The role card safeguards the Wayfarer in the spiritual realm. This statement reminded Zhang Yuanqing of an ancient cultivator—the Pure Yang Master. The elder's master once sought to transcend his current stage by intensely practicing the technique of the Illusory Art, which eventually drove him mad, transforming him into a relentless killer. This clearly indicates that when a lawful-ordered profession cultivates the energy of an evil-oriented one, the consequence is mental instability—thus, the role card serves as a protective mechanism for lawful-ordered Wayfarers. ——The role card restricts a Wayfarer from cultivating the energy of other professions. Furthermore, the point made by King of Fear—that the role card can only transform from lawful to evil—is something Zhang Yuanqing believes to be accurate. The goddess Nuwa herself serves as proof. As a master of both the musician and scholar professions, she has remained stable and never gone mad, demonstrating that lawful-ordered professions can cultivate together without adverse effects—thus, no protection is needed. The core meaning of the role card's protection lies in preventing lawful-ordered professions from cultivating evil energies and shielding them from being "contaminated." But what does the spiritual realm's self-defense mechanism entail? [Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun: The character card protection should be for the lawful, orderly professions, right? What does "the spiritual realm's self-defense mechanism" mean?] King of Fear didn't respond. [Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun: Great King of Freedom, please address my query.] [King of Fear: Whether or not I answer is entirely up to me. Right now, I don't feel like telling you.] Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, unsure whether the man was simply off his rocker or if "the spiritual realm's self-defense mechanism" involved deeper, more secret layers that made him unwilling to reveal anything. Nevertheless, the fact that King of Fear was willing to speak at all was a positive development. Even a half-divine's rambling—whether in complaint or in unproductive chatter—was invaluable intelligence for lower-tier spiritual realm travelers. Compared to the rigid official institutions, free professionals are more spontaneous and communicative. King of Fear is an excellent intelligence source, yet one must remain vigilant and not overlook the inherent traits of the evil professions. The King of Fear, at heart, remains a relentless, undaunted killer—unconcerned, even unyielding. Even the King of Justice with his magical eyes is an exceptionally dangerous figure. Though their personalities may be intriguing, when it comes to killing, they never blink. After exiting the chat interface and deleting the conversation logs of the King of Fear, Zhang Yuanqing stepped away from his desk and walked to the window, gazing呆ly at the flowerbed bathed in brilliant sunlight. Summer had passed, and early autumn now held sway—August had arrived. In just one week, he would enter the realm, beginning his second dungeon journey as a Star Official—the first being a single-player dungeon. The prophecy of the Fate Mirror seemed to echo in his ears: he had only three months to live. Three months may not seem long nor short, considering he had only been a traveler of the Spiritual Realm for just over four months. No signs of the crisis that would ultimately claim his life had yet emerged. Zhang Yuanqing himself remained utterly puzzled, unable even to anticipate or prepare for the future. Thus, he developed a strong desire for celestial astrology. Only at the fifth rank of celestial officials could one begin studying it, and with the aid of the Great Luo Celestial Disk, his predictive abilities would be comparable to those of a sixth-rank official. Then, the origins of the death crisis—where it stemmed from, how it arose, and who the adversaries were—would be revealed through celestial astrology. "If only I could obtain the secret teachings of the Taiyuan Sect, otherwise I shall focus primarily on the stars, and the insights I gain should become more precise and clear, allowing me to avoid the death crisis," he thought. With this in mind, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone, stood by the window, and sent a message to Yin Ji: 【Origin of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign: Sister Yin, how can I obtain the primary secret teachings from the Taiyuan Sect?】 The message was sent, and within less than ten seconds, Yin Ji replied—though the content left Zhang Yuanqing astonished. 【Yin Ji: This is a secret of the Taiyuan Sect, passed down without being taught. Please no longer ask me about such matters.】 While the reply was straightforward, the tone carried Zhang Yuan thought, "After not seeing each other for several days, have you completely forgotten our friendship? We should at least be considered friends." The sudden decline in his appeal to the opposite sex made him feel something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Instead of wasting time on trivial matters, he began to focus on the plan to save the Magic Eye. If possible, he didn't want to take unnecessary risks. "The King of Fear has cursed me: if I fail to rescue the Magic Eye within one month, I will surely die. The curse itself isn't the crucial point—the real issue is that he has insured it using the power of our contract." "The terms of the contract stipulate that the matter must not be communicated to anyone in any way, and the curse must never be lifted." Zhang Yuan reflected, realizing the key point was the final clause—'the curse must never be lifted.' With his perfectly human skin, he could easily transfer the cause of the curse. He could have his duplicate assume the human form, thus violating the contract. Once the contract's power killed the duplicate, he could then turn to the old woodcutter to purify the curse on his behalf. But if, while striving to eliminate the curse, one uses a perfectly prepared human skin, might they be instantly killed by the power of the covenant? The original self had already returned to the spiritual realm before the duplicate even donned the skin. "This point must be especially noted—when using human skin in the future, one must carefully control their thoughts, avoiding any such concerns. Yet, once the skin is worn, can I then proceed with my operations?" Reflecting on this, Zhang Yuanqing recalled the prophecy of his death three months hence. Indeed, this prophecy actually indicated that he would not die due to the matter of the magical eyes. "Perhaps precisely because of this action—my ability to overcome the fear of the King of Fear—I no longer need to go and rescue the magical eyes, thus surviving? Or perhaps I did successfully rescue the magical eyes..." Rescuing the magical eyes and gaining goodwill from them is beneficial; failing to do so, though it may ensure temporary safety, would leave the King of Fear puzzled—how exactly had Yuan Shi Tian Zun managed to circumvent both the covenant and the curse? Zhang Yuanqing truly did not wish to be under the watchful eye of that rather inept leader. After a moment's thought, he decided to put off this matter for now, and after achieving the fifth-level promotion and mastering stargazing, he would then decide whether to save the Eye of the Demon. ... Kangyang International Hotel, the revolving restaurant. Ling Jun pulled out a beautifully crafted jewelry box from his pocket and gently offered it to the woman across from him, sighing, "On life's journey, we are constantly separated and reunited. This separation today may well be setting the stage for a meeting tomorrow. My beloved, the beautiful scenery always lies ahead. I can no longer walk with you any longer—go now, for you are a free bird." In reality, his money had run out, and he would have to wait until next month, when the Hundred Flowers Festival and the Taiyuan Gate paid their salaries, to continue pursuing his romantic interests. The woman, with a round face and wavy hair, dressed in high-end fashion, received the jewelry box with a look of deep reluctance and sorrow, lamenting, "Ling Jun, whenever I find you in the future, you must never refuse me, never block me out, never ignore my calls." Ling Jun smiled warmly and brightly, "You will always have my gentle care." At that moment, the phone rang. "I'll take this call," Ling Jun stood and excused himself. After stepping out of the restaurant and into the quiet corridor, he answered the phone and smiled. "Uncle Zhao, what instructions has the elder Yun Zhong given you?" A middle-aged man's voice came through. "Ling Jun, Elder Yun has asked me to convey to you that you should keep a close watch on Yuan Shiyi, observing any changes—especially in terms of tools and materials." Ling Jun was taken aback. "What's going on?" The man briefly outlined the events that had unfolded at Qin Feng Academy. "Ah, I see," Ling Jun said, his eyes narrowing with a cold smile. "Uncle suspects Yuan Shiyi has uncovered the hidden mission? That makes sense. I'll certainly keep an eye on him. Hm, the hidden mission at Qin Feng remains unsolved. I'd actually hope Yuan Shiyi succeeds—this bridal gown, we at the Hundred Blossoms Association will truly enjoy it." The middle-aged man replied, "Try to remain discreet and gentle." "Understood. The young Master Yuanshishen trusts me deeply—gathering information won't be difficult. I'll keep you posted." Ling Jun smiled. Fu Qingyang held his cigar, took a sip of the whiskey from the table, and said, "The red thread." "What?" Qian Gongzi repeated. "The red thread—symbolizing marital bonds." "Pfft!" Hu Gongzi laughed. "If you cut the red thread, you'll pass through a sea of flowers without touching a single leaf, since no woman will ever find you appealing." Then wouldn't I be just like San Yang Kai Tai, with no 'er' at all—no woman ever reaching out to me with affection? Zhang Yuanqing's expression changed dramatically. Fu Qingyang explained calmly: "The Master of Stopping the Killing is a musician. As long as she wishes, she can make any man fall in love with her—me and Ling Jun included." As for why he cut all of them, it's because he's not a musician and can't perform delicate operations. Ling Jun waved his hand: "That's not true. As long as she's beautiful enough, I'll still fall in love with her without the red thread. Also, the red thread has a time limit—it's quite inconvenient during combat, just like the charm of a seductive woman, often making one "He was worried I'd be distracted by the red thread, caught in the spell of the Lady of the Palace—so it makes sense that, after that crisp moment, the head of the family no longer objected. Zhang Yuanqing understood Fu Qingyang's meaning. 'Then, then will my red thread recover?' he asked. Fu Qingyang replied, 'The red thread will reconnect automatically twenty-four hours from now.' That's good, that's good. For the next twenty-four hours, I can simply avoid all women... Just as Zhang Yuanqing was thinking this, he saw the rabbit maiden enter the cigar room, stop beside Fu Qingyang, and bow slightly. 'Sir, Lady Guan has returned,' she said. Ling Jun clapped once. 'Yuan Shi, take advantage of this moment to part ways with Lady Guan—I'd like to introduce you to Ting'er.'... Jiangnan Leather City. In the grand villa of the Xiaohou family, Xiaohou Aotian sat at the table, the screen of his computer displaying the successful message of a sent email. Half an hour earlier, the official had called the Xiaohou household, requesting that he submit a report from Qin Feng Academy." Xiahou Aotian might not be the most reliable in personality, yet as a scholar, he was more skilled than Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn at drafting a flawless report. After sending the email, he picked up his phone again, glanced at the chat records, and carelessly hummed, "What could possibly go wrong with the soldier-figures' core? Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn just knows how to scare people." With that, he slumped into the ergonomic chair, staring at the ceiling with a look of disdain. A few seconds later, he suddenly stood up, "Well, perhaps I should still check it out." Heading out of the room, down the stairs, and into the living room, the housekeeper was preparing lunch in the kitchen. "Is the lord going out? Madame mentioned that you've been startled recently during your mission, so she's been making a calming soup for you in the kitchen," she gently suggested, inviting him to have lunch back at the house. Xiahou's housekeeper was, in ancient times, equivalent to a household-born servant from a wealthy family. The Lingjing family has a highly rigorous evaluation system for its workers. They adopt orphans and train them to become household managers, assistants, nannies, and other service roles. They also hire ordinary people who unexpectedly become involved in cases involving the Lingjing Travelers. Even wild Lingjing Travelers are integrated into the family's service. Over the course of more than a century, thousands of ordinary people now work for the Xiaohou family, most of whom have inherited golden job positions passed down through generations—more stable than positions within the official system. Outstanding descendants are often assigned to the family's corporate ventures, where they enjoy significantly enhanced status, benefits, and income. "Tell the old lady I'm going to the clan leader's house," Xiahou Aotian waved his hand and stepped out. The community is bright with sunshine, roads are smooth and well-maintained, and elegant villas are arranged in orderly fashion. The landscaped courtyards feature high-value ornamental plants. Staff members in work uniforms operate shuttle buses to tour the grounds. Xiaohou Aotian strolled under the sunlight, wearing slippers, briefs, a T-shirt, with a loose, carefree hairstyle that complemented his handsome features—without considering his personality, he truly embodied the image of an anime male lead. Soon, he reached the grand manor where the clan elder resided, ignoring the security staff's obstruction, and kicked the grandson of the head of the household, arriving at the head's study. "Uncle, I'd like to enter your treasure vault," Xiaohou declared as he pushed open the door. "Grandfather, this young man has come again," the grandson, of similar age, shouted. "Go ahead," Xiaohou replied, kicking him aside. The elderly head of the household, busy studying a crafting manual, lifted his gaze and managed a warm smile. "Aotian, what brings you to the treasure vault?" "I'm feeling unwell—I'd like to get a physical check-up," Xiaohou replied. Thus, Xiaohou secured the key to the head's treasure vault. In fact, the medical examination equipment was also available at the Xiaohou family's faction warehouse. However, to request the use of props stored in the warehouse, one must gain approval from the ancestral elders—yet he has already been placed on their blacklist. Following the staircase down to the first underground level, the staircase ends at a black iron gate inscribed with raised runes. Xia Hou Ao Tian inserts a 10 cm-long key into the lock and turns it with a crisp click, whereupon a series of subtle sounds of gears and bearings turning emanates from within. Immediately thereafter, the runes on the gate one by one illuminate, like glowing blue LED lights. The light then converges suddenly toward the center of the gate, collapsing into a rotating, luminous blue passage. Xia Hou Ao Tian steps into the passage and arrives at the family's treasure vault. The vault spans over a thousand square meters, with a ceiling approximately ten meters high, supported by six pillars. The largest collection here consists of obsolete props (failed in crafting), followed by materials from the spiritual realms, while props themselves are the least abundant. Xia Hou Ao Tian moves effortlessly to a machine resembling a magnetic resonance imaging device, activates it, and then lies down inside. This is the equipment used during the large-scale health check-up at the Xiaohou family. The circular machine hums steadily, infrared lines repeatedly scanning Xiaohou Aotian's body. "Beep~" At this moment, the electronic female voice from the connected display announces: "Please do not scan two people at the same time. Please do not scan two people at the same time..." "???" Hearing the instrument's prompt, Xiaohou Aotian first visualizes a string of question marks in his mind, then feels a sharp tingling sensation spread across his scalp, a wave of inexplicable cold rushing up his spine.