The marshal, legs slightly curled and leaning back with a relaxed yet elegant posture, was gently fiddling with her phone when she heard the voice from the speaker. She sat up straight at once. The Prime Immortal has returned to the spiritual realm? He died in the quest realm? Even for a half-divine being, this news came as a shock. She had high hopes for the Prime Immortal, believing him to be a young prodigy capable of reaching the half-divine realm. Could someone of such stature simply return to the spiritual realm like this? Without looking, she turned to her younger brother, Fu Qingyang, who remained rigidly still like a statue behind his desk. His face, always composed and impassive, showed no emotion. Yet his hands, holding the phone, trembled—gently, steadily—trembling as though they could no longer grasp the weight of the device. They had once held the might of every sword in the world, yet now could not even hold a phone. He hadn’t died in the quest realm, had he? As a half-divine scout, Fu Qingxuan instantly sensed the discrepancy in Fu Qingyang’s demeanor. "Tell me the reason," Fu Qingyang said, nearly forcing the words Fu Qingxuan's eyes also narrowed. Fu Xue, wiping her eyes, told him the entire sequence of events—starting from Cai Elder's plot to lure and kill Yuan Shishen, through Yuan Shishen's dramatic demise on the trial platform, leaving neither body nor spirit, all the way down to the mass exodus of grassroots official practitioners from the organization. Fu Qingyang remained expressionless throughout, but when he heard that Yuan Shishen had perished completely, with not even a spiritual form left behind, a deep sense of panic finally surfaced in his eyes—genuine, intense panic. It only struck me later that they had actually already departed. As a half-divine scout, Fu Qingxuan analyzed: "I suspect that the Night Rose Alliance had already conspired with the Southern School at that time. You must know the exchange rules of the Universal Merchant House—equivalent exchange! What did the Primordial Celestial Sovereign trade to gain half-divine power? It was the supreme strength of the Night Wandering Deity, a power left behind by the Magus King—exactly what Ling Tu needed. I even believe that the Master of Tai Monastery was involved, though this Celestial Sovereign's strategy remains subtle and concealed, and I still can't fully grasp it." Fu Qingyang remained expressionless, as though he had listened intently, or as though he had heard nothing at all. His phone call had ended, yet he still maintained the posture of someone listening. He was holding on to his composed demeanor, pretending to be calm, but his emotions were utterly disordered. Fu Qingxuan had never seen her usually emotionally reserved younger brother so visibly affected. She realized that perhaps she had underestimated the position of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign in Fu Qingyang's heart—Fu Qingyang had so well masked his feelings that even she had misjudged the depth of their friendship. She had only seen them as close friends, much like Ling Jun. Fu Qingxuan softly comforted her: "Most partings in life happen quietly. It turns out that a meeting on a certain day was already destined to be the last. After that, separated by mountains, rivers, and even the realms of life and death, there would be no reunion." Fu Qingyang was deeply moved. He looked at Fu Qingxuan and said, "I hope you can convene a Council of Chieftains under the name of the Marshal!" Before Fu Qingxuan could respond, he dialed the phone for Tianxu Guohuo: "Under my name, have the official account of the Songhai branch post an announcement on the forum—details I'll send you shortly." Then he dialed another number: "Have Feng Liang Lai Yi summon the White Guard, with destination: Thousand Birds Lake!" ... The Capital. The sharp ring of the phone woke Sun Miaomiao. After the court session, she returned home, wept bitterly, curled up, and fell into a deep sleep until now. She murmured softly, her eyes weary and fixed on the screen. The caller was Zhao Chenguang. Sun Miaomiao answered the phone, emitting a thick nasal "Hello." "For the evil sects, both the Wu-Xing Alliance and the Tai-Yi Men are officially recognized—there's little difference between them. Sun Miao-miao jolted upright from her bed, exclaiming, 'How could this be? What's the current situation?' Zhao Chenghuang said solemnly, 'Your grandfather and Red Ying Elder have sustained serious injuries. On the Wu-Xing side, two elders have returned to the spiritual realm; the casualties among ordinary practitioners are still unassessed and will have to wait until after the battle. As for the Magician's Eye—it's in an unusually strong state, stronger than expected. Even without considering that, you must leave immediately and take shelter in a residential area.' He hung up the phone hurriedly. Sun Miao-miao, barefoot, rushed to the balcony and looked out. To her amazement, thick fog surged from the northwest, sweeping steadily and engulfing the city like a tide. The wind roared, lifting the dense fog into the sky, yet the sheer breadth of the fog spread so widely that the wind only amplified its expansion. Sun Miao-miao was stunned—such a formidable fog meant that the Saint and Masters of the Military Monastery had all been She returned to her room silently, without changing into her nightgown, hastily put on her shoes, draped on her coat, and faded into the starlight. With the official stature of the family, she naturally had no fear of the Commander of the Church; as long as the Robe of War remained unengaged, there was nothing to dread. Yet the consequences of large-scale conflicts among the spiritual realm travelers would inevitably entail heavy casualties. Especially a full-scale clash among master-level beings. ... The Capital City, southern outskirts, the Thousand-Bird Lake. The villa district by the lake was lit up, its spacious and bright living hall filled with the children of Cai Qinqe. Each of them bore a look of deep concern, their expressions somber. Cai Shuishi, the current family head and the only master present, his gaze sweeping over his siblings, his brother-in-law, and his sister-in-law, spoke solemnly: "Father has returned to the spiritual realm. I know all of you are deeply saddened, but the future of the family is now our most pressing concern. Let us discuss how we can weather this crisis together." "A middle-aged woman sneered, "Father may have returned to the spiritual realm, but we still remain—along with the elders and sages from the Cai family's factions. What need to worry about? Of course, without Father, we'll find it difficult to hold onto those positions. At the very worst, we can step down and cede some of them." Her eyebrows were fine and arched, her cheekbones slightly prominent, and her lips thin, giving her a strong yet sharp appearance. In her view, with Father, one of the Ten Elders, returning to the spiritual realm, the weakening of the family's power was inevitable—surely the other nine elders would gradually absorb and erode the Cai family's influence. That was how power struggles always unfolded: without a stabilizing force, those who forcibly seized power not their own would inevitably face ruin. She had to acknowledge that. Yet, the Cai family had been operating steadily within the Water God's Palace and the Five Elements Alliance for so many years. Internally, they had four elders, and even more elders who shared close ties, spread across various branches. Outside, among the major spiritual realm families, there are numerous connections to the Cai family, making their ties deeply rooted—thus, there's little risk of any serious trouble. In contrast, Yuan Shishen is merely an ordinary up-and-comer with no established power base. Such a talent, whose value would vanish upon returning to the spiritual realm, would hardly be worth anyone's persistent efforts to defend against a well-established, officially recognized family. As for the public discourse on the forum, it will eventually subside, becoming a matter of routine. "Yuanshi Tianzun, a mere grassroots figure, simply dies and is done—how could anyone fight for him and keep the Cai family alive? We can't ignore the public sentiment. Eventually, we'd have to use the less important family members as scapegoats, remove them from their posts with charges of negligence and corruption, and that would satisfy the lower-level staff." The group discussed this in a lively, animated manner. The door to the small hall was pushed open, revealing a young man dressed in snow-white robes, his elegant cloak flowing beautifully, his short, stylish ponytail neat and poised. His features were sharp and refined, as if carved by artistry, and his gaze deep and intense, brooding with the promise of a storm. He closed his eyes, his sorrow transforming into a surge of murderous intent: "Ladies and gentlemen, receive my sword!" In his ears, he seemed once again to hear that voice bowing immediately: "The leader is truly brilliant!" The killing intent stretched three thousand li; the sword's aura filled the heavens and earth. "There are still three masters at the Cai family. Have the scholar break down Cai Shuishi's phone and send messages to them, urging them to return swiftly to Chian Bird Lake." Fu Qingyang spoke coldly, "The Nine Elders are still in the Spiritual Realm—move quickly!" "Yes!"