The chat group fell into a long silence, with few people speaking—everyone had gone to check the official forum. After a minute, Hongji Brother posted several screenshots from the forum, followed by Sun Miao Miao, who shared screenshots from the Taiyuan Star Official Group chat. The once-quiet guild chat group gradually came alive again. [Sun Miao Miao: Incredible—really incredible. Defeating three opponents in one go, and even the Grand Elder personally lecturing the star officials. How long have I been in the dungeon? I feel like I've been here for years.] She was completely stunned. The pinned post on Taiyuan's official forum read: This is the ultimate performance at the Star Official level! Instead of diving straight into the video, she first skimmed through the comments, gathering the key details from her fellow disciples' remarks. Then, with a sense of disbelief, she eagerly opened the video and watched it in awe from start to finish. Defeating three in one go! Yuanshi Tianzun single-handedly defeated three of the peak saints of the Heavenly Punishment, figures who could rival the official's four princes. [Red Chicken Brother: Yuanshi Tianzun, you actually managed to beat these three? Absolutely unbelievable!] He not only watched the video of Yuanshi Tianzun overwhelming the three saints in the Pine Forest, but also went through the footage of Fire Prince and Yin Ji's defeats. Putting the events together, seeing Yuanshi Tianzun's decisive victory over the three saints, Red Chicken Brother felt a deep sense of justice and joy, drinking three bowls of chicken soup to express his heartfelt admiration. [Red Chicken Brother: Jiang Ju truly let our Fire Master down—he had to self-sacrifice! In such a situation, if he didn't self-sacrifice, how could he live with such humiliation?] Red Chicken Brother isn't being sarcastic—he genuinely believes this. If he were in their position, he would have self-sacrificed too. Compared to Red Chicken Brother's utterly amazed "absolutely unbelievable" reaction, Zhao Chenghuang felt a profound sense of helplessness. He had just been thrilled about clearing the A-tier raid and looking forward to his promotion to level 5, when suddenly, he was doused with a bucket of cold water. Chilly indeed! [Zhao Chenghuang: This is your true strength, is it? You've barely shown your real capabilities in the Mu Sect's Machine City—no, this isn't even your full potential yet. @Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn] Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn, who never entered the raid, actually outperformed Zhāo during the Machine City encounter. He's also watched the video—only a fellow Star Official can truly appreciate the power of Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn's stargazing skills. As a Level 4 Star Official, it feels like watching a college student solve advanced calculus. —Mind-blowing! [Under the Fire: It's clear he didn't give his best; the victory was far too smooth. Although Tianxia Guihuo doesn't possess the same competitive drive as Zhao Chenghuang, as a grassroots-born figure, he feels a strong sense of urgency. When he looks back at Yuanshitan, just a few months ago still considered a peer, now already among the strongest few under the sovereign's authority, his sense of crisis is overwhelming—there's a pressing feeling that he must advance or risk being left behind. [Xiahou Aotian: You two have completely lost it! We specifically told you not to bring up this topic—now you're paying the price!] Tianxia Guihuo and Zhao Chenghuang exchange a series of ellipses. Shalin Liang, who initiated the conversation, reviews the screenshots using her translation software while relying on her relatively average Chinese proficiency, finally comprehending the message. She sends three consecutive "I'm truly sorry!" messages to express her amazement. Shalin Liang has always deeply admired Yuanshitan, viewing him as a once-in-three-thousand-years talent; after watching the video, she realizes she had been overly conservative. Moreover, the more powerful Yuan Shǐ Jun became, the happier she felt—her status within the Chiyoshi group would rise steadily. Perhaps in the future, even the teachers would bow respectfully to her: "Shall we meet again with Yuan Shǐ Jun for her meeting today, Lady Asano Ryō?" Zhang Yuanqing typed, "Ah, by the way, I've secured five materials of Master Rank, forty of Saint Rank, and one rule-based item..." That sounds rather modest... He thought again—though others might not notice, Zhao Chenguang, Tianxia Guihuo, and Xia Hou Aotian would surely have their inner convictions shaken. At that moment, he remembered that Kodai had remained silent throughout, and felt a growing eagerness to check on her: "Kodai, have you finished bathing? You haven't spoken in the group chat at all." [Magical Aunt Kodai: Do you want me to praise you? Or praise you? Or praise you again and again?] [Yuan Shǐ Tianzūn: I'd just like to hear you say you love me.] [Magical Aunt Kodai: I've taken a screenshot—I'll send it to Guan Ya later.] Zhang Yuanqing gave a graceful, slightly bowing emoji in response—showing his good sense. Xiao Yuan, known for her reserved nature, didn’t need much flattery from Zhang Yuanqing. He simply sent a message: “Has Master Wuhen returned?” Guan Ya wore a loose white shirt, paired with a black lace skirt that fell just above her thighs, revealing her smooth, white legs. She stood by the desk, tilting her head slightly, using a dry towel to wipe her hair. "Have you decided what gift you'd like to give me?" "Let's eat first." It was mealtime now. After Guan Ya dried her hair, the two moved to the living room for dinner. After lunch, Guan Ya returned to her room, scrutinizing Zhang Yuanqing with a hint of suspicion. "The way the Queen looks at you seems off." "What do you mean, off?" Zhang Yuanqing's gaze was clear and calm. Under the current system of hierarchical dominance, Guan Ya's intuitive perception had struggled to penetrate him—though the Queen had been glancing at him more frequently than in the past. Throughout lunch, Guan Ya had kept her eyes on the group chat, yet she had already carefully observed the Queen's subtle facial expressions. Everything was now laid bare before the scouts. The elder Si Ji watched her boyfriend intently, frowning. "Have you been teaching her deep squats lately?" Well, looking at her expression, the deep squat shouldn't be too much of a stretch—though facial milk, brainwaves, and tofu paste? Those are another matter. "Nonsense! I've always been a chaste, virtuous woman," Zhang Yuan thought, almost forgetting you're a woman who loves driving. Guan Ya looked a bit displeased, sitting silently by the bed. "Hmm, this isn't like you. You used to carry that air of 'the young, flashy girls aren't even worth considering.' What's changed now? Are you feeling insecure?" Zhang Yuan observed her carefully. "Ah, I see—it's the video that's putting pressure on you, making you feel like you can't keep up with me?" Guan Ya gave a dry chuckle, but didn't argue. "I'm going to bed," she said, removing her pants and curling up in the blankets. She did feel the pressure. As a direct descendant of the Fu family, she was naturally endowed with talent, beauty, grace, and vision—qualities far beyond the ordinary girl. She was always confident. But after watching Yuan Shi's combat video, she, like the other members of the faction, had a strong sense Yuan Shiyi is a despairing demon—any prodigy or elite feels pressure in his presence. To Zhao Chenghuang and the others, this pressure manifests as urgency, a sense of crisis, frustration, and helplessness. To Guan Ya, however, it is lack of confidence and concern. She fears she may not be able to hold on to this man. Though she has been working hard to catch up, she still falls far short. Lost in thought, she grows weary and sinks into sleep. When she wakes again, it is already dark, and the digital clock on the nightstand reads: 21:35:40—9:35 PM. Without seeing Zhang Yuanqing by her side, she feels a bit let down and sits up. Then she sees the gift box placed on the table. Only now does she remember Yuan Shiyi’s mention of a gift. Curious, she lifts the blanket and walks to the table, opening the box tied with a bow. Inside lies a silk arm support in a deep crimson hue. A prop? Guan Ya felt the sword essence stirring within her, realizing it was a scouting profession item. She actually had quite a few items—five in total from her Saint-level stage—some obtained from challenging raids, others from Fu Qingyang. Whenever she thought about her items, she immediately recalled the Swordmaster's cloak, and that brought her to frustration. Though she agreed with her boyfriend's decision to gift the divine artifact to her cousin, she still felt emotionally upset. With this in mind, Guan Ya picked up her arm guard and read the item details. After reviewing the information, she set it down, wiped a tear, and picked it up again. A few seconds later, she set it down once more, took a deep breath, and picked it up again. After repeating this process three times, Guan Ya heard her heart pounding wildly, felt the blood roaring through her veins. At the Saint level, defeating opponents at a higher rank is extremely difficult—except under special circumstances, special items are essential to achieve such feats. Items that enable spiritual realm cultivators to fight beyond their current level are all of the finest quality, and there are only a limited number available throughout the entire spiritual realm—only large organizations and powerful factions can afford them. ... The air conditioning circulated cool breezes. On a spacious double bed, Zhang Yuanqing maintained a push-up position, covered by a thin yellow silk blanket, gazing down at his girlfriend's graceful, tender expression—her lips pressed together, eyes closed. They were both diligently practicing to gain experience points. Guan Ya frowned, bit her lip, and was drenched in sweat; her emotions came swiftly and vanished just as quickly, dissolving completely within the span of a single kneeling and crouching motion. Women truly do want to present gifts, thought Zhang Yuanqing sincerely. Upon receiving the gift, Guan Ya's fleeting emotions vanished, her eyes glistening with emotion, her expression warmly touched, and she still shyly called him "brother." Taking advantage of this, Zhang Yuanqing then produced the Yin-Yang Harmonious Union Quilt and proposed a dual cultivation practice. Their first round of practice concluded swiftly, during which, wrapped in the quilt, Zhang Yuanqing released his long-suppressed desires The two of them默契ly opened the character stats to check the experience points. "Seems... like we haven't gained any experience points? I'm not sure—let me double-check." "Uh-huh." Zhang Yuanqing pulled the Henghuan quilt closed. Time flew by quickly. They practiced throughout the entire night until dawn arrived. When Zhang Yuanqing finished her final round of practice, both of them, satisfied, opened the character stats simultaneously to check the experience points. The experience points had indeed increased. By a mere... 0.03%. "Old woman, I've been exhausted all night—my back is nearly broken, my voice is hoarse—and we've only gained this tiny bit of experience?" Guan Ya picked up the Yin-Yang Henghuan quilt, her mind exploding as she slammed it to the ground. Zhang Yuanqing quickly comforted her: "Don't be upset, don't be upset, Guan Ya sister—just have a glass of water first." "Get out of here!" Guan Ya turned and gave a thunderous roar. "Yes, yes, it's all my fault, Guan Ya sister." Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly apologized All night long, Guan Ya endured relentless impacts, gritting her teeth to hold on, patiently waiting for a significant experience boost after the dual cultivation session. Now, she could hardly accept this outcome. "Actually, it makes perfect sense—just a 0.03 experience gain per night, which amounts to 3% over 100 days and 10% over a year. That's equivalent to a B-tier dungeon. If a dual cultivation session gave such a big experience jump, wouldn't the ordinary monsters become invincible?" Guan Ya was furious and pounded him hard: "You told me the experience would surge! This month, don't even think about touching me!" ... Breakfast, in the dining hall. The Queen asked, "Why hasn't Guan Ya had breakfast?" "She's catching up on sleep!" Zhang Yuanqing replied. He felt a bit tired, with a slight burning sensation in his head, but otherwise fine. Xie Lingxi sighed resentfully, "Could she have possibly stayed awake all night? We called her all night..." Only then did Zhang Yuanqing notice that the petite green tea looked weary, with noticeable dark circles under her eyes. She must have been listening all night long… Zhang Yuan thought, determined to find a way to reclaim her earphones. "Called all night?" the Queen echoed with a touch of plaintiveness, "Even after a brief separation, one wouldn't expect such attentiveness. Lord, surely you can assign someone to assist Lady Guan with the household duties." Xie Lingxi was taken aback, gazing at her elder sister in surprise. Though everyone had been eyeing Yuan Shi with admiration, the Queen had always been reserved—her occasional moments of warmth had mostly been lighthearted. How had she suddenly become so proactive? What gave her the confidence? Zhang Yuan suddenly recalled the legend of the Yellow Emperor, who had 3,000 consorts and ascended to heaven in the daylight—presumably maintaining a vast harem that provided a constant supply of intimate, dual-attunement experiences. It seemed that men like himself, devoted and single-minded, would never succeed in the path of mutual cultivation. He sighed with a touch of regret. Yet, occasionally engaging in such experiences would still be a welcome improvement. At that moment, a sharp, clear ring of the phone sounded. Zhang Yuan pulled out his phone—the caller was Xiao "Hello!" He answered the call, "I was just thinking about going to your place today." With the queen and Xie Lingxi present, he couldn't be casual, so his tone was more formal. "Yuan Shi, Tongtong's had an issue." Xiao Yuan's voice was urgent and serious.