For the saints present, the struggle between Law and Chaos has always existed, never fading away—yet compared to the final battle foretold by the Compass of Light, these past conflicts have felt more like playtime. While they can still participate in such play, the grand divine battles envisioned in the prophecy are beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. The saints here, without a doubt, are among the very ordinary. Even in the eyes of most spiritual travelers, they are considered prominent figures. "The final battle is drawing near," Tianxia Guihuo murmured, lightly tapping the table. A strong sense of urgency surged within him—he felt that more saints were needed; for the great clash between the factions, even the sovereigns themselves would barely be able to survive, let alone make an impact. Guan Ya, Hong Ji Ge, and others shared the same sense of urgency, all of whom were familiar with the prophecy. Shallow Ryō suddenly understood the true reason behind the recent surge of conflicts in the New Covenant Province. The stars and the moon have taken their places—only the sun remains... Sun Miao-miao and Zhao Chenghuang exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat complex. As night-wandering deities, they had occasionally dreamed of achieving a semi-divine status. But since joining the "Return of the Departed," they've come to understand that the ultimate fate of night-wandering deities is merely to align with the sun, the moon, and the stars. Now, with the stars and the moon already settled, only the sun remains. This has left the two young prodigies feeling rather disheartened, as among their peers there are others with even greater talent—such as the Mage King and Yuan Shi—and among the elders, such talents are abundant. —Every day-wandering deity is a true prodigy. Zhao Chenghuang paused for a few seconds, then asked, "How long will it take for the sun to take its place?" If it takes several years, or even a decade or more, that would be acceptable. But reason tells him it won't be that long, since, according to Yuan Shi Tianzun, the war between the two factions has already begun—indicating that the sun's alignment won't take much time. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said, "But if you maintain your current upgrade pace, by the time the battle between the Chaotic and Lawful factions reaches its climax, you should be able to reach the status of Sovereign." He couldn't estimate it himself—on his personal timeline, he wouldn't reach Sovereign status until the end of the year, and after that, the副本 intervals would be long, with perhaps only a few opportunities to enter a dungeon each year. Even the fastest-rising member, Fu Qingxuan, took a full year to progress from Sovereign to Half-Deity. As for the Night Wandering Deities invested by various factions, it was even harder to predict, since those deities were destined to reach Sovereign status—perhaps even advancing toward the rank of Solar Sovereign at some point. "Therefore, our guild's development plan for the next year is to collectively achieve Sovereign status," Red Chicken Brother said, his hands already clenched and his palms rubbed excitedly. "From now until the end of next year, there will be at most three major combat dungeons, with no more than three Sovereigns per dungeon," Tianxia Gui said calmly, "unless we manage to secure a spot "Red Chicken brother snapped, 'I was just making a joke—every time you interrupt me, it feels like you're setting up for a fight, isn't that right?' Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand and said firmly, 'While I'm speaking, please don't interrupt.' Red Chicken brother respected him and immediately fell silent. Zhang continued, 'The conflict between the Wine God Club and the Merchant Guild is the prelude to a decisive clash between the two major factions. Right now, the main figures haven't stepped onto the battlefield yet. For you, this is a golden opportunity—to step in early, adapt to the rhythm of battle, and prepare for the final showdown. 'Let's now appoint the official team captain on the surface. Guan Ya—being a scout, this role is yours.' Zhang Yuanqing hadn't revealed the undercover assignment to the team members. It wasn't about trust; the more crucial the matter, the less it should be disclosed. He then turned to the others, 'My current spiritual realm ID is 'Juming,' a Level 4 Beast King, and Guan Ya's assistant. Please remember this—especially Red Chicken brother—don't let it slip.' "Jùmáng is the identity Fu Qingyang created for him, but it's not entirely fabricated. Jùmáng is officially listed under the Songhai branch as a member of the Bái Hǔ Wèi. Even if Tianfa sends personnel to investigate Songhai, the information they gather remains unchanged. Unless the investigation turns against the Bái Hǔ Wèi, which is Fu Qingyang's inner circle and has long operated under a low profile, maintaining a quiet presence—making it extremely difficult to locate. This identity is therefore stable and reliable. In the large conference room on the 101st floor, Zhang Yuanqing met Winny Burnt. She appeared more vibrant and beautiful than in the photographs—wearing a white shirt and trousers, her rich chestnut hair gently curled and flowing over her shoulders, a high nose, deep eyes, and elegant facial contours that defined a refined, three-dimensional beauty. In her early thirties, a stage of peak sensuality and maturity for a woman. Yet her face, veiled in a subtle chill, carried an aura of seriousness that often caused people to overlook her beauty and instinctively feel a sense of reverence. Aside from Winny Burnt, only a few female clerks in business suits were present to handle reception duties—pouring tea and serving water—there was no trace of CEO Sean Mede. Indeed, she was strikingly beautiful, with an impeccable presence; each of the magical lords' lovers was equally radiant. Zhang Yuanqing found herself reflecting on a few well-known lines: "When you smile, the magical lord dies young; when he smiles, you find yourself lacking in lovers. You don't envy swans or immortals—you only admire the magical lord every single day." Winny Burnt calmly scanned the eighteen spiritual practitioners of the Five-Row Alliance, speaking softly: "I'm Winny Burnt, Chief Prosecutor of the Tianfa New Covenant District Office. From now on, you'll report directly to me. During your time in the district, you must follow my instructions. If you encounter any personal difficulties and need assistance, feel free to reach out to my assistant." Her tone was composed and slightly reserved, though her Mandarin wasn't particularly polished—her voice, clear and cool, was exceptionally pleasant. This small detail reveals that Winny, though composed and elegant, is not rigid or overly self-assured. After speaking, she turned to the woman beside her, who had a gentle hint of freckles. In a sleeveless dress and a white blouse, Emma smiled warmly: "I'm Emma Smith. For both work and personal matters, you can always count on me. Winny is a fair and serious prosecutor—everyone can trust her." "The northern province has recently been turbulent, with evil factions attempting to undermine the orderly rule..." Before she could finish, Red Chicken interrupted, "We already know the great clash between the two factions is drawing near—there's no need for further elaboration." Both Winny and Emma furrowed their brows. He has a refined appearance, a gentle demeanor—quite a harmless, dependable young man. As Winny and Emma, who have reviewed the materials, quickly visualize Zhang Yuanqing's profile in their minds—Zhang Yuanqing, the Spirit of the Forest, Level 4. Clearly, he is a strong, reproductive wood spirit. "I will ensure my companions remain disciplined," responded Guan Ya. Then she added, "I would like Assistant Emma to compile and send me a summary of the current situation, information on the various evil organizations, and details about the lawful-aligned groups. As Chinese people say, 'knowing yourself and your opponent ensures victory in every battle.' We will not initiate any missions until our foundational intelligence is fully in place." Emma nodded slightly, expressing approval. "You truly are a seasoned scout from the Fu family. I'll get the materials to you promptly. I plan to host a gathering tomorrow evening, inviting the elite members of the Sea God Church and the Beauty Goddess Association—this will give you a chance to meet the key lawful-aligned organizations in the New Covenant Province." After a brief exchange, Minister Winny announced the meeting was adjourned. Then she turned to Guan Ya and said, "You stay here." Emma added, "Come with me, everyone—I've arranged office spaces for you." All except Guan Ya followed Emma out of the conference room. Once the conference room door closed, Winny Burnt looked at Guan Ya and said, "I heard you're engaged to the Primordial Immortal." Guan Ya's expression darkened slightly, but quickly brightened, and she nodded. She remembered the setting of having lost her beloved. Winny Burnt paused for a few seconds, then asked tentatively, "Have you ever seen a small speaker device on him—about the size of a palm, capable of recording audio and producing the sounds of a suona and drum, of exceptional quality, though at times its abilities seem to question its true standing." Guan Ya gestured as if recalling, "Yes, he does have such a device that can produce suona and drum sounds, but it has always been kept in his waist pouch and has never been visible to the public." "Winny said straightaway, 'Did he leave the item to you? I'd like to purchase it—any price you suggest will do.' How important is the item from Yuan Shi? That's what makes Winny so eager. Guan Ya found herself wondering, shaking her head, 'I'm sorry, but regarding the magical king's item, neither he nor Fu Qingyang has passed it on to me. The item you're after must have accompanied him back to the spiritual realm.' Winny looked at her steadily for a moment, said nothing, and then rose silently, leaving the meeting room. Zhang Yuanqing carried a cup of water and stood by the饮水 machine, chatting casually with the sages: "We didn't see Shaoen Med, so we're directly aligning ourselves with Winnie Berlent. Given our team's strength, Shaoen simply couldn't have overlooked this opportunity." Tianxia Guihuo nodded: "That means Shaoen has fallen short, and we'll have to make way for Winnie." Sun Miaomiao furrowed her brows: "Then we'd have to pick a side? Honestly, I don't want to get entangled in all this messy competition." "No!" Tianxia Guihuo shook her head. "We must choose a side. As outsiders, if we don't align ourselves, we'll be abandoned by both sides and become mere cannon fodder in this campaign of factional warfare. It's better to die as a sage of the Five-Row Alliance than to see our closest allies perish." "Even after choosing a side, we might still end up as cannon fodder," Zhao Chenghuang said coldly. "That depends on me—on Captain Guan Ya's leadership," Zhang Yuanqing smiled. The entire realm turned to Zhang Yuanqing, "I suggest she reach out to Winny, or perhaps find an opportunity to meet with Shawn Mede." "Absolutely not!" Red Chicken immediately objected, "I remember that Lingjiang mentioned a Mede who once treated her unfairly. If we align ourselves with Shawn Mede, aren't we pushing Lingjiang right into the fire?" Among the team, Red Chicken was the most principled. Zhang Yuan was about to speak when a soft, sharp outburst from Yanagi Ryoko at the office door interrupted him: "Brady Med, please stop pursuing me—otherwise I'll report you to the Oversight Department and investigate you personally."