The saying goes that "in a journey of a hundred miles, the last ninety are half the effort"—the closer one gets to success, the more cautious one must be, for failure at the finish line is all too common. The manual never mentions the rules governing the man-made lake, and the white lion has become the employees' go-to point of rescue, holding an exceptionally high status. Moreover, the camphor tree sealed with the magical eye is no trivial figure either. Indeed, the final step proves more challenging than all the obstacles encountered along the way. That is why Zhang Yuanqing proposed first communicating with the eye's master and seeking his counsel. Yet, without communication tools, it is nearly impossible to reach the master of the eye without disturbing the white lion—sending a spirit servant or making a star-journey would both disrupt the lion's presence. Thus, upon hearing that the Master of the Stillness of the Killing could bypass the white lion to connect with the master of the eye, Zhang Yuanqing eagerly grasped the princess's hand, "What method?" It clearly proved a wise decision to involve her in the journey. Master Zhi Sha whispered, "Have you ever heard of telepathy? Without relying on the traditional senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch—we use our 'sixth sense' to transmit thoughts and feelings." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "Is there any way I can establish telepathy with the Mage-Eye?" "Simple," Master Zhi Sha smiled playfully, retrieving a pair of red silk gloves from her inventory and donning them. "Only when two people share an exceptionally deep connection, and have undergone long-term training, can telepathy be achieved. Yet it's not absolute—sometimes, when two deeply in love individuals reach the peak of their emotional intensity, they can naturally resonate emotionally, creating telepathy on their own." As Zhang Yuanqing heard this, an uneasy feeling suddenly arose, and he quickly interrupted, "You—you—you... what do you intend to do?" "Of course, I'm here to match you with the Mage-Eye," the beautiful eyes beneath the silver mask twinkled with a touch of amusement and mischief, "Do you really think I—or this ghostly county lady—will remain merely acquainted with the Mage-Eye?" “…!” I firmly resist the shoujo culture! Zhang Yuanqing’s mouth twitched several times, glanced at the Palace Master, then at the Lady of the County, and finally settled his gaze on the Blood Rose, murmuring, “Can she really do it?” The Palace Master sighed impatiently, “What do you think? She’s just like a piece of wood. If she’s useful, wouldn’t it be better to use a stone instead? Of course, you could take over her body—but what’s the difference between that and directly channeling into her essence? Oh, I see. You mean that dressing her in women’s attire and using the magical eyes to weave red threads will help you better immerse yourself, correct?” “…Just stop. Let’s go with the essence.” Zhang Yuanqing covered his face, resignedly waving his hand. This woman—she claims to love him, yet constantly arranges connections between him and other men, yet her eyes gleam with excitement every time. “Excellent!” The Palace Master’s smile spread. Then, she reached into her inventory and pulled out two paper figures inscribed with incantations—one male, one female—simple and unadorned, just like the signs Zhang Yuanqing quickly replied. The Master of the Zheng Sha Palace's pupils shimmered with a dreamlike light, gazing toward the man-made lake as if examining something there. After a few seconds, she lifted her right hand, wearing a red glove, and gently twirled it in the air, as though grasping an invisible thread. She pulled the thread toward her, looping it around the female paper figure several times. Then, she repeated the same motion with her left hand, extending it toward Zhang Yuanqing, twirling the thread, and looping it around the male paper figure several times. Finally, the Master of the Zheng Sha Palace gently stacked the two paper figures on top of each other. The two figures now seemed firmly glued together, unable to separate. As long as I can rescue the Eye of the Demon, what difference does it make if I'm just weaving the fate threads? I'd be just as content if I were to have a formal wedding ceremony. Zhang Yuanqing quickly adjusted his mindset, closed his eyes, and entered meditation. His thoughts gradually calmed, his mood relaxed—just as if he were sitting beneath an old locust tree on a summer evening, sipping tea and enjoying the gentle evening breeze. He sensed something—a soul—within his awareness, yet it felt as though it were separated by an invisible barrier. Visible, but unreachable. Zhang Yuanqing extended his spiritual energy, attempting to communicate with that soul: "Lord of the Demon's Eye? Lord of the Demon's Eye?" ... A cool breeze rustled through the lush branches of the camphor trees, their leaves whispering softly in the wind. Lord of the Demon's Eye had slept soundly through the night—he hadn't dreamed in many years, and now he had dreamed of Yuan Shi Tian Zun. The Yuan Shi Tian Zun in his dream clearly proved more engaging than the one in reality. In reality, he still hadn't matured, hadn't yet discovered what he In the dream, they walked hand in hand, cleansing the world—sweeping away all filth and ugliness, crushing every injustice and oppression. There were no more powers wielding strength to exploit, no more deceit, no more favoritism, no more patronage networks. The world became beautiful, just as he had once vowed in his youth, gazing upon the ruins. As he cried out, "This is the world I always dreamed of," the dream faded. Yet the world remained flawed. The night was heavy, evening winds blowing from all directions, the vines swaying gently, the Mage's Eye exhaling a thick, weary breath—like a sigh. "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign..." For no clear reason, he suddenly longed for that man. The Mage's King had once intended to bring him to the Commander's Court, to personally cultivate this fellow with shared aspirations. But now, he found himself a prisoner. Recently, he had sensed the Commander's presence, knowing that the King of Fear had visited the Song Sea Branch. Yet, with the King of Fear's current strength, it still seemed unlikely he could break through the combined pressure of the Song Sea Branch and the Commander's forces to rescue him Now his only hope of escape is to enter the realm, but that will take time. A realm of Sovereign-level rank occurs only a few times every few months, or even once a year. Who knows how far Yuan-Shi Tian Zun will have grown in a year. "Majestic Eye King, Majestic Eye King..." A soft murmur now drifts into his mind. The weary Magician, his expression stunned, suddenly senses a soul within his consciousness—present yet separated by an impassable barrier. "Who?" He finds himself utterly unalerted, only feeling that this presence is the most vital, the most trusted of all. "I am Yuan-Shi Tian Zun," the soul within replies. The Magician is momentarily stunned, then, in the next instant, the dimmed eyes blaze with brilliant radiance. "Yuan-Shi Tian Zun!!" His thoughts erupt within his mind. "It's me, hey, you're quite excited—did you miss me? Hmm, did you really long to leave?" The King of the Mystic Eyes remained silent for a few seconds, then smiled gently. "Interesting. Finally, you've come to save me." He naturally deduced the Master's true purpose, as if there were a strong, unspoken understanding—what else could one possibly come to the zoo for, besides to save me? After all, you once loved me so deeply... The King of the Mystic Eyes shook his head vigorously, pushing away the odd thoughts. "Yes, I've come to save you. I've overcome countless obstacles and endured countless crises just to bring you out of here... Ah, please disregard all that—my main intention is actually to consult you about some information." "Hmm. You've come to the zoo merely to gather intelligence from me?" "No, I mean, intelligence specifically about how to save you." "That's better. You've betrayed the Five Elements Alliance?" "Not at all. It was fear that compelled me to come here and save you." "Fear? Fear compelled you? Hm. If fear hadn't driven you, would you ever have come at all?" The two communicated smoothly in their minds, guided by the red thread, yet the Heavenly King of the Magic Eye occasionally experienced emotions, and every time that happened, Zhang Yuanqing would rush and explain hurriedly. "I understand," said the Heavenly King of the Magic Eye, scanning the lakebank. "Find a way to divert the White Lion—it holds a high status. It is the embodiment of the instrumental spirit's power, specifically tasked with handling the strange phenomena that escape. You are not its match." "The Camphor Tree has no offensive strength; you can consider it a conduit for energy. It continuously draws upon my spiritual energy and channels it to the zoo. As long as there's external pressure, it will easily yield. If it refuses to yield, then you will have damaged it." "There's something unusual about this lake—there's no life activity within it. Do you see the ferry by the shore? That's the only means of crossing. Of course, if you can threaten the Camphor Tree and persuade it to bring me to the shore, it can cross the lake as well." "Understood," Zhang Yuanqing murmured, silently taking it all in. Just as he was about to conclude the conversation, the Mages' Eye King suddenly said, "Did you use some unusual item from the Musician class to communicate with me?" "Yes." The Mages' Eye remained silent. After a while, his breath came through: "Good work—though next time, don't do it again." "Understood..." Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and immediately turned to the Master of the Zhishai Palace: "Master, cut the red thread." "Hmm, not at all as vivid as the book describes—you haven't shown the slightest trace of unwavering devotion, of love stronger than gold..." The Master of the Zhishai Palace seemed somewhat disappointed, and made a scissors gesture, clicking it once in the air. Honestly, love stronger than gold? I've been devoted to the Mages' Eye just as much as you're happy about it? Zhang Yuanqing silently muttered. At the very moment the red thread was severed, that sense of infinite tenderness and compassion he had toward the Mages' Eye vanished. He suspected the Mages' Eye felt the same. "In fact, you don't need to cut it—the Mages' Eye's level means the red thread Zhang Yuanqing didn’t respond, his head peering out from among the bushes, carefully scanning. Indeed, at the spot where the white lion lay resting, he spotted a corner of the ferry boat. It was a small wooden boat with slightly arched ends, floating quietly on the water. He withdrew his head and relayed the magi’s words to the Princess and the Palace Master. "I’ll be responsible for drawing the white lion, but I can’t determine exactly how long I can delay it," said the Palace Master of Zhishi. "The white lion is an embodiment of the vessel spirit’s power. Therefore, I can delay at most for three minutes—no, even one minute." This clearly wasn’t enough. Zhang Yuanqing paused, then produced his sliding cleats, the Qingdi jade belt, and the Yin-Yang robe. "Take these three items with you—they are powerful and will be very useful to you." The invincible effect of the sliding cleats, the longevity and beast-forming abilities of the Qingdi jade belt, and the passive protective functions of the Yin-Yang robe are all strong survival skills. With these items, combined with the Palace Master’s own strength and her equipment, delaying for several minutes should not The Lady of the Stop-Killing Palace happily gathered her props. At once, she burst through the thick shrubs, and behind her, ten thousand silk ribbons exploded outward, coalescing into a flexible staff several dozen meters long, which struck hard at the distant white lion. The white lion, previously contentedly dozing, suddenly opened its golden eyes. In a flash, a sound of "thud" rang out—the soft staff shattered the solid rocks piled by the shore, yet missed its mark. In the lion’s golden gaze, the figure of the Lady of the Stop-Killing Palace stood clearly, its expression now agitated. Its mane stood rigidly upright, and it raised its head to roar. "Roar!" The lion snapped its jaws, its limbs leaping like wings, transforming into a swift white blur and charging forward. The staff dissolved back into myriad silk ribbons, swiftly retracting. The Lady of the Stop-Killing Palace rose calmly, riding the wind, and moved steadily toward the deeper darkness. Red and white silhouettes chased each other into the distance. When neither figure was visible, Zhang Yuanqing immediately led the two shadowed corpses out, heading toward the small boat moored on the lake. The lake surface remained utterly It was terrifyingly still. …… A large courtyard with black tiled roofs and white walls, a green glow descended upon the eaves and transformed into a fluffy Teddy dog. The dog elder surveyed this three-enclosure ancestral home, carefully scanning each corner. At this time of night, no visitors could possibly be present—staff had all already left. Under the night sky, the ancient home remained utterly silent. It detected no suspicious figures or odors. The site was as ordinary as could be. After a few seconds of contemplation, a deep emerald glow appeared in the elder’s eyes, and its soft, drooping ears twitched slightly. The wind carried the sounds of plants. It listened intently, and then a surge of furious light flowed through its button-like eyes. The plants of the home revealed that the night had been calm, with no visitors at all. It was all part of a ruse. The hidden players had exploited the bond between it and Zhang Zizhen, luring it from Songhai to this very place. Their true objective…was to save the Eye of the Demon. The dog elder surged forth, transforming into a beam of green light, rising into the sky. … Zhang Yuanqing bent down and picked up a pebble, then flicked it with his fingertip. The pebble should have traveled several dozen meters, but as it swept toward the lake’s surface, it seemed suddenly restrained by some unseen force, falling straight into the water. Could it not pass? Zhang Yuanqing’s expression grew serious. What about the teleportation technique? Not daring to take risks, he lowered himself to the shore and carefully extended his hand toward the lake’s surface, feeling no strong pull or resistance. Then, he reached out toward the water itself. The water was cool, with no difference in texture from ordinary water, yet in Zhang Yuanqing’s vision, item information appeared: 【Name: Weak Water】 【Type: Water】 【Function: Submersion】 【Description: It is said that Fenglin Island is the abode of an indescribable being. The Weak Water submerges all things, preventing ordinary beings from seeing it—only the Linn Trees of Fenglin Island can float upon it.】 【Note: Highlight—Linn Trees.** It was indeed the Weak Water—the legendary Weak Water. How many rare treasures and precious artifacts had Father used when he built the zoo? What exactly was sealed in the fallen tree within the zoo! Zhang Yuanqing was astonished. He couldn't help but turn his gaze toward the wooden boat floating on the surface. According to the item descriptions, was this boat made of Liun wood? Was the camphor tree that imprisoned the Mage's Eye itself a Liun wood tree? "Don't waste any more time," the Lady Silver Yao reminded him, holding her small horn. "You've already wasted forty seconds." "I know, I know..." For added safety, Zhang Yuanqing decided to have the Blood Rose ferry over first. If everything went well, he would then personally take the boat himself. Time was limited, but caution was still essential. Following the master's command, the Blood Rose stepped onto the shore and leapt onto the wooden boat. "Thud!" She landed steadily on the boat's side and, as instructed by Zhang Yuanqing, began rowing. The small boat slowly moved toward the center of the lake, leaving a gently rippled path behind. Zhang Yuanqing and Princess Yin Yao watched the small boat, watching it gradually approach the cypress tree. But just then, an unexpected event occurred. The wooden boat, which had been sailing smoothly, suddenly began to sink, sinking steadily. Zhang Yuanqing and Princess Yin Yao watched in stunned silence as the lake water rose, first reaching the legs, then the waist, then the shoulders of the blood peony—until finally, she vanished beneath the lake surface.