After a few seconds of buffering, the video begins to play. Yin Ji's first view is a dense pine forest, captured from a high-down perspective, suggesting the camera is positioned at the tree canopy. In the scene, two groups are facing off within the forest: on the left are the three young sages of Tianfa, and on the right, Yuan Shǐ Tianzun and his Yin corpse. Osmon, the sea spirit, makes the initial move, summoning massive waves of frothing white crests and releasing blue-white electric arcs that propel a towering wave—over five meters high—like a tidal surge, crashing against the enemy forces. The entire battle lasts exactly five minutes. For an ordinary spiritual realm traveler, this would be a marvel of Yuan Shǐ Tianzun's numerous premium artifacts—the formidable Five Elements set, the unbeatable Yin-Yang rotating disc, and even the ability to absorb attacks from the very highest intensity, demonstrated by his purple-gold shield. For an ordinary star official, such as Yuan Ting, the sight of Yuan Shǐ Tianzun's large number of high-quality Yin corpses and spiritual servants would be truly impressive, evoking strong feelings of admiration and envy. Yet to the more seasoned attendants like Yin Ji, what truly captivates them are the subtle details often overlooked by ordinary observers. When the battle began, the waves of Osmon, the gales of Hoover, and the decrees of Shazhou were almost instantly neutralized by the Primordial Sovereign. Throughout the engagement, Hoover’s wind blades and petrification attacks, as well as Shazhou’s malfunctioning puppets, also unfolded with the same immediacy—each attack appearing suddenly and taking effect immediately, leaving no room for reaction. Yet the Primordial Sovereign anticipated these assaults in advance, foreseeing the enemy’s tactics before they materialized. Beyond the immediate responses, the coordination of props and Yin corpses was also carefully orchestrated—leveraging the synergy of sets to amplify the Greedy General’s prowess, enabling this Yin corpse to swiftly and decisively strike down the knight Shazhou and dismantle the enemy’s frontline forces. Knowing that Osmon was invincible within his own domain, the Sovereign strategically deployed props to create Yin corpses with high agility, high evasion, high burst power, and ranged offensive capabilities, compelling Hoover to intervene and defend his allies. With just two shadow corpses holding off three enemy fighters, the entire strategy was designed to keep Osmon's trio preoccupied, causing them to overlook the true decisive move—the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk. The battle had already concluded the moment that ordinary shadow corpse launched the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk. How smooth! There were no astonishing maneuvers or dramatic turning points in the climax—so seamless and unremarkable that it felt overly simple. The simplicity was often attributed to an excess of props and visual impact from the shadow corpses. Only the Star Officials knew that the props and corpses were merely supporting elements; the true core was Yuan-Shi Tian-Zun, who functioned like a high-performance supercomputer, using his celestial observation techniques to simulate and predict the entire battle sequence. Once you know the script, it's no surprise that the battle unfolds so effortlessly. From the start of the battle until the shadow corpse launched the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk—over three minutes—Yin Ji repeatedly watched and meticulously analyzed it. Then she lingered, still enchanted, as the scene unfolded for another one and a half minutes. When Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun personally leapt onto the seal, activating his energy shield to block the wind blades of the hunters, Yin Ji’s elegant eyes widened momentarily. She knew well the effectiveness of Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun’s shield—having witnessed firsthand during the Hundred Blossom Banquet, how he diligently gathered energy to withstand the rain of arrows that should have obliterated everyone. He had even anticipated the hunters’ attacks… Was it sheer intelligence, or mastery of stargazing techniques? This mattered greatly. If it were the latter, then Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun’s stargazing skills were at least comparable to those of the celestial officials who specialized in stars. Yin Ji pulled up the progress bar and replayed the scene, observing that Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun consciously accumulated energy in his shield throughout the battle. He truly could foresee the master’s moves—this was utterly unreasonable. Yin Ji could hardly believe it. Although conscious energy accumulation can be seen as a contingency move—since, when the enemy holds the upper hand, holding back ensures no loss—Master Yuanshishen is a star official with proven high computational capacity. One cannot simply deceive oneself anymore. After reviewing the video once more, she turned off the video and noticed the monastic officers still discussing the battle details. ] The Moon Doesn't Sleep, I Don't Either — I just withdrew a message. [The Moon Doesn't Sleep, I Don't Either: It's truly textbook-level brilliance, something truly admirable. But we don't have as many tools and props as they do.] [Yuan Ting: @The Moon Doesn't Sleep, I Don't Either — he's just a copy of the Mage King, and even his fondness for the Lady Yin is the same.] The chat group fell silent, the conversation completely absorbed by Yuan Ting. [Lady Yin: Hoover is a Wind Mage and is alone — cutting off his mobility makes perfect sense; it has nothing to do with me.] [Yuan Ting: Wind Mages are naturally frail, and Hoover has already lost his ability to move. As for being irritating, even Osmon once mocked the Primordial Celestial Sovereign, yet he clearly dislikes Hoover more than anyone else. It's hard to ignore that it's because of you.] Lady Yin immediately looked a bit embarrassed, pressing her lips together. [Red Sun Magistrate: What do all of you think about the video?] The Senior Abbot was gently reminding Yuan Ting — now was the "class time," not the time for casual chat. Such class schedules were not uncommon in the past; the senior elders of Taimei would occasionally take time from their official duties to teach the junior officials. Tonight, however, the occasion was particularly favorable, and the Grand Elder, Ci Ri Xing Guan, personally stepped onto the stage to deliver a lecture. The officials eagerly shared their interpretations, to which Ci Ri Xing Guan responded thoughtfully—either praising or offering corrections—and addressed the complaint about "the moon not sleeping, I'm not either": "Each of you has your own circumstances, and each battle unfolds in a unique setting. What I'm teaching you is the strategic mindset for combat—there's no single way to approach it, regardless of the number of tools or resources available." Yin Ji typed in a message: "I think we've all overlooked a subtle point—the Master's observational astronomy technique has already begun to predict the rise of the Dominant." Her finger paused suddenly. After a moment of hesitation, Yin Ji deleted the message and remained silent. She no longer wished to reveal too much about the Master's true capabilities—this was instinctive protection. After all, they were friends. ... Fu Family Village. At the headquarters of the Organizational Technology R&D Company, in a simple CEO's office, Xiaohou Aotian, dressed in blue protective workwear, sat motionless before his computer screen. The screen repeatedly played footage of battles in the vast mountain ranges. Xiaohou Aotian remained still, as if his soul had been drained away. A nostalgic voice came through the black iron ring: "The young ones are truly admirable. With his talent and abilities, if he had lived in the Qin Dynasty, he would surely have been noticed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang, appointed as a duke or a minister. Even if he had retired to live a life in the countryside, he would have been a renowned hero." Suddenly, Xiaohou Aotian clutched his chest, his face filled with pain, gasping for breath. A Qin Dynasty physician exclaimed, "What's wrong?" Xiaohou Aotian trembled and said, "Since childhood, I have devoted myself to studying classical texts, especially fond of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I have always admired Zhou Lang, with his fan and silk scarf, who, through mere conversation and laughter, could turn enemy warships into ashes and smoke—how inspiring! Yet, heaven is Xiahou Aotian expressed his thoughts succinctly: "I'm dead with acid!" He took a deep breath and asked, "Grandpa, if I had lived in ancient times, would Emperor Qin have trusted me? What kind of person would I be?" "One of the Hundred Craftspeople." The Hundred Craftspeople were minor officials responsible for manufacturing and production. "... "Xiahou Aotian felt deeply humiliated. "Just that?" Qin's court magician smiled warmly. "That's exactly what you're doing now." Xiahou Aotian stood stunned, as though something inside him had shattered. It was his sense of purpose. ... The Bay Stream landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. When the members of Tianfa returned to Beijing, it was already 5:30 a.m. in the deep autumn, with a coolness in the air. Osmon stepped out of the aircraft calmly, gazing into the vast night landscape, and seemed to carry a quiet sense of melancholy. The group took a dedicated vehicle back to Fenglin Wan Hotel. As soon as they stepped into the main lobby, they felt a wave of eyes upon them—coming from the front desk staff, the lobby manager, and the greeting personnel. They smiled politely and appeared respectful, yet beneath their demeanor lay a subtle sense of mockery, disdain, and an arrogance that Osmon could no longer tolerate. These service staff, who should have been humble and attentive, had now grown proud and aloof. "Osmon arched his eyebrows, as if he'd found an outlet for his emotions," said, "Whether we see you or not is something Master Miao needs to decide. What you need to do is report your findings." The Manager of the External Affairs Department smoothed out his smile and spoke in a formal tone: "That's exactly what Master Miao has instructed." "You...!" Osmon erupted in anger, about to speak, but the hunter mage raised a hand, silencing him, and nodded: "We'll wait for Master Miao's reply." Back in the spacious suite, Osmon swept the items off the table and ground his teeth: "A baseless race, lowly mortals. I'm going to dig out their eyes, shatter their teeth, tear out their mouths!" He couldn't bear the polite façade they maintained while privately mocking him. Xia Zhao spoke calmly: "You're simply furious with your own inadequacy." Osmon stepped back several paces, feeling as though a thick clot of blood had gathered in his chest, nearly spilling out. "It's over. It's over," Xia Zhao said. "This is a splendid opportunity for growth." "FUCK!" "Osmon's face is grim: 'I'm different from you all—these people who suffer so much.'" The sea nymph is known for her fierce and impetuous nature. Hoover sighed, "I'd like to go back home... well, perhaps not yet. After settling matters with the King of the Underworld, I'd like to travel around a bit." Returning now would surely make him a laughingstock. Osmon: "Let's go together..." The Jian Ge elder, with snow-white hair, maintained a cold expression: "First, this violates protocol. Second, Master Yuan Shi's personal dossier has been withheld by Fu Qingyang and not submitted to me." "How can such an important document—essential for organizational management—be left solely in Fu Qingyang's hands?" Car Elder was astonished. "Personal dossiers are a cornerstone of our organizational administration." The Jian Ge elder replied calmly, "Your sister is a Marshal; you may do the same." "Enough!" Emperor Hong interrupted firmly. "It's impossible to entirely prevent interactions between external powers and our internal talents. Master Yuan Shi's relationship with the headquarters has already become strained; I don't wish to see further conflicts arise." In fact, it's not only the talents—many of the Five Elements Alliance's Masters have quietly cultivated ties with external forces. The most remarkable years saw some branches even organizing official travelers for overseas tours, issuing to their staff the externally compiled Chronicles of the Spiritual Realms, and distributing the doctrinal teachings of various organizations. Only after a rigorous overhaul by the headquarters did this atmosphere improve. How could it not? The enemy had already penetrated deep into the leadership. Emperor Hong's tone softened as he said, "He's actively working to mend relations with the headquarters—this task report is proof of that. Think about how to handle the King of the Underworld. I also have a report submitted by Fu Qingyang here." He immediately shared with the nine senior chancellors the intelligence on the "Free Alliance," including partial lists and other information. The nine peak rulers on the council immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. As leaders of one of the world's foremost lawful organizations, they were well aware of the Free Alliance. Before the true power holders, there were no secrets. Yet even they knew only a limited amount about the Free Alliance—this organization had remained largely hidden and inactive, sometimes going years without any significant actions, unlike the ever-energetic evil guilds that constantly sought to stir up trouble. Nevertheless, the members of this organization were indeed dangerous figures quietly shaping and influencing the world from the shadows. People are merely puppets manipulated by the strings in their hands. "Do Yuanshish Tianzun and Fu Qingyang know the list?" suddenly asked the Grand Elder of the Water Deity Palace. Di Hong shook his head slightly. The Grand Elder nodded, "Still within reason... I believe this matter should be reported to the Grand Marshal." The level of the Free Alliance has surpassed our authority. "We've already informed them," said Di Hong. "Father's proposal is to grant the list to Tianfa without charge, in exchange for Tianfa disclosing all information regarding the Free Alliance." The Master of the Magic Sect suddenly interjected, "Is the Grand Marshal now aiming to counter the Free Alliance?" "The Free Alliance is larger and more powerful than we anticipated," Di Hong replied. "During the Second World War, they established influence across the mainland. At that time, the native spiritual realm practitioners were just beginning to rise, suffering extensive devastation from the war. The Free Alliance took advantage of the situation, establishing an organization known as the 'Sailing Together Association,' which aimed to foster mutual support and shared resilience!" "Emperor Hong's voice was low and steady: 'They have recruited a group of local spiritual realm practitioners, as well as elite figures from the political and business sectors, forming what they call their resistance force. In reality, their true intention is to seize control of the nation when we are at our weakest, becoming the silent masters behind the scenes. My father, during his youth, was one of the members of the Tongzhou Association.' The room fell into silence at the table. Even the senior masters of the tenth rank were stunned by this revelation. The central hall's master, one of the first generation of local spiritual realm practitioners, born in the late Qing and early Republican periods, had never known he was part of the Free Alliance? 'I have never heard of the Tongzhou Association,' said Master Miao, another of the first generation of spiritual realm practitioners, shaking his head slightly. 'Of course, I was still a minor figure back then, and communication facilities were quite limited at the time. But if the Tongzhou Association grew in prominence, I would surely have heard of it—what happened afterward?' Elder Hong shook his head: 'My father never mentioned it.' The meeting room fell silent once again. After a moment, Cai Elder coldly stated, "Master Miao, please prepare to receive the Divine Goddess Association, and have Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun provide a quotation."