, and accumulated countless blood debts. "The Mountain Deity faction requires the maintenance of four array formations, while we merely need to secure one. Once the lawful faction is scattered, they will be mere amateurs—how can they possibly withstand our assault?" "Now, the advantage lies with us, and we still hold reserves. To now align ourselves with a cunning, treacherous Primordial Celestial Sovereign is nothing short of a path to certain death..." The members of the Mountain Spirit faction were energized and enthusiastically agreed, their faces beaming with satisfaction. The unreserved one, indeed, is no ordinary influence—a true master of persuasion, with exceptional brainwashing capabilities. Nine-Leak Fish watched silently. The white cloth draped over him was bestowed upon him by the Night Rose, a key item for the Night Wandering Divine class. This item enables you to possess a self-healing ability comparable to that of the Night-Wanderer deity when a white cloth envelops your body. However, there are two costs: first, during the healing period, your spirit departs your physical form, leaving your body vulnerable to danger; second, for the next seven days, your daily rhythms will be reversed, and your sleep-wake cycle will become disordered. Seeing that the preparations for thought and strategy are well underway, Bai Wu Jinian remarked without hesitation, "Our advantages are too evident. The Shansheng faction will surely find ways to counter them. There's no doubt—whether it's Yuan Shi Tian Zun, Zhao Chenghuang, or that unconventional Fire Master—each of them possesses this capability." Kou Bei Yue actively asked, "How will they counter our strengths?" Before Bai Wu Jinian could respond, the stocky man stepped in to clarify for the leader: "We have only eighteen people. If we divide into four teams, each team will have only about four members. Yet each array can accommodate a maximum of fourteen. With the enemy in the majority and us in the minority, sending our teams would mean going straight to their death. The "With that," he turned to the group and said, "I believe there are two points we must agree upon. First, I, A-1, Bai Wu Jin Xi, Jiu Lou Yu, Tian Xia Jian Bai, and Ta Shi Ling Xiao—these six must work as a unit. Only then can we ensure a successful outcome. Second, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn is full of tricks, has numerous props, and even fired a shot at my own manhood—his intentions are not entirely sincere. He's not a good fellow, so we should ideally avoid any array he's involved in." His proposal received unanimous approval. Bai Wu Jin Xi nodded slowly, saying, "That makes sense. Since we need to keep track of the Shān Shén faction's movements, gathering intelligence is essential. This task will be entrusted to the Wood Deity." Wei Wo Du Zun turned to the two Wood Deities in the team and said, "You two will first take charge of the animals, keep a close watch on the Shān Shén faction's personnel, and once Jiu Lou Yu has fully recovered from his injuries, we'll move immediately." A-1 is a Wū Gǔ master and possesses self-he A creature with no restrictions whatsoever is a deceitful one—by consuming just one animal's blood, it can heal its wounds. The illusionists, having slept briefly, had already recovered most of their damaged spiritual strength. The Nine-Leak Fish, serving as scouts, had neither defense nor healing capabilities, relying solely on the wooden spirits and tools to mend broken bones, thus moving more slowly. Time passed swiftly. After one hour, two wooden spirits returned to report: "The members of the Mountain God's faction have already set out." At that moment, the Nine-Leak Fish had fully recovered, refreshed and alert. The boundless one rose and declared, "Follow them!" The group trailed behind the Mountain God's faction, monitored by birds in the sky, wild dogs, and mouse groups on land, keeping watch over the enemy's movements. After half an hour of travel, they arrived at the abandoned subway station in the city center. "The Mountain God's faction has entered—it's inside, inside… eleven of them," said the boundless one, with a cold smile. "Do they intend to rely on numerical superiority? Then let us simply abandon this subway station." Then they followed the group of mountain deities to a dilapidated bank building. "The mountain deities' group entered—it's in, it's in… eleven people." "Abandon the bank building and proceed to scout and report again." The city's central shopping mall. "This time, nine of the mountain deities' group entered." "Nine people… who exactly?" "The Night Wanderer from Taiyuan Sect, Guan Zhongkui, Tianxia Guihuo, the Spirit Knight, and the Soldier Who Crosses the River…" As the wood spirit spoke, she suddenly gasped, "The last five are Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn, Zhao Chenghuang, Guan Ya, Jiang Jingwei, and Shallow野 Ryō. They will defend the final array. Which one should we attack?" This can be directly inferred. Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn and his five companions will inevitably guard the final array—located at the abandoned park. Between the abandoned park and the city's central shopping mall, a choice must be made: should we follow the original plan and avoid the abandoned park, or adjust our strategy and launch an attack on the shopping mall? The five from the abandoned park were all top-tier talents, yet only five spots were available among nine contestants. As for the nine from the city center mall, while they didn't quite match the caliber of the Primordial Sovereign or others, they still included elite stars such as Sun Miao-miao and Tianxia Guihuo, and boasted strong contenders like the Night Wandering Deity—whose team also included Yin Shi Ling Servants (Yin Shi are not spiritual cultivators but rather items, thus not counted among the spots). Though it appeared to be nine, in reality, the team size amounted to over ten or even twenty. With only five spots available for the host side, the numerical disparity was significant. How to choose? The members of the Shan Gui faction turned their gaze toward Bai Wu Jian Ji.