In the hall where light and shadow danced, by the balcony, Zhang Yuanqing gracefully held a glass of champagne, gazing into the deepening night sky. His celestial instinct stirred within—whenever he saw the night sky, he felt an irresistible urge to observe the stars, much like an LSP instinctively opens Xunlei when they encounter a mysterious connection. The team from Tianfa had likely reached the capital and begun engaging with the Foreign Minister, Old Miao. Their primary target was the King of Pluto; only after securing cooperation in capturing the King of Pluto would they begin probing the identity of the Magician's heir. Time was running short… Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, when suddenly someone approached beside him, humming, "You're not as popular as I imagined—nobody seems to pay much attention to you." Turning around, he saw Xue Hou Ao Tian. Dressed in a well-pressed suit, he held a highball glass with poised grace, his tall, handsome features standing out among most of the male guests. "You weren't busy fixing the machinery over there, were you? What made you come over?" Zhang Yuanqing gathered his scattered thoughts. Xiaohou Aotian beamed with pride, "The screws are all tightened—well, what screws? I'm not just tightening screws; I'm building my career. Producing and assembling mechanical weapons comes naturally to me, with no difficulty at all. So here I am, coming to share my glory with the young talents of the Wu Xing Alliance." "How many mechanical weapons have we produced so far?" "Four units combined, totaling thirty." Xiaohou Aotian lifted his chin. "I've visited the factory. At this scale, once we hire enough staff and establish a fully mature assembly line, we'll produce one hundred units per day. Within three days, we can equip an entire small unit of the Songhai branch. In a month, we can fully arm the entire Wu Xing Alliance branch." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "The efficiency exceeds my expectations. Truly, you're no ordinary newcomer—already making a strong impact from the very beginning of your venture. Let's raise a toast!" Xiaohou Aotian beamed with satisfaction, finishing off his drink in one go. He noticed that Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn had only taken a small sip. "Why aren "Oh, my mountain pig can't digest fine millet—this premium beverage is the standard for accomplished individuals like Brother Ao Tian." Xue Hou Ao Tian was delighted and pulled a chair over, eager to discuss the company's strategic development plans with Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun. Zhang Yuan Qing, focused on his duties, had no time to engage in teenage fantasies, and thus said seriously, "Brother Ao Tian, haven't you noticed that you're still missing one essential element to truly become a major figure?" Ao Tian's eyes brightened. "What element?" "Women!" "Women?" Ao Tian paused thoughtfully. "That makes sense—every protagonist is surrounded by beautiful women. Indeed, I haven't done this well enough. While women only slow down my progress in mastering mechanical engineering, as the protagonist, I should be patient and attentive toward them." "Them... you young man, still planning on building a harem, are you? Zhang Yuanqing hurried to say, "Isn't that perfect? All the ladies here are high-quality human assets—beautiful, well-off, with strong family backgrounds. There are even several cold-tempered female CEOs and proud noble ladies. This very profile is exactly what the protagonist needs. I'll be happy to introduce you to a few of them." He just wanted to find a few girls to settle the matter. So Zhang Yuanqing led Xiahou Aotian to the gathering spot—Lingjun's private lounge! "Ladies and gentlewomen, allow me to introduce a rising young talent," Zhang Yuanqing opened his palm and gently supported Xiahou Aotian. "Xiahou Aotian, the most outstanding young member of the Xiahou family, and the CEO of the Mechanism Technology Development Company." The beautiful women brightened up and warmly greeted, "Good morning, Mr. Xiahou!" "Wow, Mr. Xiahou is absolutely stunning—truly a gem among men!" "I particularly admire handsome men who are both talented and well-educated." The girls who managed to reach Lingjun's table were generally more outgoing—yes, more spirited. Xiahou Aotian smiled with genuine pleasure, lifting his chin. "Your eyes are indeed sharp. I'm willing to give you a chance, but as for selecting my consorts, I have very strict standards." The several beauties were momentarily stunned,掩嘴轻笑, finding Xiahou's chairman both humorous and endearing. One elegant, well-proportioned woman with a vibrant makeup teased, "Then, Mr. Xiahou, do you have time tonight? I'd like to visit your room for the selection—how about all night?" The woman beside her chuckled, well-versed in playing games with men. Unexpectedly, Xiahou Aotian furrowed his brow, maintaining his dignified posture and saying, "All night?" That won't do. Hmph, woman, do you know how precious my time is? Based on our company's current profitability and growth potential, I'm making six-figure earnings per hour—though this is only temporary. Once our factory's assembly lines are fully operational... He launched into a detailed talk, outlining the company's development plans, management systems, financial figures, and the specifications of our military equipment, fully showcasing his capabilities to these potential consorts. Like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. The young women's laughter gradually faded, gazing at him with growing bewilderment. "Pfft!" Ling Jun spewed out a mouthful of wine, fixing his eyes on the student, making direct eye contact: How did you manage to find someone so slow-witted? You sent him over specifically to be trained, didn't you? Zhang Yuanqing returned the gaze. I can't teach him—I simply can't! Ling Jun shook his head repeatedly. ... Jingzheng, Fenglin Evening Hotel. The Hunter of Monsters looked back at the Master Miao's gaze and said in a steady tone, "The descendant of the Magus we have identified is precisely one of the rising stars of the Five Elements Alliance—his spiritual realm ID is Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn!" The sharpness in Master Miao's eyes gradually softened as she sipped her national wine, her smile calm and gentle. "Executive Officer, where did you obtain your intelligence? Do you have concrete evidence?" The Hunter of Monsters remained silent. Beside him, the sea spirit Osmon spoke up, "We received a confidential report from a spiritual realm traveler in the second district. He once teamed up with Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn on a raid mission. According to the reporter, at the conclusion of the mission, he observed a black circular moon mark appearing on Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's head." Master Miao seemed to grasp the point and turned her gaze toward the Hunter of Monsters. "How does the Heavenly Judgment assess the credibility of this reporter's claim?" The Hunter of Monsters smiled. "We have already conducted a lie-detection assessment on him." "Master Xiao nodded and asked, 'Who is the accuser, what is their spiritual realm ID, and has the accuser traveled to China with the team?' 'I'm sorry, but the accuser's information must remain confidential—this is protocol,' the hunter-mage shook his head. Master Xiao hummed in agreement, as if acknowledging their point while expressing his own difficulty, saying, 'Master Yuanshishen is a key talent cultivated by the Five Elements Alliance. Without eyewitness testimony, it would be difficult for us to arrest or interrogate him based on the charges of divine punishment.' 'Once we have completed the interrogation of Master Yuanshishen, we will naturally make the accuser's spiritual realm ID public,' the hunter-mage said with calm composure. 'Does Master Xiao find this unlikely?' 'Indeed, Master Yuanshishen does have serious issues—there's no doubt we should investigate him,' Master Xiao replied with a cheerful smile. 'By the way, I've prepared some local specialties from the capital city. I'll have someone send you rooms shortly.' "The Elder of the Hunted Warriors spoke seriously: 'Isn't Elder Miao merely changing the subject? We have solid evidence questioning the Primordial Sovereign. The Five Elements Alliance certainly knows this—when the Demon King stirred up chaos across Europe and North America, severely disrupting the order among the spiritual travelers, despite being a lawful, orderly profession, he clearly proved himself a more evil figure than even the traditionally evil ones.' "All such exquisite items—never thought the魔君 had stolen so many... Ah, this Wind God's Staff. If I'm not mistaken, I saw the CEO use it last year at year's end." "That's a replica!" the hunter mage said calmly. "The genuine one has already been stolen by the魔君." "The魔君 truly is no ordinary figure—capable of stealing a staff from a half-god." Master Miao sipped his wine. "Yet the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign has no connection with the魔君. The CEO may not be aware, but the Five-Element Alliance has already tested the authenticity of the Staff using the Tiger Seal." "Really?" the hunter mage narrowed his eyes. "Really!" Master Miao shook her head. The hunter mage pondered deeply, while the sea nymph Osmon exchanged a glance with her two young companions. The three young talents of the Heavenly Judgment all furrowed their brows. They were familiar with the Tiger Seal—it symbolized the identity of the Commander of the White Tiger Army, a rule-based artifact with the ability to detect deception as a secondary feature. Its true power, however, lay in its capacity to inspire awe and command respect. It exerts absolute suppression over the spiritual realm practitioners of its own profession; once the Tiger Seal is issued, no one dares to resist. It also commands a sense of awe among practitioners of other professions, though the effect is somewhat weaker than within its own profession. No scout can defy the holder of the Tiger Seal, just as no soldier can defy the Marshal. If a semi-divine artifact bears the endorsement of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, the likelihood of him being a descendant of the Magus King would significantly diminish. The Hunter of Monsters pondered for a while, then said, "That's puzzling. The Free Eagle has undergone the truth-testing artifact and could not have lied." Master Miao smiled and remarked, "Perhaps she misjudged it. There are countless similar things in the world—such as laundry detergent and large-scale chemical weapons." The members of Tianfa stiffened, their eyes flashing with anger. The Hunter of Monsters quickly suppressed his own indignation and said, "In any case, since inconsistencies have arisen, we must investigate further. Master Miao, besides the Free Eagle's testimony, does Tianfa have any other evidence?" Master Miao furrowed his brow, set aside his gentle and compassionate demeanor, and said in a steady tone, "What evidence?" The Hunted Mage did not respond immediately, but instead stated, "Before we present our evidence, Master Miao must sign a contract with me. Once it is confirmed that the Primordial Sovereign is the descendant of the Mage-King, he must be handed over to Tianfa for trial. The items stolen by the Mage-King are of exceptional value, and we hope the Five Elements Council will understand this." Master Miao studied the Hunted Mage intently, his eyes glowing with a soft, deep green light. He sensed that the other party was confident—indeed, at least in the matter of evidence, not merely speculating. That meant Tianfa already possessed information capable of proving the Mage-King's lineage. As Master Tai had previously explained, the only things that could verify the Mage-King's heritage were the Black Circular Moon and the exclusive character card rewards—the latter symbolizing the Mage-King's legacy. The Black Circular Moon could only be verified within the副本. Therefore, the evidence Tianfa holds must be the exclusive rewards—namely, the legacy of the Then what constitutes the evidence has become clear—the artifacts and items of the Magus King. If the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is indeed a descendant of the Magus King, given his rank, he must have inherited certain assets. The young man's encounters in the dungeons are all S-tier, perilous and unpredictable; in such dungeons, concealing one's strength would be tantamount to suicide. Therefore, he would inevitably reveal some of his reserves—specifically, the Magus King's artifacts. Indeed, this is a sound strategy. Master Miao pondered: "Regarding the Magus King's legacy, I cannot provide you with a response at this time. To be frank, the Magus King himself has also taken many treasures from the Five Elements Alliance. For instance, the general's tiger... the sword—yes, the sword!" "I will convene a meeting of the senior leaders and provide you with updates as soon as possible." The Hunter-in-Quest asked, "When can we expect the updates?" "Within three days." The Hunter-in-Quest expressed dissatisfaction: "Your Five Elements Alliance has always been slow in action—slow with its own members, and equally slow with us. Your efficiency is truly lacking. How about Master Miao, this is the fundamental demand of the Heavenly Punishment—please don't refuse. Doesn't the Five-Element Alliance also wish to swiftly confirm the heir of the Magician King? Master Miao paused, considering the importance of identifying the Magician King's heir. He certainly didn't want to delay any further; early action meant early resolution. His hesitation stemmed solely from the Hunters of the Magician King's proposal for priority hearings—something that could be discussed and negotiated during the meeting. He nodded immediately, saying, "Agreed—I'll see to it right away." As he spoke, the door to the room swung open, and Yang Secretary entered with a serious expression, walking steadily to Master Miao's side and whispering a few words into his ear. Master Miao's composed demeanor instantly shifted. Yang Secretary informed him that Miss Teng had vanished under mysterious circumstances. Unlike other early-generation spiritual realm travelers, Master Miao, though a Wood Spirit, is not particularly inclined toward reproduction. He has only three children—one son and two daughters. His eldest daughter married the Grand Master of the Taiyi Sect and has already returned to the spiritual realm. Now, only two children remain. Therefore, Master Miao deeply cherished his descendants, and both Ling Jun and Miao Teng'er were his heart's favorites. When he learned that Ling Jun was frequently mistreated at the Taimei Gate, he immediately brought his grandson to live with him, even though the young man initially preferred to stay with Victoria of the Taimei Gate. He confined his second daughter and Teng'er not merely out of paternal love, unlike the Taimei Master, who only focused on procreation and neglected nurturing—showing particularly coldness toward his family. Whether it was sharing a husband with his daughter or having his children perform live iron-pan cooking, the Taimei Master would never intervene. Master Miao quickly composed himself, gazing at the members of Tianfa, and smiled, "Let us conclude our meeting here today. Yang Secretary, kindly take care of Tianfa's esteemed guests." With that, he dissolved into a streak of green light and vanished from the room. His sudden departure left the Tianfa delegation utterly caught off guard. The Hunter of Monsters furrowed his brows, "Yang Secretary, what has happened? If you could inform me, I would be most grateful." Three young talents at the Saint Realm level approached, observing the scene. Yang, the secretary, apologized, "Senior Miao needs to attend to some personal matters—his granddaughter, Miss Miao Teng'er, has gone missing. Should the Executive Officer have any requests, whether official or personal, please let me know." Yet the Hunter-Mage had no intention of sharing details with just a secretary, and merely offered a polite nod.