Uncle plucked a sharp short sword from the void, tossed it into his nephew's arms with the calm demeanor of someone saying, "You go ahead and cut yourself." This sword, a standard equipment item for scouts, was exceptionally sharp yet lacked any bleeding effect—perfectly slicing through the resilient skin of the Day-Wanderer god without inflicting lasting damage. "Uncle, I'd like to keep this sword," said Zhang Yuanqing, handling the sword of master quality with deep affection. "If you'd like to give it to Fu Qingyang, he won't care for it. If you give it to Guan Ya, once she reaches master rank, I'll be able to offer you something better. For now, though, she simply can't afford the cost of using such a sword." Uncle remained unconvinced, saying, "As for you, it's just like a culinary side dish—bland and unremarkable." How could such a treasure house be so stingy! Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself. He then gripped the sword firmly, pressed it against his chest, and drove it in, cutting through flesh and muscle, finally lifting the dark, pulsing heart—still connected to the veins—into his palm. Uncle leaned forward, extended his palm to rest above his heart, and instantly, a series of tightly connected spatial incantations emerged on the dark surface of the heart. With a gentle wrist twist, Zhang Yuanqing observed those spatial incantations swiftly dissipate—just a thin layer missing—and immediately pressed the heart back into his chest. The very next moment, a powerful negative energy surged forth, surging like a tidal wave. Zhang Yuanqing collapsed onto the ground in agony, a solar mark appearing on his forehead, only to twist into a collapsing black hole mark that then transformed back into a solar mark. His aura alternated between evil and hollow, and pure and radiant, fluctuating continuously. Eventually, the power of the Sun God prevailed, suppressing the strength of the Phantom Heart and successfully taming it. Zhang Yuanqing lay sprawled on the ground, gasping heavily, drenched in sweat. Compared to the initial precarious fusion that nearly went awry, this time the risks have been significantly reduced. The dominant power of the Sun God effectively suppresses all spiritual energies. Once the seal is carefully unraveled step by step, there will be no concern about the Phantom God's heart losing control. When he becomes the sovereign of the Sun, he will fully command the Phantom God's heart and achieve the status of a dual-occupation half-god. Zhang Yuanqing lay on the ground, breathing heavily while adapting to his new ability—Void! "Void" is the core capability of a Spirit Master at the Sovereign stage: a Level 7 Void Master can dissolve energy and spiritual power, a Level 8 can dissolve matter, and a Level 9 can dissolve fundamental rules. At the Half-God stage, the Void ability extends to erasing conceptual entities. Zhang Yuanqing's "Void" ability corresponds to Level 7, though the Phantom God's heart, being a Half-God-level artifact, naturally possesses the inherent characteristics of Void. He can make rules vanish in two ways. One type consists of real-world rules—such as an apple falling downward once it ripens, fire consuming matter, the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, and humans having bowel movements that often cut off the stool. The other type refers to rules embodied in items or skills. At Zhang Yuanqing's current level, he is unable to erase the fundamental rules that sustain the world's operation, and his domain of influence remains limited. When applied in combat, he can nullify the rule that dictates powerful kinetic energy is inevitably generated during high-speed collisions. In terms of effect, this is somewhat akin to a heavy drinker—though the drinker's abilities involve "distortion," "chaos," "reversal," and "erasure," which are broader and more adaptable. In contrast, Zhang Yuanqing can nullify rules of level seven or below, including level seven. The limitation is that this ability can only be used three times per day; however, if the rule being nullified involves energy or spiritual force, there is no such restriction. "A ninth-level Void Master can erase rules. No wonder the elder has felt more urgency after ascending to the Sovereign rank. While a half-divine being can command and manipulate rules, even a peak Sovereign can do so. The elder's near-perfect mastery of the Way during the Saint stage was unstoppable, but at the Sovereign level, it seems less effective." Zhang Yuanqing rose with a sense of weariness, leaned back against the sofa, and said, "Uncle, please bring me another bottle of cola." His uncle immediately produced a chilled bottle and tossed it over. "Adapt well to the strength of the Sovereign stage, return home as soon as possible, and establish your own power base. I'm going back to visit my wife now. Oh, by the way, your mother is in Xin Yue Command—she's safe there. Would you like to see her?" Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for a while, then simply replied, "Yes." At this level of meeting, the Sage is not qualified to participate. If there's important information to share, Huang Taiqi's proper course of action would be to inform the meeting secretary, not to request a connection. The fact that he has requested a connection indicates that he now has the standing to present his work during the meeting. Emperor Di Hong, with his serious expression, smiled gently. "Let him in." The meeting secretary immediately picked up her notebook and began typing rapidly. A beam of clear blue light projected from the ceiling, and Huang Taiqi's figure appeared within the beam. Huang Taiqi had just finished handling his after-duty matters and returned home, intending to call his grandfather to report on the information from the Primordial Sovereign. But he was informed that Grandfather Di Hong was in a meeting, so he decided to connect directly. This also serves as a signal to the Five Elements Alliance's senior leadership that he has been promoted to Sovereign rank. Di Hong, pleased and observing his grandson with a satisfied gaze, smiled and said: "You've come at the perfect time. The alliance leaders have not entered the spiritual realm to observe this battle. Please present the list of those who have been promoted to Sovereign rank now." The crowd suppressed their shock at the Magistrate's miraculous revival and turned to Huang Taiji, waiting for him to announce the list of promoted candidates. Huang Taiji nodded slightly: "Huang Taiji, Yin Ji, Jiang Ju, Xia Hou Ao Tian, Xiao Yuan..." "What are you talking about?" interrupted the senior elder of Chihuo Clan, puzzled, "The number of Sovereign slots isn't only three?" The other elders also looked visibly confused. Huang Taiji explained: "Due to Lingtuo's influence, the Killing Trials of the First and Second Regions have merged, resulting in six slots now." The ten power-holding elders were startled at first, then quickly filled with excitement: "Six slots—our Second Region has secured four!" Lingtuo's turbulent presence in the Spiritual Realm disrupted the realm's operational mechanisms, causing the merging of the two major regions' Killing Trials—a consequence of this event that didn't require much further consideration. Compared to this, securing four Sovereign slots from a single Killing Trial brought genuine joy and enthusiasm to these power-holding elders. You're still too early in your celebration! Fu Qingyang glanced at the nine elders, whose faces were bright with joy, and deliberately asked, "What about the last spot?" Huang Taiqi glanced at him, and under the watchful eyes of the nine elders, spoke slowly and clearly, "The Prime Immortal!" A strange silence settled in the conference room, an unspoken stiffness hanging over the air. The nine paramount masters, each wielding great power, stared at one another with expressions of bewilderment, remaining silent—silent... Fu Qingyang continued, "Rather than dwell on the Taoist Master's resurrection, I'm more concerned about the connection between the Demon King's death and rebirth and what it means for him." The nine elders gradually shed their astonishment—this young man had actually survived—turning their attention to Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji then relayed the anomalies he observed in the killing quest regarding the Taoist Master's condition. These details were neither concealable nor could they be hidden, given that many people were present at the time. "Is the Demon King truly a creature of enduring vitality, even after his demise?" Elder Dihong furrowed his brows, pondering, "Yet if he hadn't actually died, the character card couldn't have been passed on to the Taoist Master." Miao Elder also offered her perspective: "If the Demon King hadn't perished, the Master of the Tai Monastery's response would have been far more enthusiastic, and the Allied Chieftains would have informed us long ago. Since the Taoist Master is still alive, why not simply ask him directly?" With these words, everyone turned their gaze toward Fu Qingyang. Qian Gongzi spoke calmly, "He "This sentence underscores that you can no longer demand anything of him based on his identity or position. To the Nine Elders, it means Fu Qingyang is now advocating for power and titles on behalf of Yuan Shi Tianzun. The Grand Elder of the Chihuo Clan immediately remarked, "Since he hasn't passed away, let him return to the Wuxing Alliance. His prestige will surely uplift the morale of the members, especially given the recurring malfunctions in the spiritual realm that have left mid- and lower-level members anxious and uncertain." The Grand Elder of the Shu Shen Palace coldly added, "There are countless forum posts discussing the moral credit incident. If they learn that this is connected to Yuan Shi Tianzun, his reputation will be unparalleled. Have you forgotten his past tendency to assert himself and accumulate honors? Even during his time as a Saint, he was difficult to manage; now that he has become the sovereign, how will you contain him?" The Miao Elder thought for a moment and then said, "The position of Grand Elder at Longhai is not in short supply. Perhaps we should assign him to a less prosperous province, where young members can gain valuable experience. Then, let him go wherever he pleases." "In terms of rank and strength, the Nine Elders could be easily subdued by a single hand of Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn. Yet, as the ruling authorities of the official organization, they must maintain the broader picture and cannot openly sideline a celebrated, rising功臣. Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, if he possessed high workplace diplomacy, would have been acceptable—yet he is, quite simply, a persistent troublemaker. The ideal solution would be to assign him to a poor province to develop new territories. With Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's rigid nature, which tolerates no imperfections, this would not only allow him to address the maladies of the underdeveloped regions but also serve as a morale booster for the official ranks. The Nine Elders engaged in extensive discussions, deliberating on the specific position to offer Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn and how best to leverage his return to uplift the morale of the official members. Soon, they reached a consensus: assigning Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn to Qinghe Branch, to serve as a border commander in Bā Guì Province. Emperor Hong turned to Fu Qingyang, "Fu Elder, if you have no objections, you will be in charge of coordinating with Yuan Shǐ Tian ... Xinxiao County, Queens district, a villa located away from the prime real estate areas. Chen Shu, just stepping out of the basement, sits at the dining table cutting the grilled ribeye and pan-seared cod prepared by the chef. The villa complex is brightly lit, with ambulances and police cars moving in and out of the premises. The property management has contacted the construction team to urgently repair the cracked roads and damaged public facilities. Earlier that afternoon, the complex suffered a violent assault by a group of professionally evil perpetrators. Their delivery trucks forcefully rammed through the main gates, killing the gatekeepers and property staff who attempted to intervene. Subsequently, these assailants systematically entered each villa, loading valuable items—such as safes, jewelry, cash, and antiques—onto the trucks. Owners who resisted were killed on the spot; those who were particularly attractive were either raped or taken away with their belongings. Fortunately, most of the residents were at work during the day, thus escaping the worst of the attack. After hours of revelry, the evil factions returned triumphant, leaving behind a scene of chaos. Chen Shu had already retreated to the basement, leaving only a personal bodyguard stationed at the villa. This bodyguard was a member of Jishi Society and the master of the Wind Mage profession. Fortunately, Chen Shu's villa escaped plunder, as the "Overseer" remained entirely passive throughout the festivities—uncertain whether the moral value would recover. If these evil factions, backed by organizations, perished here, they would surely draw the ire of the evil realm's masters. And should a master-level battle erupt within the villa, Chen Shu in the basement would inevitably meet her end. Moreover, a thick purple mist enveloped the entire New Covenant County, and the ripples from the semi-divine battles sent even the masters into a state of alarm. Under these circumstances, discretion and quiet concealment became the only path to survival. Chen Shu took a bite of the steak and looked across at the observer, saying, "The Chairman just sent a message—moral value will no longer be disappearing. At least not in the near term." After getting to know Chen Shu for a while, she occasionally uses a few idioms. Chen Shu speaks with a calm tone: "Just wait. Once our Sun Sovereign matures, everything will change. The Ji Shi Society will then become a towering force within the Lawful faction." Sophiya, with her refined and distinct features, expresses a touch of curiosity: "Director, who exactly are we supporting as our Sun Sovereign?" Suddenly, her expression shifts, and the flowing wind signals that someone has unexpectedly appeared in the courtyard. Sophiya rises swiftly: "Someone has entered—the Spirit Realm Traveler." As soon as she speaks, a streak of starlight illuminates the spacious and bright dining hall. Rising from the starlight, a tall, handsome young man appears, expression composed.