Six sovereigns involved? Well, that makes sense. It's not yet time for the half-gods to step in. If the Grand Master intervenes and wipes out all the evil sovereigns, the evil half-gods will surely follow—whether orderly or chaotic—unless it's absolutely dire, they won't want to be left with nothing at all. Zhang Yuanqing began wondering which sovereigns would join the mission. First, back to the Divine Judgment. There's still another operation today targeting the evil order's sages! He activated his spirit-consuming ability, swallowing Nigo's spirit into his body, then transformed into a shimmering streak of starlight and vanished. ... Eight o'clock in the evening. Zhang Yuanqing left the bank building, used his star-dash technique to enter an empty house in the Queens district, lifted the dust cover from the sofa, lay down, and waited for time to unfold. He took a moment to call Xiaoyuan on video, updating her on the current situation abroad. The Palace Sovereign and Guan Ya are both overseas. The former meets her regularly, shops, and enjoys the local cuisine. The latter is utterly devoted, constantly calling her "white dew, frost-covered" and "autumn foliage in full bloom Only Xiao Yuan could be seen through video calls. One month has passed since the fall of Wuyan Hotel, yet the brief span of time has not healed the wounds in her heart. She has become more reserved and detached, only softening when facing him. Now, she serves as Fu Qingyang's informant, quietly gathering intelligence on the evil faction—particularly focusing on the southern branch—though due to the elusive nature of the illusionists, arrests remain elusive. In the past month, she has only managed to eliminate three illusionists, one Dream-Weaver, and the results have not met her satisfaction. Nevertheless, thanks to the financial backing of the wealthy young man, supported by ample props, materials, and mechanical weapons, Xiao Yuan has smoothly completed two dungeon runs. She now stands at level six with 58% experience, and has decided to participate in the year-end slaughter dungeon to advance toward the Master stage. Kou Beiyue, introduced to the Lingneng Association's eastern branch by the Cold-Blooded Muffin, has joined the association. Since the Wuyan Hotel's demise, he has undergone a remarkable transformation—this is not merely an intellectual shift, but a complete change in personality. Kou Beiyue, once a foolish little wolf dog, has now transformed into a dangerous and fierce starving wolf, fighting with relentless passion, always ready to kill—his cold-blooded determination and fearless spirit have earned him a solid reputation in the realm of evil professions, earning him the title of "Little Death God." He has gained the admiration of the Lord of the Gourd, who has appointed him as a steward, now commanding a team of twenty loyal subordinates. As soon as the words settled, Zhang Yuanqing's vision blurred suddenly, and the room spun around him. In the next moment, he found himself in a strangely styled conference room. An elegant wooden table, twelve high-backed chairs, a battle axe and a shield hung behind the chair of the chief, and tiger skins and deer heads displayed on the side walls. Thick wool carpet covered the floor—resembling a medieval lord's hall of assembly. Six people sat at the edge of the rustic table: Qian Gongzi, dressed in white with a sharp brow and a distinguished bearing; Kristi Gustav, elegant in loose camouflage pants and a deep green vest, standing with poised grace; the cold and composed prosecutor, Winny Berent; a handsome young man with a sports headband wrapped around his forehead; and a young woman in a vibrant red dress, looking like a refined lady from an ancient noble family. Behind Kristi stood a glass fish tank, where a colorful little fish swam joyfully. At the sight of these five figures, Zhang Yuanqing found himself growing increasingly tense. Chris and Winny he can accept—after all, these two are among the three pillars of the New Covenant District Branch, the leaders in the fight against evil, and it's their duty. But what about the Money Prince and the King of the Divine Eye? Especially the King of the Divine Eye—how can a King of a Military Bishopric be found not in the northwest rooting out villains, but here in the New Covenant District? And the Money Prince and the Palace Master didn’t even notify him in advance. Truly, a classic case of a familiar gathering. Zhang Yuanqing muttered, then turned his gaze toward the last of the Masters. This was a well-dressed middle-aged man, his bare neck adorned with six or seven golden chains, and on each of his wrists he wore a golden, silver, jade, and diamond bangle—mirroring on both hands. He had the deep features of a Westerner, his hair slightly grayed at the temples, his eyes sharp with the demeanor of a worldly, shrewd businessman, and a warm, prosperous smile gracing his face. "Everyone has arrived. This is our central figure for this mission—the rising star of the New Covenant District—Mr. Geng Mang!" The chairman clapped his hands enthusiastically. While the middle-aged man in fine attire joined in, the other five simply ignored the half-god's flamboyant gesture. The chairman materialized beside the middle-aged man, placed a hand on his shoulder, and introduced, "This is Pan Xi Edison, Vice President of the Merchant Guild." Pan Xi Edison? Zhang Yuanqing was startled. In his mind, the profile of this individual came to life: one of the two vice presidents of the Merchant Guild, the leader of the interests faction, a peak-level Master at the 9th rank. A figure on par with the Ten Elders. He then scanned the other Masters present—besides the Palace Master, who was at the 7th rank, all the others were at the 8th rank, each accompanied by a divine artifact. Even the Palace Master held a Pot of Spirit Cultivation (admin privileges). Now, with a peak-level Master leading the charge... In the chairman's eyes, the current mission seemed exceptionally perilous? The quality of the opposing Masters was exceptionally high—or perhaps, they might even face the legendary deities directly? Otherwise, even a ninth-tier peak dominator present would have to fall short in the northwest. Pan Xi Edison rose gracefully, extending his hand with warm politeness. "I've long admired your reputation. Here's my business card. As a trusted junior under the President's guidance, you're truly one of us. Whenever you purchase from me, I'll offer you a 50% discount. And when you sell to me, I'll buy at a premium above market value." His Mandarin was pure and his demeanor gentle, his smile warm—lacking the commanding presence of a peak dominator, instead embodying that of a well-rounded, approachable merchant. "Actually, he's saying the opposite—he'll offer you a 50% discount when you buy from him, and pay above market price when you sell to him," the President remarked beside him. Zhang Yuanqing seemed entirely unaware, eagerly accepting the card and saying, "From the way I see it, Edison President is a man of integrity. Whether buying or selling, whatever price you set, that will be the price. If I raise any objection, the characters 'Jiumang' will be reversed." Everyone present knew his identity, so there was no need to pretend. As for Chris, Vinnie, and Pansy, they had never met the Primordial Sovereign and wouldn't have suspected anything unusual given his sudden improvement in social grace. Pansy Edison was particularly impressed by Quemang's eloquence. The Chairman then introduced the "King of the Mystic Eyes," "You should have heard of him, by now." Zhang Yuanqing gracefully adopted a look of genuine astonishment: "The King of the Mystic Eyes!?" "Don't worry," said the Chairman, "he's one of our own. The King of the Mystic Eyes and the Primordial Sovereign are lifelong friends. Since the Primordial Sovereign returned to the Spiritual Realm, the King of the Mystic Eyes has teamed up with Brother Fu to form the Avengers, determined to fight relentlessly against the Night Rose and the Southern School, to avenge his beloved friends, relatives, and brothers and sisters." Hmm, how on earth did you come up with such stiff, awkward lines? Even the Primordial Sovereign would have to dig up a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment from the afterlife to be this awkward! Zhang Yuanqing mentally cursed. The King of the Mystic Eye smiled gently, "No, I cleanse sins not out of vengeance, but to uphold peace and justice in the world." Shut up! Zhang Yuanqing's face twitched slightly. Christine and Viny's expressions were somewhat unusual—normally, they wouldn't sit at the same table as a malevolent Sovereign. Yet this meeting was convened by the sole half-deity among the Void Professions. It was the Chairman of the Merchant's Guild. A half-deity's dignity could not be easily dismissed. Though neither of the two female Sovereigns had visited the second-largest region, they had heard of the King of the Mystic Eye's reputation—just as the legend described: a self-proclaimed justice-driven, rigid idealist. Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Chairman, matters of lesser importance may be set aside. What exactly is your so-called secret initiative?" The Sovereigns seated at the table composed themselves, sitting upright and attentive. "I'd like to begin by outlining the background of this initiative!" "The Chairman said, 'The Chaotic faction of Xin Yue Prefecture controls a high-tier artifact capable of corrupting Lawful vocations. While the exact limits of this artifact remain unknown, it is known that even an Eighth-Rank Sovereign can have their perception warped. 'Through this artifact, the Free Covenant has successfully corrupted a large number of Lawful vocations. They hold regular gatherings centered around this artifact—gatherings that are both indulgent and decadent...'" Despite the concerted efforts of the Three Major Organizations—the Sea God Church, the Divine Judgment, and the Merchant's Guild—the pursuit has yielded only modest results. The senior leadership of the lawful organizations had anticipated that the evil faction would be retreating, carefully plotting behind the scenes; yet they hadn't expected them to specifically target Tanca. Indeed, this is a masterstroke! Mr. Chairman continued, "Donna Caroline is renowned throughout the realm, and many evil overlords covet her. At tomorrow's gathering, numerous overlords will surely be present. You six will launch an assault then, and take them all at once. "By the way, two additional points: First, Donna has long been interested in Meng Mang, and hopes to develop a romantic relationship with him. Second, the Celestial Master was recently secretly eliminated by us—our intelligence on this matter comes directly from him, and thus, it is fully reliable." At Chris's side, the fishbowl shimmered as the small fish Rosie surfaced, her voice delicate and tender, "This might also be a deliberate scheme by the evil faction—sacrificing one Dream-Weaver to lure us into a fatal confrontation." Pansy Edison smiled, "Therefore, my participation in this mission is simply to ensure that you can retreat with confidence and composure." As a master of the peak rank in the Void occupation, places where he can be contained are few, and he is capable of freely traversing the spiritual realms. There are countless spiritual realm instances, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint the exact gathering location without a teleportation scroll. Once inside the gathering area, however, exiting is simply a matter of opening a teleportation path at will. Fu Qingyang and the Master of Zhishi Palace remained silent, knowing that the Celestial Master was merely Yuan Shi's alias, and thus Cléris's concerns were unfounded. There are spies planted by the Free Covenant stationed near Dona; she will monitor the meetings, and to deceive the Free Covenant's spies, one must deceive Dona as well. "If the spies detect any irregularity, the gathering might be canceled. Of course, we could control them, but we haven't yet identified the spies within Dona's circle." The Master of the Stilled Kill remained silent. The Chairman sat in his principal seat, his tone low and measured: "Now, let's discuss the risks you will face. You will not only confront the rulers of the evil faction, but may also come face to face with the 'gaze' of the deities. I will present you with a piece of equipment." He reached out and plucked a dark golden seal from the air. The seal was roughly the size of a clenched fist, square in shape, with a smooth, polished surface. At its center was carved a golden phoenix with three legs, and along its edges ran radiating lines. As soon as the dark golden seal appeared, the temperature in the ancient hall rose sharply, as though summer had arrived. "The Seal of the Golden Phoenix! A token of the Sun's Divine Rank, capable of purification and "The President tossed the stone imprint toward Jumei, saying, 'This item shall be under your control—this was always meant to be.' Kris and Viny turned their brows, puzzled as to why Jumei should be entrusted with such a master-tier artifact. Master-tier items come at a heavy cost, surely one that would harm Jumei. You're not even pretending anymore... Zhang Yuanqing took the artifact, reviewing its properties while internally feeling a complex mix of emotions. The President's tone indicated that this item was a legacy passed down from his father. This item comes with two costs. First, during its use, the body will be burned by the power of the Sun God, a condition only immune to the Sun-Wandering Deities. Second, while it is in effect, no other skills or items can be employed. It makes sense that they've chosen me—though I am not yet a Sun-Wandering Deity, my "Pure Yang Bathing Record" has reached a solid stage, granting me half a solar body. The "burning" may be painful, but with proper use, I won't be reduced to ashes. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. In comparison, though the present rulers hold higher status, if they force the use of the Golden Orpheus Seal, they will lose eight hundred of their own forces for every thousand they defeat. "Purification will free you from contamination and counteract the abilities of the Evil Rulers," the Chairman said. "I will shield you from the semi-gods of the Evil Faction, but you have only half an hour. Make every effort. By the way, all spoils are to be handled by yourselves—this is my compensation. Before action begins, remain here and maintain contact with no one outside." Although you all have been carefully selected and your backgrounds are solid, what if some of you are double agents? Upon saying this, he snapped his fingers: "Exiled!" Quèmang vanished from the hall. Then, the chairman also disappeared from his seat and left the realm.