Fu Qingyang's stern face flickered with clear astonishment, as though he hadn't quite heard, "What did you say?" Huang Taiqi simply repeated, "I've matched with the Primordial Sovereign." Only then did Fu Qingyang confirm he hadn't misunderstood, and he found it hard to believe. While it wasn't uncommon for someone to match across levels—Qian Gong himself, who was near the Dao, had experienced this, and even his sister had done so frequently—matching a Level IV official to a Level VI peak contender like Huang Taiqi represented a full two-level leap, which was indeed remarkable. How high was the hidden rating of the Primordial Sovereign? Huang Taiqi spoke with gravity: "Something's gone wrong!" Something's gone wrong... Fu Qingyang's eyes narrowed slightly. Since Huang Taiqi was at the peak of Level VI, the Evil faction must also have strong contenders at that level. A Level VI defeating a Level IV should be as simple as slaughtering a dog—yet Huang Taiqi would never have called him without cause. Qian Gongzi's heart suddenly sank, and his voice grew urgent: "Wen Shi...?" "He's fine—he's already stepped out of the realm." Huang Taiqi immediately sensed from Fu Qingyang's tone that Wen Shi's Celestial Sovereign had not intended to reach out to his immediate superiors after leaving the realm. He must have been working on repairing the shadow corpse. Upon hearing this, Fu Qingyang's expression eased slightly, and he felt a great relief, then listened as Huang Taiqi continued: "He's not only fine—he's now at Level Six." Fu Qingyang once again doubted whether he had heard correctly, asking in a questioning tone: "Are you certain you just said he's reached Level Six?" "He's reached Level Six," Huang Taiqi, never one for unnecessary words, repeated it clearly. ...Even Qian Gongzi, who had remained calm even as a mountain collapsed before him, stood frozen at his desk. Clearing the killing raid dungeon by June, just promoted to Saint status—only two months in, and now he's reached Level Six. That's way faster than Fu Qingxuan's sluggish pace... By year-end, he'll be eligible for the killing raid dungeon and promoted to Master rank. Should I perhaps head to the White Tiger Army's faction dungeon for some training? Fu Qingyang couldn't help but pinch his brow. A sense of urgency had settled in. Huang Taiji interrupted, "I called you not to report good news." Fu Qingyang was taken aback. "Is there something else?" Whether it was promoted to the sixth rank or whether he defeated the greedy divine general, these were major events—but not the main point? "None of the above are significant. The real big news is," Huang Taiji said solemnly, "Cai Long Shen is also within the realm, and has been killed by Yuan Shi Tian Zun." "... "Fu Qingyang's composed expression instantly shifted. Without thinking, he glanced at the computer screen to confirm the mute icon was still in place, then felt reassured. "Your report has been like a rollercoaster—dramatic, engaging, truly compelling," he leaned slightly forward, his gaze deep and focused. "Yuan Shi won't kill someone without reason. Tell me the full details." Huang Taiji briefly recounted the events in the realm. Fu Qingyang said nothing, offered no comment. "I understand. I'll call you back shortly." "He placed the microphone back on the desk, turned on the headset, and interrupted the dog elder's flowing speech, 'The meeting will pause for a moment—we have something to share with all of you.' 'What is it?' asked the dog elder. 'Master Yuan Shi has matched with a Level 6 instance,' said Fu Qingyang directly. 'He has advanced two levels within the instance and is now at Level 6. He has defeated the Greedy General, the Serpent Princess, and Yi Chuan Mei.' The online meeting fell silent. …… At Wuhen Hotel. A simple bedroom. A figure flickered into reality—small, round, with sensory tentacles rising from her forehead and dark, gem-like compound eyes. The lights were bright, the curtains closed. After taking in the room, she walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and removed a clean front-desk uniform. When she closed the wardrobe door, the parasitic body had fully dissolved. In the built-in full-length mirror, a tall, well-proportioned, snow-white figure emerged—perfectly balanced, with a graceful waist and a full, rounded buttocks, exuding the full elegance of a woman's figure." Her legs were round and well-muscled, firm and fair-skinned, her bust full and upright, her features bright and elegant. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, reached down to touch her waist, and gently pursed her lips. Twenty minutes later, Xiao Yuan finished her morning routine, dried her hair, changed into the front-desk uniform, and stepped out of the room to head down to the main lobby. In the bright and well-kept lobby, Kou Beiyue sat behind a marble counter, holding her mouse and playing a game. The plump attendant diligently wiped the floors. "Xiao Yuan, you're back!" Seeing her descend, Kou Beiyue set down her mouse and stood up, her face beaming with delight. The attendant straightened up and looked over. Xiao Yuan gave a cool, brief nod and murmured, "Hmm." "Have you reached level six?" Kou Beiyue asked eagerly. Xiao Yuan shook her head slightly. "I encountered the Primordial Immortal in the quest realm." "What?" Kou Beiyue still hadn't recovered, while the plump attendant gasped first, eyes wide with astonishment, hesitating to ask, "You—you killed him?" With Xiao Yuan and Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's strength—especially the latter—most "non-death" instances are essentially ruled out. Kou Beiyue realized this only after the fact, instantly widening his eyes and losing all control over his expression: "Xiao Yuan, you...?" His face was a mix of anger, anxiety, and urgency. Xiao Yuan calmly replied: "I used the transmission jade token he provided to forcibly exit the instance. As a result, I dropped a level. Now I have only 70% more experience than you." Kou Beiyue had no idea what a transmission jade token was, but upon hearing that Xiao Yuan and Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn hadn't clashed, he immediately felt relieved. Then, he grew angry again: "Why didn't he use the token himself? He's upgrading so quickly—slowing down a bit shouldn't matter. How can we possibly catch up? Xiao Yuan, he doesn't even want to lose a level for you. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn clearly isn't sincere toward you." Xiao Yuan furrowed his brows. "If you can't speak well, then just don't speak." Stepping into the marble hall with a neutral expression, he paused and explained: "He compensated me with three items of sage-tier quality—all of them top-tier." "Three sage-tier items?" The plump young man looked envious, then suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Wait—why did you encounter Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn when you reached the sixth rank?" "Right—why did you meet Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn?" Kòu Běi Yuè repeated it verbatim. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn had been one of the sages who advanced together with them, while Xiao Yuan reached the sixth rank and was matched with a sixth-rank traveler. "His hidden rating was exceptionally high—he had so many valuable items in his inventory," Xiao Yuan said. The plump young man thought for a moment, reluctantly accepting this explanation, and asked curiously, "Who were your teammates and who were your opponents?" Sixth-rank spiritual realm travelers were relatively rare, and most of them were likely senior sages from the three free organizations. Moreover, Xiao Yuan had used Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's teleportation item to leave the instance, indicating that the free faction had lost The Level 6 Stalkers within the camp must have returned to the Spiritual Realm. "Greedy Divine General, the Serpent Maiden," glanced at Xiao Yuan, "and your southern branch's Yi-Chuan Mei—all of them are dead, slain by the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign." "!!!" Xiao Fat stood frozen, eyes wide with astonishment. Kou Bei Yue opened her mouth in disbelief. "I... I must report this matter to the Grand Elder immediately..." Xiao Fat dashed off toward the hotel's interior. ... Lady Yin Yao held one hand over her snow-soft, full chest, the other tightly gripping the sheet wrapped around her waist, and walked to the wardrobe, retrieving a long-sleeved yellow gown, a light silk skirt, and a set of black lace undergarments. She took small, steady steps back to the bed, glanced at the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign without any hesitation, her face stern. "If you'd like to see women dressing, you should go see Guan Ya." Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "All I wanted was to see how your Spiritual Record has been restored—how your movements flow. It seems everything is in order." "Arguing," the Princess Yin Yao's unusual crimson gaze fixed upon him, "you've occasionally revealed your romantic inclinations—nothing surprising there for a man to have such feelings. But I am merely a spectral body, and for a spectral body to develop romantic feelings is quite unusual." No, in my eyes, you're nothing short of a top-tier figurine. Zhang Yuanqing was not satisfied: "Appreciating a woman's physical beauty has nothing to do with developing romantic feelings. Very well, I'll retreat to Guan Ya's room." He picked up the phone on the table, and as it shimmered with starlight, it dissolved into the air, arriving at Guan Ya's room, filled with constellation dolls and figurines. Guan Ya was not in the room, nor even at the villa. Li Chunfeng, the Queen, and Xie Lingxi were also absent—likely on another mission. Zhang Yuanqing opened Guan Ya's computer, ready to log into the forum, when his phone rang. Caller: Fu Qingyang. "Boss, I'm back," Zhang Yuanqing answered. "I've just spoken with Huang Taiji," Fu Qingyang's tone was serious. "Come over." "Alright." Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone, snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, and once again transformed into a streak of starlight, leaving the room. In the spacious study, Fu Qingyang saw a streak of starlight rise, and the outline of his trusted subordinate appear in a dreamlike glow. Before Fu Qingyang could speak, Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward: "Boss, I've reached Level Six." ...Fu Qingyang looked at him coldly. "Don't let the word 'pride' shine through your face." A bit too bright, he thought internally. "Yellow Taiji has already informed me of the situation in the副本. You killed Cai Longshen—only he and you know about it. The副本 report is solid. But Jiang Ju is a flaw." Fu Qingyang said. "Headquarters can assess from his report that Cai Longshen was hesitant in battle, while Cai the Elder knows his grandson holds a teleportation device. Therefore, Cai Longshen's death will be hard to explain away as simply 'array-related'." If he was hesitant, he couldn't have fought. How could a Cai Longshen, who held a teleportation Master Cai will surely uncover the cause of his grandson's death. As one of the Ten Elders, wielding immense authority, securing the虎符 is no difficulty at all. "This will be easy—just persuade Jiang Ju to give false testimony," Zhang Yuanqing said. Fu Qingyang shook his head. "Jiang Ju never lies. Whether you're just acquainted with Jingwei or even his own brother, he wouldn't lie for you." So resolute is this man? Zhang Yuanqing frowned, instinctively relying on his elder brother. "Then what should we do?" A professional does his job—having the accomplished money magnate at his side, he didn't waste brainpower. Fu Qingyang clearly had a well-thought-out plan and spoke directly: "What method did you use to absorb the boss's soul?" "It's a life-saving item bequeathed to me by the Lady of San Dao Mountain—yes, a consumable." "This reason sounds familiar to me..." Fu Qingyang exhaled, saying, "But it's indeed quite effective. I heard Huang Taiji mention that Cai Longshen has been eyeing your sacrificial celestial set, and Jiang Ju has personally witnessed this. Therefore, the truth must be as follows." He spoke with confidence: "The副本 boss occupied your body but engaged in a back-and-forth struggle, failing to fully take control. Huang Taiji and the Honey Maiden seized the opportunity, fighting desperately to counterattack, resulting in a stalemate. Cai Longshen then took advantage of the situation, aiming to claim your set and exit the副本. Unexpectedly, you were defeated in your battle against the boss, allowing the boss to briefly dominate your body and instantly eliminate Cai Longshen, nearly killing Huang Taiji as well. In the end, you managed to turn the tide, suppressing the boss and bringing the conflict to a close." Zhang Yuanqing brightened: "Yes, exactly like that. And the reason I was able to suppress the boss was that I upgraded at a crucial moment." This is fact. It's reasonable and acceptable to take a slight risk in securing the set. What is Master Cai's character like? Senior Cai should be well aware of that. This line of reasoning has hardly any flaws. Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "But a lie remains a lie, no matter how seamless it is. As long as Senior Cai digs deep and requests the tiger's seal, the lie will inevitably be exposed. Therefore, we need to prepare a backup plan." "Master's strategy is truly unmatched—I fully agree," Zhang Yuanqing said, adopting a receptive posture. "I've already informed the senior leaders at the Songhai branch of your promotion to the sixth rank, including your record of defeating three sixth-rank members in succession. We plan to build momentum on the forum and position you as a model figure." Fu Qingyang explained. "Official channels always seek to establish benchmarks, create personas, and set examples. Every time such a persona collapses, it raises questions about their credibility. Even if the issue is uncovered, the headquarters must still consider the potential erosion of public trust. That is your protective umbrella." "When the time comes, if Cai Elder wants to oppose you, his resistance will come from the other elders at the headquarters. Moreover, Cai Long Shen seized the items first, and you were indeed mentally contaminated at the time—so killing him is understandable and open to debate. 'This is quite different from the time you killed Wei Yuanzhou.' Zhang Yuanqing bowed respectfully and said: 'When you're living in the world of the court, the most important thing is to align yourself with the right leader.' Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction. ... 'Guan Ya, I'm back.' Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the villa while on the phone. 'This time it's been a while, isn't it? A full week, with the fourth-level quest taking so long?' Her mood instantly brightened. Yuan Shi had mentioned the oracle divination results from the turtle shell to her, so during the past week, Guan Ya had been constantly thinking about her husband. 'Yes, it's been a week,' Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. 'Lady Buddha, when will you return to guide me through my difficulties?' "Quai," spat Guan Ya, "a Scorpio star starved for seven days—just thinking about it is terrifying. Have you leveled up?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "You've already reached level five so quickly? I'm only at 46% experience. I'll need at least two A-grade raid dungeons to level up." Guan Ya sighed. "No, it's level six." "???" Guan Ya stared, exasperated. "Don't be joking with me. I'm currently assisting colleagues at Hangcheng branch in tracking down a fugitive—let's not go into that." After ending the call, Zhang Yuanqing opened the door to the bedroom and saw Princess Yin Yao sitting at the desk, posture upright, gently holding a pen like a brush, writing on a blank sheet of paper. On closer inspection, she was writing down the materials required for the level-six promotion. How attentive the Princess is about her advancement... Zhang Yuanqing took the computer, sat by the bed, opened the document, and began typing furiously, composing her report. Half an hour later, he finished drafting the copy of the guide, checked it several times, and sent it to Fu Qingyang. If the report was satisfactory, he would then apply to the head for materials needed to craft the Yin Shi, and use the Star-Sight technique to determine whether to save or not save the Mage's Eye. Once Guan Ya returned, he would send the young green tea and the Queen to explore the divine-stage faction dungeons, helping them gain experience and aiming for a breakthrough in the killing dungeons by year-end. Oh, and has Xiahou Aotian already auctioned off the antique he handled? Zhang Yuanqing logged into the chat app, opened the "Main Character Team: Advancing Group" chat, and typed: "I just came back from the dungeon. There's something I'd like to warn everyone about—when entering the dungeon, absolutely don't bring any master-tier items along." 【Sun Miaomiao: You entered a high-difficulty dungeon?】 【The Primordial Sovereign: I matched with a Level 6 Spirit Realm traveler.】 【Zhao City God: Really?】 【Heaven's Return to Fire: ...】 【Xiahou Aotian: In one sentence, everyone was blown away.