Zhang Yuanqing’s sense of shock was exactly like the one he’d experienced three days earlier, when the spirit of the artifact had mentioned that the final member of the Shadow Twin was “untraceable in the past”—a sensation as if someone had gently struck him in the head or a current of electricity had surged through his body. Now, it returned once more. “You killed Ling Tu? That’s why Chu Shang didn’t revive him. That’s why the Night Rose allied with the Commander of the Army to destroy the Chu family…” Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his face vigorously, struggling to accept this reality. Yet the cause-and-effect sequence matched perfectly. “Master, do you know something? Ling Tu’s younger brother is one of my close friends. Suddenly, I’ve become the son of the man who killed my brother.” “I’m sorry this has caused you any disturbance,” said Master Wuhen, his voice low and steady. “I didn’t feel disturbed at all—I just kept thinking, ‘Whoa!’” Zhang Yuanqing chuckled. Of course, if Zhang Zizhen had also perished at the hands of Ling Tu, then Ling Jun would have become the brother of the man who killed his father. Then everything would be settled. "Did you not hear it, Lingtuo using ordinary lives to verify his own conjectures?" Master Wuhen said. "Though the XIAOYAO organization's mission is to save the world, and has done countless things, neither Zhang Tianshi nor Lingtuo are cold-hearted people who treat human lives as mere grass." "So Lingtuo's mental state has deteriorated!" Zhang Yuanqing understood. Master Wuhen remained in the meditative posture of hands folded, his voice calm and steady within the hall: "Far more serious than this. The curse has been gradually eroding Lingtuo. It's not merely a mental decline—he has already fallen, becoming more corrupt than even the most evil of beings. For this reason, we were forced to join forces and kill him. Yet we did not expect that Lingtuo had already laid a hidden plan. Two years after his death, the Night Rose emerged, allied with the Commander of the Army to eliminate the Chu family and seize the Mother Goddess's sacred womb, thus reviving Lingtuo." "Lin Tu has fallen... Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow. This indeed aligns with the changes Lin Tu has undergone in his later years—the things he's done concerning the Night Rose, after all, are not actions one would expect from a man of justice. Yet if Lin Tu has indeed fallen, then everything makes sense. So, it seems that Shan He Yong Cun has also fallen, resulting in his marked transformation. But why specifically Lin Tu? Zhang Yuanqing mused, "How do you know Lin Tu has fallen? Is it merely because he harmed an ordinary person?" "Amen!" It can't be said outright—well, then, it must involve some secret tied to the spiritual realm. Lin Tu must have done something else back then. Zhang Yuanqing didn't dwell on this point, but instead asked, "But that doesn't add up, Master. You and your family have also been cursed, yet until I was born, and even during my elementary school years, my father remained perfectly normal. And you yourself have always been fine, haven't you?" If my father had been unwell, then the course of events should have been—Zhang Tian Shi and Lin Tu uniting to eliminate the Chu family. Alternatively, the Immortal Organization as a whole could fall into madness and establish a fourth major evil faction. "Lingtuo's downfall stems from his very profession—the Night Wandering God!" Master Wuhen said softly. "And we killed him precisely because of that same profession. Once a high-ranking Night Wandering God falls, he must die." "Why?" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed. "Amidhā!" The response came in the form of a low, murmured chant from the master. Master Wuhen did not offer a direct explanation—but that was the most eloquent answer of all. Zhang Yuanqing understood. Hey—wasn't the secret deep within the Spiritual Realm tied to the Night Wandering God? So that was why the Night Wandering God's profession was so unique? Once a Night Wandering God falls, he must die... Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of the Demon King. He remembered that the Demon King had once told Bingge in an audio recording that to aspire to the highest rank, he must eliminate the power of the Fallen Holy Cup—and at that time, the Demon King was already just one step away from achieving that pinnacle. Now, Master Wuhen was telling him the same thing: a fallen Night Wandering Two seemingly unrelated events unexpectedly became connected. "Then why didn't my father fall?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. After asking, he feared that the Master Wuhen might reply: "What makes you believe your father didn't fall?" The Master Wuhen chanted a Buddhist mantra. "After eliminating Lingtuo, the XIAOYO organization dissolved. Due to the curse afflicting me, I was on the brink of losing control and thus constructed this illusion, never stepping back into reality again—never meeting Zhang Tian Shi or Chu Shang once more. As for whether your father fell or not, I am unaware." So it seems my father must have used some method to avoid the fate of falling... Zhang Yuanqing then asked, "My father once mentioned to others—specifically, to Chu Shang's only daughter—that he was evading a rival. Was that rival Lingtuo?" The Master Wuhen replied, "After Lingtuo died and was reborn, he successfully ascended to the rank of half-divine. His first actions were to seek vengeance and to claim the core fragments of the Light Compass. Did the instrument spirit tell you that the Light Compass is the key?" "Not just a key, but also a vessel, a branch of the Sun..." At this point, Zhang Yuanqing's pupils suddenly contracted. "Yes, the Compass of Light is a branch of the Sun. With the Compass of Light, one can find the 'Sun.' "Master Wuhen replied calmly. The Compass of Light is a branch of the Sun—only by possessing the Compass can one locate the Sun. That is why the half-gods have fought so fiercely over it. Therefore, Shuro has invested in Lingtuo, because Lingtuo is a fallen nocturnal deity, one that the Lawful cannot tolerate. Ah, so that's it, so that's it... Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself. "So my father was killed by Lingtuo?" Lingtuo was resurrected in 2001, and my father passed away in 2006. Over these four years, they likely continued to engage in strategic maneuvering and combat, ultimately prevailing in the end, with my father returning to the Spirit Realm. The Palace Master once mentioned that my father, Zhang Zizhen, had intended to go on a great journey and had specifically entrusted her to a family outside the palace for that purpose. Looking back now, it seems very likely that this was a life-or-death confrontation with Lingtuo. He had returned once, but six years later, he still could not escape his fate. Zhang Yuan sighed softly, "Master, if this is about avenging ourselves, why hasn't Lingtuo come to you?" "If one doesn't master the art of illusion, even a half-god cannot enter my temple." Master Wuhen paused briefly, then said slowly, "The Night-Wanderer God has a deep and far-reaching strategy—how do you know he hasn't been preparing to counter me?" That did make sense—Zhang Yuan found himself at a loss for words. He then asked, "One final matter, Master—when you decided to explore the secrets of the Spiritual Realm, did you prepare blood and offspring in advance?" Master Wuhen nodded slightly. Zhang Yuan was suddenly filled with excitement, "Then, can I bring my father back to life?" If Lingtuo can be revived, why not Zhang Tianshi and Chu Shang? "At that time, Chu Shang used our blood and flesh to create a duplicate body for revival. We each entrusted this duplicate to the person we trusted most." "The Master of Traceless said: 'I don't know who Zhang Tianshi and Chu Shang have entrusted their duplicates to. After the Chu family was wiped out, the Mother Goddess's sanctuary was seized by the Commander's Monastery, rendering the duplicates useless. If you can locate their duplicates and reclaim the Mother Goddess's sanctuary, you will be able to revive them.' Zhang Yuanqing's eyes suddenly brightened, and a strong intuition surged into his mind: Zhang Zi's duplicate must be with Chen Shu. After my father passed away, Chen Shu turned around and sent me back to my mother's family, claiming to be working abroad, returning only once a year for holidays. Now it makes no sense—how could she have gone abroad so far from home? If she simply wanted to earn a living, with Chen Family's connections in Songhai, she could easily find a good job and manage her household without difficulty. She must have taken my father's duplicate with her to protect it from danger. Therefore, my father still has a chance to come back to life—as long as we reclaim the Mother Goddess's sanctuary from the Commander's Monastery." If they can locate Chu Shang's duplicate, then the Palace Master's father also has a chance at revival... Zhang Yuanqing took several deep breaths to calm his excited emotions. He had never imagined that one day, there would be a possibility of a family reunion. "I have no further concerns," Zhang Yuanqing said, clasping his hands together. "Thank you, Master, for clarifying so many long-standing uncertainties." "As a son of an old friend, there is no need for thanks," the Master replied calmly. "I will enter the spiritual realm in September. It will take me anywhere from several days to a month to return. In the meantime, I hope you will continue to care for the guest quarters." "That is entirely expected!" Zhang Yuanqing said. As soon as the words were spoken, the surrounding scenery swiftly changed—the Buddha statue, the ceiling frescoes, the candlelight, and the silhouette of the green robe slowly faded away. He found himself back in the large suite. A series of sharp, focused gazes now turned toward him. Zhang Yuanqing spoke calmly, before anyone else could open their mouths: "Ladies and gentlemen, I know you all have many questions. To be honest, I am the long-lost adopted son of the Master—today, I come on behalf of my mother, who passed away many years ago, to seek justice from him. 'The Master has just offered his repentance, and I have forgiven him.' " The sharp, focused gazes of the others instantly grew dull and stunned. Everyone was speechless. Xiao Yuan said coldly, "If you don't wish to speak, then simply don't." She then turned to Kou Beiyue, who was gazing at her in disbelief, her pale face twitching slightly. Others might not have known much about Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, but this child had actually believed it? Not being particularly inquisitive people, once Xiao Yuan made her statement, no one pressed further. Zhang Yuanqing laughed heartily, "Let's eat, let's eat! Come on, Chun, let's continue our drinks." Zhao Xintong glanced at Yuan Shishen, then at the others, and quietly picked up her backpack hanging on the back of the chair: "I've taken the whole morning off today, and I still have classes in the afternoon. Goodbye, uncles, aunts, and grandfathers." She secured the heavy backpack against her chest, held it with both hands, and swayed her little waist as she stepped out. Zhang Yuanqing remembered that when she arrived, her backpack had been completely empty. "Ji Sister" also picked up her pink small bag, slung it over her shoulder, and gave Zhang Yuanqing a quick kiss: "I'm heading to work too, so don't hesitate to reach out whenever you have time." Everyone else began to leave. These team members came from all over the country; several had flown in, each with their own commitments and no intention of staying in Jinshan City for long. Each of them carried a heavy, spacious handbag, and they gradually departed. Xiao Yuan and Zhang Yuanqing stood to see them off, while Kou Beiyue and her younger brother stayed behind to clear up the leftover dishes on the table. Watching them one by one either taking taxis or driving off, Xiao Yuan turned her gaze back to him, her round and graceful eyes fixed on him. "What did you tell the master?" "It wasn't a proposal!" Zhang Yuanqing replied vaguely. Xiao Yuan's face grew cold, and she turned and walked off. "Wait! Wait! Let's have a chat on the lounge chair..." When Kou Beiyue and the small fat man cleared the remains of their meals and carried the large black trash bags downstairs, they noticed the Master of the Original Heaven sitting on the lounge chair behind the front desk. On his lap sat Xiao Yuan. The rather undignified Master of the Original Heaven was chattering on and on, while Xiao Yuan remained completely composed, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and hold her hand as they enjoyed the simple meal. When he finally stood up, Xiao Yuan suddenly rose, walked over to the front desk, and bowed her head, pretending to be sorting through her belongings. ...As Kou Beiyue passed the front desk with the trash bag, she gave a firm "hmm" to express her displeasure, and when she reached the hotel entrance, she gave another firm "hmm." "Hmm-hmm-hmm … Zhang Yuanqing left the Wuhen Hotel, pulled out his car key to unlock the door, sat in the driver’s seat, and fastened his seatbelt. He first sent a text message to Fu’s two siblings reporting that he was safe; Fu Qingyang replied with a concise “嗯,” while Fu Qingxuan did not respond. There were dozens of unread messages in the main team chat, mostly exchanges of sharp remarks between Xia Hou Aotian and Sun Miaomiao, with the latest ones being Zhao Chenghuang asking when he had joined the guild’s dungeon. Shen Lingxi and her two companions had successfully cleared three guild dungeons—one A-level and two B-level. Now all three had reached the peak of their transcendent stages. To advance further, they would need to participate in the killing dungeon scheduled at year-end. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then typed: 【Yuanshish Tianzun: Enter the spiritual realm tomorrow morning. Everyone prepare accordingly.】 After sending the message, he noticed a new “Friend Request” in his contact list, with the requester’s profile displaying a single blood-red eye. “Magen King? How did he know my chat app account?” Oh, yes—definitely fear that pushed me toward him. Honestly, the malevolent elements in my friend list are growing stronger by the day... Zhang Yuanqing silently agreed to Magi-Eye's request. He logged out of the chat app and sent a text message to the Master of Zhishika: "Let's meet tonight." He had originally intended to raise objections, to complain about the information shared by the Master of Wuwen, but upon reflection, Zhang Yuanqing realized that the Master had never mentioned the soul-tearing incident being caused by the Light Compass. She had only said that Zhang Zizhen had left her something special, and subsequent evidence confirmed that the core fragment of the Light Compass was in the hands of the Master of the Heavenly Dynasty—so it made perfect sense for him to assume that the soul-tearing was indeed caused by the Light Compass. But what, then, if it wasn't the Light Compass fragment? As he pondered this, his phone chimed. A message from Magi-Eye arrived. Transfer—upon checking, the Magi-Eye King had sent him 500 yuan. Oh, he'd paid it back—Zhang Yuanqing's expression instantly grew strange. The official won't present us with a moral excellence banner—then I, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, am absolutely not buying it! He put away his phone, lit the cigarette, turned the steering wheel, and drove out of Wú Hén Hotel. ... At midnight. A café across from the Kangyang District Public Security Office. Zhang Yuanqing wore a baseball cap and a mask, pushing open the bright, mirror-like glass door. The Red-robed Zheng Shā Gong Zhu stood by the counter, her head bowed, intently brewing coffee, her long, flowing hair cascading down her cheeks. "I've been coming to you more and more recently—this isn't a good sign at all. You already have a girlfriend, so you can't keep relying on me like this." She spoke with genuine delight, a touch of pride. "I have something important to discuss with you," Zhang Yuanqing reminded her to keep serious. "Go on," the Zheng Shā Gong Zhu said, still focused on her coffee. "I think I've found a way to bring our old father back to life." The kettle clattered to the floor, spilling hot water onto her dress.