After thinking for a moment, Master Mo Pan said, "Yes!" He first told the students, "Keep going," then led Master Yuan Shiyuan out of the spacious forges, up the stairs, toward the second floor. Zhang Yuanqing slowed his pace and focused his thoughts. He needed assistants, and within Qin Feng Academy, there were only a few truly reliable ones. He had selected four: Xiahou Aotian, Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miao Miao, and Tianxia Guihuo. Of course, he could also trust Red Chicken Brother, Peony Fairy, the Little Fairy of Niulanshan, and Yuan Ting. But compared to the four above, these latter ones either lacked strong capabilities, solid foundations, or had significant personality shortcomings. Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miao Miao, and Tianxia Guihuo were all outstanding talents at the extraordinary stage, and after advancing to the Saint level, they would be considered elite. The first two were not only at the peak of their professional careers but also came from distinguished backgrounds (certainly with life-saving items), making them highly effective. The third, however, possessed strong intelligence and adaptability, making them dependable partners capable of strategic thinking. — A melee specialist is needed within the team. As for Xiahou Aotian, he is a fifth-level scholar with abundant gear and deep knowledge—most importantly, Zhang Yuanqing has his eye on Xiahou’s Italian cannon. Moreover, although Xiahou has serious personality flaws, he is fundamentally pure, free from intricate political maneuvering and backroom dealings. First, verify the reliability of the four through the magic mirror, ensuring their actions proceed smoothly; then, after leaving the instance, find the right moment to enter confidentiality agreements with them. Zhang Yuanqing thought this over quietly. He wasn’t overly concerned about confidentiality, as none of the four are from the Hundred Flowers Association. Within the Longsheng Palace, there’s ample equipment and treasure to be shared—once the spoils are divided, unity naturally follows, and no one would speak of it. This is also the reason Zhang Yuanqing excluded Yuan Ting. Yuan Ting, being a talkative person, could endure temporary silence, but not long-term secrecy—such a secret operation simply couldn’t involve him. "Oh, Master Mo Pan, you haven't mentioned the cost of that mirror yet," Zhang Yuanqing recalled. Before the secret mission began, he had to eliminate potential risks. "Ddah-dah-dah... With a steady pace, Zhang Yuanqing followed Mo Pan to the entrance of the exhibition room. Mo Pan produced his work badge, which was scanned through the facial recognition system of the humanoid knight, and smoothly entered the room. As soon as the two of them and the knight stepped inside, Zhang Yuanqing walked directly toward the Mirror of Fate, stood before it, and turned to say, "Teacher, my question is quite private—would you mind stepping out for a moment?" Mo Pan furrowed his brows. "Don't worry, there's the knight watching. I won't touch any of the exhibits," Zhang Yuanqing assured. How silly of me! he thought. Only then did Mo Pan nod and turn to leave. Once he had stepped out of the room, Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, gazed steadily into his reflection in the mirror, and said, "I am the Prime Immortal. Mirror of Fate, please answer—will our joint mission with Sun Miao-miao, Zhao Chonghuang, Tianxia Guihuo, and Xiahou Aotian to establish our immortal palaces be successful?" This question not only asked for the likelihood of success but also served as an indirect The surface shimmered like ripples in water, and shortly thereafter, five characters appeared: "Wealth and prosperity are achieved only through risk!" Wealth and prosperity are achieved only through risk... The magic mirror means that the journey is extremely perilous—there's a risk of injury, even of sacrifice—yet success is ultimately attainable. If success were unlikely, the mirror would have given a negative response. Zhang Yuanqing, as a star official, could interpret this himself. He exhaled in relief, then turned his attention to the second question. The magic mirror can only answer questions related to one's own destiny, and specifically those concerning one's sovereign identity. Therefore, events or figures involving semi-divine beings cannot be addressed. Questions such as whether the Magistrate King has died, or whether Zhang Zizhen has died, simply cannot be asked, since they pertain to others' destinies rather than one's own. As for whether the Magistrate King will eventually turn against me in the future—this question could indeed be raised, offering a direct test of the Magistrate King's vitality and the consequences of inheriting his legacy... Yet after careful consideration, Zhang Yuanqing decided to set it aside. Because he recalled the private lessons on Jixin Island, the Star Explorer's words—those who specialize in the power of the Moon can counteract stargazing magic. And the magic mirror's function precisely combines stargazing and Bagua techniques. By examining the Black Moon on the character card, the Demon King is likely a specialist in the Moon's power. "I don't know what my father specializes in. Until I'm certain, the mirror's answers remain unreliable and may even mislead me. It's better not to ask at all. The information about the Demon King and my father probably can't be fully revealed through a single mirror—otherwise, the Five Elements Alliance would have countless ways to pin down my status as a descendant of the Demon King." Zhang Yuanqing quickly thought through the matter. Soon, he came up with a question that would yield multiple benefits. "I am Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Mirror, please answer—how long will I live?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. The brilliance of this question lies in the fact that, regardless of the number of karmic connections or challenges he faces, as long as his lifespan is confirmed, he can deduce a wealth of information from it. Of course, Zhang Yuanqing also prepared himself The mirror surface rippled like water waves, the disturbance lingering without ceasing—much like a computer reaching its computational limit—until, after a long while, the ripples finally stilled. Three blood-soaked characters emerged: "Three months!" The characters continued to drip blood, flowing steadily down the smooth mirror surface. "It would mean nothing for me to be troubled alone." Zhang Yuanqing, someone who grew up through adversity, could face even the dire news from the magic mirror—predicting his death tomorrow—and still remain composed, finding Sun Miao Miao and saying, "You'd like to have a child, wouldn't you? Then, at the very moment my celestial dignity was about to fade, I shall assist you in achieving a healthy pregnancy!" Yes, the little fairy from Niulanshan and the peony fairy as well. If not, then Professor Song Wan could do. He turned and left the display hall, meeting with the external teacher, Mo Pan, and together they headed back to the workshop. As soon as they entered the workshop, a commotion drew their attention. Looking around, they saw the trainees rushing everywhere, many lying on the ground, all in disarray. "Who still has healing supplies? Bring them out quickly!" "Red Chicken is fast deteriorating—save him now!" "Where's the beast king? Are there only three beast kings among the trainees?" Zhang Yuanqing caught hold of one of the trainees and asked, "What's going on?" The student stared at the instructor, utterly stunned, and said in a steady voice: "I have no idea what's going on. It's just that everyone has suddenly been struck by misfortune. Red Chicken Brother, so unthinking, has been recklessly setting the stoves alight, causing explosions that have damaged many of our stoves—several students have been injured..." The pottery class ended prematurely amidst chaos, with Zhang Yuanqing unexpectedly accused by Zhao Fei of being gunned down, attacked by Yuan Ting who harbored resentment, and publicly scolded by Sun Miao Miao: "A lazy man! Don't think you'll ever get me to have children with you." After a half-hour of turmoil, the injured students received treatment, and their fates were settled. Among them, Zhao Fei, after failing to be gunned down, was savagely beaten by Zhang Yuanqing, breaking two ribs and his left leg—paying the price of the magic mirror. The students who did not pay this price fled in fear. After the scolding, Lady Yin Yao seriously reflected and sincerely apologized: "When I noticed there were two penetrating wounds across my chest, I became unexpectedly angry, almost wanting to tear you apart. But only after I had struck you did I realize how overly emotional I had been. I'm truly sorry." At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, then you can apologize to me when you're in bed with me tonight. He didn't dare to say it out loud, fearing that fate might be disrupted once again. He prepared the meals at the window, then carried the tray toward the table of the three members of the Tai Men group, and said, "Yuan Ting, could you please bring a bowl of soup?" Yuan Ting glanced at him and replied, "I'm too busy." "Ah, with your attitude, how can I feel confident in sharing my secrets with you?" Zhang Yuanqing sighed. "How would you like it—seven parts water and three parts broth, or seven parts broth and three parts water?" Yuan Ting's demeanor shifted completely, his eyes full of attentiveness. "Half and half," Zhang Yuanqing replied. Yuan Ting hurried over to the window. Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Come to my room at eight o'clock tonight—we have something important to discuss. Miao Miao, you'll come by night, and make sure no one notices." The girls' dormitory and the boys' dormitory were located east and west, far apart. Zhao Chenghuang and Sun Miao Miao exchanged glances, both furrowed their brows slightly, but didn't ask any further questions—just nodded in agreement. Zhang Yuanqing carried his tray and walked away, heading directly to the "Heaven's Return to Fire" table, where he smiled and said, "I'm a bit bored tonight—I've invited Zhao Chenghuang and Sun Miao Miao to play cards. We're short one player—would you like to join us?" At first, "Heaven's Return to Fire" looked slightly concerned, but then noticed the serene, smiling expression of Yuan Shang Tian Zun, and felt a spark of inspiration. He replied, "Alright." Zhang Yuanqing then carried his tray once more and went to where Xue Hou Ao Tian sat alone in the corner. "Go away. Loneliness is Xiahou Aotian burst into rage: "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, you've brought up this matter time and again—intentionally provoking me, have you? Very well, you've succeeded. I merely wish to ask: do you have any interest in another 80 million on your tab?" Zhang Yuanqing lowered his voice: "Tonight I have a secret initiative—only the truly strong and the extraordinary protagonists can participate. Would you like to join?" This clearly struck a chord with Xiahou Aotian's interests. "What kind of secret initiative?" "I can't reveal it yet. Come to my room at eight o'clock tonight." Zhang Yuanqing sat down to eat, silent. ... Eight o'clock. Room 404. Sun Miao-miao wore boat socks, seated cross-legged on the bed; Zhao Chenghuang stood against the wall, arms folded; Tianxia Guihuo sat at the foot of the bed. Xiahou Aotian stood by the window, surveying the group, his expression displeased: "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, aren't you making the definition of 'the strong' and 'the protagonist' too broad?" "Ten thousand realms converge, and the fire gently remarks: 'You've invited this guy along—now I'm beginning to suspect we might actually have to play cards tonight.' Sun Miao Miao playfully teases the little enthusiast in her arms, remaining silent. Zhao Chenguang coldly interjects, 'Speak then—what's on your mind?' "Master Fu obtained the key to unlock the hidden quest and handed it to me, entrusting me to explore Qin Feng Academy. In the afternoon, I sent a shadow corpse inside, and found it filled with top-tier items—yet my current strength is still insufficient to clear the challenge, requiring your assistance." Bro, here's your share of the blame—take it and carry it. He recounted everything he witnessed behind the stone gate. Upon hearing this, the four people in the room all breathed more rapidly. Qin Feng Academy was a master-tier dungeon, of exceptionally high rank, and the hidden quest was tied to the very first emperor who unified the world. How many treasures must it hold? What must be their quality? If we succeed in securing these treasures, every single person here will reach the peak of their careers. Especially with the world now under the rule of Fire—Master Li, a true grassroots origin. Xiahou Aotian was overjoyed, conveying his excited thoughts into voice, resonating throughout the group: "Indeed, this is a unique experience reserved for the protagonist—excellent. Master Yuanshishen, though you may be proud and aloof, you truly treat me as the leader. I'm very satisfied." "Stupidly earnest..." came the inner thought of Tianxie Guihuo. "This person is clearly out of it—Master Yuanshishen has treated him as just a side character." Sun Miao Miao murmured to herself. "Hm, Zhao Chenghuang seems to have no inner monologue at all. I thought he was coldly composed on the outside with a quietly passionate heart—well, that's a pity." This was Zhang Yuanqing's thought. "As for Tianxie Guihuo and Sun Miao Miao, never mind—they'll never make it into my protagonist ensemble." Long Aotian had relegated them to the sidelines. Then, silence settled in the headphones, and everyone quietly subdued their thoughts. After a few seconds, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Let me make this clear—should we succeed in conquering the underground palace, I shall have three rounds of first Tianxia Guihuo added, "But this depends on having sufficient in-house items—ideally, at least one per person." If, after Yuanshǐ Tianzun has made his selection, the remaining items aren't enough to distribute evenly, then it will definitely fall short. After all, everyone has been willing to risk their lives. "That's settled," said Zhang Yuanqing, who chose an item related to the Bronze Divine Tree. In fact, selecting just one would have been sufficient. Once the conditions were agreed upon, Tianxia Guihuo began analyzing the situation, sending his thoughts: "First and foremost, this matter must remain strictly confidential—absolutely no outside communication allowed. Second, the hidden tasks at the level of Dominant are inherently very risky; we need to carefully consider that." Zhang Yuanqing timely interjected: "The risk is indeed very high, but earlier this morning I consulted the Magic Mirror, and it responded that the journey will succeed, though extremely hazardous. This indicates that the difficulty of the hidden task has not yet reached the level of Dominant." "My personal understanding is that Qin Feng Academy functions more like a quest scenario—its greatest threats have already been addressed by the Hundred Blossom Assembly, and the real challenge lies in securing the key, not in overcoming crises." Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn remains as reliable as ever... Everyone nodded in agreement. Li Xiang Gui, feeling a sense of relief, added: "Next, we need to sneak past the academy teachers and the jellyfish people's surveillance to reach the underground palace, and upon our return, we must remain undetected. Fifteen minutes clearly won't be enough—we'll need to extend our time. I believe we can take firm measures to secure the two jellyfish individuals. Once we leave the palace, we'll only need to undergo a final inspection. The academy staff will simply assume another unauthorized entry into the lake basin, and won't even consider that the hidden mission has been successfully completed." "I agree with that," Zhang Yuanqing first affirmed, then added: "There's one point I'd like to clarify—on the day we entered the jellyfish lake, it wasn't me. Someone else did it." Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's words sent a wave of surprise through the gathered group. "Just now, when Yuan Shi Tian Zun mentioned the palace beneath the lake, she instinctively thought the intruder from the previous evening must have been him. Tian Xia Gui furrowed her brows, saying, 'This is a potential threat, but not a serious one.' Then, the group began to discuss their action plan. Zhao Cheng Huang said, 'I and Miao Miao each have devices that enable us to travel at night—these we can provide to you both. However, for the water spirit devices, you'll need to find your own solutions.' 'I have my own,' said Tian Xia Gui. Xia Hou Ao Tian raised his chin with a touch of pride. Zhang Yuan Qing immediately added, 'How will we handle the nearly a thousand soldier statues? Based on my experience, even if we manage to avoid them, the statues will still pursue us. Unless we eliminate them, they will join forces with the soldiers on the steps and the dangers within the Palace of Immortality—then even the deities will find themselves in peril.' The group fell silent. Zhang Yuan Qing kept glancing at Xia Hou Ao Tian. Xia Hou Ao Tian pretended not to notice. 'Xia Hou Ao Tian, when it's your turn to step forward, Xiahou Aotian's face twisted, "Give it to me... Give it to me!" "His expression is so painful!" Sun Miaomiao murmured, her voice echoing among the crowd. "The soldiers on the steps—I can handle them, but I need your help," Zhao Chenghuang said. "The sword energy strikes once every ten seconds. I'll take the lead—after the first wave hits, you all follow immediately." Zhang Yuanqing summoned his purple-gold shield, raised it high, and stepped into the passage. "Ding!" The swordlight flashed briefly in the dark water before striking heavily against the purple-gold shield. "Run!" Zhang Yuanqing's voice echoed through the headset. As soon as he spoke, Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang dissolved into starlight, materializing at the far end of the passage. Tianxia Guihuo and Xiahou Aotian controlled the water flow, gliding like fish into the passage, with Yin Yao, the Princess of Yinyao, right behind them. Ten seconds later, the second wave of sword energy struck. Zhang Yuanqing, who had been accompanying the two, had already raised his purple-gold shield in advance. Another "ding!" followed. Before the third wave of sword energy reached them, Tianxia Guihuo and Xiahou Aotian had already surged out of the passage. The five of them—along with Princess Yin Yao, who had pretended to be a mindless corpse—emerged from the water and entered the cavern. "Wow..." Sun Miaomiao raised her head, gazing in awe at the brilliant expanse of the galaxy above. The others stared straight ahead, mesmerized by the grand hall standing on the white jade platform, deeply moved by the sight. "I should be able to pay off a good portion of my debts just by collecting all the gems here," Xiaohou Aotian thought to himself without realizing it. "Hold on—once we go up, the soldiers will attack us," Zhang Yuanqing said, turning her head. "Main character, you assemble the cannon first." Xiaohou Aotian shifted his gaze from the neatly arranged soldiers and began methodically gathering the parts. There were long, thick gun barrels stretching two meters in length with a ten-centimeter bore, tall bases half a person's height, energy packs engraved with incantations, sighting mirrors, hinges, and various other components. He lifted his hammer, found the rivets and other parts, and began hammering them into place with a rhythmic clang. Five minutes later, a compact black iron cannon was fully assembled—standing on a one-meter base, with a two-meter-long barrel and a 100mm bore that offered a sense of security and strength. The handle at the end controls the direction. The cannon's body houses an energy pack inscribed with incantations, connected to the body by thick cables—each as wide as two fingers. Half of its base is submerged in water, due to the incline of the stone steps, so its muzzle is angled upward toward the sky. "Push it up," Zhang Yuanqing and Zhao Chenguang each lift one corner, and with little effort, drag the one-ton cannon platform up the steps. "Thud!" When the cannon's base settles onto the stone tiles, the array of soldier statues turns uniformly, their rigid faces and blank eyes fixed upon the invading forces. They raise their spears and bronze swords, silently launching their charge. "Boom, boom, boom..." The footsteps are heavy and dense, yet orderly. Zhang Yuanqing, Sun Miaomiao, and Zhao Chenguang have already learned from Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn about the strength of these soldier statues—the steady barrage of arrows even resists the mountain deities. Spears can penetrate fourth-level yin corpses. The three stand on high alert, prepared for battle. Xiahou Aotian operated the handle calmly, adjusting the direction and turning the gun barrel to aim at the charging army of soldier statues. With a steady foot on the trigger, he fired. The incantations on the energy pack instantly glowed bright, and a powerful surge of energy flowed into the gun barrel. Boom! A golden sphere of light, resembling a miniature sun, shot out of the muzzle and landed among the ranks of the soldier statues. Roar! The explosion's light engulfed the statues, and the shockwave shattered and toppled them with unstoppable force, clearing a vast open space in an instant. Xiahou Aotian pressed the trigger repeatedly, launching one after another golden energy shells into the advancing army. Watching the soldier statues vanish into ash, Sun Miao Miao gasped slightly: "This is incredible—how did you master such a powerful weapon?" Tianxian Guihuo and Zhao Chenguang were both stunned. Seeing this, Xiahou Aotian beamed with satisfaction and laughed heartily. Zhang Yuanqing said beside him, "Of course it's impressive. The energy package for this cannon is master-class, costing 80 million. It can fire ten times—Xia Hou Aotian just stepped on it six times, expending 48 million." Xia Hou Aotian suddenly couldn't smile anymore and broke down in tears.