The white orchid, her red veil draped over her, turned in surprise, gazing at the spiritual scroll etched into the ground. Having experienced upgrades before, she studied the image intently, then turned with a look of delight and asked, "My lord, may I enhance my cultivation?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I've been tirelessly working on your behalf, spending so much time and effort—finally gathering all the materials and locating a sixth-level spirit ghost." The ghost bride, her magnificent veil veiling her face, was unseen, yet Zhang Yuanqing knew that beneath the veil, her face must be one of joyful tears and blossoming emotion. "My lord is so deeply devoted—only regret that I am a spirit body, unable to repay you adequately. Ah, ah, ah..." The ghost bride believed him and was deeply touched. Zhang Yuanqing gave a slight nod. "Since you've called me your lord, you are now part of my family. There's no need to thank me—go ahead." The ghost bride clutched the charming, endearing figure and drifted toward the array, softly weeping. By Lingjun’s standards, I—a man who habitually sweet-talks even to my spiritual attendants—am already at the top tier of a "duds" male, perhaps even at the "talkative duds" level. That’s what Zhang Yuanqing mused to himself. Lingjun, on the other hand, was a hands-on duds. When the ghost bride suddenly appeared at the center of the array, Zhang Yuanqing pulled his thoughts back, knelt halfway down, and placed his palms upon the array. A dark, viscous energy surged upward from the Taiyin array, forming a deep, flame-like glow that enveloped the ghost bride as well as the dark-red wooden box. Under the intense heat of this dark, viscous Taiyin energy, the wooden box trembled violently, emitting faint, mournful shrieks of the lingering spirits. Streams of intangible, powerful spiritual energy were drawn out by the array, purified through the refining action of the deep, ethereal flame, and then gently infused into Bai Lan and the small, lively companion. Visibly, the spiritual energy within the mother and child expanded and strengthened. Meanwhile, the spirits inside the box wailed incessantly, yet could only This process lasted for several minutes, during which the spirits of resentment within the box gradually faded away, while Xiao Doudou and Bai Lan fully absorbed its power—Xiao Doudou advancing to Level 4, and Bai Lan successfully breaking through to Level 6. However, the refining process had not yet concluded. Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand again, and a murky, clumped substance resembling solidified mercury drifted in from the darkness. A viscous, mercury-like fluid flowed continuously over its surface. This material is known as the Source of Plague, a Saint-level material for Water Ghosts, as its name suggests—it is specifically used to spread illness and disease. Zhang Yuanqing transformed the ghost bride into a sick bride, imbuing her spiritual energy with illness. The spiritual servant can then more easily transmit the disease—through attachment or penetration—into the bodies of enemies, making it simpler than the process used by the undead. The undead focus on offense, while Yuchuan Mei handles control, and the ghost bride specializes in weakening enemy buffs. With this arrangement, he can now contend with ten Saint-level Sixters. As the ranks rose, the night wanderer's terrifying nature gradually emerged—except for money gentlemen like Qian Gongzi, whose talents approached the realm of the Dao, even strong-willed figures like Jiang Ju and Huang Taiji now found themselves no match. "Then our chances of defeating the King of the Underworld grow stronger," Zhang Yuanqing continued to activate the array, dispersing the source of the plague and integrating it into the spirit bride's body, then refining it with the power of the Great Yin. Finally, the task was accomplished. "Husband!" As the array's power faded, the spirit bride immediately flew toward him, clutching their child, her affection as intense as ever. Women truly do expect gifts—so do spirits... Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself that he hadn't sent any gifts to Guan Ya in a long time. This wasn't good; emotions needed to be cultivated. So the little round one should have one too. And the Palace Mistress as well. Musing vaguely, he said, "Try to transmit a disease to me." The spirit bride complied fully, deeply trusting her husband's abilities, and immediately carried her own child through Zhang Yuanqing's body. At first, there were no abnormalities. Three seconds later, he began to feel an itch in his throat, followed by a mild cough. Five seconds after that, a burning sensation spread through his lungs, rising steadily, and his forehead grew hot. Ten seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing started dry heaving, and felt weak in his limbs, dizzy and disoriented. Fifteen seconds later, all symptoms disappeared, leaving him slightly weakened. Twenty seconds later, he fully recovered. "Without the daily divine power purifying the illness, it can only reach this point—essentially a brief weakness buff. Indeed, I haven't actively fought off the disease, but my body, cleansed by the divine power of the Sun God, is naturally resistant to various negative conditions. Combined with the Night-Wanderer God's strong self-healing ability, this effect can only last for ten seconds. Other classes lack the Sun God's power and don't possess such remarkable self-healing capabilities—therefore, the illness will persist longer and pose a significantly greater threat. This temporary weakness will be sufficient during the battle for life and death." Zhang Yuanqing nodded in satisfaction, then picked up the little clumsy one from the ghost bride's arms and asked tentatively, "Call me Dad?" The little one tilted his head, his clear and pure eyes fixed on him. He seemed to have grown wiser, though not many had truly become wise—still, the son of a landowner, after all. Zhang Yuanqing sighed slightly. After swallowing the ghost bride and the clumsy son whole, he began to clear up the traces in the warehouse, gathered his talismans, wiped away the ground patterns, and settled everything before vanishing into starlight with a crisp snap of his fingers. The Heavenly Sovereign is a true gentleman—only allowing himself to be a little "Miao Ren Feng" for three seconds before reluctantly shifting his gaze toward Anny, who was seated to his left. Anny was currently reading The Art of War, immersing herself in the military strategies of the ancient Chinese civilization. Xie Lingxi sat at the table, experimenting with different lipstick shades. She felt a bit uneasy—just a few months away from turning eighteen. Would she embrace the mature, sensual, elegant "sister-queen" persona after adulthood, or continue to stay close to her brother as a thoughtful, caring younger sister? Her elder brother, Yuan Shi, undoubtedly preferred the wave-crested, strap-sleeve, lipstick-dusted "sister-queen" look. But being a thoughtful, reliable younger sister was her unique strength and selling point. Choosing the "sister-queen" path, though, meant catering to her brother's tastes. Could she truly outshine the Queen and Guan Ya? For now, she still lived in the transitional phase—neither particularly striking nor fully confident, often feeling awkward even in front of the big G. "Oh, Yuan Shi brother, you've just arrived!" "Xie Lingxi was taken aback," "Of course not. The thing that worries her is which lipstick will please Brother." "Can't even get my approval with a lipstick," said Xie Lingxi. "Then what could please Brother?" Xie Lingxi asked quickly. "Pig tail!" Anne murmured softly from the upper bunk. A profound humiliation—how can the official face retain its dignity? This post has garnered over 999 comments and reached 20,000 views, generating intense buzz. Zhang Yuan opened the post to read: 【The delegation from Tianfa held an exchange session tonight with the official authorities, during which three young leaders from Tianfa launched challenges against the peak Saint-level masters of the Wu Xing Alliance.】 【To their surprise, the Fire Prince suffered a crushing defeat, Yin Ji sustained serious injuries, the Flower Prince hesitated and retreated, and the official’s greatest source of pride—Yellow Prince—was the one who took the beating.】 In addition to the written account, the post includes a video clip. "Hmm, such a poor performance," Zhang Yuan was momentarily stunned. He had anticipated this exchange session, having long known Tianfa’s tendencies from Fu Qingyang, but the official’s defeat was more severe than he had expected. With the Money Prince, whose skill approached the Dao, and the "Fengdu Ghost King" both promoted to Masters, the official’s peak combat strength at the Saint level has indeed suffered a significant blow. Jiang Ju is a half-divine descendant with an extraordinary talent, reaching the peak of Level Six early on, and when his fire demon awakens, he stands unmatched throughout the realm. How could he have suffered such a defeat? As for Ling Jun's reluctance to fight and Huang Taiji being beaten, these situations make sense. Ling Jun's personality is laid-back and indifferent to reputation—indeed, in Ling Jun's eyes, the allure of gaining fame through battle even pales in comparison to the smooth curves of a young woman's hips. His so-called reluctance to fight likely stems from declining the challenge of the Heavenly Punishment. Huang Taiji's situation is even more understandable—earth monsters naturally take hits as part of their combat style, which is simply part of their professional nature, so it's not particularly humiliating. What truly irks Zhang Yuanqing is the severe damage inflicted upon Yin Ji—the fact that she's been so badly wounded isn't merely because he wishes to inherit the legacy of the former demon king's widow; they've shared hardships together and thus have a genuine bond. With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Yuanqing opened the video to watch it. The footage was captured from a distance, and the first image that appeared on screen was a red With a short, neat haircut and a strong, defined facial structure, he appears somewhat distant—like someone naturally aloof. The battle lasted only three minutes, and the reason for Jiang Ju's defeat is clearly evident: he had been caught deep within the enemy's home territory. The young man with golden hair wears a blue gem at his neck, similar in function to the "Sovereign of Water" seal, capable of releasing hundreds of tons of seawater. Yet, it has not yet amplified his abilities, transforming him into an extraordinary being with a now-blue hair, crystalline eyes, and intricate incantations etched across his body. Standing atop the surging waves, the young man sees a massive creature break through the waves, revealing a towering ice formation. He commands the waves, engulfing the half-divine prince, and the resulting flames boil the seawater, steam rising and obscuring the view. Five minutes later, Jiang Ju remains unconscious, while the golden-haired youth, though severely drained, still stands firm on the battlefield. "The pendant is a treasure—best case, an elite item, even a rule-based one." Zhang Yuanqing reached his conclusion. Jiang Ju lost on the opponent's home ground, specifically due to the rules of the symposium. Facing such a competitor, the usual strategy would be to avoid direct confrontation, using ranged attacks like fire balls and fire spears to keep the opponent at bay, neither side able to gain the upper hand. However, the symposium had spatial constraints and demanded a decisive outcome, leaving Jiang Ju no room for maneuver. After defeating Jiang Ju, the self-assured golden-haired young man made a highly publicized remark: "It seems the Yuan Shi Tianzun of the Wu Xing Alliance has already departed from Songhai—did he know I intended to challenge him?" The implication was unmistakable: the Yuan Shi Tianzun had fled! Zhang Yuanqing faintly heard a chorus of complaints from the video, criticizing the sea demon Osmon, a sixth-tier peak being, for being unscrupulous in seeking to dominate a junior colleague only beginning to reach sixth tier. The next match was between the wind mage Huo Fo and Yin Ji. In this battle, Yin Ji's defeat was truly lamentable. The tactics employed by both sides remained rather monotonous: Yin Ji directed her spiritual attendants to attack the wind mage stationed in the air, while the wind mage launched sweeping gusts of wind, conducting aerial bombardments. The wind mage's "Eyes of the Sky" possessed keen observational abilities, allowing it to detect every movement on the ground, thus perfectly countering Yin Ji's star-darting technique. Meanwhile, the continuous gust attacks effectively neutralized the night wanderer's core ability—the Night Wandering. Yin Ji's spiritual attendants failed to eliminate the enemy before her master fell, and she herself was struck by two gusts in the chest and abdomen, leading to her defeat. The third battle proved rather dull. The opponent facing Huang Taiji was a young man with brown hair and blue eyes, embodying a quiet, serious demeanor—much like a rigid, traditional medieval knight. Armed with a cross-shaped sword, this knightly foreigner engaged Huang Taiji with decisive, forceful blows. Over a half-hour of high-intensity, high-frequency combat, neither side managed to gain the upper hand, and the match ended in a mutual draw. "The official side has indeed come up short. It's understandable that the veteran Level 6 players didn't step forward—winning would have been a matter of face, and losing would have been even more so." Zhang Yuanqing, flipping through the comments, asked, "Annie, within Tianfa, how many such top-tier players are there?"