The night wanderer—no, the star official? The second group are indeed the night roses. As a firsthand witness to the Qin Feng Academy incident, Xue Hou Ao Tian immediately recognized his adversaries. Two star officials—one possessing the driver, the other himself. Xue Hou Ao Tian, a frail fangshi whose body and spirit were far from strong, had watched helplessly as his own form was taken over, powerless to intervene. The enemy capable of suppressing his spirit and controlling his body clearly stood at the level of a Saint. Yet, the opponent did not display overwhelming dominance, suggesting they were not fifth-tier star officials, but rather fourth-tier. If they had been fifth-tier, Xue Hou Ao Tian would have experienced no premonition of freezing, but instead would have been swiftly and completely taken over. "I didn't miss it earlier—your body was quite ordinary. Now it seems, your spiritual strength is also quite average." Either you're a court physician or the Red Lustrous Star, I just don't feel the charm coming from you...” the middle-aged driver, keeping his eyes on the road, glanced at Xiahou Aotian through the rearview mirror. “So you're a court physician.” Xiahou Aotian remained stiff-faced, unable to speak. The driver continued, eyes fixed ahead, with confidence and ease, as if he had already secured both the money and Xiahou Aotian himself. “As for you, though…” he sighed. Suddenly, Xiahou Aotian raised both hands, pressing them to his head and slowly turning his head back. Cracking, cracking… the sounds of his cervical bones nearing fracture echoed through the silence. His face turned crimson with pain and lack of oxygen, blood vessels in his eyes bulging. It seemed only a moment later, he would die from a snapped neck. Yet, at the crucial moment, his hands released. Xiahou Aotian gasped heavily. The driver said coldly, "As long as you tell us the origins of those Qin dynasty antiquities, we'll let you live." While still gasping, Xiahou Aotian suddenly chuckled. "A fifth-level spirit body isn't very tasty—I don't want to go through a mental breakdown, but if you don't cooperate, I'm not going to be as lenient as I was just now." It was the star official inhabiting his body speaking. First kill, then consume the spirit—this way, the mental contamination would be minimized. If the spirit were directly absorbed and completely devoured, the risk of immediate mental fragmentation would be extremely high. After all, this was a fifth-level fangshi. Indeed, they weren't certain about the origins of the Qin dynasty antiquities... Xiahou Aotian finally steadied his breathing, exerting every ounce of effort to blink, though only his eyelashes trembled. The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, "Have him speak." Immediately afterward, Xiahou Aotian found himself able to speak—part of the control had been handed over to the star official inhabiting him. Xiaohou Aotian instinctively opened his inventory panel, only to find his hands and feet still immobile, so he quietly closed it again. "Don't hesitate—within ten seconds, if you don't speak, we'll ask the spirit ourselves." The middle-aged driver was exceptionally cautious, constantly monitoring the surroundings, especially the vehicles behind. He was on guard against both official forces and wary of "Karakurt's" allies catching up. The star official manifesting within Xiaohu Aotian raised his hand again, cradling his head, ready to snap it off at any moment. "You two star officials..." Xiaohu Aotian finally found his voice, yet he didn't appear as resolute or terrified as his adversaries expected. Instead, he gave a disdainful chuckle. "Have you never studied facial expressions before? How utterly foolish—no wonder you're just a short-lived supporting character." "What do you mean!" The driver frowned, instinctively opening his star eyes and glancing at his own facial expression through the rearview mirror. Ehu's palace is perfectly stable, while Yuan's palace shines brightly—this foretells a substantial windfall. It perfectly aligns with the current developments. Only then did the driver finally ease his mind, speaking calmly: "Since he's not cooperating, then kill Wanling. At worst, invite the Third Guardian to purify your contamination with the power of the Sun God. We're here to serve the organization, and the Third Guardian will support you." A decision made in ten seconds—ten seconds exactly—this member of the Night Rose is resolute, never granting the other party any room for delay. Yet his words went unheeded. In the rearview mirror, Xue Hou Ao Tian remained in the same pose—both hands cradling his head, motionless. "What's wrong with you?" the middle-aged driver was startled. Xue Hou Ao Tian smiled gently and said, "Oh, nothing. I just ate him and am digesting his memories." His expression and gaze no longer awkward or pretentious—quite simply, he had transformed into someone entirely new. This... the middle-aged driver's face turned pale, with no hesitation at all. His spirit detached from the body, pierced through the roof, and soared skyward. The driver's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed headfirst onto the steering wheel. The taxi, still moving at high speed, slanted into the guardrail. Xue Hou Ao Tian rushed out, grabbing the steering wheel firmly to prevent a collision. "Hold the wheel..." he murmured to himself. "I know. You go after him quickly," Xue Hou Ao Tian ordered. "He hasn't left." Zhang Yuanqing's spirit detached from the body, passed through the roof, and saw a translucent middle-aged man clinging to the ceiling, his face expressionless. At the very moment the man's spirit left the driver's body, Zhang Yuanqing had already used the Star-Phantasm Technique to mesmerize him. In the man's perception, he was now continuously performing the Star-Flight Technique and flying away from the taxi, retreating steadily. Yet in reality, he had remained right on the roof. Zhang Yuanqing had arrived earlier and had been quietly following, hidden within the cabin all along—spirits are capable of using skills as well. The two star officials could not discern any calamity from the face of Zhang Yuanqing because, after his promotion to the sixth rank, he had already gained the ability to actively trigger fragments of the Yin essence and receive concealed protection. Though he could only mobilize a slender thread of Yin essence energy, it was more than sufficient to confuse the two lower-ranked officials. Zhang Yuanqing reached out with his soul, enveloping and consuming the soul on the roof of the vehicle. The official's eyes immediately faded, entering a state of memory digestion. A few seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing's own consciousness regained clarity, and as he absorbed the memories of the two officials, he established connections and gathered some intriguing intelligence. These two officials were members of the Dark Night Rose's Operational Division, reporting directly to a Day-Wandering Deity named San Hufa. Unlike other divisions that operate in concealment within the Five Elements Alliance or the Spiritual Realm families, the Operational Division is mobile and independent, led by the Night-Wandering Deities with a small number of lawful, orderly professions, even including some wild, inherently evil ones. Furthermore, within the memories of these two officials, Zhang Yuanqing encountered the Pure Yang Master. The Mobile Division of the Night Rose was secretly supporting the Pure Yang Master. Just a few days ago, they had successfully defended themselves against attacks from both the Red Orchid Elder of the Taiyuan Sect and the Elder of the Void Sect. The Pure Yang Master sustained serious injuries and is currently recovering. Now, the Third Elder is planning to counter the Red Orchid Elder and the Void Sect by using the Pure Yang Master as a lure, setting up ambushes for their top fighters. The Night Rose has now treated the Pure Yang Master as a pawn in their strategic game—do they not fear that the tiger may grow too strong? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows in quiet concern. As the Pure Yang Master grows stronger, he poses a growing threat to the Night Rose's Night Stalker, Star Official, and Day Stalker divisions. "Once I return to Songhai, I'll report this matter and give a heads-up to the Red Orchid Elder and Yin Ji." Zhang Yuanqing mused quietly. He has decided to take the bodies of the two Star Officials with him—perhaps they'll prove useful in the future. With his spirit descending and re-entering the physical body, he settled into the protagonist's form: "I've collected the funds Xia Hou Ao Tian sighed with relief, "Just take the money." "Don't forget to return the beads to the bazaar warehouse—they were borrowed from Fu Qingyang," Zhang Yuanqing glanced subtly at Xia Hou Ao Tian's thumb, smiled with a hint of implication, "I seem to have gone a bit overboard." As soon as he finished speaking, his spirit detached and activated the Star Drift technique, leaving the taxi. He returned to his physical body hidden in the old city district, and, taking advantage of the moment when no one was around and the surveillance cameras had not yet resumed operation, vanished through the Star Drift technique. He took out Little Red Cap, placed the two star officials inside its space, destroyed the onboard recorder, and then inspected the items in the cabin, discovering that it was a rental vehicle. That vehicle could thus be set aside. After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuanqing expelled a breath of the Tai Yin energy, transforming into a graceful young woman with a spring-like expression. "Master, do you have any further instructions?" Yuchuan Mei knelt at his feet. Zhang Yuanqing asked, "When you interacted with Xiahou Aotian, did you sense any spiritual fluctuations within his ring?" Yuchuan Mei chuckled, "Yes, quite unusual—its spirit signature resembles that of the Night-Wanderer, yet it's more complex, as though it were a kind of 'patchwork' being." "Patchwork being..." Zhang Yuanqing paused and corrected, "More accurately, it should be described as an ancient cultivator with dual specializations." Yuchuan Mei nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, that's exactly right." "Yet how does Xue Ao-tian possess the soul of an ancient cultivator? Ancient cultivators are not bound by moral values either. This matter needs to be clarified, but not too forcefully—otherwise, it might unsettle the soul within the ring... Zhang Yuanqing frowned, pressing his foreheads together with growing concern. Then, he noticed Yuchuan Mei gazing at him with eager anticipation. Weird! Zhang Yuanqing gave a composed nod, expressionlessly: "Excellent. I must commend you." Upon saying this, the power of the Sun God coalesced into a whip and struck Yuchuan Mei with force. As black smoke rose, Yuchuan Mei collapsed at his feet, her face glowing with a sickly yet exhilarated joy. "Thank you, thank you, Master... the more rough you are, the more I enjoy it." Should I perhaps assign her a more dominant, S-type spiritual servant? Zhang Yuanqing maintained a cold, composed demeanor—like a distant, aloof CEO. His detached attitude perfectly struck Yuchuan Mei's sweet spot. At that moment, a series of police cars arrived with sharp sirens blaring, converging rapidly. It was time to go—before the downtown roads were sealed off! Zhang Yuanqing pressed the accelerator, carrying both bodies away. Driving the vehicle out of Huadu, he entered a quiet rural road, and when the surroundings were clear, he removed the little red hat and folded the entire car into its space. ... At noon, Zhang Yuanqing, having entered the airport through illusion and night wandering, returned to Songhai. As soon as he exited flight mode, he saw Xia Hou Aotian messaging everyone in the group: [Xia Hou Aotian: The matter is settled—60 million has been seized by Yuan Shǐ Tianzun. You all go to Songhai to retrieve the money from him.] [Sun Miao Miao: It's settled? Did you all escape injury? Who was the one who ambushed Xia Hou Aotian?] [Yuan Shǐ Tianzun: In the Huadu branch, there were three 5-level Sages and sixteen extraordinary individuals. The other group consisted of the Night Rose—two 4-level Star Officers—who I have also dealt with. Of course, the colleagues from the Huadu branch are still alive, and I handled my actions with care.] A total of five Sages and sixteen extraordinary individuals were defeated by Yuan Shǐ Tian A few seconds later, Tianxia Guihuo, no longer willing to dwell in the atmosphere of anxiety and disappointment, shifted the topic: 【We can receive cash without having to make a special trip to Songhai—through the Red Hat of Yuan Shi Tianzun.】 The group members, all sharp-minded individuals, immediately grasped the point and纷纷 praised Tianxia Guihuo as a clever fire master. 【Tianxia Guihuo: I don’t need to emphasize my cleverness—doing so would make me feel like you’re mocking me.】 【Xia Hou Aotian: For a supporting character, being intelligent is quite rare.】 As they chatted casually, one by one, the members opened their guild warehouses, applied for the Little Red Hat, and withdrew their respective one hundred million. …… Black Dragon Society. Inside the elegant hall, the elder Jiangbao sat on a purple jujube chair, with a golden plaque inscribed “Black Dragon Society” above his head. Jiangbao stood at 1.7 meters tall, wearing a black training suit, his hair slightly gray and sparse, dressed in the style of a renowned martial arts master from a wuxia film. But his expression was fierce, with a slash of scar across his left eye, his brow furrowed with impatience and agitation, as if at any moment he would lift his chopping knife, roll up his sleeves to reveal a full arm of green dragons, and march out with his subordinates to cut people down on the street. "They're responsible for blocking the target, but—well, that's illusion, not reality. The target's allies are very clever; they've used illusion to divert us, making us believe the target has left the Wàn Bǎo House." "The female star official, the high-level shadow corpse, the unknown assailant, and the illusion that even passes Chen Jianxian—this must be the work of an illusionist..." The Senior Sauce-Braised elder spoke with stern intensity. "This organization is quite complex. Go on." Zhao Gongming glanced at Chen Jianxian, who murmured, "The target and his allies must have some connection with our official circles—perhaps even be part of the official staff. Otherwise, they wouldn't have shown us such leniency. The female star officials from Taimei are at the sixth level; there aren't many of them, and we're currently investigating." "As for Lian San-yue, wouldn't it be better if you personally went to see her, Elder? Your face carries weight—she wouldn't dare to overlook it." Just as he finished speaking, he saw the Senior Sauce-Braised elder raise her palm. Chen Jianxian's heart sank instantly, and The seasoned elder set down his hands, took a deep breath, "Stay calm, stay calm!" He glared at Chen Jianxian. "That young girl is stubborn—every time I go to find her, I end up fighting. By her nature, she'd never say a word even if I beat her senseless. Is the battle at the master level really going to require half the city's population as casualties? … Songhai, Fu Family Village. Zhang Yuanqing took a taxi back to the villa, retrieved the little red hat, and summoned Lady Yin Yao back to reality. The greedy deity left three shadow corpses in the space of the hat. "Although we've preserved the funds and rescued Xiahou Aotian, the effort to secure several antique pieces has already revealed a flaw. Fortunately, the materials were procured through Fu Qingyang. If I had applied for them independently, the higher-ups would easily detect my efforts to craft high-quality shadow corpses and suspect me." Though suspicions still remain, the nature of the matter is now much less serious. Moreover, before taking action, he had disguised the appearance of the shadow corpses and presented Lady Yin Yao openly, while never personally stepping in. To those unfamiliar with his Huadu branch, the assailant appeared as a female sixth-level star official. "These matters can be deferred for now. The pressing urgency at present is to formulate a plan for rescuing the Eye of Magic. I don't have much time left." With the current affairs settled and the mounting pressure from the King of Fear's curse once again rising to the surface.