"Calling her?" Guan Ya slightly furrowed her brows. Though they were blood-related cousins, she seemed quite resistant to reaching out to that half-god. Observing her boyfriend's expression, she felt a growing weight in her chest: "What's happened?" "Fu Qingyang and the two senior elders have set a trap to hunt down the Pure Yang Master and the Night Rose, and they haven't returned yet—throughout the entire night. That doesn't make sense. The Marshal is right here in Songhai," Zhang Yuanqing spoke quickly. Guan Ya now realized the seriousness of the situation. For a spiritual realm traveler, a half-god possessed overwhelming power—what kind of battle would require her cousin to stay on duty for an entire night? She immediately pulled out her phone from her pocket, unlocked the screen, opened the contacts, found "Fu Qingxuan," and dialed. "Dialing... dialing..." The call rang for a while before finally connecting. Zhang Yuanqing heard a rich, resonant female voice: "You don't call me very often. What's going on?" Her voice was neither soft nor yielding, carrying a crisp, resonant quality like ice cubes colliding, with an underlying sense of authority. Simply by hearing her, one could already visualize a regal empress in a dragon robe, ruling the realm. Guan Ya took a deep breath and spoke softly, "Sister, Fu Qingyang hasn't returned yet..." "He's been taken," the voice on the other end said coldly. "Most likely by the people of the Night Rose. I've been searching all night in Jinshan City, using locator tools—confirmed he's still here, but I can't pinpoint his exact location. To have endured a full night without returning to the spiritual realm, my younger brother is quite a capable, if not particularly impressive, underachiever." Had Fu Qingyang already elevated the 'underachiever' label to such prominence? Zhang Yuanqing murmured this thought to himself. Guan Ya chuckled wryly, "You're still holding a grudge at this point. What now?" "The council of advisors and the senior monks from Songhai Branch have convened, but no clear plan has yet emerged," the female marshal replied. "Is there anything else? I'm quite busy." Zhang Yuanqing spoke softly, "When we ask her exactly what's going on, we should have been fully prepared—how could things have turned out this way?" Although he was the mastermind behind the scenes, he had a vague sense that his overall strategy was slipping out of control. Yet he couldn't pinpoint where the problem lay—everything felt like instinct from the Star Official. "Is the one beside you Yuan Shi Tian Zun?" the female marshal heard him and suddenly turned cold, her voice firm, resonant, and commanding. "Is that the same person you often mention behind my back as being nothing but a waste?" Zhang Yuanqing had been quite anxious until hearing this. His body went rigid, and he nearly bowed down on the spot to show his sincerity, hoping the marshal would see it. But knowing they were on the phone, he realized the marshal wouldn't be able to feel his sincerity, so he said, "Marshal, I personally strongly oppose and disagree with what Master Fu has said." "I clearly told him that the Marshal is a celestial prodigy, an unparalleled wonder of the world—a rare woman of divine stature, achieving semi-divine rank at such a young age, much like Wu Zhaogong's ascension to the throne, an event unprecedented in history. Yet, as for Fu Elder, he has a rebellious spirit all his own." "That's well said," Fu Qingxuan replied, her tone softening slightly before regaining its seriousness. "Last night, the Fearful King released the prisoners from Pingchuan City's prison, deliberately drawing me away from Songhai. To counter me, he brought the War God's blade. I was kept busy for a while, and when I finally returned to the zoo, the Magician's Eye had already been rescued, and Fu Qingyang had gone missing." "Last night, the Dog Elder contacted the Grand Elder of Taimei, the Crimson Sun Official, for assistance. The Crimson Sun Official observed the heavens and reported that the Silver Moon King of the Army Commander had fallen in battle in Jingshan City, after which he simply disappeared from view." How did the Silver Moon King appear in Jingshan City? Zhang Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He quickly composed himself and asked "Locate Fu Qingyang, break through the芥子须弥 and enter it." The female marshal didn't show arrogance simply because Yuan Shi Tian Zun's rank was lower—she spoke plainly and directly: "The芥子须弥 that has trapped Fu Qingyang is similar to a spatial artifact, but unlike the Twisted Realm we encountered at the Wine God's Club, it has a 'secrecy' enhancement. My sword energy can't reach it unless I can pinpoint its location, and thus cannot cut through." She neatly ended the call. "Wait a few minutes," Zhang Yuanqing gently kissed the delicate cheek of Guan Ya before heading straight for the room. Back in his bedroom, he pulled out his phone, his face pale with frustration, and sent a voice message to the King of Fear: "Damn it, you've been playing me all along, haven't you?" A few seconds later, the King of Fear replied: "This is my freedom (smiling)." Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for a moment, then sent another voice message, his tone low: "When did this start?" 【Fearing King: You guess? (smiling)】 Zhang Yuanqing’s expression suddenly turned fierce, gritting his teeth as he sent a voice message: “You wait for me—I’ll snap your dog’s head off!” He was furious, even though the person on the other end of the phone was a half-god. Yet beyond the fury, Zhang Yuanqing harbored an unspoken fear and a cold sense of dread. The appearance of the Silver Moon King of the Army Commander in Jinshan City clearly proved that the actions of the Night Rose and the Army Commander were coordinated through the power of qi. Therefore, the Fear King, who had brought the War Blade of the Vajra to delay the Marshal, wasn’t merely delaying him for time—but also specifically delaying the Grand Protector of the Night Rose. His intuition was correct: someone had exploited his own strategy, adapting it seamlessly, and now aimed to achieve three objectives at once—eliminate the three senior officials of the official side, rescue the Eye of the Demon, and seize the decisive leverage over the young prodigy, Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn. A single arrow, three victories. Only a fellow star-ranked powerhouse—perhaps even a hidden leader who has never appeared publicly—could achieve this. It's just unclear when this strategy began. If it started right after their first encounter at the mall, when they first felt fear facing the King of the Night, then it's truly astonishing. Their very first battle for promotion as a star-ranked official had already been thoroughly taught a lesson. They won't let you succeed, heck—Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, suppressing his disappointment and frustration, decisively adopting his composed demeanor and launching into a mental strategy session. "The general's difficulty lies in being unable to pinpoint Fu Qingyang. He's trapped within a spatial artifact, supported by a hidden power that prevents detection, so even the most precise attacks merely fall short, like hitting empty air." "Pinpointing Fu Qingyang, pinpointing Fu Qingyang…" Zhang Yuanqing recalled the red ballet slippers he had placed in his inventory, long unused. The usage form of the Red Slippers: throw the Red Slippers toward a designated target (or use the target's blood, hair, or other cellular materials as a medium to anchor the target), and the Red Slippers will relentlessly pursue and hunt that target—this is the rule! "I can have the Red Slippers pursue Fu Qingyang, and thus lock him in place," Zhang Yuanqing brightened. The Five-Element Alliance's search tool could not locate Fu Qingyang because its "function" and "rules" are fundamentally distinct. Within the realm of the spiritual world, only rules can override rules. He immediately rushed out of the room and found Guan Ya, saying urgently, "Let me call your cousin again." ... The Zoo. At the pet house, the Dog Elder sat before the computer, his voice low, "Currently, the strategic council of the White Tiger troops has not yet proposed a new plan. Fu Qingyang, Hong Ying, and the challenger, High Peak, may return to the spiritual realm at any moment, while the sages accompanying them are likely to have met with unfortunate incidents." The black button eyes swept across the four senior elders' portraits on the screen, and he spoke with a touch of regret: "Even the Mage's Eye was rescued—he was jointly arrested with us. This is my oversight." The microphone on Luo Shen's senior elder portrait lit up: "Why did you leave the zoo?" "Someone impersonated one of my old friends and lured me out of Songhai," said the Dog Elder. "Old friends?" Huang Sha Bai Zhan, the Elder of Many Battles, mused, "If they could convincingly impersonate one of your old friends, then they clearly have deep insights into either your friends or you—this is a promising lead." "I'll investigate, but it will take time," replied the Dog Elder. "You're a complete failure! Even something as simple as managing the prisoners went wrong," roared the Elder of the World's Extinction by Fire, his voice echoing through the microphone and resonating in the pet house. "Do you really need to investigate? Your zoo isn't staffed with employees and spirit beings? Just ask them!" The Dog Elder silently endured the other's harsh words, "I consulted both the plants and the staff. According to them, four individuals invaded the zoo. However, the plants could not describe the features of these people. With my assistance, the staff completed detailed portraits of the four intruders—remarkably, all four used the same face, clearly indicating that my staff has been affected by a spell. The only eyewitnesses were the White Lion and the tree that sealed the Magician's Eye. Unfortunately, the White Lion sustained severe injuries and is currently being nurtured by the Spirit of the Instrument, yet has not yet awakened. As for the Cypress Tree, it provided some clues: among the four intruders, one was a shade-body, and another sank into the Lake of Weak Water. As you know, once something sinks into the Lake of Weak Water, it can never be retrieved again. Moreover, according to the tree, the Magician's Eye referred to one of the intruders as 'Lord Ghost-Blade.' I reviewed the outdoor surveillance footage today, and unfortunately, no footage of the intruders was captured." "The elder of Xī Rǎng in the central courtyard furrowed his brow, saying, 'The Ghost Blade King... it seems the Commander-in-Chief's plans have been well thought out. They've even dispatched three Kings.' 'Not quite!' Huang Sha Bai Zhan said firmly. 'It's not the Ghost Blade King—your tree must have misheard.' 'How so?' asked the extinguisher of the world, his voice low and steady. 'If it were the Ghost Blade King,' Huang Sha Bai Zhan explained, 'why would he avoid surveillance and resort to illusions? Would the Commander-in-Chief's Kings need to conceal themselves when entering the enemy camp to rescue people? The remark from the Mage-Eye sounds more like "I've done it myself to hide the fact"—as though he's shielding someone else.' A scout remains a scout—always the most perceptive. 'Who?' asked the elder of Xī Rǎng. 'Haven't quite figured it out,' Huang Sha Bai Zhan said slowly, 'but the person must be someone of considerable sensitivity, someone whose identity cannot be made public. Given the relationship between the Commander-in-Chief's order and the Night Rose, I suspect it "The Dog Elder" nodded once, then shifted the topic: "The Mage's Eye has been rescued—this matter is now settled. What's most urgent now is to recover the three elders who have vanished..." As soon as the words were out, a member with a white-haired beauty avatar unexpectedly joined the online meeting without invitation. The Marshal's refined and commanding voice echoed through the speakers of the five elders: "It's exactly 9:30 now. Fu Qingyang has been out of contact for eight hours. You've been helpless for eight hours—now I'm growing impatient." The five elders in the meeting room instantly felt their scalps prickle. Given this spirited young lady's temperament, being displeased was no mere inconvenience—it was a serious threat. Yet they truly had no options; it was now confirmed that the Night Rose had summoned forces surpassing the level of a Sovereign. The Dog Elder composed himself, speaking with deference: "Marshal, the strategic council has not yet proposed a new plan. Only two options remain: to have the Grand Master of Taiyuan personally locate the missing elders, or to invite the President of the Merchant Guild to intervene." But the two half-gods... haven't replied yet." Half-gods aren't infallible. When it comes to arranging people, the Grand Masters of the Five Elements Alliance can't intervene—they need specialists. Fu Qingxuan's tone turned colder: "What if they still don't reply?" The senior monks fell silent, the meeting room now utterly still. Just as they were preparing to face the Marshal's wrath, they suddenly understood Fu Qingxuan's words: "I'll take a phone call!" The Marshal's avatar stepped out of the meeting room. The senior monks remained quiet, their hearts heavy. A sigh from Dog Elder echoed through the speaker. At that moment, Fu Qingxuan reconnected, speaking with a lighter tone: "You five—immediately dispatch the officials from the Songhai Branch to Jinshan City to maintain order." The senior monks were first startled, then began to grasp the implication. Dog Elder beamed: "Master of the Taidan Sect has agreed to assist?" The other senior monks shared the same thought. Fu Qingxuan said calmly, "The Prime Primordial Sovereign stated that he has a way to locate Fu Qingyang." The Prime Primordial Sovereign?! The elders were momentarily stunned. ...Fu Qingyang is a very cautious person. Even within his own residence, he leaves few traces. The hair strands on the pillow, the toothbrush and clothing possibly carrying cells in the bathroom—all are meticulously managed. —The rabbit-damsel has undergone rigorous training and handles such details with exceptional diligence. Fallen hair strands are burned, clothes and inner garments are disinfected and sterilized before washing, leaving no biological residue. Qian Gong clearly isn't a young man with hemorrhoids; no DNA traces were found in the bathroom, nor any artisan-like remains in the trash bins, indicating the presence of Fu family descendants. Ultimately, Zhang Yuanqing discovered a half-full glass of wine on Qian Gong's desk in his bedroom—obtaining oral epithelial cells from the rim of the glass. He carefully wiped the rim of the cup with a tissue, removing the top tissue layer, then stepped out of the villa and waited by the fountain in the courtyard. Soon, a shimmering, white blade of light appeared on the horizon. As he first caught sight of it, he had barely time to react—by then, the light had already descended and settled upon the courtyard. The light dissipated, revealing a young woman dressed in a tailored pantsuit and wearing elegant women's riding boots. She stood gracefully in the garden. This woman could not be described simply as "beautiful" or "attractive"—those terms are reserved for mortal women. The Marshal is no ordinary mortal woman; she is a protagonist stepped out of the world of anime and manga. Her hair is voluminous and white, her eyelashes likewise white, and her eyes are clear, luminous, pale green—large, with slightly upturned corners, exuding an air of regal dignity. Her face is absolutely flawless, a perfection that no human skin could achieve. White hair, unusual eyes, Cosmo-brand large eyes—her face flawless, her figure outstanding. Any homebody would go crazy seeing her. A top-tier statue, no, a living statue—this was exactly what Zhang Yuanqing truly thought. Suddenly, General Bai furrowed his brow, coldly saying, “Your gaze reminds me of when I used to see my favorite doll as a child.” Zhang Yuanqing immediately bowed low, “Metropolitan Heavenly Sovereign, at your service, General! General, eternal, eternal, eternal!” Fu Qingxuan smiled gently, brushing aside the slight impertinence of the Heavenly Sovereign, and asked, “Can you help me locate Fu Qingyang?” Zhang Yuanqing lowered his gaze, not meeting the General’s eyes, and replied, “Please, General, take me to Jinshan City.” “Excellent!” Fu Qingxuan nodded slightly, without hesitation, pulled out her phone, performed a few gestures, then gently pressed her hand against Zhang Yuanqing’s shoulder. As she did so, a female electronic voice came through her phone: “Preparing departure. Route is sixty kilometers long, approximately…” Navigation? Why do we need navigation? Zhang Yuanqing's mind flashed a series of questions. The very next moment, a massive sonic boom erupted in his ears, and a fierce wind rushing toward him sliced through his body like a steel blade, making the city beneath rapidly recede. Aside from the roaring wind, the navigation app kept issuing its "alarm": "You're speeding. Please slow down. You're speeding. Please slow down..." ... A brilliant, white blade of light settled upon the rooftop of a building in Jinshan City. Zhang Yuanqing's first reaction was: being grounded was the happiest thing in the world. His second reaction was to touch his forehead and realize his hairline had shifted upward by a few centimeters. The strong wind, indeed, had blown away part of his hair. Fu Qingxuan surveyed the city, which wasn't particularly bustling, speaking with a stern, detached tone: "Find someone!" Her composure wasn't directed at any one person—it seemed inherent, as if she had always been this way. Born a queen above all, she maintained a clear distance from her subordinates. It's a bit stressful being around her. Still, the Mage King is impressive—anyone with that kind of commanding presence would want to sleep with her. Keep your head down, don't let her catch you staring. Zhang Yuanqing lowered her head, summoning the red ballet slippers from her inventory. Two streaks of soft crimson light intertwined, forming a pair of fresh slippers. "Tic-tic-tic..." As soon as the slippers appeared, they began to hop joyfully, ready to circle the owner. But then they stopped abruptly, abandoned the owner, and came to stand before the Marshal. The left slipper stepped back one pace, its heel slightly raised. With a graceful knee bend, it bowed. The Marshal raised an eyebrow. "It makes sense—this is a rule-based item from the Void occupation. That's why you dared make such a bold claim." Zhang Yuanqing tucked the tissue she had been holding tightly into the slipper. The slipper remained still, as if reading the DNA of the tissue, for perhaps three or four seconds before suddenly taking off, clicking rapidly, rushing down the steep wall toward the terrace. Fu Qingxuan stood motionless on the terrace, her gaze fixed as the red ballet slipper wove through the streets, weaving through one building after another. Eventually, it came to a halt at a distant intersection. At the crossroads, the slipper spun wildly, occasionally leaping up and forcefully kicking at empty space, sending out invisible ripples that were imperceptible to the ordinary human eye. It had found Fu Qingyang—yet it could not enter. The pedestrians and vehicles on the sidewalk paid it no attention. "Here it is..." Fu Qingxuan launched herself into the air, transforming into a streak of pure white swordlight, rushing toward the distant intersection. Good heavens, this woman just charged straight through without any magical illusions? Was she aiming to make news? Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, quickly drawing out the Wind-Bringer gloves and riding the rushing wind to catch up. Now a Sixth-Class Saint, he could deploy large-scale Star-Phantasm techniques.