"Big business?" Fu Qingyang stared at this half-deity from the Void Profession for a moment, then said calmly, "You're here to call for reinforcements, aren't you?" The Chairman rubbed the mask over his face, surprised, "Has the scout's perception ability already allowed them to see expressions through the mask?" Fu Qingyang replied coldly, "I'm using my mind!" The Chairman shrugged, "I need the strength of a marshal. The scene where he pierced through the Twisted Realm with a single sword remains vivid in memory—such brilliant swordlight has never been seen before." Fu Qingyang moved his fingers slightly, and a black iron soldier standing in the corner took a step toward the bar, clanking steadily as it poured a glass of wine and presented it with respectful grace before returning to its place. Throughout the entire process, Fu Qingyang's fingers remained subtly trembling, as though maneuvering delicate puppets. "Are you practicing your puppetry skills in daily life?" You're truly diligent, yet Yanshi doesn't need fine craftsmanship—what it requires is "more is better," the principle of Han Xin deploying troops. You should learn from the Grand Elder of Jiange, who can command ten thousand puppet soldiers at once. "To me, the number of puppet soldiers holds no significance," said Fu Qingyang, his expression calm. "Your talent isn't strong enough, even if it does matter—you simply can't manage it," chuckled the Chairman. Fu Qingyang's face grew cold. "Is there anything more?" asked the Chairman, unbothered by his displeasure, speaking in a tone befitting a mentor guiding a young disciple. "After ascending to the rank of Sovereign, your techniques approaching the Dao have reached their limit—perhaps they no longer serve you as effectively. After all, the dragon-slaying technique of a Saint-level cultivator becomes insufficient at the Sovereign level, and by the time you reach the Half-Deity realm, it's even more ordinary. Therefore, you must be feeling quite urgent. Even with the cloak bestowed upon you by Yuan Shi, you may only outperform other Sovereigns of your level slightly—hardly able to surpass them." "By comparison, Yuanshen has far greater potential than you. He excels in dungeon conquests, upgrades steadily, and possesses the Magistrate's relics—despite reaching the Dominance stage, he remains a true master of equipment. Recently, he's had numerous international experiences, deepening his foundation. Once he clears the Slayer's dungeon and becomes the Sun-Force specialist, a day-traveling deity, he'll be able to stand on equal footing with you. Right now, you're at level eight and slightly stronger, but the gap is no longer significant." "Based on mastering the technique to approach the Way, with the cloak as an aid, refine the 'strike' to its utmost perfection." The repeated emphasis on "not having strong natural talent" caused Fu Qingyang's嘴角 to twitch. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he said, "This is precisely the purpose behind my practice of controlling spirit figures." "No, no, no..." the President shook his finger. "Right now, you're simply increasing the number of instances where technique approaches the Way—one spirit figure representing one sword strike, even with a hundred spirit figures, you still only have a hundred sword strikes. To a competitor of the same level, this is indeed impressive and intimidating. But in the eyes of true masters, one sword strike and a hundred sword strikes are equally insignificant—there's no added threat." Fu Qingyang paused and grasped the meaning. "So you're suggesting I combine those one hundred sword strikes into a single, unified strike?" "Exactly! That's my vision for the development of technique. Of course, there are many paths to excellence—should you have a better approach, feel free to try it." The President gently stirred the ice cubes in his glass. Fu Qingyang nodded and didn't pursue the topic further, asking, "Has the situation in Xin Yue Command reached the level of a half-divine outcome?" The Chairman shook his head: "It's still at the stage of mutual probing among the rulers. However, I intend to make a bigger move and surprise the evil faction." "Marshal Fu is lazy by nature, dislikes long journeys, and would certainly not go." Fu Qingyang offered a clear path: "I suggest you approach the Chief of Chihuo Clan—fighting and brawling are precisely what he enjoys." Fire spirit is the most dominant among all elemental forces—it can explode, burn, and is unquestionably the most powerful in terms of destruction. "I don't trust him," the Chairman said, his tone serious. "I don't believe any of the older half-divines. Your sister is clean—she's a newly ascended half-divine." "What do you mean?" Fu Qingyang was taken aback. "Do you know how the old Marshal died?" the Chairman's gaze grew dark and profound. "Died in the struggle for the Compass of Light—don't tell me there's more to the story." Fu Qingyang's brows furrowed slightly. "He did indeed die in that struggle, but no one has ever considered why, at the time of the contest for the Compass of Light, General Yuan didn't unite with the Chihuo Clan, the Baima Assembly, the Shuigen Palace, and the half-gods of the Central Court." The Chairman asked in return. Fu Qingyang was momentarily stunned. Just as he was about to probe further, the Chairman shrugged and said, "Old stories—let them rest. I want to see the General." Fu Qingyang suppressed his lingering questions. "The General is in the Spirit Realm, in副本 number 7606." The Chairman finished off the potent wine in his cup, raised his hand with grace, and with a crisp snap of his fingers, vanished from the study. ... Spirit Realm, Copy No. 7606—The General's Study! After a brief journey through the void, the Chairman quickly pinpointed the location of the copy, guided by the spatial coordinates sensed by the half-gods of the void. The very next moment, he saw a world of pure white—sky and earth blending into one, endless and boundless. Standing within this pristine white expanse were tall bookshelves, filled entirely with novels and manga, all entertainment titles, absolutely free from any trace of academic or scholarly books. In front of the bookshelves stood a large desk, piled high with manga and novels, ranging from classic wuxia to contemporary fantasy, from powerful corporate executives to spirited, revenge-driven female leads. Even the less academically inclined, such as He Bing, and the refined, elegant Lady Bai, were present. There were no serious books to be found—only the more casual, relaxed ones. In addition to reading materials, there were also beverages—tea, drinks, chocolates, chips, and nuts, all neatly arranged. A young woman with lush white hair lay ungracefully on a high-backed chair, her long boots crossed over the desk, one cup of twenty-yuan tea resting proudly at her chest. She was reading manga, occasionally dipping her lips into the drink. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she lifted her gaze toward the front. Before the desk, the man in a deep red suit slowly drew the scene. The two of them silently gazed at each other, speechless. "Maybe I came at the wrong time?" the president asked tentatively. The woman set down her milk tea and comic book without a word, then slowly drew her great sword! In these companies, there's always a steady stream of outstanding employees and leaders—beautiful, accomplished, and effortlessly elegant—driving to work in luxury sedans, spraying high-end perfumes, and carrying handbags worth tens of thousands of federal currency. Every evening, they're often whisked away by city elites, politicians, and executives for dinner. The man in the burgundy suit lay disheveled on the sofa, his refined suit torn and rumpled, his mask shattered on one side, revealing a bruised face. "Don't worry about these details," he waved a hand. "It's perfectly normal to be scolded for intruding on someone's privacy. You'll have to see her. The President of the Goddess Association is always on the move—she has no fixed residence. As the only half-goddess among the profession of love and desire, her charm has become a living hormone. Men and women, humans and animals alike, are irresistibly drawn to her presence and often find themselves utterly captivated. Therefore, she rarely appears in public, even among the senior members of the association—though she is always reachable. Diana, are we taking action?" "Mr. Chairman nodded: "I need to conclude the campaign war in the New Covenant Province ahead of schedule. From the extraordinary to the Saints, we've been winning consistently. If we can eliminate the rulers of the New Covenant Province in one decisive move, the evil faction will likely retreat into hiding, formulating strategies quietly. Though they may strike unexpectedly, we'll need time." He sighed, "The Primordial still needs time." Diana remained silent for a few seconds, then offered a wry smile, "Indeed, our Sun Sovereign is still quite young." ... New Covenant Province. In King's County—a district with a high concentration of immigrants and a notably high crime rate—within a three-story building. The members of the Black Coalition, predominantly of African descent, lay scattered across the hallways and courtyard, without any visible wounds, yet their hearts had ceased to beat. In one room on the second floor, a sturdy Nick was pressed against the wall, his face filled with fear, gazing at the young man before him, whose demeanor was cold and composed. "Master Tengtian, you—what do you intend to do?" Nige was a mid-level backbone of the Hunter's Guild, a 5th-tier Saint, a Sea Nymph by profession. He had known this副会长's favorite, the Dream Weaver from the second-largest region. "I heard you've cleared the spiritual realm dungeon this month," Master Tengtian said coldly. "Yes, yes..." Nige replied, somewhat bewildered, then his voice trembled as he stammered, "But what exactly do you want? Even though you're the副会长's...?" Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yuanqing reached out and placed her palm over Nige's face. Nige's voice cut off abruptly, his expression twisted in agony as he screamed with a voice that tore at the soul. Fine threads of blackness extended from Zhang Yuanqing's fingertips, worming their way into Nige's forehead. In a moment, these threads pulled out a deep-blue character card engraved with storm and waves. A thick, black liquid swiftly flowed over the card, consuming it completely. With his character card gone, Nige pressed against the wall and collapsed, returning to the spiritual realm. The current副本 can be managed for now; all he needs to do is wait for the slaughter副本 next month. Zhang Yuanqing felt cheerful about this. Now it's November, and just a few days away from the middle of the month, while the slaughter副本 typically takes place in the middle of the summer and late autumn—roughly one month away. Originally, he had hoped to secure a Level 6 "Disciplined Knight" character card, hoping to stumble upon information about the components of the "Thunder God Set." However, considering his current workload, and the fact that the Level 6 Saint's副本 could take anywhere from a few days to a week—or even longer—he didn't want to waste time on them. He wouldn't gain any experience points in the副本, gaining only items and materials at most. With such a busy schedule in the real world, it simply wasn't worth the effort to go down to the副本. At that moment, his phone buzzed softly. He pulled it out from his pocket and checked the message. It was a text from Tangna, inviting him to meet at the branch of the Goddess Association tomorrow at 3 p.m. for a cup of tea. At three in the afternoon, isn't that the time for making love—or do you want to first chat with me, talk about feelings, and then make love later? Zhang Yuanqing paused, sent a message to the president: "Tangna has invited me to have tea at three in the afternoon." He then sent the same message to Catherine. A few minutes later, he received replies from both the president and Catherine. [President: Six Masters will be attending our actions tomorrow. I'll arrange a meeting with you and them at nine in the evening.] [Catherine: Well done.]