Most people found this face unfamiliar, even if they had a vague impression, they couldn't quite place who he was at the moment. Yet, due to his earlier outburst, the members of Qinghe Branch instinctively assumed he must be a senior figure from the headquarters—perhaps a descendant of such a prominent person, though a bit less impressive than expected. "Master Yuan Shishen!" a thrilled exclamation rang out from the crowd. It was Yunmeng who recognized him—her face bright with excitement, waving enthusiastically, her warm, sun-kissed skin flushing with emotion. Master Yuan Shishen? The clamor instantly surged: "Who?" "Is he really Master Yuan Shishen? The young man who criticized the ten elders during the trial?" "The fastest-rising prodigy!" "The top-tier leader who led teams through combat missions to achieve promotions?" "The one who guided Yunmeng sister through the S-tier raid?" "Whoa, is this my idol? How is he here?" Each person had their own distinct understanding and perception of Master Yuan Shishen. The members of Tianfa expressed varied reactions. The hunter-mage narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharpening into a focused beam, fixed firmly on Zhang Yuanqing—besides a mild surprise, showing no other significant response. Xia Zhao was slightly astonished, as the renowned five-element alliance prodigy he had long hoped to meet had unexpectedly arrived here. Huo Fo, after initial surprise, felt a growing sense of inconvenience and complexity; with such a prominent talent stepping in, the situation would surely become complicated. With so many people from Qinghe Branch observing, it would be difficult to act decisively—kill them, yet they couldn’t. Meanwhile, Osmon, who had just reviewed the materials on Yuanshǐ Tianzun, finally matched the portrait from the documents with the face before him. His excitement rivaled Yunmeng’s—God himself had favored him, personally bringing Yuanshǐ Tianzun to his presence. Thirty meters away in the dense forest, a pursuer holding a telescope locked his focus on Zhang Yuanqing, while the earpiece buzzed with the excited voices of Wang Xiao'er and Liangshan’s master: “Is the Sanqing Daozhu a rogue Tianzun?” No, Lord Tian... My goodness, we've been living with Lord Yuan Shi Tian Zun for so many days now, and he's even paying us! We can keep this going for ten years!" "Wang Xiao'er, calm down. Your idol—no, our idol—is in trouble." The channel erupted. Even the well-trained, composed action team struggled to remain composed. Shocked, they turned into a noisy swarm of flies, buzzing with excitement and exchanging exclamations like "Wow!", "Whoa!", and "Goodness!" Chasing the Poison pressed a hand to the earpiece, speaking calmly: "You're on duty!" The commotion paused instantly. He added, "Everyone stay put—wait for Lord Yuan Shi Tian Zun's signal!" The noise vanished completely. Members of the Nan Ming branch tightened their focus. Despite the dire situation, each one radiated renewed determination and energy. "Wu Youhua—will you take my person and fight for one million federal credits?" Zhang Yuancheng, now revealing his true self, dropped all pretenses. Wu Youhua examined the young man from head to toe, astonished yet unafraid, saying, "Master Yuan Shi, you still don't qualify to threaten me." "I may not," Zhang replied coldly, "but what about the Marshal?" "Did you think a regular fugitive could warrant a personal arrest from me? Did you really believe that a minor incident involving your clan members would require the Marshal himself to send an official email? Has your Qinghe branch been stationed in the mountains long enough that your minds have grown dull?" That was precisely the reason—he had to go to the bathroom. A lesser officer handling a routine assignment was entirely different from a secret mission executed by the Master of Yuan Shi. It was like the difference between a regular patrol officer and a special forces unit. Though Wu Youhua was assertive and commanding, a leader deeply committed to his people, the well-being and future of his clan remained his vulnerability. He had to consider: if the Five Elements Alliance suffered a major setback, would the headquarters or even the Marshal overlook Qinghe? Was one million federal credits truly worth it? Zhang Yuanqing was pushed to this point with no choice. The Mei Shen Association had instructed him to carry out his mission in secret, but by now, it's impossible to resolve everything quietly. Of course, he could calmly retreat—no one would dare stop him, nor would anyone force him to amputate an arm. But why should he necessarily comply with Tianfa's demands? A seven-tier Dominator leading three six-tier Saints daring to assert themselves on the territory of the Wu Xing Alliance, even injuring his close friend Yin Ji—well, and also Fire Prince. He didn't know whether the Wu Xing Alliance was merely inexperienced in external campaigns, but Zhang Yuanqing certainly wasn't. He had the courage to scold the ten elders of the headquarters himself; would he fear a few Saints from Tianfa? First, secure the King of the Underworld. If the Mei Shen Association grows wary of Tianfa and decides not to pursue him, then he can hand him over to the Wu Xing Alliance. Should the headquarters learn of the secrets hidden within the King of the Underworld, they would surely value this leverage. Thus, it wouldn't be a deception to Qing He Branch. "Um, this foreigner seems quite important. If we "Yuanshi Tianzun said he was handling affairs on the General's behalf." "The headquarters will surely use this as an opportunity to reprimand us. They've wanted to do so for a long time—perhaps they'll even cut our budget." "It feels a bit unvalueable, doesn't it?" Whispers began to rise among the crowd. "Six Grandfather, Grandfather, Yuanshi Tianzun is my friend," Yunmeng said loudly. Wu Youhua and Wu Agui didn't respond to her, but Wu Youhua turned to glance at the elders behind him and noticed a quiet shift in the younger generation's attitudes. Wu Youhua knew that was the admiration—loyalty to respected figures (the 'celebrity effect')—while the older members were becoming more pragmatic and rational, weighing the pros and cons. Zhang Yuanqing knew that if he offered a financial commitment now, he could easily settle the Qinghe branch, yet he refused to do so. Should Qinghe still choose to support Tianfa, then the headquarters would have been feeding a growing number of 'white wolves' with their actual funds. Wu Youhua paused for a few seconds, then He had already made up his mind, but needed a little nudge from someone else. The earnest and straightforward clan head, as expected, said, "Take the King of the Underworld and deliver him to the headquarters." The Hunter-Mage's expression stiffened. Hou Youhua exhaled gently, stepping down the stairs and said, "Your point is well taken, but I decline." Looking up at the night sky, he declared, "Executive Officer, this individual is a key detainee designated by the headquarters. By protocol, I should arrest him and deliver him to the Five Elements Alliance headquarters. Yet I've stated before that Qinghe Branch will always remain a friend of Tianfa. I will not hand him over, but Qinghe Branch will step back from this matter." The Hunter-Mage paused and nodded, "Thank you. The three million deposit will remain unchanged." He understood Hou Youhua's implication: if Tianfa wished to reclaim the three million deposit, then Qinghe Branch's only choice would be to deliver the King of the Underworld. In the Hunter-Mage's view, even if Qinghe Branch withdrew, Tianfa would still succeed in taking the King of the Underworld. One master of music, one Yuan-Shi Tian-Zun just beginning his sixth rank—no matter how hard the hunter of demons thought, he couldn't imagine any possibility of failure. Yet, to ensure security, the hunter spoke up: "Could you kindly request Wu Department Head to seal off this area and prevent any uninvolved parties from entering? We'll pay an additional one million as compensation." Wu Youhua nodded willingly, then flicked his foot, sending the King of the Underworld soaring into the sky. The Master of the Zheng-Shi Palace exhaled, and dense red lines surged from beneath her skirt, gripping the King's body and pulling him back. "Woo~" A wave of wind blades descended, severing the red lines and carving deep gullies across the mountain terrain. Battle had begun! The Qinghe clan's forces swiftly withdrew, yet none left the scene—older members watched from afar, while the younger ones pulled out their phones and climbed to the tree branches, some recording, others taking photographs. Only the Wuxing Alliance Forum lacked live-streaming capabilities; otherwise, a live thread would have been posted by now. The hunter extended his hand, grasping a black crossbeam about half a meter long, upon which He merely shook his hand, and the black cross descended, piercing the冥王's side with a soft *plop*. A deep, dark glow spread outward, enveloping a radius of twenty meters. Within this glow, the pulsing red lines lost their vitality and became ordinary. The冥王 lay motionless on the ground, his only movement being the rotation of his eyes. This area had been sealed. All extraordinary powers within it would lose their divine essence. The black cross was precisely the artifact of the Night's Eternal occupation. The hunter-mage's objective was clear: first stabilize the冥王, then, after defeating the Primordial Sovereign and his companions, claim the spoils. Otherwise, the冥王 would likely perish in the ensuing battle. The Master of the Stilled Death actively severed that section of red lines, while more red lines swiftly interlaced beneath her skirt, weaving into a flowing red ribbon. The ribbon surged upward, carrying her toward the aerial hunter-mage. At the same time, a delicate, ethereal melody echoed through the night sky, dissolving anger and harmonizing will. The monster-hunter, who had intended to command the gales and slice through them with wind blades, instead felt an inner calm, choosing to avoid unnecessary battles. As an experienced executive, he instantly reacted, raising his hand and gently tapping his ear—so softly that it shattered his eardrum. "Ahh~" A dramatic hurricane surged overhead, lifting leaves and dust into the sky, turning the clear night sky gray and hazy. Wind blades mixed with the gale, and the Master of the Stopping Palace, riding a crimson ribbon, drifted left and right like a flatboat, completely at a disadvantage. The Master was indeed impetuous—high above, wind mages were at their strongest, but without close engagement, she couldn't mount a real offense. Zhang Yuanqing watched the aerial duel, pondering how he might use his Five Elements power card to engage the monster-hunter. Yet it seemed challenging. The Master could fly, but this was merely a secondary ability; her mobility clearly fell short of that of wind mages. Unless he could dispatch the monster-hunter instantly, if the latter managed to escape, Zhang Yuanqing would be left only watching helplessly. Therefore, the Five Elements Experience Card should be used at the critical moment. With its current use, the Hunter of Monsters can now delay the battle. First, let the Palace Master test him. Zhang Yuanqing withdraws his gaze and turns to the three approaching figures. Osmon performs a graceful gesture, brushing his bangs back with one hand, and smiles warmly: "In theory, we should have settled this quickly. But since we've finally encountered him, how about five minutes? Five minutes should be enough for me to handle him." Huo shrugs, "I don't mind." Xia Zuo speaks firmly: "You may go first. If necessary, I'll step in—our mission comes first." In the distant forest, the Pursuer of Toxins listens to the requests from his subordinates to engage, then quietly turns off his headset and looks toward his "Man of the Roads," "Ready to act." The Man of the Roads adjusts his glasses: "No, he hasn't signaled." The Pursuer immediately frowns: "You're letting him face the three Saints of Divine Judgment alone?" "Just watch him." "The human wanderer spoke coldly. At that moment, the pursuer, through the night-vision telescope, observed Yuan Shi Tian Zun taking a small red hat. Zhang Yuanqing gently shook his hand, and instantly nine figures materialized behind him, their powerful yin energy enveloping the entire pine forest; the people of Qing He, watching from afar, felt a piercing chill (physical). A new streak of starlight rose beside him, and the strange, beautiful ghost woman returned, holding a staff woven from a dark green and brown vine. Zhang Yuanqing seemed still unsatisfied, expelling two successive streams of the Tai Yin energy, making the ordinary observers unable to see the appearance of Yi Chuan Mei and the ghost bride materialize above his head. The yin energy surged. Three six-level yin corpses and two six-level spiritual servants—this was the core strength of the official's first rebel, not counting equipment. Zhang Yuanqing coldly gazed at the three prodigies of Tianfa, "Five minutes is enough. That's enough for me to deal with you all." Osmon's proud expression slowly stiffened. Hoover silently shed his relaxed posture, and Xia Zhao's serious demeanor grew even more intense, his body taut. The Qinghe clan members stood motionless, watching the scene unfold. The Pursuer of the Poison stared blankly, hearing the scoffs of his stepbrothers and stepsiblings nearby: "This time, the Celestial Judgment has truly lost face." Xia Zhao spoke firmly, "Let's go together!" Osmon drew a breath and gave a dry chuckle. "Very well..." He exhaled deeply, snorted, "The night-wanderer's shadow spirits are all clumsy, like unskilled oxen. This six-level foe? I can handle ten of them." As he spoke, a streak of starlight rose from behind him. The red-eyed spectral corpse charged forward, delivering a solid punch to his back of the head.