The poster is a sixth-tier Saint from the official team, with the ID "Luo Hua Wu Qing." He posted that he heard the spiritual realm's notification sound, chose to join the combat instance, but the notification kept stuck at "Ding—spiritual realm map loading, entering the spiritual realm in 30 seconds." It remained stuck for a full five minutes. Supernatural-level and sixth-tier Saint-level participants expressed skepticism and replied in the comments: 【Luo Hua, Executive Officer, are you doing this for experience points or for engagement metrics? I must admit, your headline caught my attention.】 【Ha ha, although we often tease behind the scenes that the spiritual realm is just the server, don't make me laugh—anything else in the world can fail, but the spiritual realm never does.】 【I’ll believe the spiritual realm has a glitch only if the sun rises from the west.】 No one believed it, and the comments were filled with light-hearted exchanges. Until Huang Taiji replied: 【The spiritual realm has indeed experienced a glitch.】 Jiang Ju exclaimed: 【Wow, so it wasn’t just me!】 Mid- and lower-level practitioners suddenly realized the situation was genuine. The spiritual realm, which has been operating for over a century, has suddenly experienced a malfunction—something that has never happened before. This has left the official practitioners both startled and exhilarated. For phenomena that break established norms or laws, people naturally feel excited—much like being thrilled when a heavy snowfall blocks mountain roads or when a widespread power outage shuts down schools. Yet Zhang Yuanqing felt neither surprised nor excited. The malfunction of the spiritual realm revealed two key realities: first, someone now has the ability to influence its operation—an unprecedented development; second, the killing quest, which was supposed to activate, has not yet begun. The significance of the first point is self-evident, but the second struck directly at his core. After enduring such patience and anticipation, waiting so long for the killing quest to launch and thereby ascend to the rank of a day-traveling deity, the very moment it mattered, the spiritual realm failed? Zhang Yuanqing sensed that someone was deliberately targeting him. Thus, he stepped out of the forum and dialed the chairman's phone, but it went unanswered. Given the severity of the incident, the chairman must have gone to the Lingjing to assess the situation, so he switched to messaging. Anxious and waiting, the repeated prompts echoed in his ears, as if the Lingjing were frozen—its combat quest remained unlaunched. Zhang Yuanqing reopened the forum. The forums of the Wu-Xing Alliance and Tianfa were abuzz with discussions, their activity surpassing even that of the Fenglei Twin Deities' events. Everyone found the Lingjing's malfunction utterly astonishing. Mid-to-senior management began to feel a growing sense of unease. The Aid Team Group Chat. 【Heaven's Return to Fire: Have you checked the forum? The Lingjing is experiencing a failure—the combat quest hasn't launched. @Gengmang】 【Gengmang: Confirmed.】 【Sun Miao Miao: What's going on? Yuan Ting, go find out.】 【Yuan Ting: ??? Who should I ask? The Lingjing itself? Sun Miaomiao and Yuan Ting joked and bantered in the aid team group chat to ease their anxiety, while in the "The Departed Return" group chat, Tianxia Guihuo was bubbling over with activity: [We just resolved the Wind and Thunder Deities incident, but now the Spiritual Realm has another malfunction—I’m starting to feel uneasy. The storm is gathering, the wind is full of momentum.] [Zhao Chenghuang: Do you suspect another plot by the Evil Faction? Well, that’s certainly possible—something that could affect the Spiritual Realm and instill fear and unease in people. What exactly is their objective this time?] Currently, aside from the lingering issue with the Killing Quest, everything else appears normal. [Guan Ya: Given the current situation, it’s possible they’re trying to intervene in the arrival of the Killing Quest, even canceling this one entirely. Alternatively, the current malfunction might just be the beginning—there could be even greater developments ahead.] [Xiahou Aotian: What? Canceling this Killing Quest? That can’t happen. I’ve already decided to participate in the Killing Quest at the end of the year. If I don’t make it past December, I Has the Evil Faction anticipated the emergence of a great being and thus moved ahead strategically? Hu Xue Ao Tian had already reached Level 6 at the time of the Cliff Mountain Sea, and after several months of accumulation, he is now at the peak of a Saint. However, as a Scholar, he doesn't achieve prominence through martial prowess and thus lacks visibility. [Red Chicken Brother: Even if the Evil Faction moves ahead, they're preparing against the Primordial Immortal—what does that have to do with you, Xue Ao Tian? Just stay focused on tightening your screws in Song Sea, and stop being so uncoordinated.] After two months of refinement, Red Chicken Brother has grown more composed and steady. The two have started clashing within the group. Hu Xue Ao Tian has declared his intention to launch his newly-developed aircraft carrier to destroy Red Chicken Brother, who is currently making a desperate retreat. [All Under Fire: The Primordial Immortal's level makes such a scenario unlikely!] [Meng Mang: @Hu Xue Ao Tian, are you planning to enter a combat instance? You're just a scholar—why didn't you say so earlier?] Zhang Yuanqing felt a headache. If Xiahou Aotian also entered the killing quest, he would definitely be supporting the main character's ascension to the Sovereign rank—after all, the main character was family, someone who could be used and summoned at will. Even if Yin Ji and Huang Taidi had the closest ties, they still remained outside the core team, separated by a layer of distance. "Zhang Yuanqing expressed his concerns: 'I think Lingtuo is working against me, trying to prevent my promotion to the Day Traveler.' Fu Qingyang remained silent. 'Big boss, why aren't you saying anything?' '...Too confident,' Fu Qingyang said coldly. 'Based on Lingtuo's past strategies and approach, every time he acts, he always has a broader, more far-reaching goal in mind. When you initially had the celestial Yin fragments that he absolutely needed, he didn't target you directly, but instead incorporated you into his overall plan, handling you as a convenient step. This time, he must have even greater intentions—hindering your promotion to the Day Traveler is merely a convenient side move.' Zhang Yuanqing thought it over and realized it was true. Whether it was the judges' committee's ambush or the arena's setup, he wasn't the primary target, but rather a key part of the celestial Yin Sovereign's strategic plan. 'What in the world is the Evil faction plotting now?' Zhang Yuanqing groaned, gritting his teeth. Fu Qingyang was a scout, strategic in mind, and said, "In fact, there are clear traces of progress. Do you remember retrieving a key piece of information from the memory of the wargiant Hase? The Free Alliance initiated a campaign of inter-theater warfare, with its true objective being the Church of the Sea God. Yet until today, the evil faction has not launched any direct attacks on the Church of the Sea God. Now that the Wind and Thunder deities have fallen, and the strength of the semi-divine forces in the first region has never been so weakened, this is precisely the moment to strike against the Church of the Sea God." Indeed, if that were the case, the evil faction was advancing step by step, interlocking its strategies with precision—so formidable that it evoked fear. Yet why did I lack such strategic foresight? Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes, "But what is the connection between the malfunction of the Spiritual Realm and the campaign against the Church of the Sea God?" This question, Fu Qingyang could not answer. Even Fu Qingxuan could not anticipate the plans of the Spiritual Realm, let alone him. Perhaps, the evil faction had other plans, other objectives. Zhang Yuanqing said, "But thanks to your reminder, I now realize we can't afford to overlook this. I'll immediately inform Wei Ni, so she can notify the Sea God Church to prepare." After hanging up, he stood up and walked toward the door. ... The Spiritual Realm. Vast and boundless, the "starry sky" stretched endlessly, with the Moon completely transformed into a colossal black hole. Its powerful gravitational pull drew the star-like representations of the realms, causing them to spin and collide. Some realms fused together through collisions, others vanished into nothingness, while many more were gradually pulled into the black hole, disappearing without a trace. The once-ordered and stable operation of the Spiritual Realm, which had functioned smoothly for a century, now faced unprecedented chaos. The starlight ignited the realms, turning them into brilliant river-like streaks of light—yet this only slowed the rate of consumption and the spread of darkness. At that moment, a towering divine figure appeared in the eastern horizon, dressed in a long green robe, crowned with a floral headdress, his face somewhat blurred. He held a willow branch in his hands and rode a majestic deer. A vibrant green light dispels darkness, illuminating the east. At the west, a towering divine silhouette appears, clad in bronze armor and draped in a white cloak, standing with a sword in hand, with luminous streaks of brilliant silver-gold qi swirling around him. At his feet, a white-bodied, eye-gazing tiger lies in reverence. A solemn, martial aura permeates the west. In the south, a majestic ethereal form rises—a elemental deity with long hair and beard, wearing a robe of flame and crowned with a deep red diadem, his features noble and his eyes blazing with fury. This is the Flame Emperor manifesting as Jiang's master, now different from his previous appearance: this time, the Flame Emperor walks upon two coiling fire dragons. The intense heat radiates strongly toward the south. Opposite, in the north, a roar of waves rises, with waves of damp, dark qi flowing like a rushing river. Upon the surging surface, a black-robed emperor stands, composed entirely of prime aquatic energy, his facial features and garments flowing like water. Behind him, a massive black-scaled serpent coils, its head resting beside his form, its gaze sharp and imposing. The stars surged and ebbed, carrying a faint, detached voice: "Lin Tuo, you wish to obscure the spiritual realm's quest, severing the path for future generations—what a bold, imaginative notion. Within the spiritual realm, scholars oversee creation; musicians govern life; the Void masters space and trade; wind and thunder are unified; the Beauty Deity rules desire; sea spirits manage calamities. Yet all of this rests upon the Five Elements—the very foundation of the spiritual realm. Lin Tuo, do you truly believe that merely achieving the phase of Tai Yin grants you such authority that no one can challenge you?" The five imperial silhouettes simultaneously turned their gaze toward the vast black moon, their voices resonating with majestic, layered power: "Set!" The countless "stars" in the sky instantly absorbed the hues of the Five Elements, growing profoundly heavy—unyielding, even as the black hole relentlessly pulled at them. ... Just as Zhang Yuanqing grasped the door handle, the ambient spiritual realm notification suddenly shifted: [Generating spiritual realm quest... Ding. Generation complete!] The灵境 you have entered this time is "World Museum," ID: 0000. Difficulty Level: Unknown. Type: Multiplayer (Death-based). Main Objective: Survive for 72 hours. Note: Non-ling境 items cannot be brought in. [Introduction for Lingjing 0000: Recently, a major disaster struck the Lingjing world, causing widespread disorder and chaos. Museum items came to life during the disaster, now behaving erratically and posing dangers. Strive to survive.]