The Mu Sect's Machine City. At the dense forest entrance by the mountain slope, Zhang Yuanqing held a golden shield, his legs firmly planted in a stable stance, his knees slightly bent, deflecting arrows shot directly at him. Ten meters away, three Mountain Maidens leaned slightly back, drawing their bows, their fresh, jade-like fingers emitting streams of golden light that coalesced into arrows. With each arrow released, a gust of wind lifted their elegant skirts and gently brushed their flowing hair—both graceful and dynamic. "Clang! Clang! Clang!" The arrows struck the shield, producing deep, sharp sounds, scattering golden fragments. Suddenly, the three Mountain Maidens withdrew their bows and arrows. In an instant, they surged forward, reaching Zhang Yuanqing's side, their palms radiating and swirling with golden light, forming a three-foot-long blade that plunged toward the disciple's abdomen. Zhang Yuanqing swiftly shifted his shield to block, while with his other hand he summoned a long sword, advancing to strike the three Maidens' chests. The old sturdy one neither dodged nor retreated, maintaining a posture as if her chest could withstand the blade's edge, and she pressed straight forward, her sword aimed at Zhang Yuanqing's neck. Zhang Yuanqing, unable to resist, raised his sword and stepped back on the iron platform, just as he was about to straighten up and deliver a flying kick to his opponent, the elder boulder suddenly withdrew his sword and said coldly, "Yin Yao, forty lashes!" They agreed: the blade against the sword, the spear against the staff, the shield against the bow and arrow—this way to refine their mastery of the Sun God's power. "Once truly perfected, the weapons will gather spontaneously, requiring no preparation time," the elder remarked calmly. "But what about the twenty lashes? How could you personally add more rounds?" Zhang Yuanqing remained unconvinced. "What do you mean by 'adding rounds'?," the elder frowned and scolded, "Stop using worldly expressions! The additional twenty lashes were for your retreat—your repeated hesitations, which I've emphasized time and again. To achieve the pinnacle of the Sun God's power, one must possess a resolute, unyielding character—firm, ambitious, unyielding, refusing to bend or yield. If you lack the courage to face total destruction, how can you possibly cultivate the Sun God's power?" She knew Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn was not lacking in resolve, but he was usually smooth and adaptable, unwilling to suffer losses or engage in direct, forceful confrontation—thus, lacking in that very boldness. Before Zhang Yuanqing could explain, the elder budge continued to reprimand: "Yin Yao mentioned to me that your nickname among the wanderers is 'Lord of the Props.' You're equipped with all sorts of ornate implements, and with the Star Official's combat style, you naturally favor using tools and operating from the backlines. Many gifted Night Wanderers encounter a bottleneck when advancing to the Golden Sun rank—precisely because they struggle to shed their established combat habits and mindset, delaying their ability to fuse the power of the Sun God and achieve the form of the Golden Sun. The Travelers of the Spirit Realm receive a character card upon enlightenment, so they don't have to worry about breakthroughs. However, if you fail to transform your habits and align with the power of the Sun God, even if you become a sovereign, you will still fail to stand out." Zhang Yuanqing was fully convinced. "Master's words are indeed sound." He glanced at the long whip swirling with阴气, swallowed hard, and said, "Could the forty lashes be recorded? Give me a few more days, Master. If not by then..." Lady Yin Yao gave a sharp "Hoo!" "Any negotiation at all is proof of lack of authority. I suggest Master add ten more rounds." ...Zhang Yuanqing loudly declared, "I willingly accept the penalty!" Lady Yin Yao, you old sixth-rate! Lady Yin Yao waved the whip, clapping the master with delight. The Lady of San Dao watched silently, saying, "There are still seven days until the killing quest begins. I hope you emerge victorious over the majority of your peers on the Day of the Golden Bird. Otherwise, you won't be worthy of being my disciple." Having her first child late in life, she held far higher expectations of Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun than of Lady Yin Yao. With Lady Yin Yao now considered a failure, the future of the latter would entirely depend on Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun's achievements. ...The Commander of the Army. In the western northwest, amidst the desert, scattered earth houses stood haphazardly, forming an outwardly humble village. Among the Eight Divine Generals, the remaining proud General, the wrathful General, and the six-fingered General journeyed together through the narrow village path to the scenic overlook on the mountain slope. King of Fear and King of the Magic Eye sat at a round table drinking wine, with a stack of braised soybean sprouts, a stack of braised peanuts, and a platter of pig head, pig tongue, and pig ear meat arranged before them. The six-fingered General asked first: "Your Majesty, what is your command?" If there's no command, I'll be back to shaking the dice. The six-fingered General is utterly devoted to gambling; just moments ago, he was engaged in a group game with the monastic community, and was summoned by King of Fear on the phone, leaving him deeply impatient and annoyed. Wearing a suit and adorned with silver ear studs, King of Fear peeled soybean sprouts while asking, "As per Silver Moon's report, you three intend to join the combat raid quest?" The six-fingered General nodded: "The Primordial Sovereign has passed away, and Fu Qingyang has ascended to the rank of Sovereign through the combat raids during the mid-year season. "I bet that this time, the Commander of the Army will definitely add one more Heavenly King to the list," said the Heavenly King with Mysterious Eyes, chuckling. "Do you think you can overcome your own fear, or me, or one of the two—The Ghost Blade and the Spirit Blade? No matter how many commanders the Army has, there will always be only four Heavenly Kings." The three Heavenly Generals looked unconvinced but dared not argue. "The King of Fear exhaled, "He is a peak Sage, possessing the abilities of both the Night-Wanderer and the Illusionist. He has an abundance of top-tier equipment at the Sage level, supported by fellow Sages of comparable rank, including Yin-Shi and Spirit Servants. At the Sage level, no force can eliminate him—neither can rule-type items. Once we realize we cannot stop him, we must simply avoid him. "A 7th-level Sovereign may influence the situation, but not the overall outcome. Even if he emulates Fu Qingxuan, he'll need a full year to develop—something the Lawful-aligned factions simply cannot afford." However, he doesn't intend to inform the Spiritual Council or the Void Sect of this development. Weakening their mid-level leadership is no detriment. "The Mage-Eye seized the opportunity to inquire: 'What plans does the evil faction have next?' The King of Fear smiled gently: 'None. Just live well.' The Mage-Eye King: 'Hm.' The King of Fear: 'Hm.' ... In the capital, at the Taiyuan Gate. Inside the quadrangle courtyard steeped in historical atmosphere, Yin Ji sat cross-legged under the shade of a tree, a golden orb resting on her knees. Subtle threads of pale golden energy emanated from the orb, entering her nasal passages with each breath and refining her internal organs. This was the residence of the Red-Stream Elder. As the killing quest drew near, Yin Ji had moved from her upscale apartment to her teacher's home, following her to practice the Pure Yang Body-Cleansing Record. Primarily, she was harnessing the Elder's solar divine power. After the physical dissolution of the Red-Sun Official, Taiyuan Gate suddenly became bustling—Elders went out daily, either handling gate affairs or meeting with senior officials of the Five Elements Alliance. The pace had become swift and intense, as if a great battle were imminent. Following the Wind and Thunder Divine Events, the Lawful faction realized that the era of peace had come to an end, and in the years ahead, the Evil faction's schemes and actions would follow one after another. Some matters now required proactive preparation—passive acceptance was no longer an option. After practicing for a full fifteen minutes, Yin Ji, drenched in sweat, came to a halt. Her face was flushed, beads of sweat glistening at her nose, her hair pressed tightly against her cheeks. Any further practice would scorch her internal organs with the power of the Sun God. "Where did you acquire this secret technique?" asked the Red-Stream Elder, her voice coming from beside her. "Exquisite and refined—indeed, a method perfected through centuries of refinement by ancient cultivators. I've studied it for several days, and I'm certain it ranks as equivalent to a primary cultivation method. Should you submit it to the sect, you'll be entitled to exchange for a top-tier item, and your chances of successfully completing the Killing Quest will greatly improve." Yin Ji's expression darkened. "The *Pure Yang Body-Cleansing Record* was purchased directly from the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. It's strictly for my "Senior Hong Ying has an extremely high moral standard. Hearing the student's words, he no longer insists and instead says, 'You have the Pure Yang Washing Body Record to accompany you, which gives you a slight chance of ascending to the Sovereign rank—still, it's not very promising. Whether it's Jiang Ju or Huang Taiji, both rely on their bloodline strengths and are slightly stronger than you, not to mention the peak Sovereigns from the evil professions. There are only three Sovereign-level slots available. Alas, if Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun hadn't passed away, given your close relationship with him, you would have been guaranteed at least one of those three spots.' Her brows and eyes remained as cool and graceful, yet now carried a touch of unearthly charm—when she applied a deep black lip gloss, she was truly a bewitching, radiant fairy. "Then he no longer has you in his heart," Kou Beiyue sneered, "I'll snap his head off." Xiao Yuan studied him for a moment, then smiled, "After being the head of the group for several months, have you even forgotten your own surname?" Kou Beiyue huffed, "I'm just here to check things off my list—there's nothing else to do. I'm leaving now." ... The Five Elements Alliance F4 Group Chat. Group leader Ling Jun popped in: [@Jiang Ju @Huang Taiji, can either of you make it to the rank of Sovereign this year?] The chat group was established by the Flower Prince. The other three princes couldn't stand the group name and usually refused to pop in. [Jiang Ju: Could you please rename the group chat? I've said this over and over—I'd rather take a taxi and beat you up.] [Huang Taiji: Jiang Ju is fine, though I find it a bit difficult.] Huang Taiji has been a persistent casualty in the Killing Campaigns, entering every year but never advancing—this is a drawback inherent to his profession. He produces less output, rarely securing top scores, yet he never faces 【Lingjun: It's a pity. If Yuanshi were still here, relying solely on your father-son bond, he'd definitely ensure your promotion. Honestly, if Yuanshi were here, I'd probably be the one he'd prioritize.】 【Fu Qingyang: Are you still not attending this time?】 【Lingjun: Life is short; there are so many beautiful things to cherish. Promotion is one of the less essential matters. To risk everything for it isn't the choice of a wise person.】 【Fu Qingyang: Oh, just don't regret it.】