Zhang Yuanqing immediately activated the Star Drift, returning to the side of the Tiger Seal and picking up this semi-divine item, placing it in his inventory. The sharp pain in his chest instantly eased, and the overwhelming fear that had threatened to shatter his mind vanished. Just as the Thunder Cannon now upgraded to Master-tier quality requires a single lightning strike to instantly kill an unprepared master, the cost of using the Tiger Seal was equally devastating—capable of instantly killing Zhang Yuanqing, regardless of any defenses. Without the Tiger Seal's presence, the Sixth Elder's spiritual aura surged upward, and he burst into laughter: "Without the Tiger Seal, what makes you think you can challenge me? Prime Immortal, do you truly believe that merely borrowing a collection of Master-tier items is enough to defeat a true Master? You're too young—you will pay for your youth..." His voice cut off abruptly, just as his surging spiritual aura halted. Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "Without the Tiger Seal, you'll still never regain your peak state." Though illusionists are not heavily dependent on their physical bodies, the absence of a body still impacts their strength. Having endured two "War Soul" attacks, the Sixth Elder's soul has suffered critical damage. Even without the restraining power of the Tiger Seal, he can recover at best to a weak seventh rank. Only forces of opposition or stronger spiritual power can break the barrier. Watching the surging chains, Zhang Yuanqing recalled three methods used by the Goddess of the Three Mountains in the cabin, and then drew forth the Fumagong杵, tossing it with a swift motion toward one of the black paper talismans. "Boom!" The Fumagong杵 shattered the floor tiles and drove it into the ground, yet the black paper talisman remained undamaged. Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, then realized: the Fumagong杵 was a special item belonging to the Day-Wandering Deity. It could unleash extraordinary power when held by the Day-Wandering Deity, but when used by others, it only possessed purification and demonic-breaking functions. Since the talisman was a tool and not a spiritual essence, it clearly resisted these two effects. Raising his arm, Zhang Yuanqing gathered a slender golden lance, its glow less intense, and hurled it with all his strength. The lance struck precisely at the black paper talisman, causing the six chains to momentarily pause before quickly resuming their movement, wrapping around Zhang Yuanqing from all sides. I'd be finished the moment the chains wrapped around me—each Sovereign-tier item was no mere afterthought. Zhang Yuanqing remained calm and drew forth his gliding boots. Though these boots were merely items from the Saint stage and couldn't penetrate the Sovereign-tier barrier, they effectively avoided the chains' entanglement, buying him precious time. Yet, as he reached for the boots, the Sixth Elder outside the barrier controlled his spiritual energy, sketching an intricate, mysterious symbol in his mind. The symbol shimmered vividly within his eyes, coldly observing Zhang Yuanqing inside the barrier. The next instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt the surroundings begin to spin—entirely as if the hall had plunged into a terrifying vortex. Furniture, corpses, lighting—all were swallowed by a deep, ominous whirlpool, including his own spiritual energy and thoughts. He froze suddenly, his gaze hollow, as though turned into a lifeless statue. 7th-level skill: Void! Though his soul had suffered a severe blow and his strength no longer at its peak, his realm had returned, and he was still able to muster the effort to unleash a master-level technique. "Void" is the signature skill of the Void Masters. At level seven, this technique plunges the target's soul into a state of "extinction"—a condition of complete detachment from self and others, where the target experiences no emotions or thoughts, much like a lifeless stone. It is an exceptionally formidable control skill. "Crash! Crash!" Six chains surged forth simultaneously, securely ensnaring Zhang Yuanqing's neck, wrists, and ankles, beginning the process of refining his essence. Within just ten seconds, a Primordial Celestial Sovereign at the Saint's stage would have his soul completely dispersed. Watching the Primordial Celestial Sovereign within the barrier grow motionless, the Sixth Elder coldly remarked, "I've told you this before—you must have known how powerful a Master truly is." As soon as the words fell, the windows of the hall suddenly shattered, the barrier formed by the matchbox arrangements being broken by the force of a master-level technique. Thousands of vibrant crimson ribbons surged in through the scattered glass fragments These filaments, dancing like tendrils, extended toward six black talismans. As thin as human hair, they shimmered and gracefully ensnared the six talismans, then pulled with determined strength. The black talismans resting on the ground were instantly lifted off. The musician, skilled in hypnotic arts, also possessed a powerful soul—second only to the Night Wanderer and the Illusionist in the realm of the soul. At the same time, a bright, resonant, and melodious female soprano echoed from outside the window. As if wielding the power to penetrate souls, the previously motionless Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun quickly regained his composure, reawakening his sense of self. Encouragement! One of the three extraordinary abilities of a transcendent-level musician, now demonstrated by the Master of Zhǐ Shā Palace, surged forth like a majestic war hymn, instantly pulling Zhang Yuanqing back from his state of complete detachment. "Ji Mìng?" The "voice" of the six elders expressed a touch of surprise, yet not astonishment—clearly, it was anticipated. Since Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun had already summoned so many powerful artifacts, it He instantly made up his mind—to leave using his dream-traveling ability. With his physical body now destroyed, continuing to fight would be a death sentence. This Master of Fate, having broken through the barrier and entered the battlefield, though he saved the Prime Sovereign, also cleared the way for him. Now, no one could stand in his way to traverse dreams. In the blink of an eye, the Sixth Elder activated his dream-traveling technique, yet in his vision, he saw no dreams. That is, no one in the vicinity was sleeping—not even the dogs. There were no dreams to traverse. A crimson sash gathered and coalesced into a red-dressed woman wearing a silver mask, who giggled softly and sweetly: "During the battle between you and my husband, I already sang to awaken the residents nearby. Inspired by my song, they are now full of energy and will remain so until dawn." The Sixth Elder’s face turned pale. Dream-traveling was the lifeline of the illusionists—when this crucial skill was lost, the illusionists were as if cornered mice, helpless and trapped. "Don't talk to him—just kill him." Zhang Yuanqing drew a black circular moon and pressed it against his forehead, black vine-like patterns spreading across half his face. Then he placed a lightning symbol on his forehead. Instantly, the Form-and-Spirit-Annihilation blade leapt with blue-white electric arcs. His aura grew eerie and regal, like a king of the night, a companion of the sovereign moon. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes darkened as he activated the "Soul-Consuming" technique to suppress his spiritual body, then, under the boost of the "Mobilizing" combat power, transformed into a streak of purple lightning and launched himself toward the Sixth Elder. The Sixth Elder retreated in terror, summoning every ounce of his ability. Mental manipulation—ineffective! Mental assault—only mildly effective! Entrapment in dreams—no effect at all. He poured every ounce of potential into his efforts, channeling his spiritual energy, determined to re-activate "Void" at the cost of his very essence. At the same time, the Master of Zhishake immediately opened her voice, humming a lullaby, and raised her hand, her slender jade fingers lightly twirling in the air as if grasping something She grasped the thread tightly, stepped back swiftly, and only then secured it around her wrist—threading the red line. By linking the red line of the Sixth Elder to herself, both parties connected through a bond of status and mutual affinity. If the other’s rank was lower than her own, the Red Luminous Official could subtly influence or "pua" them. Since the Sixth Elder held the same rank as the Palace Master, yet his spirit had suffered a severe blow and his vital energy had significantly declined, a one-sided pua dynamic had emerged. Under the influence of the red line, the Sixth Elder suddenly realized he no longer needed to exhaust himself to the point of mutual collapse, as he now had a cherished Life-Weaver by his side. He halted immediately, surged toward the Palace Master, and emitted a powerful surge of mental energy: "Save me! Save me!" The Palace Master’s hem fluttered violently, wrapping tightly around the Sixth Elder and pinning him in midair. Zhang Yuanqing transformed into a surge of purple lightning, her black blades arcing with electric sparks, swiftly delivering rapid strikes—cutting off six or seven in succession. The souls of the six elders screamed as they were extinguished, their essence scattered. Zhang Yuanqing endured the negative effects of various items, methodically gathering the Thunder God Seal, the Wealth Set, the companion spirit, the sliding cleat shoes, and then picking up the fallen "Spirit Refinement Scroll" and "Earth Spirit Robe." Next, he seized a woman's T-shirt lying on the ground, stained with blood, and wrote on it: "Master Yuan Shi has been here!" Then, with a crisp snap of his fingers, he vanished into the hall. The Palace's Chief of Security, stepping on the crimson silk, surged upward like a wave, swiftly departing. ... At 3:30 a.m., the steward of the Liandu Branch, "The Great River's Water," arrived on the scene with two official teams. He had been called by the Director of the Public Security Bureau, who described it as a "special case" requiring his immediate attention. This was the official terminology. Any case involving incidents of the spiritual realm travelers was uniformly designated as a "special case" and transferred to the Five Elements Alliance for handling. "Great River Water" learned that a violent incident had occurred at Yunwu Hua Villa, one that did not directly involve ordinary residents but had a profound impact—residents from several nearby communities became increasingly agitated, some shouting loudly at home, others forming groups to dance in the square, some passionately expressing themselves with their partners on balconies, while others engaged in physical altercations within the complex. Even the dogs in the neighborhood began to feel like they were the alpha wolves. Several police bureaus in Liandu City deployed substantial manpower to finally calm the restless residents. Typically, for such an incident that had ceased to escalate, only a few small teams would be dispatched, as no actual combat was required. However, the simple statement made by the head of the police bureau caused "Great River Water," serving as a steward, to leap straight off her bed. A message left at the scene read: "The Prime Immortal has stopped by!" "Great River Water," dressed in a sleek black long coat, entered the villa courtyard under the guidance of the police staff. Along the way, he saw several bodies lying in the courtyard, with several officers of the Public Security Bureau taking photos and gathering evidence. The River of Water merely glanced at them, made no stop, and proceeded straight into the villa. The hall was in disarray—the floor tiles cracked, tables and chairs overturned and damaged, five female bodies and one male body lying on their sides, all naked, with thick pools of blood that had long since dried into black. The River of Water quickly scanned the scene and indeed spotted the inscription. "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign," he murmured, frowning slightly, his tone a bit somber. "How did he end up in Liandu?" Then, turning to his subordinate officers who were currently examining the scene and the bodies, he asked: "What have you found?" The serious, soldier-like officer replied: "These victims were likely engaged in vigorous intercourse at the time of their deaths. In the orderly professions, only the Wood Deity would be so liberated, yet their physical strength appears ordinary. The Wood Deity, however, is known for her strength and climbing prowess—how then are they so frail?" Additionally, the two female victims bore striking signs of abuse, which were inconsistent with the Wood Spirit's nature—after all, the Wood Spirit was merely passionate about reproduction, not about inflicting suffering. "So, it must be a malevolent profession," nodded the Great River's water. "Most likely a Southern-style illusionist," the scout stated, offering his assessment. "Someone capable of prompting the Prime Immortal to personally intervene wouldn't be an ordinary figure..." The Great River's water paused for a few seconds, then addressed the accompanying scholar: "Liu Hongzhi, remove the security officers, shut down the monitoring systems, and have everyone else remain in place, ready to take my custody." The illusionist's face constantly shifted, and only by directly asking could their identities be ascertained. Though the Liandu branch was merely a regional outpost and lacked a Night-Wanderer guardian, due to its strong economic development, the Hangzhou branch had allocated Night-Wanderer-themed equipment. The official officials proceeded with orderly efficiency. It is an extremely risky endeavor to consume a spirit; with even slight misstep, one may go mad. Grand River Water personally dons restraints that limit his freedom, then retrieves a foul-smelling, blood-streaked shroud, gently covering it over the body of a female deceased. For half a moment, no spirit emerges. He then covers the shrouds over the bodies of the others, only to find that all have their spirits dispersed. Under normal circumstances, Grand River Water would conclude that the spirits of these illusionists had fled—after all, unlike other professions, illusionists see their bodies merely as vessels for their spirits, and even upon bodily death, their spirits remain undiminished. But the enemy is the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign, a night-wanderer deity—thus, the spirits cannot escape. "There are still bodies outside," said a subordinate scout. Grand River Water picks up the corpse of Shiyi, proceeding with the group to the courtyard, and covers the shroud over the body of the man wearing a baseball cap beside the carriage. A few seconds later, a distorted, grotesque spirit pierces through the shroud and emerges. The spirit-mage must have been struck by an attack targeting his spiritual essence, dying with both body and soul, leaving only a lingering spectral remnant. "Did Yuan-Shi Tian-Zun have a companion? Or did he deliberately leave us a residual spirit?" The scout's subordinate began analyzing without realizing it. "I'll find out once I've consumed the soul." Grand River of the River grasped one corner of the shroud, black, viscous energy welling up in his eyes—briefly gaining the ability to devour spirits—and swallowed the spectral remnant whole.