Osmon spun on his toes, suddenly pivoting, raising his arm to parry while simultaneously driving a punch forward. "Thud!" The sturdy mountain god's staff struck hard against Osmon's forearm, cracking his sleeve and revealing the arms beneath, covered in dark green and black scales. Princess Yin Yao bent her elbow, pushing forward to meet the punch. "Crack!" Osmon's finger bones snapped instantly, and the scales on his forearm were pulled apart. He staggered back, eyes wide in astonishment. After all, the sea nymph's body not only possessed immense strength but also featured highly resilient scales. A six-tier peak warrior like Osmon had never been outmatched by a shade corpse—this one, in fact, displayed not only refined combat technique but also physical strength comparable to his own. In truth, Princess Yin Yao was far from Osmon's match; her strength equaled only about 10% of a six-tier star official. Night Wandering Spirit wasn't a melee-focused profession either. It was precisely the mountain god's staff that enabled her to hold her own against Osmon. The Mountain God's staff possesses a "refinement" function, one of Zhang Yuanqing's least frequently used abilities, as it requires time. The Lady Yin Yao had been absent until now, quietly refining this region. Previously, all the Wood Immortals present at the Qing He branch were unable to sense changes in the earth's pulse—only Wu Agui, the sole Earth Monster, had detected them, though he remained silent. "Osmun, composed, frowned," Hm, I have a device to control the shadowy elements." Hoover nodded, "Then let's formulate a strategy..." His lips moved, yet no sound emerged; Osmun and Shazo leaned in to listen. Sound travels through air, and as a wind mage, it was easy for him to compress the sound's range by manipulating air currents. While the three strategized, Zhang Yuanqing performed an action that left the onlookers utterly puzzled. He stepped back several meters, sat cross-legged, and placed a dark circular disc on his knees. What was he doing? Hoover had no idea at first, until the starlight began to shimmer in the eyes of Yuan Shih Tian Zun. His pupils narrowed instantly, and he exclaimed, "Abandon the plan—embrace free play!" As a premier agent of the Heavenly Judgment, he was well acquainted with the Night-Wanderer's combat style. In the transcendent phase, the Night-Wanderer was a premier assassin; by the time he reached the Star-Official stage, he had evolved into a master strategist operating behind the scenes. Once the star officials accumulate a solid foundation—possessing numerous high-quality yin corpses and spiritual servants—they retreat into the background, using celestial observation techniques to predict the future and then directing their servants and corpses into battle. Thus, Huo Fu decisively abandons the battle plan, as it is likely to be uncovered and preemptively countered by Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun through celestial observation. Huo Fu vigorously waves his hands, sending a dense rain of wind blades toward the seated Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun. Zhang Yuanqing pays no attention, his head raised toward the heavens, his eyes filled with starlight. When the wind blades arrive, he casually withdraws his purple thunder shield and throws it upward, simultaneously dispatching half of his spiritual essence to control the ghost bride. The ghost bride successfully catches the shield and raises it forward. "Clang, clang, clang…" The torrent of wind blades strikes the shield, sending sparks flying. The ghost bride moves the shield up and down, deflecting all blades aimed at Zhang Yuanqing's body, while countless more wind blades skim past him, felling entire groves of pine trees behind. The shield quickly filled one-third of its energy. Zhang Yuanqing, gazing upward at the stars, murmured softly, "A hurricane!" At the same time, Hufu spread his arms and cried, "A hurricane!" A tornado three meters high rose before him, wobbling as it surged toward Zhang Yuanqing, rapidly expanding in both height and diameter during its advance. Twigs and pine needles were sucked into the wind, instantly ground into dust and scattered into the air. This was no ordinary tornado—this was a relentless, crushing blade. Zhang Yuanqing maintained his posture of gazing at the stars, reaching out with his other hand to summon his Yin-Yang robe, Hou-Tou boots, and Qing-De sash from the void, one by one, and tossing them to the greedy deity, commanding him to don them. As the flames formed the robe and the flowing waters became the garment, the sash shimmered brilliantly, and the boots radiated a thick, golden glow. The dramatic effects were so vivid that the spectators, who had been watching the sovereign's battle, were suddenly struck with a wave of awe, feeling an overwhelming pressure, as if facing a celestial adversary. "I can't breathe." "Wait—what's going on? My heart's pounding so fast, it's so overwhelming..." The forest spirit, earth monster, fire master, and water ghost all began to experience difficulty breathing, accelerated heartbeats, and surges of adrenaline. Even the two Grand Masters, Wu Agui and Wu Youhua, felt a subtle pressure. "The Sacred Heaven Set—this is exactly the one Master Cai mentioned during the Judgment Council," whispered the steward of the pursuit team, heard through the earpiece from the Nanming Branch. The greedy divine general, brimming with dramatic effects, knelt down and placed both palms firmly on the ground. Thunderous rumble! The earth shook violently, and one after another, earth walls rose up, forming barriers against the gale. While the individual After-Terrain Boots lacked earth-controlling abilities, the Sacred Heaven Set granted the wearer all the extraordinary skills of the four primary professions at their peak stage. Rumbling continuously, earth walls collapsed, the gale effortlessly shattering them, yet more walls rose again, steadily blocking the path of the storm. Only after the sixth earthen wall collapsed did the hurricane finally "exhaust" and collapse, sending a fierce gust of wind through the pine forest. On the other side, Osmun activated the Ocean's Heart suspended at his chest. The sapphire glowed softly, emitting a gentle blue light, and faint sounds of waves could be heard in the air. Waves surged beneath his feet, lifting him high, as if he were a solid wall. Then, he retrieved a blue, lightning-shaped insignia from his inventory and placed it on his forehead. "Buzzzz~" The lightning symbol on his forehead ignited, his eyes transforming into brilliant white pupils, and electric serpents crackled and danced across his body. Powerful lightning merged with the waves beneath his feet, forming a wall of blue-white light that radiated through the darkness. This lightning insignia is a magic item for a Thunder Mage, enabling the release of powerful bursts of lightning. Lightning is especially effective against dark entities, and when combined with water's excellent conductivity, it produces a synergistic effect—greater than the sum of its parts. Osmon has numerous items, many of exceptional and sage-tier quality, but his three most powerful ones were reserved specifically for confronting the Primordial Immortal. As a sea spirit, Osmon is not intimidated by team battles—he simply said, "Would you like to see the shade corpses turned to cinders?" With that, a five-meter-tall wave surged forward, sweeping toward the Primordial Immortal and his shade corpses, snapping the pine trees along the way with a crisp crack, sending entire groves crashing to the ground. This breathtaking spectacle amazed the onlookers—such a feat of ground-shaking waves was beyond the capability of a sage-tier plague deity. The Greedy Divine General stepped forward with determination, facing the wave directly, then raised his right hand and gently pushed forward with his palm. The surging wave instantly froze, as if encountering an invisible barrier, unable to advance even an inch. With a light shake of his palm, the Greedy Divine General caused the wave to collapse, transforming it into cascading white foam that surged over the mountains. In terms of water control, the Water Spirit is no less capable than the Sea Spirit. As a divine general embodying the four primary classes, the Greedy Divine General is nearly all-around proficient. Xia Zao recognized the situation immediately and drew forth a straight sword, half as tall as a person, with a cross-shaped handle. He inserted the sword before him, placed his palms firmly on the hilt, and spoke solemnly: "The rules of this battle are: no use of shadow corpses or spiritual servants." The hilt of the knight's longsword burst forth with a sacred white light, sealing the law and establishing the rules. The portion of Zhang Yuanqing's spiritual body that had taken root as the greedy general was "pushed" out, returning through the imprint to his awareness, and all imprints of shadow corpses and spiritual servants turned gray. Xia Zao was employing one of the core skills of a Judge: the Law. Judges can establish laws through this skill; laws enacted against those of lower rank become binding rules that cannot be violated. However, against those of equal or higher rank, the law fails to exert rule-based suppression. Yet, as long as the law is breached, the Judge can activate his second primary skill: Judgment. Zhang Yuanqing remained motionless, gazing at the stars, and said calmly: "Yin Yao!" Lady Yin Yao instantly grasped the meaning, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a neatly folded, flawless human skin, then tossing it toward a 4-tier yin corpse by her side. The corpse transformed into the appearance of Zhang Yuanqing. On the black-and-white playing surface, the pointer spun smoothly. Zhang Yuanqing retrieved a pair of logo-less athletic shoes and tossed them to the Level Six Yin Shi, then took the golden-purple shield from the Ghost Bride and hurled it forward, simultaneously drawing the spiritual essence from within the Ghost Bride and transferring it through the imprint to the Hundred-Body Shi. The Hundred-Body Shi reached out, caught the golden-purple shield, slipped on the sliding cleats, and charged toward Osmon standing atop the waves. The greedy divine general, clad in the heavenly sacrifice attire, took off swiftly, heading straight for Xia Zhao. The remaining Yin Shis encircled like wolves, waiting for their moment. Princess Yin Yao remained still, guarding at her master's side. "Ahhh—" A piercing wind howl surged, with wind blades pouring in like a barrage, cutting toward the Hundred-Body Shi. At his peak as a Saint, these wind blades could easily decapitate or sever him in two if he lacked defensive prowess. The Hundred-Body Shi raised his shield, swiftly dodging the blades, and when unable to avoid them, used his sliding cleats to forcibly deflect them. Xia Zhao leapt high, his straight sword blazing with a brilliant white light The knight's skill at the transcendent stage is empowered by sacred force, delivering dual physical and spiritual attacks—so even a soil monster of equal level suffers when struck by a single blade. Under the enhancement of the Wood Wight's coordination, the Greedy Divine Champion can halt instantly, his long sword surging with brilliant flames, the blade then sweeping back. Thud! The long sword collides with the straight sword, flames and holy light intertwining and raging, leaving Xia Zhao feeling numbness in his arms and cracks forming at his knuckles. The Greedy Divine Champion advances with both hands and feet, his sword flashes like a downpour, launching a relentless barrage. In this swift, torrential assault, the famed close-combat knight, Heaven's Judge, is thrown like a sack of grain, crashing to the ground with multiple cuts, blood streaming from him, wounds that will not heal. He hasn't even had time to draft any laws. Seeing this, Osmon and Hufu's eyes constrict dramatically. Xia Zhao is the strongest among the three in close combat, yet he cannot withstand even ten seconds against the shadow body of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. The Greedy God, originally a sixth-tier mesmerizing spirit adept at close combat, now combines the fighting prowess of the mesmerizing spirit, the strength and balance of the wooden spirit, the speed and agility of the fire master, and the endurance and defense of the earth-based monster, thanks to the blessings of the Celestial Ritual Armor. Within the Saint Realm, few can match him in close-quarters combat. While both Osmon, with his home advantage, and Hoover, the aerial force, prove formidable, it is the seemingly unremarkable Xiazuo who becomes the team's vulnerability. The Greedy God charges forward, swiftly closing in on Xiazuo. At the critical moment, a lifelike steed bursts from the waves beneath Osmon's feet, arriving just in time to snatch Xiazuo and hurl him onto its back, galloping swiftly back to Osmon's domain. Among the transcendent sea spirits, one of their abilities is called "The Horsemaster," where the horse is the first sea creature mastered by the sea spirit, possessing both charging and fleeing capabilities. "Don't worry about that corpse—without water control, it's already doomed if it dares approach me," Osmon declared. "Focus on this first." "He possesses the heart of the ocean, invincible throughout the realm covered by waters—his only challenger is this other undead with water-controlling abilities. Master Yuanshǐ's strategy of concentrating key artifacts on the strongest undead is most astute. Houfu responded enthusiastically, 'Excellent!' He abandoned his attempt to intercept the hundred-soldier formation, retrieving from his inventory a large egg-sized eye, overall a deep crimson, with a dark vertical pupil. This is not a human eye, but that of some colossal animal. The dark beam emitted by the vertical pupil struck the greedy divine general directly—no one can outpace light, not even the sixth-tier peak undead. Crack... crack... The greedy divine general's body rapidly turned gray-white, adopting a stone-like hue; the gray-white spread swiftly, and within moments, the general was transformed into a stone statue. Houfu and Osmon launched their attacks simultaneously—Houfu unleashed a gust of wind blade, while Osmon compressed the seawater into a powerful water column charged with intense electrical current." The Greedy God collapsed under the double assault, shattering into fragments. The fragments vanished instantly. Hoover's face changed: "It's a illusion... Osmon, watch out!" A shadow appeared suddenly above Osmon, the long blade descending straight. At the same time, Icchū raised her head, emitting a sharp cry inaudible to ordinary listeners. Osmon and Hoover both felt a sudden shock in their minds, spewing warm blood from their nasal passages. In the critical moment, Shazo, half-unconscious, opened his eyes. For a warrior who, during his extraordinary phase, had cultivated his body and spirit like a monk through rigorous discipline, this soul-shattering blow was no great hardship—indeed, it stirred him, awakening him prematurely. Gazing at the descending shadowy corpse, Shazo, though pale, remained calm and withdrew a figure standing upside down—his wine-drinker's specialty—aiming it precisely at the Greedy God above. This figure, a prop for the wine-drinker class, caused the target to lose coordination and sensation in their limbs. The God of Greed lost sensation in his hands, and his long sword could no longer cut through. Hoover seized the opportunity, launching a wide gust of wind blades that struck the God of Greed, but the giant earth monster's defense only sent him flying. On the other side, Hyōmon stopped ten meters away, his purple lightning shield melting and solidifying into a hand cannon thirty centimeters long, its black muzzle now aimed directly at the two of them, the trigger pulled. Arcs of electricity flashed from the muzzle, and a bright, spherical lightning bolt roared forth. Osmon regained consciousness in time, and a colossal sea monster surged from the waves beneath his feet, opening its massive mouth to swallow the spherical lightning. "Boom!" The sea monster exploded, transforming into a downpour of rain. The shockwave of the explosion was close to Osmon and Shazo, and the violent gusts knocked the breath from their lungs, making their blood surge and their breathing feel obstructed. Immediately after missing his attack, Hyōmon switched the lightning cannon back into the form of a purple lightning shield, raising it high to perfectly deflect the falling lightning strike—this was the cost of using the lightning cannon. Osmun, perspiring coldly from his back, manipulated the sea, solidifying it into a sea monster that charged straight at the Hundred-Man Formation. Thud! The sea creature struck the shield with tremendous force, sending the Hundred-Man Formation flying. Cracks appeared in the golden-purple shield, but its energy finally gathered and stabilized. Huo Fu launched another gale, and the Hundred-Man Formation slid smoothly, evading the attack, then retreated to stand beside Zhang Yuanqing. Huo Fu did not pursue, instead directing the airflow to carry his voice privately to his two companions. "Every single move we've made has been anticipated by the Primordial Sovereign. We cannot let him continue observing the stars—otherwise, we have no chance. He has so many items! So many!" His voice grew strained as he spoke. They were already among the elite, yet the truly exceptional items were few and far between. Never had they seen someone with such an abundance as the Primordial Sovereign. Not only did he employ high-quality Yin-Shi Ling Servants, but he also possessed so many premium items—so many! Upon hearing this, Osmun's lips tightened, and his previously proud demeanor gave way entirely. Though he was reluctant to admit it, the facts before him made denial impossible. Yuan Shishen hadn't even dispatched any spiritual attendants; merely sending a portion of his forces had left them so disorganized. Xia Zhao had received half a tube of life essence, and while Tianfa's reserves of life source essence were not as extensive as those of the Five Elements Alliance, Xia Zhao, as an elite, still had a decent supply. The bleeding from the wounds that couldn't be healed immediately ceased, but he would not recover fully in the short term. As he felt his injuries improving, he said, "You're absolutely right, but his high-quality yin corpses and spiritual attendants are guarding him closely—your tactics won't succeed easily. Moreover, does this situation also fall within his expectations?" Huo Fu's expression froze. "Crash!" Suddenly, a circular disk of black and white was thrown over, landing steadily a few feet away, into the sea summoned by Osmon. The three of them stiffened, turning to follow the sound. The disk was submerged beneath the sea, its form invisible, yet a clear dialogue box appeared in the eyes of the three spiritual realm travelers. [Question: One day, a student with modest means but exceptional talent visited a cultural and leisure shop that was running a special promotion. The shop manager composed an upper couplet and offered that anyone who could compose a matching lower couplet could enjoy a complimentary evening with one of the shop's young ladies. The upper couplet reads: "A beautiful woman lies on her side, with two small mouths—one horizontal, one vertical."] [Note: Please provide the lower couplet within thirty seconds. Countdown: 00:03:45] When the yin-yang rotating disk was thrown, only three seconds remained. Zhang Yuanqing had been patiently waiting for the countdown of the rotating disk—this was one of his key strategies for victory. Couplets? The three foreign travelers looked puzzled. Though they had a spiritual realm translator who rendered the disk's text in their native language, making comprehension easy, they had no prior knowledge of what a couplet was. Puzzled, they watched as the three seconds passed. The black sections of the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk projected three beams of black light, striking Osmon, Shazo, and Hufu. Their breaths momentarily stalled, and vital energy rapidly drained from their bodies, leaving them weak, their eyes dimmed, their skin losing luster—aging several decades in an instant. Hufu was startled, soaring upward, only to collide with an invisible barrier at forty meters altitude. This was the domain of the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk. "Ah, ah—ah..." Hufu, attempting to break through the seal, suddenly felt an itch in his throat, with a searing heat spreading through his lungs and his forehead growing hot. "Plunged!" He tumbled from the sky, coughing violently, even vomiting. "Ah—ah—ah!" Osmon and Shazo began coughing as well, both falling ill—this illness accelerating the decline of their lives. The disease spread by the Ghost Bride had silently infiltrated their bodies and finally erupted at this moment. Osmon could no longer sustain the Heart of the Ocean; the towering waves of the ocean collapsed, turning into white foam that washed over the mountains. He and Xia Zhao both tumbled into the muddy ground. "Ah~" At that moment, a fierce gale surged from above, and a colossal wind blade, stretching ten meters long, descended, cutting through the magical barrier guarding the rogue. The hunter-mage had been closely observing the battle below. Zhang Yuanqing finally moved—he took the purple lightning shield from Bai Renzhan's hands and dissolved into starlight. The starlight immediately materialized upon the barrier, and Zhang Yuanqing stepped onto it, standing as if in the void, activating the inherent power of the circular shield! A massive energy shield erupted from the shield's surface. Boom! The giant wind blade struck the energy shield, yet caused no ripple. This gave the greedy divine general, the only one still within the barrier, precious time. He walked toward Huo Fo, kicked away the life essence just drawn from him, and raised his long sword. Huo Fo quickly produced a bottle of perfume and sprayed it toward the greedy divine general, pleading, "Please, spare me..." The perfume held a mesmerizing charm, a tool of the art of love and desire. Those who inhaled it would be enchanted and unable to attack its bearer Yet the blade never paused, descending with relentless force. Zhang Yuanqing smiled coldly—having already "seen" this move in advance, he had withdrawn his spiritual form. The shadow corpse would not be enchanted; it was merely a puppet. The wind mage's hands and legs detached from his body, crying out in agony. At this sight, Osmon and Xiazuo's eyes instantly filled with despair. Weak as he was, Osmon bit down hard, trembling as he pulled out the life essence, determined to force its injection. He would not surrender so easily. The greedy divine general summoned a fiery orb, which exploded beside him with a thunderous roar. Xiazuo and Osmon were both sent flying. Zhang Yuanqing guided the greedy divine general forward, stepping decisively and placing one foot squarely on Osmon's face, his voice rough: "You are not even worthy of my reserve strength." Osmon's handsome face flushed with rising emotion, his lips trembling violently—he was too weak to speak. Since his rise to fame, he had never endured such a humiliation. Zhang Yuanqing swung his long sword in a continuous series of strikes, severing both arms and legs of the two opponents. Osmon felt his vision blur and collapsed unconscious. The battle in the air continued, while the ground engagement had concluded. The Princess Yin Yao, standing outside the seal, raised her small horn and cried out, "The Artifact Sovereign lives up to his reputation." At a distance, the onlookers remained silent—no cheers, no applause, only heavy breathing and the soft sounds of swallowing.