"Are you comparing Tianfa with the Wu-Xing Alliance?" Anne replied without hesitation. "In terms of the number of top-tier masters at each stage, Tianfa undoubtedly surpasses the Wu-Xing Alliance. Otherwise, how could Tianfa be the world's most powerful lawful organization? This is both the result of its decades-long lead over the second region and a reflection of the differences between Tianfa and the Wu-Xing Alliance—Tianfa has absorbed all lawful professions from both major regions, while the Wu-Xing Alliance primarily focuses on the five core professions: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Tianfa's ability to absorb all kinds of less prominent talents is undeniable—quantity does eventually lead to quality." Anne smiled gently, brushing her smooth golden hair behind her ears. "In fact, the Wu-Xing Alliance has developed very rapidly. After the five organizations merged, internal competition decreased, elite talents began to emerge in abundance, and the top-tier combat strength at each stage now matches Tianfa's—only in numbers do they still fall short." "For instance, among the top-tier warriors at the Sage stage, there are figures like the Four Princes of the Official Line, Yin Ji, and the King of Fengdu among the younger generation. The top-tier Sage-level warriors of Tianfa are at this level, with the difference being that Tianfa may have a larger number of such individuals. 'All three of them are strong—how do you think your chances are against them?' Zhang Yuanqing showed the video to Anne. Anne put down her book, lay flat on the bed, and quickly fast-forwarded through it. After careful consideration, she responded honestly: 'Osmon has secured the Heart of the Ocean. You're not his match, especially since you've only just reached Level Six. However, as long as you don't actively enter his domain, you won't lose—after all, the Night-Wanderer is renowned across all professions for his elusive, unpredictable movements.'" "Hoover's strengths and weaknesses are quite evident, depending on the specific situation—given your current level and strength..." She briefly set this aside and continued: "As for Xiazuo, if my assessment is correct, he's a knight. His endurance can match that of a soil monster, his attacks can rival those of a fire mage, and his bonded skill is particularly tenacious—perhaps he's the strongest among the three." Xielingxi interjected from the side: "After all, Master Yuan Shi can't even handle one of them." Anny smiled and said: "Yet Master Yuan Shi's potential surpasses all of them. With just another year or so, these so-called top-tier masters will be mere novices." That was indeed true—In Anny's eyes, Master Yuan Shi was a legendary figure on par with the魔君, destined to eventually ascend to the rank of Sovereign, with the Saint merely a transitional phase in his spiritual journey. Yet the current Master Yuan Shi, only just entering the sixth rank, still lacks full maturity—Anny was unaware of Zhang Yuanqing's true combat prowess. "What is the Heart of the Ocean?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't pay attention to Anne's flattery. "It's said that the Heart of the Ocean was a relic of the sea god Poseidon. After Poseidon's death, his heart transformed into a gem that embodied the authority of the sea. The sea nymphs of the deep ocean fought fiercely to inherit this heart and become the new sea gods. In the end, Poseidon's heart shattered into six pieces—the Six Hearts of the Ocean." Anne recalled as she spoke. "Currently, the Church of the Sea Gods has collected three of the six Hearts. The other three remain scattered within the副本. I didn't expect Osmon to have obtained one from the spiritual realm—so he must have visited an S-tier spiritual realm this year." Zhang Yuanqing nodded once, took back his phone, and continued reading the comments. "The gods are fighting, the gods are fighting—what a thrilling spectacle! But with two losses and only one draw, it's hard to swallow that defeat." "Why isn't Jiang Ju using any items? He's the son of a half-god. Shouldn't he have access to item-based tools? Even if the fire master personally dislikes using items, shouldn't he use "It's really crushing, a bit hard to bear—just a few elite reinforcements from heaven's wrath, and our seed-level elites are completely wiped out." "Not that exaggerated—those ones were also seed-level elites." This is a rational assessment. "Garbage! Truly garbage! Why didn't Jiang Ju self-sacrifice? What's the point of just surviving when I want to leave the Chihuo Clan and be ashamed to associate with him?" "At least Fire Lord fought—he directly engaged. But Ling Jun from Tai Men hesitated and refused to fight. Once that's out there, we'll be seen as second-rate, even by foreigners. It's so humiliating—I'm seriously considering moving to the Free Federation." "The external spiritual-heritage families are already mocking us, saying we're good at internal conflicts but completely useless against foreign organizations. The evil groups and civilian organizations will be even more critical. Honestly, the official prestige has taken a serious hit, and even our frontline staff feel embarrassed." "Maybe not much better than China's national football team." These are the more passionate, outspoken comments. Zhang Yuanqing flipped through the messages and surprisingly found Ling Jun's reply: "I didn't show up at the dull networking event because I wasn't afraid to fight—I deliberately passed the opportunity to my students. My students are Yuan Shi Tian Zun." Below this comment, a wave of criticism erupted. Of course, it wasn't directed at Yuan Shi Tian Zun, but at Ling Jun himself—accusing him of being unprincipled. "When exactly did Yuan Shi Tian Zun become your student? You're shameless. And when he first reached level six, how could he possibly be expected to fight against the elite champions of Tian Fa?" "Yuan Shi Tian Zun is a top-tier professional. If he were at the peak of level six, what would you all have to do? A shameless playboy." "Speaking of that, after the sea demon won, it seemed to challenge Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Will he come back next year? We'll have to wait until then. Hopefully, by next year, Yuan Shi Tian Zun will be able to handle him." "Ha! Maybe even by next year, he'll be in full control." Further down, the discussion shifted to Yuan Shi Tian It has nothing to do with me… Zhang Yuanqing quietly stepped away from the forum. "Time to go to sleep!" He tucked his phone under the pillow, pulled the blanket over himself. Crafting a sixth-level spiritual servant consumed a great deal of Yin energy, and he now felt a bit weary. "Brother Yuanshǐ, you haven't taken a shower or brushed your teeth yet," Xie Lingxi reminded him. "I don't need to—little fairy children's poop is already fragrant!" "Hmph, quite rustic!" …… The next day, as the three female teammates gently revealed their springtime charm, Zhang Yuanqing rose to wash up. After waiting half an hour and repeatedly urging them, they finally finished getting ready and left the dormitory with polished appearances. Upon entering the security bureau building and reaching the floor belonging to the Nanming branch, as Fang Fu stepped into the office area, Wang Xiao'er burst over, his expression complex. "Director, our salary cards have been unfrozen, and the money that was withdrawn has been returned to us." Not only had Qinghe Branch failed to retaliate, but actually bowed down—this was completely unexpected. General Zhang is remarkably efficient—indeed, scouts are known for their prompt and decisive actions, never prone to delays. Zhang nodded seriously and earnestly, "Excellent!" His composed demeanor only deepened Wang Xiao'er's admiration and reverence. "Oh, by the way, Master of the Dao Sect, have you been following the forum?" Wang Xiao'er sighed, "We've been thoroughly humbled by the celestial punishment this year—last year's prestige earned by Fire Lord has all been wiped out this year." A female employee passing by approached, frowning deeply, "Since Money Lord ascended to the rank of Sovereign, we've had no real contender within the official ranks. I've always been a devoted fan of Flower Lord, yet I never expected him to back down when faced with challenges." Wang Xiao'er scoffed, "Flower Lord has always been a polished, rather effeminate type. And now, he's openly boastful, claiming Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun is his teacher—what if Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun were at the peak of the sixth rank? He'd have already subdued those three foreign guests of the celestial punishment long ago." Zhang blinked, "Wait—so you're a fan of Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun?" "Who isn't," said Liangshan's water master, approaching with a cup of tea, "a grassroots rise with extraordinary talent, boldly challenging the ten senior officials of the headquarters? Compared to the official 'Four Princes,' figures like Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn—emerging from the ranks—are truly role models for us ordinary staff." "I really admire Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn," the female employee said with a touch of regret, then, with cautious sincerity, asked, "Master of the Dao, could you possibly defeat the top performers from Tianfa?" You just now said you were a fan of the 'Flower Prince'... Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her, sighed, and shook his head. "I can't quite manage it. Among the six-level ranks, I'm just average." The employee nodded with a look of quiet disappointment, then smiled warmly. "But in my eyes, Master of the Dao, you shine even brighter than they do." So now you're abandoning the Flower Prince and Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn to become my fan? Zhang Yuanqing changed the subject. "Is Master of the Pursuer here?" "Right in the office!" the employee quickly replied, "I'll bring Zhang Yuanqing walked through the office area, where a steady stream of "Good morning, Director!" and "Good morning, Officer!" echoed, each voice respectful and warm, their genuine admiration almost palpable. As he responded to one after another with "Good morning," he reached the office of the trailblazer. Zhang Yuanqing nodded. That was exactly what he had hoped for. The pursuer exhaled in relief. "May I ask why you've come?" "From today on, everyone is on standby. Within two days, I'll launch an operation," Zhang Yuanqing commanded with the authority of a superior directing his subordinates. "I'm nearly certain of the fugitive's location now. When the time comes, you'll need to assist—South Ming branch just needs to secure the scene. No need to engage in combat. Is that clear?" The pursuer nodded. "You may give us all the instructions you wish. The entire branch is ready to serve you wholeheartedly. I'm not saying this just to be polite." Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, his phone in his pocket suddenly rang. It was Fu Qingyang. He glanced at the pursuer, answered the call formally, and said, "What's up, Master Fu?" Fu Qingyang on the phone remained silent for a moment, understanding that Yuan Shi Tian Zun might have a certain idol complex in public settings, so he didn't mind his less respectful tone in address. He spoke calmly, "We just received word that the Tianfa delegation has arrived in Ba Gui Province. They will be in contact with Qinghe's branch." Zhang Yuanqing's pupils constricted slightly. The summer officer at the back sat upright, one computer resting on his knees, and said: "The Qinghe branch and the Wu-Xing Alliance are in a cooperative relationship. It's difficult for the Wu-Xing Alliance headquarters' directives to take effect here. Counting on their support will be quite challenging. I'm currently reviewing Qinghe branch materials. They first sought assistance from the Grand Elder Guan Xing of the Taiyuan Sect, and then, following the insights of the Prophecy Realm, they pinpointed the Eight Prosperous Provinces." "Cooperative relationship?" the sea demon Osmon opened his eyes. Xia Zhao explained: "The Qinghe people are a minority ethnic group among the Eight Prosperous Provinces, with a population of several hundred thousand. Of course, these Qinghe people have no connection with the Qinghe Branch. The so-called Qinghe Branch is a lineage established through the bloodline of a mountain deity who stands on par with a half-divine being—think of it as a noble family of the spiritual realm." "Continue!" Osmon nodded. Xia Zhao said: "Currently, the Qinghe Branch has a population of around twenty thousand. Non-spiritual practitioners live outside the mountains The Lingjing Xingzhe live in the mountains. "The Qinghe people take residing in the mountains as a source of pride, since their ancestors did so. The mountain deity transformed the vast mountain range into his territory, leveraging its geographical advantage to compete with half-gods. Before the emergence of the Lingjing Xingzhe, this branch of the Qinghe people mastered certain ancient, less-recognized techniques of gu and medicine—techniques confirmed by the Five Elements Alliance as part of the heritage of ancient cultivators." Hu Fu shifted his gaze and asked, "What is their character like?" "Wild and vigorous," said Xia Zhao succinctly, adding, "Yet they value money greatly, as they were quite poor before aligning with the Five Elements Alliance." Osmon burst into laughter immediately. "Anything that can be settled with money isn't a problem," he remarked. As a noble born into a long-established capital family, he admired those who cherished money—because he himself was wealthy. Yet he also looked down upon those who were fond of money, seeing them as merely 'slaves' to it. At that moment, the silent warrior suddenly spoke: "This scenic area is beautiful, with few visitors coming except from the Qinghe clan." "Are you suggesting that the Qinghe people are particularly domineering?" Xia Zhao turned to the Executive. "No," Huo smiled, "what the Executive means is that the King of the Underworld is likely to choose to sleep here. Indeed, this is a prime location—spanning ten thousand mountains, the Qinghe people are concentrated in just one corner and would never notice him." Xia Zhao nodded in understanding. "So, Executive, you're planning to secure the Qinghe branch, have them assist us in searching the entire mountain region—once the King chooses to sleep here, he'll be certain to fall." The warrior smiled and nodded in agreement. At that moment, a newly built, elegant town appeared ahead.