In the morning, the dedicated aircraft arrived at Dia Airport. Hitoshi Ryō led six extraordinary travelers from Ten-Punishment, waiting early by the taxiway, watching the aircraft land, roll in, and finally come to a stop. Airport staff drove small vehicles, positioning the boarding stairs to align with the aircraft doors. Five minutes later, the cabin doors opened, and Hitoshi Ryō saw the saints of "The Return of the Dead" stepping out one by one—mixed-race beauties in white shirts and matching skirts, the dignified, reserved Zhao City God in black attire, the warm and sweet-faced Sun Miaomiao, the serious and composed Fire Master, indeed, the outstanding Fire Master Tianxia Guihuo, and the lively, impetuous Red Chicken Brother with a naturally brash demeanor. There were also several members of the Five Elements Alliance that she didn't recognize. Hitoshi Ryō's graceful face lit up with joy, as if she had found her community, her family, and she rushed forward, calling out enthusiastically, "Oh-ha-yo! I mean, hello, everyone! Hello, everyone!" "Guan Ya and Sun Miao Miao gave her a gentle smile, while Zhao Chenguang and Tianxia Guihuo nodded in acknowledgment. 'Oh hey, Ryoko! It's good to see you again!' Red Chicken brother was much more enthusiastic, giving Ryoko a firm pat on the shoulder that sent her staggering: 'How's it going in the New Covenant County? Have you been hassled by the foreigners? I hear they especially love to pick on your Japanese folks. As long as you stick with us, don't worry—nobody'll dare to bother you!' He kept calling them 'Japanese folks' throughout, and Ryoko wasn't sure whether it was a sign of goodwill or a bit of mockery—she could only maintain a stiff smile. 'I—I'll be taking everyone to the Tianfa Division office,' Ryoko said, as she noticed all the team members had disembarked and hurried them toward the shuttle bus. 'Captain!' the blonde with blue eyes approached softly, speaking in a low tone, 'One person is missing.' The list of assistance from the Wu Xing Alliance listed eighteen people—six sages, each accompanied by two assistants. Yet, only seventeen people had disembarked on the dedicated flight. One person was missing "There isn't a single one missing," Guan Ya paused, her smile significant. "One member has already arrived in the New Covenant District—Liang Jiang, you've met him, haven't you?" The nickname "Liang Jiang" had been adopted from Zhang Yuanqing, who always called him that, and others had followed suit. Rei Hayashi hurriedly asked, "Is the last person the Master? Is it him?" "Yes!" Guan Ya tilted her round, graceful eyes with a smile, saying, "Why are you so excited?" Rei Hayashi blushed, her face tightening with embarrassment. Guan Ya gave a scoff, "I thought you'd improved—turns out you're still just as flustered." "I will, I will make every effort," Rei Hayashi habitually bowed, apologizing. Guan Ya glanced at her, smiled gently, "You don't need to be so tense in front of me. I've counted the women who care about the Master—there are so many, and you're just one more. One less, and it wouldn't make a difference, wouldn't it, Sun Miao-miao?" Sun Miao-miao pretended not to hear, appearing completely absorbed by the new scenery of Xin Yue County. Thankfully, she didn't have a keyboard in hand—otherwise, this mixed-blood woman would have experienced firsthand the sheer power of a world-class keyboard maestro. The red-chickens guy from the back turned to Sun Miao-miao, stepping in with fairness, " I wonder if Fu Qingyang has been assigned here to slow us down. The passengers in the carriage silently cursed. Asahi Ryō noticed the somewhat awkward atmosphere in the carriage and thought, well, good thing the sixth-level scholar hadn’t arrived—otherwise, it would have been even more awkward. She quickly changed the subject, asking loudly, “Have you all come to Xin Yue County for a specific mission?” Guan Ya shook her head. “Fu Qingyang hasn’t assigned any specific tasks. He only asked us to support the Master unconditionally. You should first tell us about Xin Yue County.” Asahi Ryō nodded. “The Heavenly Judgment in Xin Yue County is led by two major conglomerates and one prominent family—the Gustav and Mede conglomerates, and the Berlent family. The Berlent family, headed by Chief Prosecutor Viny Berlent, is part of the faction led by the Chief Prosecutor at headquarters. On the other hand, the Chief Executive Officer, Sean Mede, represents the opposing faction—his surname clearly identifies his conglomerate. Viny and Sean each represent their respective factions and have been in constant, fierce rivalry, to the point where they’d rather see each other eliminated. "Chenning Lu, the head of the Administration Department and a board member, is responsible for mediating and balancing the two sides." She went on, speaking at length about the internal factions within Tianfa—each major faction centered around one of the two conglomerates, with a shared surname, and among the three primary factions, numerous smaller teams and sub-factions emerged. The members of the King's Faction found themselves growing increasingly puzzled, feeling that Tianfa's factional structure was even more chaotic than that of the Five Elements Alliance. As a mixed-blood, Guan Ya summarized: "In fact, Tianfa's factional structure is quite simple—tripartite separation of powers: the Executive Office system, the Prosecution system, and the Board of Directors. Each of these three systems is led by a half-deity. Among them, the Board of Directors holds the most power, composed of eight major conglomerates. Additionally, the Executive Office and Prosecution systems are often at odds, frequently clashing, with the Board of Directors stepping in to mediate. As for the smaller factions, they can be largely disregarded." The group absorbed the information and slowly nodded in agreement. Renoya Ryō continued, "The new contract district has been quite turbulent lately. I've heard that the Wine God Club and the Merchant Guild are engaged in fierce conflict, now involving both political and commercial circles. Several saints have fallen, yet the Overseer has not stepped in—so your arrival is most timely. The Heavenly Judgment is currently short on powerful saints, and you are among the top saints from the second district." "Has the battle between the Wine God Club and the Merchant Guild not yet concluded?" Tianfu Hu evaluated. "This has nothing to do with us. We're here to assist the Guild Master." Sun Miao-miao stated clearly and firmly. Finally, Hong Ji-guo seized the opportunity and asked, "Ryō-san, have any of the Heavenly Judgment members been treating you unfairly? We'll come to your rescue." Upon hearing this, Renoya Ryō nodded vigorously. "Yes, definitely!" "Who?" Hong Ji-guo called from the back of the vehicle. Ryō puffed out her cheeks. "Brady Med!" ... The Hunter's Guild. Katharine opened the email and began reading the investigation report. "The Loosely Free Sword Immortal, a Level 5 swordsman from the largest region, with unknown identity, residing at No. 360 Pizza Street, under lease from Yang Xiujuan and Cao Qing. After Jia Zhangfei's passing, he was entrusted by Deng Jingguo to investigate the Master of the Heavenly Path and recover the Holy Emperor's relics." The entry was brief; Catherine glanced at it and moved on, deeming the individual of limited value. A Level 5 swordsman might be competent, but in the eyes of the Sovereign, he remained unimpressive. In the matter of the Holy Emperor's relics, this free-spirited sword immortal had only been an incidental participant. She could simply set him aside. She focused instead on Zhai Cai's profile. Publicly, he is the owner of a shipping and trading company, also actively involved in entertainment and tobacco-alcohol sectors, boasting a substantial fortune. He has frequently been linked to celebrity women, reportedly with his company's beautiful stars often sharing his bed. A modest industrial magnate and a dashing young man at the same time. Regarding his personal reputation, besides being known for his romantic infidelities and an exceptionally poor personality, he has strained relations with many wealthy individuals—everyone speaks of him with growing frustration, often wishing they could pull out a small pistol and shoot him, yet ultimately powerless to do so. As for the information confirming him as a Lingjing Xingzhe, there is absolutely no mention in the investigation records. Prior to the Heavenly Master revealing that he is a descendant of the Church's knightly lineage, no documentation or evidence existed to substantiate his status as a Lingjing Xingzhe. However, according to the Heavenly Master's findings, Zhai Cai is a knight of the Church's lineage, bearing a fragment of the Sacred Disk. Currently, this only surviving knight has vanished without a trace—neither the Hunter's Guild nor any other organization can locate him. Catherine reviewed Zhai Cai's personal profile and then opened the surveillance footage. She watched the video showing Zhai Cai entering Deng Jingguo's villa, and then following the Free-riding Immortal Sword Saint as he departed. After reviewing all the information, Catherine's gaze grew steady, and she pondered for a few seconds, "Zhai Cai is undoubtedly a knight of the Church's lineage. Tianfan's information is accurate— we can assign him a performance evaluation task now." A moment of silence passed, after which Guan Ya broke the quiet with a warm smile. "The meeting room has been equipped with acoustic insulation and has been checked—there are no listening devices. Master, Brother Fu has asked us to assist you. What would you like us to do? Should there be any need—whether it's a mountain of flames or a sea of fire—we'll follow your command without hesitation, even if it means our lives." Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, Red Chicken Brother burst out laughing. "Master, over these many days in Xin Yue County, have you ever arranged a meeting with any of the love-artist professionals from the Beauty Goddess Association? I hear their services are quite delightful. Also, how has your appearance changed?" The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly grew still. ……Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "Red Chicken Brother, I remember you're not a member of the Five Elements Alliance, so why are you here?" A swift retreat, a hindrance to the team. Seeing Guan Ya and Sun Miao Miao exchange puzzled glances, Zhang Yuanqing quickly cleared his throat and added, "As someone so upright, how could I possibly have any connection with the love-artist professionals "The entire world turned to fire and stepped forward, stepping in to mediate on behalf of the helper, saying, "Let's get down to business. Master Fu has assigned us to assist you, but hasn't specified any tasks—probably hoping you'll explain it yourself. We're in a hurry, though. We came here only after knocking out Yuan Ting; once he wakes up, he's certain to burst in and listen in." Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a chair and sat down, glanced at the cameras that had been removed, and at the floor-to-ceiling windows partially covered by the curtains, and said solemnly, "Could you confirm once again whether the soundproofing props can block the Master's monitoring?" Guan Ya nodded, "The props provided by Fu Qingyang—no issues." Zhang Yuanqing immediately added, "Please explain to us now the purpose of your gathering. The conflict between the Merchant Guild and the Wine God Club involves a decisive battle between the two factions." A decisive battle between the two factions? What did that mean? The Saint-level members of the Wandering Dead Return sect exchanged subtle expressions of surprise. "You all must surely know I'm a descendant of the Mage King. In fact, the Mage King left behind a piece of his essence in the character card—a fragment of the Yin Primordial Origin. After I pass on, this fragment will return to the Spirit Realm, and perhaps by now, the Ling Tu has restored the missing part of the Yin Primordial Origin." Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a low, steady tone. "Do you remember the prophecy of the Light Compass? 'When the sun, moon, and stars align, the great calamity will arrive.' Now, the stars and Yin have aligned—only the sun remains. Thus, the war between the Lawful and the Chaotic factions has officially begun." These words, delivered without hesitation or delay, struck like a bomb, resonating powerfully in the ears of all present and exploding within their hearts.