Rod shook his head: "His responses have been tailored to meet my expectations, indicating no genuine remorse—his cognitive distortions are severe, and the likelihood of restoring normalcy is extremely slim." Milton gently stroked the cat's back and said slowly: "The tool that causes cognitive distortion belongs to the profession of the alcoholic—the distortions of alcoholics are recoverable, which differs from the rule-based artifact, the Fallen Cup, in the Second District. "However, Channing Lu's presence is so elevated that conventional methods struggle to eliminate the distortion. It takes considerable effort to cultivate a Master of Level Eight through divine punishment. As long as there's any hope, we should all strive to pursue it. "That is precisely the stance of both the Chief Officers and the Board." Rod nodded: "Understood. By the way, Mr. Prosecutor, Sean Med has arrived at headquarters—how should we handle him? And what about the senior executives who have been in romantic relationships with Tanja but have not paid the price?" Tanja's lovers are not limited to the New Covenant County—some senior executives at headquarters have maintained long-term romantic relationships with her. Milton spoke firmly, "Most have already paid their price. Those who haven't—hand them over to the Goddess Association. Once the price is lifted, demote them all and reduce their salaries. Hmph, how utterly foolish these people are to even aspire to power." Extracting a price was one of the most powerful tools of the Desire Professions. No mere purification by the Day God could erase such an imprint; only higher-ranking Desire Professions could accomplish that. Milton did not mind if organizational members shared beds with Desire Professions—he was furious at those who allowed them to retain the right to extract a price, a course of action so absurdly impractical. A wise person should pay the price immediately upon forming a relationship, eliminating any lingering risks. Rod smiled, "The open positions are perfect for Vinny Burnt. She's performed exceptionally well during the faction conflicts—arrested Channing Lu, uncovered a group of spies, and yesterday teamed up with Chris to defeat a Level Eight Sovereign. Her achievements are truly outstanding. Once the faction war concludes, it's time to bring her back to headquarters." "Milton" nodded, suddenly saying, "The president of the Merchant Guild completely doesn't trust us. If this operation can team up with the Divine Judgment, the campaign of the New Covenant region will be over." Rod chuckled, "Don't even mention us—he doesn't trust the members of the Merchant Guild either. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed hidden in the second district all this time." Milton waved a hand, "Let's set that aside. Have Channing prepare—he'll enter the instance in half an hour." ... The Confinement Chamber. Channing Lu, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, heard the ambient spiritual realm notification sound drifting through the air. He waited silently until the countdown ended, then opened his eyes to find himself no longer in the chamber—but instead in an ancient palace floating above the clouds. The palace rested on a massive conical stone foundation, with no roof, and towering gray-white stone pillars rising into the blue sky. Each pillar stood over a hundred meters tall, with a diameter exceeding eight meters. Magnificent and imposing, yet simple and rustic—it seemed as though a city built by ancient giants had been lifted into the sky. This is the 15th Spiritual Realm—the Palace of the Thunder God. Qian Ning Lu finds himself within, much like an old mouse that has accidentally wandered into a human palace. He looks around, only seeing gray-white stone pillars and a clear blue sky, still and silent, with no breeze. Qian Ning Lu takes a deep breath and begins to move forward, his steps echoing with the gentle clink of chains. After walking for a full fifteen minutes, he hears a steady rumble of thunder—slow, languid collisions of lightning, not particularly loud, yet continuous. After another several hundred meters, a bright blue light bursts forth, and before him, a deep, still pool appears, framed by the gray-white pillars. The pool resembles a small lake, its waters swirling with clouds and bursting with electric plasma. Countless streaks of lightning continuously flare and fade, the plasma so dense it seems to blend into the water itself. This is the Thunder Pool. According to the description of the Realm, in ancient times, the natural power of lightning condensed and coalesced into this single pool. Over tens of thousands of years, the pool nurtured and gave birth to a primordial deity—the Thunder God. Thor built a palace centered around the Thunder Pool and resides there permanently. Qin Ning Lu is well aware that the Thunder Pool is actually a semi-divine artifact—the highest-ranking item in the spiritual realm. Since ten years ago, when the CEO of the Heavenly Judgment was nearly killed in a surprise ambush, he has frequently resided in the Thunder Pool, sleeping there both to recover from his injuries and to nurture his spiritual energy, aiming to advance to a higher level. The Thunder Pool concentrates the essence of thunder-based spiritual energy, much like life essence is to a musician for a harpist. Therefore, it is necessary for individuals to undergo purification by the power of the Sun God within the Pool. Of course, one must possess a position of authority to enter the Thunder Pool; even a Thunder Mage beneath such a rank would be incinerated by the plasma within, reduced to ash. Standing by the side of the Thunder Pool is a robust figure dressed in a white martial arts robe of distinctly Eastern style, his broad chest fully supporting the loose collar, his white eyebrows like blades sweeping across his temples, and a golden sun disc gleaming upon his forehead. Overall, the impression is one of dignity, strictness, and severity. This man is Master Grand Elder Chiji Xingguan of the Taiyuan Sect. Upon seeing Qian Ning Lu arrive, Master Chiji Xingguan maintains a serious expression, gazing at him silently, his brown eyes tinged with gold, like two bright, shimmering pearls. Under the weight of this gaze, Qian Ning Lu feels an acute sense of unease, as though he were a mere pathogen in a gutter, suddenly exposed to the sunlight. At this moment, Master Chiji Xingguan shifts his gaze to Lei Chi, and speaks with a resonant voice that surpasses the rumbling thunder: "He fears the power of the Sun God, feels remorse, and still has a chance." The response from within the Lei Chi resonates with powerful, layered echoes, seeming to come from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint the source: "Qian Ning Lu, enter the pool!" Qian Ning Lu is startled, his spine bristling with sweat, feeling deeply observed. He knows that the one observing him is the chief prosecutor within the Lei Chi—the present-day Thunder God. Hush... Channing Lu took a step, dragging the chain forward, and reached the edge of the thunder pool. He looked down at the blazing plasma and stormy clouds swirling within the pool, took a deep breath, and spoke clearly: "Chief, six years ago, I came here. I had just been promoted to Master then, and by custom, I visited the thunder pool to pay my respects. Do you remember how you evaluated me back then?" The thunder pool remained silent, with only deep rumblings beneath. Channing Lu smiled and continued on his own: "You said I was smooth in my dealings, but lacked fairness, lacking vigor and firmness. You deemed me unfit for the position of prosecutor and excluded me from the prosecutor system. So I ended up joining the board. For years, I remained unable to truly exercise authority, merely coordinating between the two systems in the New Covenant County." The thunder pool remained still, as if unimpressed. Channing Lu said nothing further, leaped into the pool. "Boom!" A series of tree-like lightning surged together, enveloping Qianning Lu in brilliant plasma that turned his clothing to ash and melted his handcuffs and footcuffs into molten iron. The dense, surging electrical spiritual energy flowed like a tide, violently impacting his body. He opened his mouth in agony, emitting piercing, heart-wrenching cries. As the electrical energy continuously poured into him, his flesh gradually glowed a clear, luminous blue, revealing his bones and organs with vivid clarity. Bright blue light burst from his eyes, and radiant beams of light erupted from his mouth. In an instant, Qianning Lu transformed from a mortal body into an "elemental being," becoming a spirit of lightning. The Thunder Pool granted him a new form of life, enabling him to ignore most elemental attacks. Seeing this, the red-sun magistrate by the pool immediately embraced him, his blazing solar mark on his forehead shining with golden light. A clear and luminous column of light descended from the heavens, striking Qian Cheng Lu. While the thunder-based spiritual power was already formidable, the power of the Sun God was even more overwhelming, dispersing the surrounding plasma and creating a vacuum zone several meters in diameter. The very next moment, the plasma surged like a tide, filling the void once again. Qian Cheng Lu, engulfed by the golden beam, cried out with ever-increasing intensity. For spiritual travelers who were not Sun God worshippers, the Sun God's power—cleansing body and soul—was among the most severe punishments in the world. Mr. Chairman glanced at the bookshelf, finally settling on the book in her hands, and casually asked, "What does 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' convey?" Fu Qingxuan replied coldly, "It's about people who enter a house without knocking—those who have children born with pig tails, who spend their entire lives alone and never find companionship." Mr. Chairman shrugged, "Your interpretation of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' is the most unique I've ever heard. Well, I'll cover the costs." He raised his hand, palm out, and plucked a vibrant red stamp from the air. "This is a Class B exchange voucher from the Universal Marketplace. It allows you to exchange for items of the same level. If you hold administrative privileges in another profession, you can use it to upgrade to the Scout profession's administrative rank—making you the first 11th-level half-god in the Five Elements Alliance. Of course, this is contingent upon the existence of a Scout administrative position within the Universal Marketplace." Fu Qingxuan furrowed her brows. "I'd prefer a Class A exchange voucher." "Mr. Chairman, with a sigh of resignation, said, "The A-class exchange tickets have been exhausted, and at least in the near term, there won't be any more. You may keep them for now. Should the B-class exchange tickets still be available later, you can use them to exchange for A-class tickets from me." A-class exchange tickets allow you to trade items of equal rank for equivalent combat power—specifically, one item for three—offering excellent value, though they are consumed once used. B-class exchange tickets work on a barter basis: you trade surplus resources you currently hold for the resources you need, which doesn't allow for such a one-for-three advantage, but ensures that the items remain available. Fu Qingxuan pondered for a moment, then reluctantly accepted the B-class exchange tickets. "How did your first encounter with a half-divine from the First Region go?" Mr. Chairman reached into the void and produced two highball glasses and a bottle of red wine, then personally poured a glass for the youngest half-divine. "It was quite elaborate and impressive, but I still couldn't manage to defeat him." Fu Qingxuan was straightforward. "And among the First Region, there are three others like him "The President remarked with a sense of nostalgia, 'Look at the half-gods of the Lawful faction—besides the two leading figures of the Star Sovereign and the Divine Judgment, all the others are rather underwhelming.' Fu Qingxuan, the underwhelming half-god, gave him a cold glance. Though swordmasters are never easily defeated, Fu had to admit that the quality of the Lawful faction's half-gods surpassed that of the Chaotic faction. Indeed, Chaotic professions were inherently stronger, and their levels were even higher. Frowning, she said, 'I'm not sure about the other Lawful professions, but the administrative privileges of the Five Elemental roles—Earth, Wood, Water, Fire, and Metal—seem to have simply vanished. As a result, including myself, the Grand Marshals have been unable to advance for a long time.' 'You are the only half-god among the Void-based professions. If you truly care about the future of the Lawful faction, then help us find these lost treasures.' The President gently stirred his highball, allowing the liquid to blend thoroughly with the air. 'It's indeed puzzling. Since the emergence of the Spiritual Realm, there has only ever been one set of half Fu Qingxuan said, "We suspect that the semi-divine items from the five major professions were sealed within the 19th spiritual realm—The Secret of the Five Elements. That realm operates at the Sovereign stage, and we were unable to enter it. The 19th realm appears infrequently; according to Zhao family intelligence, one of their Sovereigns once successfully completed the quest. The boss within the realm consists of five, each corresponding to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. 'Deep within the realm, they discovered a chasm, seemingly sealing something of great importance. However, due to their insufficient status, they dared not venture further into it.' The Chairman nodded slightly, 'I'll make inquiries on your behalf.' A soft laugh came through the silver mask, 'The fact that you've shared such valuable intelligence suggests you're quite satisfied with this collaboration. I trust only a few semi-divine beings, and you are one of them.' Fu Qingxuan furrowed her brows slightly. 'Fu Qingyang has already reported to me the details of the battles within the realm. If you can collaborate with Tianfa, the evil faction in the first region has already suffered significant setbacks.' "Mr. Chairman chuckled, "The more likely scenario is that you'll lose one of your brothers and return to Fu's household for a banquet." Fu Qingxuan asked curiously, "Why do you hold such vigilance over the lawful-tier demi-gods, especially Tianfa?" Mr. Chairman sighed lightly, "Because Tianfa has serious issues."