Familiar murmurs, so familiar even in the face of pain, immediately struck Zhang Yuanqing as signs of fungal contamination—something he had just experienced firsthand during the "Thrilling Cruise" encounter. A profound shock filled his emotions, and a cascade of thoughts bubbled up like bubbles. Yet his body and soul, wracked with pain, prevented him from maintaining rational or calm thought. He clutched his ears, writhing in agony. Zhang Yuanqing felt his entire body tearing and reassembling, new tissue protruding through his skin in dense, unsettling clusters—both revolting and terrifying. His forehead itched, as though an eye were about to grow there. Compared to the Fungal Contamination aboard the Sea Swan in 1900, the current strain had grown immensely stronger. Even a mere splash of bathwater had nearly driven him into uncontrollable distortion and transformation—though Zhang Yuanqing had not yet consumed the "Unyielding Will," which remained stored in his inventory. After an indeterminate length of time, Zhang Yuanqing sensed the contamination gradually integrating into his blood and muscle cells, settling in and becoming latent. The physical and spiritual pain soon subsided. “Hmph…” Zhang Yuanqing sat up, exhaling weakly, just as Catherine had done earlier. Catherine stood gracefully beside him, smiling. “The divine water will remain dormant within you for three days. During that time, if you encounter a peak dominator or a half-divine being, the deities will watch over you and save your life.” “Correct!” Zhang Yuanqing nodded, feigning hesitation, awe, and a touch of reverence. Catherine observed his subtle expressions with satisfaction and pointed to the deep emerald glow of the portal. “Then come, the deities do not appreciate interruptions.” Without further words, Zhang Yuanqing followed Catherine toward the portal. As he stepped inside, he paused to look back at the blood lake. Katherine answered calmly, as if a graceful, beautiful elder were mentoring a newcomer, "When you clear the Killing Raid dungeon by year's end and rise to the rank of Master, you'll receive one too." Katherine carefully stored the canvas and the divine blood, then closed the cabinet door. In the meantime, she quietly stole the items, opened the secret realm gate, and tossed in a nuclear missile—obliterating the Free Alliance! Zhang Yuanqing thought this all with quiet determination. At that moment, Katherine lay on the phoenix bed, lifting her skirt to reveal two long, smooth legs. With a captivating gaze fixed on the Celestial Master, she asked, "With the battle scheduled for tomorrow night, life and death remain uncertain—don't you wish to indulge just a little?" Zhang Yuanqing's tent instantly erected itself, his heart racing, hormones surging—his Master-level charm reduced his mind to a whirlwind of variations of the character "Kun." He suppressed his longing, allowing the tent to stand tall, and spoke with composed neutrality: "Indeed, a few greedy politicians should be eliminated to let things breathe." Then, he activated the dream-travel function and vanished into the private chamber. …Katherine angrily swept the porcelainware off the tea table, her elevated chest rising and falling as she hummed, “One day, you’ll kneel at the edge of my skirt, begging for my favor.” The more a man remained unreachable, the more she was drawn to him—especially one who ignored her charm with such cold detachment, which most powerfully stirred her desire to conquer. …In an empty house at the border of Kings County and Man Island. The Celestial Master appeared beneath the rising stars, his gaze fixed on the sofa, where the original form sat, watching a video and eating fried chicken, the dust cloth pulled aside. “You should have entered the Realm of Secrets, the ancient legendary paradise of heavenly abodes,” Zhang Yuanqing tossed a chicken wing to the duplicate. “Once you entered the realm, I lost contact with you.” The original and the duplicate were of the same origin. As the master of the eight-armed mirror, Zhang Yuanqing’s consciousness could manifest in the duplicate, much like summoning a spectral servant or a spirit attendant. Yet, at the very moment the duplicate stepped through the light gate, Zhang Yuanqing went dark—his connection severed. The Celestial Master took the chicken wing and bit into it, then lifted his hand, pinching the facial skin. With a crisp "riiiip," the thin, delicate, flawless human skin came off like a silk membrane. While chewing on the chicken wing, he said, "I've made a truly moving discovery." He tossed the perfect skin toward Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing reached out and caught it. "What discovery?" asked Zhang. The Celestial Master glanced at the cola on the coffee table and said, "Drink first." "No way!" Zhang Yuanqing looked skeptical. "If there's anything to say, let it out—don't hide your intentions." "You really don't trust me? I'm your very own duplicate." "Exactly because you're my duplicate, I don't trust you," Zhang scoffed. "What kind of character do I have, do you think I wouldn't know?" "Then you should be even more aware of how childish you are," the duplicate replied, shrugging. Zhang Yuanqing, at a loss for words, picked up the paper cup and took a sip of cola. Just then, the Celestial Master said, "The god of the Free Alliance is actually the magical seed from the ' “Pffft—!” Zhang Yuanqing expelled all the soda he had been drinking, completely ignoring the liquid now flowing into his chest. He stared in wide-eyed astonishment at his duplicate, mouth agape. "You—you just said what?!" "The deities of the Free Covenant are the magical seedlings," the duplicate said in a low, resonant voice. "I entered the divine realm of the Free Covenant—the realm spoken of by the 'King of the Underworld,' the realm beneath the blood lake, where the magical seedlings slumber." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes widened, his expression stunned, his body rigid as a statue. After a long while, he rubbed his hands vigorously, trying to regain his sense of presence, and spoke softly, "Ah, now I understand. Now I understand. I finally know the truth behind the fall of the Church." In the year 1900, a comet crashed into Europe, landing in the southern waters of the Irish United Nations, contaminating marine life. The Irish United Government dispatched the sea-bird vessel to recover the affected organisms. After the sinking of the Haiyan, the only survivor, Stephen Simpson, carried the Seed of Magic away, quietly gathering strength and building influence over the decades, eventually founding the Free Covenant to incite a world war. In that war that engulfed all of Europe, the Papal Court was utterly erased from history. The Supreme Sovereign of the Heavens remained silent for several seconds, then murmured, "Do you think the true identity of the Seed of Magic is someone specific?" "You already know the answer," Zhang Yuanqing replied, turning to gaze at his duplicate. The comet that descended from the sky, the divine being of the Free Covenant, the entity capable of transforming ordinary people into beings capable of killing peak Saints, and the very Seed of Magic that could vanquish an entire council of Saints—its true identity was now unmistakable: a malevolent deity of the Mortal Physician's Order! The invasive virus that infiltrated the Spiritual Realm! An entity of supreme stature, comparable even to the Realm's administrators! Indeed, that comet was the very Seed of Magic that the Demon had cast into the mortal world. "When the Celestial Court fell, there were already three half-gods, a lineage of ancient cultivators, and an abundant treasure vault—such a vast entity could only have been extinguished by something of equal magnitude." Tian-tian the Master sighed, analyzing. "At the dawn of the Spiritual Realm, most spiritual cultivators were lone travelers, living off freelance assignments or simply becoming landowners, enslaving ordinary people. Only the Celestial Court, drawing on the legacy of ancient cultivators, swiftly organized scattered practitioners, implemented internal reforms, and within a few years established a solid order." Zhang Yuanqing added, "By then, in a century's time, the Celestial Court would undoubtedly be the dominant, lawful organization on the world stage—any evil professions or organizations would tremble under its authority." Tian-tian the Master nodded, "In short, as long as the Celestial Court remains, the entire world will be governed by lawful organizations, and the very concept of opposing factions would be nothing but a farce." Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "So in 1900, a comet descended, marking the beginning of the Church's downfall. The evil deity personally stepped in—what a move, truly unceremonious!" He looked frustrated, "How could we have forgotten that the Lawful faction had no administrator? We must inform the Grand Master." As he reached this point, all the details that had once puzzled him now made sense. For instance, the peak of the Saint's journey took place in 1900, because the Sea Swallow mission held special significance—the spiritual realm generated that event as a quest, possibly intending to pass this information on to future generations. "We cannot tell the Grand Master!" the Supreme Celestial Master declared, "You don't know what's going on in the sanctuary. I drank the water infused with the magical seed, and now it's essence flows through me. Whenever I encounter a power of half-divine rank, the seed pays close attention." He immediately explained to Zhang Yuanqing the benefits of the sacred water. "The fact that the magical seed can gaze upon the divine water indicates a connection between the divine water and the magical seed. Therefore, you will no longer be able to return to the Yata Mirror. Let's discuss this matter in three days." Zhang Yuanqing tossed the Yata Mirror from the side of his seat to his duplicate: "You have three days of outdoor activities. By the way, Catherine has been quite generous to us—don't forget to buy some fruit as a token of appreciation." A subtle hint of longing. "I'd really like to sleep with her, but what if, after she sleeps, she demands payment from me?" Tongtian Jiaozhong expressed his concern: "If she intends to use this at a crucial moment and temporarily holds back, all I need to do is return to the Yata Mirror, and the cause-effect relationship will be erased—then she'll find herself unable to collect any payment." Zhang Yuanqing gave a clap: "That's just free lodging!" After all, there are numerous ways to eliminate the cost—plenty of reasons can be invented. Tongtian Jiaozhong's eyes lit up, then he adopted a demeanor of a well-bred gentleman: "No, I have "That makes sense!" Tian-tian Jiaoyu tossed the Yatsumi mirror back to Zhang Yuanqing. "The main body, I'll go as well." The duplicate had no inventory and couldn't carry items—should the Yatsumi mirror end up in Catherine's hands, it would be a complete loss. Watching the duplicate fade into starlight, Zhang Yuanqing excitedly rubbed his small hands. Then, the stars rose once more. Tian-tian Jiaoyu returned, giving him a sideways glance. "Could I borrow the Endurance Spray for a moment?" Zhang Yuanqing returned the glance, and all was said in silence. After the duplicate finished spraying and departed, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone and sent a message to Guan Ya, explaining that he had a busy task requiring an extended, intricate stargazing session and would therefore not be returning tonight. "My mom has arrived in New Covenant County. She's planning to have dinner with me and take me out for a trip tomorrow." Guan Ya replied. "You're a mixed-blood raised in the Free Federation—what's there to travel for?" Zhang Yuanqing replied with a chuckle. As a major international city, New Covenant County was a place Gu "I'm young and already widowed, and Fu Xue will still care for me—she'll just take me out for a walk, you know." Guan Ya's message was both direct and subtly critical. "Push it," Zhang Yuanqing replied. "Have the deceased team stay indoors tomorrow, rest and recharge—especially avoid contact with women. Ask Hong Ji to tone it down." Hong Ji, a robust fire master, is energetic and has frequently assisted struggling Chinese women during his tenure in Xin Yue Prefecture. Over time, he's grown more ambitious, mounting his night-lit jade lion. Recently, he's been trying his hand at piloting the Black Stag. Guan Ya tentatively replied, "Will there be a task tomorrow?" "Don't ask!" Upon seeing her boyfriend's response, Guan Ya, as a scout, instantly understood and sent back a good night, closing the message exchange. Zhang Yuanqing immediately settled into a meditative posture, holding the Yajime Mirror, immersing his thoughts into the object and sharing the vision of the Supreme Master of Heaven. …… Room 69, Hamburg Street. Katherine pushed open a small door inside the room and entered the master bedroom, intending to rest and recharge for a good night's sleep. Suddenly, her ears picked up a sound—footsteps coming from the corridor through the thick soundproof door. Then, the heavy soundproof door, adorned with brass, swung open again, and the Celestial Sovereign returned.