"Cool sauce?" Seeing that Minami Ryō was staring at him with wide eyes, Ryōzaki raised his eyebrows, emphasizing his tone and scolding: "What kind of attitude is this? Do you think once you've become a Saint, you can disregard your teachers and mentors?" "Oh, no, no..." Minami Ryō regained his composure, refocusing his gaze on the teacher. "Mori Mori, the Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has invited me to join his faction." He pointed to the floating chat box hovering in midair. Ryōzaki was momentarily stunned, leaning forward with great intensity, his face filled with excitement: "The Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn has invited you to join his faction?" He kept glancing upward at Minami Ryō's head, though he saw nothing—yet he knew exactly where the chat box was. Minami Ryō nodded firmly, hesitating slightly: "Teacher, shall I accept?" "Of course you shall!" Ryōzaki's voice rose sharply, almost commanding: "Accept—accept immediately!" Just as he was troubled about being unable to reach Yuan-Shi Tianzun, the latter had already extended an invitation to Ryō. This is fate! Relief washing over her heart, Ryō agreed to join. Naturally delighted, she hesitated to act on her own and sought her teacher’s opinion—only to find that her teacher was even more eager. Once Ryō accepted Yuan-Shi Tianzun’s invitation, Ryō Kazu asked promptly: “What’s the guild’s name? How many members? Let’s take a look at the guild warehouse.” He harbored a strong curiosity and sense of exploration about the young talent from the continent. “The guild is called ‘The Return of the Departed,’ with only four members. As for the guild warehouse…” Ryō suddenly widened her eyes, stammering: “Oh, so many items…” Only four members… After a moment’s pause, the usually serious and rigid Ryō Kazu’s face softened into a smile: “Fewer members indicate that he has high expectations for his guild members and places great value on them.” Equipment is a benefit for the clan members. In our country, equipment is a scarce resource, but for you, it will no longer be a concern. "Ryō, this is your opportunity—perhaps even the opportunity for the Chihara group. Make every effort to nurture and strengthen this relationship," said Asano Ryō, straightening her posture and giving a clear, crisp "Hi." She knew that although the Chihara group operated under the orders of the Tianfa Organization, each successive head had always aimed to break free from that control; no one was willing to be a mere servant. On the surface, they maintained a polite facade, but behind the scenes, they always managed to find their footing. The Chihara group might not necessarily need the connection with the Yuanshixian Tianzun, but there are certain things they can do without—yet cannot afford to lose. "Still, I haven't managed to secure the Tianzun's contact information," said Asano Ryō, expressing her concern. The spiritual realm lacks a "private messaging" system. "The organization will find a way to obtain the Tianzun's phone number," said Ryōsaki Ichiro, rising eagerly with a bright smile. "I'll "...The fact that members of the faction can't send private messages is quite disappointing—the Lingjing system still needs updates." Zhang Yuanqing wiped his hands and left the restroom, heading back to the living room. "Hmm, where are they?" With Guan Ya and the Queen gone, only Xie Lingxi remained, busy guiding the workers to install the equipment. "The Queen is returning to the hotel to retrieve her luggage, and Guan Ya is heading back to her hometown." The young green tea girl said with a gentle voice. Back to her hometown? Zhang Yuanqing paused for a moment before realizing she meant Fu Qingyang's grand villa. "How do you know about Fu Qingyang and Guan Ya's relationship?" "It's not exactly a secret—I asked the family to look into it..." Xie Lingxi said, but perhaps sensing that the act of 'investigating' didn't quite fit her innocent, carefree persona, she adjusted: "Actually, my mother also came to watch the match during the tournament. When I casually mentioned it, she went ahead and checked it out." "No need for explanation—explanation is just concealment... Zhang Yuanqing nodded, thinking that Xiao Lingcha came from a prestigious spiritual realm family, and then casually asked, "I've recruited a spiritual realm traveler from outside the region, but I don't know her contact method, and the guild system doesn't have private messaging. That's been a bit of a bother." He believed his gentle and considerate sister would naturally step in to help him. "Male or female member?" Xie Lingxi asked. Is this the key point? Grasp the essence of what I'm conveying! Zhang Yuanqing replied, "She's about the same age as you." As he spoke, Xie Lingxi had already opened the guild warehouse and reviewed the list of guild members. "Shanmei Ryō... Oh, the one I met in the combat副本?" Xie Lingxi recalled the name instantly, thanks to her excellent memory and the official leaderboard. Xiao Lingcha tilted her head, thoughtfully, and said, "To reach out to guild members, the guild warehouse is the only way. Brother Yuanshǐ can leave notes or messages there." "The paper slip isn't a spiritual realm item and can't be stored in the warehouse," Zhang Yuanqing reminded. The young green tea girl gave a playful "hehe" and said, "I've got a solution!" After a few seconds, her pupils became slightly blurred as if gazing into the void. Then she produced a recording pen and said, "We can use this." Zhang Yuanqing took the black recording pen and read its information: [Name: Recording Pen] [Type: Electronic Device] [Function: Audio Recording] [Description: Can record sound for up to three hours. Sounds from the Transcendent Stage are preserved in full; those from the Sage Stage retain 50% of their power.] [Note: It loves hip-hop and hopes its user shares the same passion.] "This was borrowed from my ancestor's warehouse," Xie Lingxi said. "Please return it when you're done—otherwise, my ancestor will hold me accountable. Though he's already started looking down upon lower-tier items." The spiritual practitioners of the Xie family are all members of the ancestral lineage, and she is no exception. Each family member is entitled to once a month to apply for the use of stored items from the clan's warehouse, but only those items corresponding to their own rank. Zhang Yuanqing nodded, picked up the voice recorder, and began recording: "Yo, my phone number is..." His voice suddenly stalled as he silently stared at the young green tea. She smiled with a sly air. "Ah, this item works just like that—usually, no one is willing to use it." "... "Zhang Yuanqing's face twitched slightly, then continued with a rhythmic delivery: "189... Use this item to tell me about the Miiler family of the Heaven's Punishment Organization, Yo!" After finishing, he placed the voice recorder into the clan warehouse. He hoped that Shizuka would catch the unspoken meaning upon seeing the recorder; otherwise, he might have to consider kicking out this rather unintelligent Japanese girl from the clan altogether. ... The office of the Deputy Head of the Chihoko Group. Kneeling by the table, thoroughly examining the items' attributes and occasionally exclaiming, "I've truly learned my lesson," Shina Ryō suddenly noticed a new item in the warehouse—a black voice recorder. "Ah, another new item?" With genuine curiosity, she carefully studied the recorder's attributes, much like a shopper delightedly browsing through bags and clothing. Upon reviewing the recorder's details, she immediately realized it was the tool used by the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign to communicate with her. She promptly requested permission to use the item from the headmaster. Indeed, as soon as she submitted her request, it was immediately approved. She quickly retrieved the recorder, examined it closely, and gently pressed the cap. A familiar voice from the speaker unit came through: "Oh, my phone number is..." Shina Ryō's eyes widened as she listened to the brief message. While jotting down the contact number on her phone, she couldn't help but chuckle softly, murmuring, "He speaks so wonderfully—like a real 'hajimemashite'!" … Fu Family Bay, a compact villa. Zhang Yuanqing held his phone in one hand and his voice recorder in the other. A smooth, rhythmic rap from Shallow Cool flowed through the recorder. On the phone screen, a translation app was converting the spoken words into text: "Yo, yo… the mainstream professions at the Heavenly Punishment Organization are Thunder Sorcerers and Wind Sorcerers. Yo, Thunder Sorcerers and Wind Sorcerers are the titles denoting the extraordinary stage." Founded by two powerful Lords of Thunder and Wind over a century ago, it has a long-standing history and, through more than a century of expansion, absorbed two major regions' lawful professions, evolving into the world's most powerful lawful organization. "Yoyoye, the Miller family ranks among the top five within Tianfa's extensive network of power. Their strongest members—ah, yes, the very first to become Journeyers of the Spiritual Realm..." "Sure, sure—definitely at the peak of the Lords of the Realm, specializing in Thunder Magic. Oh dear, quite shy, aren't they?" "The Miller family is a well-established, financially robust dynasty with vast influence across Western nations. Yoyoye, at least six Lords of the Realm, over twenty Saints, and an indeterminate number of extraordinary figures—yep!" The recording ends here. Zhang Yuanqing looks away from his phone and leans back lazily. "At least six Lords of the Realm, over twenty Saints... Hmm, that's equivalent to an entire Songhai branch." It's no wonder the Fu family is willing to marry into the Miller family—I'd choose a marriage alliance myself if I were a senior executive at Fu Family. "Most dominants aren't even in Fu's league; it takes at least an 8th-level dominants to make Fu sever ties with Miller. Ask Fu Qingyang what his fiancée's name is." For a few seconds, he gritted his teeth, then shifted his focus to the organization "Heaven's Judgment." He learned two more foreign lawful vocations: Thunder Mage and Wind Mage. Along with "Void," "Passion," and "Knight," that makes five lawful vocations in total. Comparing them against the eight lawful vocations at home, there are at least two more foreign lawful vocations still unnamed. "Shall I put the recorder away?" Xie Lingxi picked it up and asked, "Then I'll return it to my ancestor?" Seeing Yuan Shi nodded, she immediately returned the item to the clan warehouse, then mocked, "Such a dull peer—your contact number has been given to her, yet she hasn't dialed the phone." “….” Zhang Yuanqing thought seriously—should he expel Shina Rei from the association? “Lingxi, I’ll go to Fu Longzheng’s villa.” “Great!” …… Fu Qingyang’s grand villa, Ling Jun’s room. On the balcony, Zhang Yuanqing presented a thick envelope of cash and bowed respectfully: “Please accept my heartfelt gratitude.” Ling Jun, wearing a loose T-shirt and seven-quarter pants, sat cross-legged on a single sofa, holding a teacup, and scoffed: “You want to buy me with mere money? You must truly underestimate my status as a young noble—take it, take it. I don’t carry such ordinary things anymore. Who even uses cash these days?” “Understood!” Zhang Yuanqing took the envelope and then produced his phone, sending ten consecutive red envelopes totaling 20,000 yuan to Ling Jun in the Bai Huwei group chat. Ling Jun instantly received the red envelopes and cleared his throat: “Well then, I’ll overlook the matter of Anni. After all, there are always other beautiful flowers out there. I’m not exactly a miser.” Zhang Yuanqing smoothly added, “I have a few questions I’d like to ask my esteemed "Lin Jun sipped the fragrant tea," he said, "You and Guan Ya haven't grown closer quickly? I don't need to advise you anymore—within a month, or even a fortnight, you'll be rolling onto Guan Ya's bed." Zhang Yuanqing whispered, "I've suddenly realized that having a cavalry scout as a girlfriend seems rather troublesome..." Lin Jun quickly raised his hand to interrupt, then placed a jade-green bead on the tea table. The very next moment, the bead emitted a soft green glow, casting a fresh green hue over the furniture and walls. Only then did Lin Jun exhale in relief, "Don't say this to Fu Qing's villa—he's now a senior monk and listens in on our conversations. Now, it's safe." He then sighed deeply, "I've always warned you: once you marry a scout, you'll never get a chance to enjoy a quiet meal with your own appetite. You're paying the price now. If you're asking how to secretly pursue other women while keeping Guan Ya unaware, then that's simply impossible." "I didn't mean to be eaten alive—I'm completely devoted to Guan Ya. It's just that feeling of being constantly consumed, which isn't very pleasant," Zhang Yuanqing explained. Ling Jun scoffed, "You're in your honeymoon phase now, all your thoughts are focused on Guan Ya. But once things settle down and time passes, you'll start to appreciate the experience of other women." "What's the matter?" Zhang Yuanqing spoke softly: "I've recently invited two female members to join the patrol team. As soon as they met, they started competing with each other—right from the start. I feel like I'm struggling to manage them." Though skilled in social interactions, he still lacked experience in such situations. Ling Jun glanced at him, "Both of these female members have some interest in you?" "Perhaps a little, but not to the point of being completely devoted," Zhang Yuanqing admitted, still holding his ground. Having risen to fame early in life, with a good appearance and bright prospects, it was natural for women to feel a sense of attraction toward him. But that was merely the baseline. "Do you still remember the method I taught you when pursuing girls—make them feel special and favored? If you can effectively leverage these women, you'll be able to secure a week's worth of intimate encounters with Guan Ya. The downside is that these two girls will gradually lose their expectations of you, maintaining only a normal relationship with you. As for the subtle competition among them—there's always a scene where rivalry naturally emerges. As long as their competition stays within reasonable bounds and doesn't disrupt the surface-level harmony, it's not really a problem," Ling Jun mocked. "Absolute harmony doesn't exist at all. You're still too young. In a few years, you'll realize that the quiet competition among your team members is actually a positive sign, not a drawback—this applies equally to women. Take the current situation: there are several attractive girls around you, which will naturally create a sense of urgency in Guan Ya, making her more attentive to you. Isn't that a good thing? Of course, you mustn't actually develop anything serious with them, or you risk things going awry." Zhang Yuanqing nodded repeatedly. "Then all I need to do is simply ignore them?" "Surface-wise, you can ignore her, but privately, you need to show more favor toward Guan Ya. Only then can you maintain a positive, uplifting relationship. For instance, when something good comes up, quietly give it to her, or secretly mention the shortcomings of the other two members in front of her." Zhang Yuan mentally nodded, having learned this lesson, and then told Ling Jun about his invitation to join the Goddess Club. "I'm not particularly good at handling women at this level," he said. Ling Jun, indeed, was experienced, and replied, "Actually, these women are the easiest to handle. Do you know how the goddess treats her backup? Anni is just your puppy, only with the gender swapped. "To handle a backup, you need to keep her in the air—neither reject her nor commit, nor take full responsibility. Just occasionally show a bit of care, giving her hope. Most of the time, you should appear like a well-mannered gentleman, but occasionally take advantage of her, creating the impression that 'this man is someone worth winning over.' If she starts pushing further, then gently decline and keep her in the air." The specific steps will depend on the situation—you can reach out and ask me whenever you're ready. You can also apply for off-site support, and with a tuition fee of twenty thousand, it's definitely worth it. "For example, like going to take a shower?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized. He had originally intended to keep a distance from Anne, giving her only the barest possibilities. Now it seemed clear that he'd need to occasionally offer some benefits. ... The next morning, early. Zhang Yuanqing got up early, had breakfast, finished his morning routine, and then stood before the mirror, activating his Star-Eye to gaze at himself. "The Palace of Residence is flushed and vibrant—there will be good fortune in wealth matters in the near future, which means my business meetings today will go smoothly. Hmm, the Palace of Adversity is somewhat overcast—there may be a few minor risks in the coming weeks, and I might have some tasks coming up?" Zhang Yuanqing had scheduled a meeting with Mr. Bill to discuss business, planning to purchase materials that would enhance the quality of the undead servants and spiritual attendants. To facilitate this, he had borrowed a check from Fu Qingyang, with a limit As he ascended to the level of Saint, the strength of Blood Rose and Ghost Bride gradually lagged behind. As for the little comic relief, he'd just treat him as a son. For the Night Wandering God, spiritual servants and shadow corpses were always welcome—both low- and high-level ones were essential. Frowning, he turned his gaze away from the girl and scanned the room. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing realized that the interior of Ante Pharmaceutical was utterly silent—far from the bustling atmosphere of a company with several hundred employees. As he pondered this, he suddenly felt a strong, focused malice locking onto him.