As a peak-level sovereign, how could there be no rule-based artifacts in one's possession? The reason I didn't use them just now was that the lawful sovereigns present were all of exceptional standing—some were young leaders, others heirs to major conglomerates, and still others heads of entire divisions. These individuals undoubtedly carried their most powerful reserves with them. In the spiritual realm, there exist many extraordinarily formidable artifacts—some capable of defeating opponents far above their own level. At this level of achievement, strength is indeed impressive, but prudence is an essential quality. Even when a lion hunts a rabbit, it exerts full effort—let alone a group of exceptionally talented young sovereigns. Thus, they engage in mutual probing, gradually escalating the intensity of combat until one of them exhausts their reserves and is fully exposed, after which they unite to deliver a decisive, overwhelming strike. This is the true art of team combat. Though it meant sacrificing one sovereign of the eighth rank, it was well worth it if the younger generation could be absorbed. Fu Qingyang's limit is to engage and defeat a peer-level Sovereign in a single battle. Siming's strength lies in that bronze pot. Viny's strength comes from a high-quality Sovereign-level item, as well as a sustained, high-intensity burst of power. Kris's reserve hasn't been deployed—having been pushed to that point, she can no longer hold back—indicating that her strength requires a specific environment to unfold, such as the ocean. The core strength of the Mage-Eyed Sovereign lies in the Eye of Persuasion. Qu Meng is the most surprising: he possesses several Sovereign-quality items and has strong offensive power, though this is all he offers. As for Panxi Edison, a top-tier Sovereign, no one would underestimate him—except perhaps this merchant guild's vice president, whose reserves have already been tested and who still fails to pose a threat to a top-tier Sovereign. Cowboy Locke believes the net is now closed. The palace master's strongest asset is the Spirit-Containment Pot, which enhances the team's resilience but cannot dictate the outcome of the battle... Winny and Chris are beyond help; even if Chris has her trump cards, she cannot alter the course of the battle... The leader and the Visionary are already at their peak output and cannot go further. What remains is Vice President Panxi, but even he can only hold his own against a peak master on equal footing. Now all they can do is pray that the opponents' gear doesn't exceed the team's tolerance. With a cold, composed expression, Stephen Simpson—dressed in a sharp suit—turned to the cowboy-like Locke and said slowly, "I want that bronze pitcher and the cloak. The rest are yours." By this, he meant that the Bio-Alchemy Guild would handle the removal of the Lawful faction's sovereign, and he would take the main share. As a peak sovereign, Major Simpson had sharp eyes—he had immediately recognized that among the Lawful faction's gear, the cloak and the bronze pitcher stood out in rank and quality. Locke glanced at the fallen "Hell Dragon" and nodded. "Agreed." The Bio-Alchemy Guild had lost one of its eight-tier sovereigns, and thus deserved compensation. Moreover, with the Initiator stepping forward to volunteer, Locke was glad to take on the light burden. Stephen Simpson withdrew a crystal sphere the size of a football, and within it, a dynamic image materialized: a colossal figure walking through the heavens and earth. Its body was infinitely tall—mountains did not reach its knees, and lakes only reached its feet. In human form, it was adorned with the heads of various wild beasts: cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, tigers, leopards, and wolves, with only one human-headed form at its neck. Its hair consisted of thick, serpentine bodies, each serpent exhaling deep purple venom that rolled through the sky, forming dense clouds that veiled the heavens. Along its body, a thick exudate flowed—when it reached lakes, it polluted them; when it flowed across the land, it left vast stretches barren. Around it, gales of wind whirled, uprooting crops and buildings, leaving devastation in its wake. Countless distorted creatures trailed behind it. As the scene shifted, the towering figure suddenly fragmented and evolved into ten distinct monsters, each with a unique appearance and form. Some resemble women with masks of keratin covering their faces; others have sheep's horns and hooves, their bodies wrapped in ethereal blue flames; some are golden lions, their forms molded like molten gold; others are dark dragons with membranous wings, perforated and intricate; some are three-headed hounds... Stephen Simpson scanned the rulers of the evil forces with a cold, impassive gaze, "All of you retreat to the edges." The three Chaos Lords, two Overlookers, and two Thunder Mages stepped back to the outer edges of the audience section, and one more step beyond that brought them to the outer tier, hundreds of meters away. Stephen Simpson then gently tossed a crystal orb toward the arena. The orb expanded in midair, encompassing the entire battlefield. The very next moment, ten spectral forms of the divine offspring of the gods materialized on the field, standing at the cardinal points—north, south, east, and west—trapping the rulers of the lawful faction in the center. [叮！You have entered the "Smokers" trial arena. Defeat ten demons to complete the trial.] [Note: During the trial, you must remain in the realm and may not return to reality or teleport away.] A voice from the Lingjing interface echoed in Zhang Yuanqing's ears. The Trial of the Smokers? Zhang Yuanqing first noticed the word "Smokers," as he had heard that name before in the "Terrifying Cruise" quest. During his time in the "Terrifying Cruise" quest, he had obtained a rule-based consumable item—the Smoker's Murmur! This consumable caused all living beings within a 50-meter radius to become contaminated and mentally disoriented, with a note specifying: remember, it affects all living beings! Zhang Yuanqing had hesitated to use this item, not wanting to risk contaminating his allies or himself. "Smokers probably refers to the Magi-Seed. Now, Lieutenant Stephen has drawn out a high-tier rule-based item whose name also contains 'Smoker'... Is it possible that the divine being of the 'Final Poisoner' profession is named Smoker?" Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing began to worry about another matter—the note now contains two instances of "must not." Generally, such absolute descriptions in rule-based items often imply strict, non-negotiable conditions. I'm not sure if the Chairman can break through the seal imposed by the rule-based artifacts. If he can't, then it will be dangerous. In the span of a thought, he saw the spectral forms of ten divine offspring gradually entering the body of Lieutenant Stephen. The peak master's stern face grew troubled, his flesh and muscles beneath his skin violently pulsing, his body rapidly swelling like a blown-up ball. Two meters, three meters, five meters, ten meters—dog-headed forms sprouted on either side of his shoulders, his hair twisted and writhed, transforming into slender black serpents; a keratin mask covered his face, lion and wild boar heads emerged on his chest; black wings unfurled behind him, blue scales rose on his arms, and mucus-like fluid flowed from his pores. His appearance was remarkably similar to the "smoker" within the crystal sphere, though his configuration was significantly lower. A slender black serpent spewed out thick, deep-violet toxic smoke, enveloping the arena above. Odorous pus, flowing like molten lava from a volcano, surged outward from its center, spreading across the solid ground. Zhang Yuanqing raised his head, gazing at the towering, deformed monster standing ten meters tall. Fear surged within him, causing his entire body to tremble—this was the overwhelming pressure of a high-tier warrior over a lower-tier one. The Mage-Eyed King exhaled, "I sensed a demi-god presence in him. Hmm, not as strong as the King of Fear, though." Demi-god presence... Zhang Yuanqing was startled. Had Lieutenant Stephen, in his transformed state as the Smoker, touched the threshold of demi-godhood? Or had he begun to exhibit even some demi-god qualities? At that moment, Panxi Edison's form flickered briefly before solidifying again. He drew in a sharp breath, "I can't get out..." Zhang Yuanqing murmured, "President, you just tried to escape, didn't you?" Pansy Edison looked back at him, saying, "In your country's terms, this is called 'a wise man knows when to act,' and 'the best strategy is to retreat.' " "You're now trapped," Zhang Yuanqing said, beaming with satisfaction. "Pull out your strongest cards—otherwise, we'll all perish together." He hoped that this peak master would also reveal a rule-based artifact, engaging in a fierce struggle with Lieutenant Stephen, thus resolving the current crisis. "I won't die," Pansy Edison countered. "I can place my body in a state of nothingness and sustain it for a long time." He added, "The aura of the Awakened has reached the half-divine stage. Though it lacks full half-divine combat power, once it touches that level, it's beyond my ability to counter." Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. Suddenly, he felt a sharp burning pain in his feet. Looking down, he saw that the foul-smelling pus, which had spread to their feet at some point, had now completely corroded his shoes and pant legs, dissolving his feet. At the same time, a thick, deep-purple toxic cloud rolled in, pressing down with the demeanor of about to crush everyone. Whether it was the pus seeping into the skin, allowing the virus to invade the body, or simply the scent of the cloud taking effect, Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of panic, with his lungs, heart, and kidneys rapidly failing. Red, swollen blisters appeared on his skin, quickly oozing pus and breaking open, leaving him with an unbearable itch all over his body. Fu Qingyang and the others exhibited the same symptoms; even Vini and Chrissy's delicate cheeks bloomed with red, swollen blisters, transforming their once-beautiful, porcelain faces into grotesque, itchy, and painful ones. Though the toxic cloud had not yet fully engulfed them, their bodies were already struggling to hold on—once completely swallowed, they would instantly lose their ability to fight. Zhang Yuanqing immediately drew forth the Golden Phoenix Seal, enduring the scorching power of the Sun God while simultaneously activating its purification function. Just as the thick wave of toxic smoke descended and fully enveloped them, streaks of golden light burst through the cloud, causing the dense, viscous purple mist to emit a series of hissing sounds Yet the toxic smoke emitted by the smoldering one was too potent, even the daily power of the sun god could not fully purify or disperse it. The Master of Zhengsha Palace gently stroked the bronze vessel, causing a golden liquid to gush from its spout, washing over her teammates' bodies. While the Life Source Liquid lacked direct antidotal effects, it could heal ruptured wounds and restore vital energy to failing organs, enabling them to endure the toxic haze. Noticing that the golden phoenix seal exerted a strong restraint upon itself, the distant, grotesque, monstrous being, whose form was both ugly and terrifying, emitted a deep, clear, and well-articulated call: "Goumang～" Zhang Yuanqing remained unaffected, steadily channeling the golden phoenix seal to maintain a consistent, bright glow. At that moment, the distant call abruptly stalled. Was he not Goumang? Vini paused, then realized the truth. Even with the aid of the sun deity's artifacts, Goumang's status could not guarantee complete immunity to the smoldering one's summons. The only possibility was that Goumang's spiritual realm ID bore a different name. Thus, he was entirely unimpeded by Wine Burnt simply couldn't figure out who this young man was—this one who had joined the aid team under the name "Shumen," and who had been wreaking havoc across Xinjiao County. Was there such a prodigy among the Five Elements Alliance? If someone had to be identified, it would likely be the Primordial Sovereign who returned to the Spiritual Realm two months ago. Yet that brilliant, independent talent had returned to the Spiritual Realm in full view of the Five Elements Alliance's senior leadership, and the Heaven's Punishment Headquarters had confirmed this fact—there was no room for doubt. When the call to "Shumen" fell on deaf ears, the "Smoker" immediately shifted his focus: "Wine Burnt!" Wine's body trembled, and beneath her skin, her flesh began to move uncontrollably, sprouting dark, greenish scales; her pupils darkened, completely covering the whites of her eyes; and bone-like spider legs emerged along her waist. She was transforming. Zhang Yuanqing felt a sharp surge of concern, swiftly drawing out the Wind-Bringer gloves, summoning a strong wind to disperse the surrounding toxic mist, allowing the clear, radiant golden light to reach her unimpeded. This "Winny Berlant!" the smoker's call came again. Winny, whose distortion had just ceased, now convulsed violently—black down sprouted across her fair skin, her abdomen swelled, and her body curved toward a full, spider-like form. Pansy Edison sighed, "We can't let him keep calling like this." One call, one distortion. Once fully transformed, the process is irreversible—she becomes a creature of diminished intellect, driven to kill, effectively dead. Pansy Edison, visibly distressed, drew forth seven materials and items: a golden amber, red sand grains, and a crystal glowing with electric arcs. He reached out, grabbed the amber, and tossed it toward the smoker, "Deal!" The deal failed. He then picked up a handful of red sand grains and tossed them toward the smoker, "Deal!" The deal failed again. Finally, he lifted the glowing crystal and tossed it toward the smoker, "Deal!" The smoker's call stopped abruptly—his lips moved, but no sound came out. Pansy Edison smiled, eyes glistening with tears, "Good luck—just three attempts, and the deal is sealed." Then he produced a stamp printed in deep blue ink, adorned with elegant patterns, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Exchange!" The remaining four materials and props vanished, reduced to ashes in the bright flame. A golden-copper glow descended upon Pansy Edison, swirling winds rushing in to form a cloak behind him. Thunderbolts crashed down, etching a lightning mark upon his brow. At that instant, Pansy Edison radiated the commanding presence of a high-tier guild master. His usual cheerful expression now became solemn and dignified. A trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes: "I've exchanged one-third of my family's assets for the peak-tier mastery powers of three professions—only for ten minutes. I hope the headmaster will cover the costs." As a peak master, his limit was to exchange for powers of the same tier. To secure powers of semi-divine rank, he would need to offer corresponding materials and props, at the cost of his life.