Lady Yin Yao turned her head, aimed the small megaphone at Huang Taiqi, and explained, "She's a friend of Yuan Shi Tian Zun." No need to cast the star-phase magic—Lady Yin Yao could already recognize the subtle aura of the small round figure. Back when they jointly fought against the rebels from the Thousand Hei group during their northern campaign to seize the key to Gao Tian Yuan, they had faced each other in battle. Yet the Lady hadn't expected to encounter this friend of Yuan Shi Tian Zun within the副本—ah, "friend of the heart" was the term used in her era. In today's terms, it would be someone with a romantic or intimate connection. "A friend?" Huang Taiqi furrowed his brows, showing no relaxation in his vigilance despite the Yin Shi's explanation. The hostility toward disorder and evil doesn't fade simply with a single statement. After all, the Yin Shi wasn't Yuan Shi Tian Zun himself, so there was room for misjudging the nature of their relationship. Seeing that Huang Taiqi still seemed unconvinced, Lady Yin Yao paused thoughtfully, and the volume of the megaphone suddenly dropped to a hushed whisper: "She's someone Yuan Shi Huang Taiji listened carefully, and his initial caution indeed eased considerably. The ambiguous relationship was different from others, and based on his long-standing understanding of the Yin Shi, he knew she wouldn’t simply make things up. As he observed the ethereal priestess, now looking utterly disoriented, his confidence grew further. What was going on with Yuan Shi Tian Zun? Was he deliberately drifting into an ambiguous relationship with a malevolent profession, abandoning his future prospects? Huang Taiji furrowed his brows quietly. But now was not the time to dwell on such details. He turned to the stunning Beifeng Lady and said firmly, “I need to know your stance.” "Lady Yin Yao said. The glow in the young lady's eyes dimmed. For many years, she had stayed at the Wuheng Hotel, welcoming countless companions and seeing many depart. Each time a companion returned to the spiritual realm, she felt a deep ache in her heart. But this time, it was the Prime Sovereign who was leaving—her sorrow was especially profound, so intense that it had become numb. "But as if he hadn't truly passed," Lady Yin Yao added. Lady Yin Yao skillfully inserted herself between the two, gazing at Xiao Yuan, holding the small horn. "I can't quite describe his condition. Since you've come here, I assume you've learned about the events from that lowly person." "The power of the Sun God, the Vitality Source Liquid, the water element being a maleficent force, and the Five-Element Set—all these formidable forces have used his body as a battlefield, completely eradicating his vitality. Even the Vitality Source Liquid could not restore him. His physical form hasn't turned to ash, likely due to the pure yang cleansing record preserving him." "But he did indeed die. Fortunately, his spirit body hasn't dispersed—it has remained intact within his physical form. Over the past few days, I've tried numerous secret techniques to awaken him, all of which have failed." "I've never encountered such a situation before. My current, rather pessimistic hypothesis is that although he has passed away, a powerful force has locked his deceased spirit within his body—much like amber. At first glance, it appears vividly alive, yet the creature inside has long since passed on." "A more optimistic guess is that perhaps by removing the water from within his body—the yang element—his spirit might be awakened. But that has already surpassed my capabilities." Finally, Xiao Yuan understood why she had said he seemed dead yet not entirely so. "I want to see him," she said, looking toward Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji's usually stern expression softened as he pondered, and after a few seconds, he slowly nodded: "Certainly!" He set down the coffin. With a deep, resonant 'thud,' a soft yellow glow spread across the ground, and a powerful gravitational force descended. Instantly, the wounds on Xiao Yuan's body tore open, and she winced slightly in pain. Huang Taiji glanced at her, further believing in the words of Yin Yao, the Princess. As a villainous figure, willingly stepping into the enemy's camp solely to catch a glimpse of the Primordial Sovereign—beyond the mere ambiguity of her romantic feelings—was a rare feat. He placed his palm against the coffin's surface, and the solid clay lid cracked open, dissolving into earth spirits. Xiao Yuan could now see the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign within the coffin, but he was merely a carbonized corpse—his face scorched and blurred, as though the striking beauty and radiance of his countenance had forever become memory. The power of the Sun God had utterly destroyed his body; his skull had been scorched out, and the flesh of his limbs and torso had completely turned to carbon, no longer possessing any semblance of living flesh—more like chunks of meat burned in a pot, reduced to mere charcoal. It was no wonder Lady Yin Yao had said he was dead. Xiao Yuan reached out, her fingertips trembling as she gently touched his cheek, only for the hope rising within her to be gradually extinguished by what she saw. "Ssshhhh..." Suddenly, a mist of pale, dewy fingers rose in a faint blue vapor, and Xiao Yuan recoiled as though struck by electricity. Looking down, she found her fingers red and her skin blistered, scorched by the intense heat. "If you touch his waist, your hands will feel as though they've been drained of moisture. The power remains, but it forms a kind of balance." Lady Yin Yao pressed the silver horn gently to Xiao Yuan's ear. "I "Xiao Yuan coldly waved her hand, opening the container. She took a deep breath and retrieved a clay jar from her inventory, extended her hand to the opening, and plucked out two coffee-colored, wriggling cicada pupae. She bit into one and chewed it down, then gently pried open the mouth of Yuan Shi Tian Zun, crushing the second one and letting the burst juice flow into his mouth. These pupae were carefully cultivated by her—known as the Revival Wugong. They nourish the soul and body, heal internal and external injuries, and with sufficient consumption, even enable limb regeneration. While slightly less effective than the Life Source Liquid and more costly to cultivate, she usually reserved them for use when absolutely necessary. But now, she continuously plucked out pupae, crushed them one after another, and fed them repeatedly into Yuan Shi Tian Zun's mouth. 'No need to try anymore—the Life Source Liquid couldn't save him,' said Princess Yin Yao, raising her megaphone slightly. 'This is where the urgency truly sets in.' "Huang Taiji nodded in agreement, then spoke seriously and earnestly, reassuringly: 'Don't worry—life and death are destined by heaven.' Although the other was an evil profession, he never hesitated to offer comfort. Hearing this, Xiao Yuan trembled slightly. At that moment, Huang Taiji seemed to sense something, turned toward the distance, and said solemnly: 'Come out! I can feel your footsteps.' Xiao Yuan and Yin Yao Princess were startled, turning to look—there, at about fifteen meters away, a figure materialized, none other than the fiery, impetuous young man with red hair. He was athletic and graceful, though not particularly tall, wearing combat-specific half-finger gloves, much like a typical street-fighter youth. 'What's going on? How did Huang Taiji end up talking to this seer?' Jiang Ju asked loudly. 'She is a friend of the Prime Immortal,' Huang Taiji thought for a moment, 'so we can trust her to some extent!' He now fully believes in the connection between this woman and Yuan-Shi Tianzun. After consuming the cicada pupa, her injuries heal slowly—such a precious insect, yet she offers it to Yuan-Shi Tianzun without charge. This goes far beyond mere ambiguity; it's clearly a promise of lifelong devotion, a commitment of life and death. However, their bond is as strong as gold, and thus unrelated to his and Jiang Ju's own relationship. While she won't harm Yuan-Shi Tianzun, she might still pose a threat to them—so a reasonable level of trust is warranted. Before Jiang Ju could respond, clear streams of water seeped from beneath his feet, as if attempting to coalesce into human form, but under the powerful gravitational pull, they failed to succeed. Huang Taiji immediately removed the gravitational force. The clear water then solidified into a human shape, emitting a muffled chuckle, as though someone beneath the water were speaking: "Can you trust me, Huang Taiji? Do you know the primary mission of the Order of Harmony? Oh, you haven't arrived at the manor yet, Jiang Ju—tell him." "The primary mission is to protect the fallen demon's body and to eradicate "Jiang Ju finished speaking, slapped his palm to shatter the water dual form, and grumbled, 'Cai Longshen, watch your tone! Are you treating me like your younger brother?' Cai Longshen's body re-coalesced, neither offended by the fire master's roughness nor unwilling to concede, turning to the small circle. 'As for Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's secret alliances with evil forces—let's set that aside for now—she and we are bound for life or death. If we now eliminate her, the evil faction loses one of its key figures. "Huang Taiji, Jiang Ju—why wait any longer? Why not act now?" Huang Taiji furrowed his brow. Though steady and sincere in nature, he hesitated to take decisive action, knowing that the other was Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's beloved companion. Jiang Ju, however, didn't need to think much—he instinctively ignited the flames on his gloves and entered combat mode. As an accomplished fire master, he adhered to the principle of 'act when possible, think only when necessary.' Moreover, Cai Longshen's words carried strong merit. "Why haven't you moved yet?" "Lady Yin Yao was as refined and beautiful as a porcelain figure, yet her face, devoid of expression, turned toward the water duplicate. "If we act now, we will inevitably draw the malevolent professionals from the estate. With Xiao Yuan joining forces with them, our side will surely be defeated. Where is your true form? Just speak a few words, and you'll put Huang Taiji and the crude fire master in peril—your strategy is indeed well thought out." Jiang Ju furrowed his brows, and his hands' flames instantly went out. Reasonable indeed. The water duplicate cast her gaze toward Lady Yin Yao, her voice now cold and indistinct. "Who exactly are you?" "She is a favored companion of the Prime Immortal, as well as his shadow corpse," said Huang Taiji, speaking with serious intent. Lady Yin Yao stiffened slightly, turning her neck slowly, gazing at him, her porcelain-like face filled with bewilderment. Huang Taiji nodded steadily, as though to say: "I understand all." Then, with a sincere and steadfast nature, he furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, and looked at Xiao Yuan, speaking slowly: "Metatron may still have a chance of revival, but if he falls into the hands of the evil faction, he will surely perish. If you wish to save Metatron, then set aside your current faction disputes and focus on reviving him first." He then turned to Jiang Ju and Cai Long Shen: "We are currently short on manpower. With her joining us, we will be able to stand a strong challenge against the evil faction." Among the Level 6 characters on the Lawful side, besides Jiang Ju—the red-haired one with exceptional talent who can hold his own against the greedy general—both Jiang Ju and Cai Long Shen still find themselves struggling when facing opponents of equal strength from the evil faction. Of course, Huang Tai Ji's strength is sufficient only to hold the enemy at bay, but Cai Long Shen is a true Lawful-class character, naturally disadvantaged against evil-aligned opponents. Overall, their combined strength remains relatively weaker. Jiang Ju nodded vigorously: "Excellent idea!" Cai Long Shen smiled: "Indeed, a sound strategy." "Huang Taiji is using the Primordial Sovereign as leverage, forcing the spirit-medium to serve the Order—only to abandon her once she's done with her. That would indeed be a fair move. As he thought, Cai Longshen's feet stirred with flowing water, and he approached the earth coffin, examining the Primordial Sovereign within. "He's already passed." Cai Longshen offered a concise, confident assessment, then his gaze settled on the Yin-Yang robe. ——The ceremonial set's function lasts only five minutes; once the time expires, it returns to its original state. "Hm. These are props he used on the battlefield—the Later Earth Boots, the wooden belt—these are actually the Five-Element Set?" With that, the water-bodied form reached out, grabbing the Yin-Yang robe. A broad, solid hand seized the hand formed of clear water. Huang Taiji furrowed his brow. "What do you intend to do?" "Since the Primordial Sovereign has passed, his props naturally belong to me," the water-bodied form replied, voice slightly indistinct, asserting firmly. "Do you intend to leave them to the Evil faction?" Xiao Yuan and Princess Yin Yao regarded Cai Longshen with open hostility. Huang Taiqi shook his head: "This belongs to the Prime Sovereign. Even if he dies, his equipment should be handed over to the headquarters." Cai Longshen paused thoughtfully, then said: "Agreed. Our immediate priority is to bring him to the manor, into the Sword Pavilion. There, with the Sword Pavilion as our battlefield, we will engage the evil factions in a final, decisive battle." The Sword Pavilion is his home base—once there, Huang Taiqi will no longer have the final say. Huang Taiqi nodded, about to speak, when a thunderous, resonant laugh echoed from above: "Have you managed to arrive?" A dark figure plummeted from the sky, wielding a blood-smeared longsword, and struck resolutely at the earth coffin. A Greedy God-General! Due to Xiao Yuan's unexpected presence—this unreliable ally—the evil faction has altered its strategy. To prevent leaks, it no longer waits passively for the opportune moment, but now launches proactive attacks, leaving the manor to pursue and eliminate Huang Taiqi. They have initiated the final