"Why is it impossible? Even Lingtuo said that was just stubbornness." Zhang Yuanqing found himself puzzled by his uncle's reaction. His uncle remained silent, his expression shifting between gloomy and uncertain. After a few seconds, he sat down again, deliberately steering the conversation: "It's certainly a good thing that we've managed to overcome the evil faction's schemes. Yuanzi, since the Wind and Thunder Divine Beings incident, and the subsequent disaster caused by the disappearance of moral value, the Order-aligned faction has been finding it increasingly difficult to respond. Last time, five of our Grand Masters had to draw upon their very best reserves to handle the Wind and Thunder Divine Beings. This time, it's simply a fortunate accident—by chance—restoring the moral value. What about the third time? Can the third attempt land smoothly?" "Uncle plucked another bottle of ice cola from the void and tossed it into Zhan Yuanqing's arms, saying, 'There's a way to rapidly advance—Fu Qingxuan is the perfect example. Before her, no one in the Spirit Realm had ever risen from Master to Half-Deity within just one year.' Tsk! Zhan Yuanqing twisted off the bottle cap. 'Do you mean entering a guild dungeon?' Uncle nodded. 'Guild dungeons don't require matching time. As long as you can withstand the intensity of high-difficulty dungeons, you can advance just like Fu Qingxuan.' Zhan Yuanqing's mind stirred. 'Did the Demon King also use the same method?' Otherwise, how could he have swiftly advanced from early Master to peak Master within a short span, qualifying for the rank of Solar Master? Uncle nodded, gently swirling his red wine glass, and said: "Last year, I invited him to the Free Federation with the intention of joining the Mei Shen Association, aiming for rapid advancement through the association's faction dungeons. Indeed, the Magus King is a rare talent—he achieved promotion from Level 7 Sovereign to the peak of Level 9 in just six months. With his qualifications, he could easily replicate Fu Qingxuan's path. Yet, he doesn't have Fu Qingxuan's fortune. After the former Marshal returned to the Spiritual Realm, the half-divine authority remained within the faction dungeons, where, through trials, it naturally ascended to half-divine status. However, as for the Ye You Shen occupation, both the Yin and the Star aspects were already established. At that time, Yin had not yet taken its rightful place, and the Sun dungeon had not yet opened, thus he remained stalled at the peak Sovereign level." "Turns out the Mage King originally came from the Free Federation to accelerate his advancement—back then, I thought he was solely driven by the desire to sleep women. Indeed, as a fallen one, he couldn't join the official organizations, thus unable to access their faction dungeons. The Ghost-Eyed Judge, as the sovereign of the Spirit Energy Society's Eastern Branch, simply couldn't afford to support the Mage King's progression. So it seems the Mei Shen Association invited me from the Free Federation for the same reason... Zhang Yuanqing seemed to have something on his mind, saying, 'Uncle, did you also ascend to the status of a half-god in a similar way?' The family's fallen member had already reached half-god status twenty years ago, when he was only in his thirties. Theoretically, unless one was born with the innate ability of a Spirit Realm traveler, it's quite rare to achieve half-god status by thirty. Uncle shrugged, 'Well, I suppose so. In my younger days, I was a member of the Mei Shen Association's faction. I did leverage the faction dungeons to speed up my progression—though not as extreme as Fu Qingxuan. I took five years to go from Sovereign to Fu Qingxuan's potential is outstanding even among the half-gods—she has not advanced beyond the first rank not because of her talent, but because the Five Elements Mandates have gone missing. For a century, only one of the five half-god mandates—representing the five elemental professions of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—has surfaced. Five uncles equal one cousin! Zhang Yuanqing now has a clear picture. The family's outcast sipped a glass of red wine and spoke with confidence: "I've already laid out a clear path for you. The Muse Association has existed for a century, and its lower-tier dungeons have long since been fully explored. The uncharted A- and S-tier dungeons, thanks to the efforts of generations of members, are now dwindling. The association's factional dungeons are insufficient to support your ascension to the peak dominator rank, so you will need to serve as a dual-loyal subordinate—first return to your homeland to join the White Tiger Army, enter their challenging dungeons, and then later leave the White Tiger Army to rejoin the Muse Association. This should be enough to propel you to the peak dominator rank. I've already secured the support of The White Tiger's army, much like the Beauty Deity Association, has few unexplored, high-difficulty dungeons left—none of them individually sufficient to support Zhang Yuanqing's ascension to the peak dominator rank. Even the dungeons already conquered yield only modest experience points upon completion, which, in the uncle's view, are simply a waste of effort and time. As long as Zhang Yuanqing reaches the peak dominator rank, he'll not only agree to serve as a loyal servant to both families, but even to both families' servants—serving under both. Zhang Yuanqing lounges with his legs crossed, sipping his cola steadily, speaking casually. "I understand. After I return home, I'll go find my cousin, Uncle. What will come next?" Previously, he had to maintain the most basic formality before the chairman. Now, having opened up fully, he no longer feels the need to perform. The uncle glanced out at the dark night sky beyond the window, and spoke solemnly. "Upon our return, we will officially announce our departure from the Five Elements Alliance, consolidate the Machinery Technology Company, the Zhishi Palace, the Ji Shi Society, and the Society of the Departed, and establish our own independent Moreover, you now command considerable influence in the First Region, and the grassroots forces of Xin Yue Prefecture can be rallied to become allied and peripheral powers. "The Merchant Guild and the Goddess Association will jointly endorse you. Thus, you will connect with merchants and the Goddesses above, oversee Zhishi Palace and Jishi Society in the middle, and link with the grassroots organizations of the First and Second Regions below—establishing yourself as a true major figure in the Spiritual Realm." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled, "Will that make you too conspicuous?" He remembered the words the Magus King had emphasized—never to make himself the central focus. The family's outcast remarked calmly, "Do you think, by staying humble, the Lingtuo and the Evil factions will overlook you? Once you ascend to the peak of Dominance and qualify for a challenge to the Solar Master, even then, Lingtuo or the Taimei Grand Master will take notice. Conversely, if you remain merely a regular Dominance-level figure, no matter how prominent you appear, the Half-Deities will pay you little attention." "You're already a sovereign, with the credentials to stand independently and establish your own power base—there's no need to position yourself as the central figure." Zhang Yuanqing pondered, nodding in agreement with his uncle's assessment. He truly needed to build his own faction. Over the past year, every time a challenge arose, he had habitually relied on Fu Qingyang—drawing on resources, intelligence, and support all provided by the elder leader. While Fu Qingyang never expressed reluctance and would continue to offer his assistance, Zhang Yuanqing occasionally envisioned himself becoming the kind of powerful figure Fu Qingyang had become—one who commands resources and influence, and who in turn becomes the one the elder depends on. Only by becoming a peer of the elder could he truly honor the trust and cultivation he had received. To seek vengeance against the Void Sect and Ling Tuo, however, would not be possible through solo efforts—establishing his own power base was essential. Uncle continued, "You specialize in the Sun, far stronger than an ordinary solar deity, yet you're still in the early stages of attaining mastery—your strength remains insufficient. Therefore, moving forward, you must become a dual-domain master." He pointed to Zhang Yuanqing's heart. "I'll personally activate the partial seals on the Phantom God's heart, giving you ten minutes to stabilize yourself." Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand to cover his chest, all the more appreciating the profound intent behind Master Wuhen's desperate efforts to bring Phantom God artifacts out from the Spiritual Realm. Death tolls nationwide reached as high as sixty thousand, with the figures being more exaggerated in poorer, less developed regions. In well-developed areas, official "spirit realm practitioners" are numerous, well-trained, and effective at minimizing losses; in contrast, in poorer and more remote areas, people can only watch helplessly as these practitioners plague the populace until their moral integrity is restored and they eventually fade away. This crisis has directly paralyzed transportation and healthcare systems, closed most public facilities, suspended schools, and led companies to take holidays—entire society now operates in a state of partial shutdown. The meeting secretary, like a machine devoid of emotion, reported: "The existence of spirit realm practitioners can no longer be concealed. The government fears that announcing this will trigger social unrest and is requesting that we propose a solution that achieves a balanced outcome. The government seeks a solution that satisfies both parties." "A balanced solution? What kind of solution?" Fu Qingyang spoke with cold detachment. The meeting secretary replied: "For instance, one that enables the public to quickly accept the existence of spirit realm practitioners without causing upheaval or public outcry—such as having the people forget the very origin of this disaster." "Master Elder Chìhuǒ hummed, saying, 'In short, they just want us to hypnotize the entire world. They'll reply that there's no such thing in the Spiritual Realm, and even if there were, only half-gods could achieve it.' 'Yes!' the meeting secretary bowed respectfully. For instance, official members transferred to the Organizational Technology Company to engage in assembly and production work, working 12-hour shifts year-round without any leave. "After some time, their mental states became severely abnormal—extremely depressed, yearning for the world's destruction. Such groups are numerous throughout human society," the meeting secretary immediately remarked. "The advisory council has a second proposal: we can claim that this disaster was caused by a bioterrorist attack orchestrated by a terrorist organization. Investigations have revealed that such an organization is secretly developing a biological virus, and those infected have acquired superhuman abilities—this explains the current crisis." The Jiange Elder coldly laughed, "What kind of terrorist organization possesses such technological capabilities?" "We can assert that this terrorist organization is backed by a major power nation—investigations are still ongoing. For now, we simply need to shift the focus and calm public sentiment," the meeting secretary added. A silence fell over the room, with no one speaking or offering opposition. "Shifting the conflict is indeed a viable option, but it only addresses symptoms rather than root causes—so it can be kept as a backup plan." Fu Qingyang said. "Any others?" The meeting secretary nodded. "There's another solid proposal: fabricate a coherent narrative and have the semi-divine figure from the Musician Clan, as an expert, appear on television interviews to educate the public. "While sound carries power, its effectiveness diminishes through television transmission, and it won't be able to hypnotize the entire world, it still allows for gradual, subtle influence. As long as the television stations repeatedly broadcast it, the public will naturally accept it, and the incident can achieve a smooth, peaceful resolution without major backlash." The Nine Elders pondered, finding this plan quite credible. "Why has the Moral Value suddenly been restored?" Fu Qingyang turned to the second topic of the meeting, looking toward Miao Long, the Senior Elder of the Hundred Flowers Assembly. "The five Grand Masters were not present in the Spiritual Realm at that time. Has the Master of Taiyuan provided any response?" Master Xiao's expression instantly grew strange. Under everyone's gaze, he spoke with evident frustration and intensity: "It was the Demon King who summoned the power of the Sun to restore the moral value." "Demon King?" A wave of astonishment rippled through the conference room. The eight peak masters exchanged bewildered glances, clearly stunned, and Fu Qingyang also paused, taken aback. Master Di Hong furrowed his brow, asking, "Didn't the Demon King return to the Spiritual Realm?" Master Xiao shook his head, "The Master of Taifeng hasn't provided an explanation." As the group remained puzzled and bewildered, the conference secretary glanced at the computer and said, "Huang Taiji has requested a connection!"