Please do not scan two people at the same time... The prompt tones echo continuously in his ears, and Xue Hou Ao Tian feels his heartbeat accelerate, adrenaline surging rapidly. First, he can rule out a machine malfunction—the Xue Hou family's health examination equipment is regularly maintained, and they've just undergone a check two months ago. The equipment is functioning properly. Therefore, the issue must lie with him. During the exploration of the underground palace, something has accompanied them out, yet Yuan Shi Tian Zun and the others have remained completely unaware throughout. Xue Hou Ao Tian remains tense, rigid on the examination bed, motionless, waiting for the next phase of the scan. "Please do not scan two people at the same time... Please do not scan two people at the same time..." After repeated attempts to prompt him, the machine seems to give up. A deep "clunk" resonates within its massive body, followed by a rapid hum as components spin and revolve—like a high-speed turbine in motion. The circular body ring glowed with a soft purple light, illuminating Xue Hou Ao Tian. The scanner extended, emitting infrared beams that scanned his entire body from head to toe. This process lasted several minutes. The high-speed humming sound gradually slowed, no longer urgent, then ceased as the rotation came to a complete halt. At the same time, a female voice came through the display screen connected to the body: "A high-level spirit entity has been detected attaching to you. Please use the power of the Sun God to expel it." Xue Hou Ao Tian sat up, his face pale, and rushed to the screen, where a human body scan image was displayed. In the image, two overlapping figures—one red and one blue—were fused together. As a master at the peak of Level 5, Xue Hou Ao Tian naturally understood the image: the red represented his physical body, while the blue represented the shadow spirit. He had been possessed by the spirit. Yet he couldn't understand why it was him—why wasn't it the protagonist, the one who should benefit, who should bear the danger? "The power of the Sun God, the power of the Sun God..." Now was not the time for frustration. Xia Hou Ao Tian's face was pale, his mind racing. "I remember my uncle had a purification item that he obtained from the Taiyuan Gate." He dashed toward the shelf where the equipment was stored, quickly scanning the area, searching for the item remembered in his mind. The shelf stretched across three rows, each with four levels, piled high with disorganized items and materials. Uncle truly was a lazy old man—he hadn't even categorized them by profession or quality, certainly not worthy of being a household head. Xia Hou Ao Tian searched for a long time, yet failed to find the purification item. Cold sweat began to gather on his forehead, his expression growing increasingly anxious, his entire demeanor disheveled, as if racing against death itself—just one step behind, and the death's scythe would descend. At that moment, he heard a voice murmuring at his side: "The Golden Orpheus item is on the third row, at the very top level." Xiaohou Aotian was overjoyed: "Thank you..." But the very next second, he froze in place, his face losing all color, his eyes filled with intense fear and anxiety. The warehouse fell into a brief silence. After perhaps a dozen seconds, the elderly voice echoed once again in his ears: "Do not be afraid, I will not harm you. On the contrary, I am grateful to you—for it is you who brought me out of the imperial mausoleum of the First Emperor." Though Xiaohou Aotian did not understand the language spoken, he naturally grasped the meaning. As a learned scholar, he instantly realized this was the unique mode of communication of the Night-Wanderer God, and that he could hear and comprehend it because the other party had directly connected their spirits through the current realm. "Who are you?" Xiaohou Aotian asked cautiously. He had always been a composed man, and after briefly experiencing fear, he had now regained his composure. "I am a physician of the State of Qin," the voice replied. "That's a lie—you're clearly a Night-Wanderer God." Xia Hou Ao Tian exposed the other's lies. "I have studied the Yin-Yang arts, but I am indeed a Qin-era physician of the court—how could I possibly deceive you?" The elderly voice asked, "Young man, what year is this?" He had no idea about the character card's tier system. Xia Hou Ao Tian replied, "If you truly are a Qin physician, then it has been over two thousand two hundred years since then." There was no response from within his mind, and only a faint sigh came through after a long pause: "A great dream spanning two thousand years—I never expected, by sheer chance, to attain immortality in this manner." "Who exactly are you?" Xia Hou Ao Tian's heart skipped a beat. "Could you possibly be the First Emperor?" "I am merely a physician from the Qin court," the elderly voice said slowly. "The First Emperor did not practice the Yin-Yang arts—he believed that upon death, the soul would vanish entirely." Pausing, he added, "He sought immortality as a form of enduring power and rule over the world, not as a mere continuation of the soul clinging on, like a fish without a body, vulnerable to being devoured by night-wandering spirits Your Majesty compares yourself to the Three Sovereigns, surveys the past and present with an expansive gaze, and possesses a spirit so lofty it reaches the heavens—never willing to live in mere compromise. "Ah, two thousand years have passed. It seems Xu Fu has not returned to the Central Plains to fulfill his promises." Xiahou Aotian hurried to ask, "What promises?" The old man, who claimed to be a hermit and a master of esoteric arts, remained silent and instead inquired, "I have stayed with you for several days, and I've observed that today's practitioners differ from those of my time. Though their power may be modest, they can freely enter and exit the immortal realms. In the present world, spiritual energy has vanished entirely. The artifact you just lay upon—its form is strange and unusual, with many variations—how can you describe these changes in detail to me?" Xiahou Aotian pondered deeply, then slowly replied, "This story must begin with the birth of a destined child in the summer of the year twenty-three, in the city of Xiahou, in the Jiangnan region..." Unexpectedly, the voice of the Qin-era hermit, now aged, interrupted: "Given your "...Xia Hou Ao Tian was still uncertain about this fangshi’s level and intentions, so he held his temper and patiently explained the existence of the Lingjing realm, as well as the current organization of Lingjing practitioners. When he finished, it had already been half an hour. "Very interesting," said Qu Qi, the fangshi, simply, before adding, "Xia Hou Ao Tian, do you wish to become the most powerful scholar of our age? Then I shall take you as my disciple and teach you more advanced techniques in alchemy and metallurgy." Indeed, I am the destined protagonist—no wonder they haven’t been possessed yet. Xia Hou Ao Tian was instantly excited, though as a scholar, he remained fully composed, asking, "What do you wish from me?" "Regularly supply me with pure spiritual energy, and it must come from a scholar’s profession. Also, find materials to restore my physical form. Ah, that will be your responsibility once you ascend to the rank of Master." "The elderly Qin state alchemist said, 'However, before that, you'll need to find a vessel that nourishes the soul...' Before he could finish, Xiahou Aotian swiftly produced a black ring veiled in cold qi, saying, 'Come here quickly, Grand Ring, I've been waiting for you for a long time.' The Qin state alchemist was astonished, 'Waiting for me for years? How so?' ... Should I also introduce your younger aunt to you so I can enjoy the same blessings as a magus? Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help rolling his eyes. Of course, he didn't dare to say it out loud—fear of being killed by Ling Jun. Fu Qingyang placed his cigar on the ashtray and said calmly, 'Has Teng'er forgotten about the magus yet?' Ling Jun's face darkened, 'Don't mention that man to me again, Fu Qingyang—you're deliberately reopening our family's wounds.' Fu Qingyang stood up calmly, 'Yuan Shi, you go back first. Until the bond of destiny is restored, don't see Guan Ya.' Remarkably, even the brother-in-law seems quite concerned about his sister-in-law's marital prospects! Zhang Yuanqing nodded and dispersed into starlight. Across the way, a compact villa. Starlight rose from the bedroom, where Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a backpack from the wardrobe, then removed the phone charging cable, laptop, and Cat King speaker, stuffing them all in at once. He planned to stay at home for a day, to visit his grandparents, and return once his fate threads were restored. At that moment, he heard light footsteps approaching swiftly. Then, with a soft "click," the bedroom door swung open, revealing a clear, delicate face, her head adorned with a modern, tech-savvy headset. "I just knew it," the young woman smiled brightly, her face glowing like a blooming flower. "Brother Yuanshi, I've been dying to see you..." She leaped in like a deer in the forest, eager to seize the moment when Guan Ya wasn't around and eat her boyfriend's tofu. Suddenly, mid-leap, the deer halted, startled and anxious. She stopped, her black-and-white eyes widening, gazing at Zhang Yuanqing with puzzled curiosity. Up and down, she scrutinized him again and again. Zhang Yuanqing asked cautiously, "What's wrong?" Xie Lingxi furrowed her brows, paused for a while, then suddenly offered a polite smile. "Nothing at all, Yuanshi brother. I was just joking earlier—your return is truly wonderful. Oh, by the way, lunch is ready; would you like to go down and have it?" A distant, courteous smile, and language that was formal and unremarkable. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt uncomfortable, as though he had lost something that was truly his own. He followed Xie Lingxi downstairs, where Xiao Licha maintained a rather respectful distance. In the living room, the Queen was already eagerly devouring her meal, her smile becoming alluring upon hearing their footsteps. "Captain," she said, "Lingxi mentioned you'd returned..." She stared at Zhang Yuanqing for a long moment, then gently softened her expression, her graceful charm momentarily fading, and nodded. "Captain, it's perfect—just the right time for lunch." Even the Queen no longer likes me. Ah, Zhang Yuanqing once again experienced the terrifying power of the Hong Luan He found it hard to accept this psychological gap. Just as he was about to suggest going home, a thought struck him: perhaps Lingjun was right—Guan Ya cherished freedom in love and had extremely high expectations of her partner, never willing to compromise. Why not take advantage of the current situation—where Auntie doesn’t care and Uncle doesn’t love her—and promptly end things with Guan Ya, positioning himself as the one who’s been let down? Then, once the fate thread is restored, Guan Ya will regret and desperately try to salvage the relationship, at which point he can simply and decisively walk away. A one-move solution! This kind of strategy even his mentor wouldn’t think of—I truly am a little genius, he chuckled to himself. With this thought, he settled into his seat gracefully, took the bowl offered by the rabbit-dress girl, and began to eat thoughtfully. The queen furrowed her brows, "Li Chunfeng, what on earth are you talking about? I have always deeply respected the captain, but that's all—please don't start making up stories." Xie Lingxi smiled gently, "My brother, Yuan Shi, will always be my brother." Even now, she remains as fresh and green as ever. At that moment, Guan Ya, having finished her report, entered the villa hall and caught sight of Zhang Yuanqing's silhouette. Her eyes brightened, and the beautiful, oval face broke into a warm smile. "Yuan Shi, you've returned!" She began untying the hairband from her ponytail as she walked toward him. At the same time, she noticed her boyfriend turning to face her. Guan Ya paused momentarily. "I've been waiting for you a long time," Zhang Yuanqing said, his expression enigmatic. "Ah, oh..." Guan Ya regained her composure, now standing beside Zhang Yuanqing. She glanced at the seat beside the queen, hesitated, and then finally pulled out a chair, sitting down beside her boyfriend. Receiving the bowls and chopsticks from the rabbit girl, she ate slowly and deliberately, occasionally glancing at her boyfriend, lost in thought, then frowning, puzzled. She would glance at him again, her expression growing serious. A look of deep contemplation, hesitating to speak. Time seemed to pass slowly until the rice in everyone's bowls was finally gone. Guan Ya set down her chopsticks, turned her head, and gazed at her boyfriend, saying, "Yuanshi, let's go to my room together." "Alright!" Zhang Yuanqing placed his chopsticks and followed her toward the stairs. Watching their silhouettes disappear around the stair corner, Li Chunfeng turned to the young green tea, surprised, "Don't you go and take your headphones to eavesdrop?" "You're crazy!" the young green tea gave him a withering look. ... "Thud!" Guan Ya closed the bedroom door with a gentle but firm sound, pulled out the long chair by the desk, gestured for Zhang Yuanqing to sit, and then settled herself by the bed. Here it is—she's breaking up! Zhang Yuanqing, knowing her well, thought to himself. "Yuanshǐ," Guan Ya bit her lower lip, steadied her heart, and said, "What I'm about to say might not be something you can accept, but..." "Having said that, he didn't give Guan Ya a chance to linger—he just snapped his fingers and left the villa. Guan Ya stared at the now-empty room, and unexpectedly, her heart felt hollow, as if something important had been lost. Well, if Yuan Shi isn't persistent, that's fine... Guan Ya pushed the unfamiliar sense of melancholy out of her mind and exhaled gently. She was completely unaware of all this. "Wow, that was so exciting! Yuanzi, your game skills are getting better and better!" With the controller in hand, she watched the "level-up" screen, then opened her arms wide, lazily stretching her back. "Did I used to play less well?" Zhang Yuanqing held the controller, stretched lazily, thinking how wonderful Auntie was—no matter whether the red lines broke or not, she had always been there for him. Indeed, family ties are more reliable than romantic love. At that moment, her phone rang. Zhang Yuanqing set down the controller, leaned slightly to one side, pulled out her phone from her pants pocket—the caller was Fu Qingyang. She immediately stood up and walked to the window to answer the call: "Hello!" Since Auntie was there, she didn't call him "Older Brother." Through the speaker, Fu Qingyang's always calm and composed voice came through: "The Chairman of the Business Association has replied—he'd like to meet you, tonight." The Chairman wants to see me? A near-divine figure wants to see me? Zhang Yuanqing's first thought was: "Is there any danger..." He glanced at his beautiful aunt watching him intently and changed his words: "Are you reliable?" "Absolutely," Fu Qingyang affirmed, saying, "Come by my place at 10 p.m."