"I'm not here to collect relics from the Church," Zhang Yuanqing said, his legs crossed as he remained seated on the sofa, studying Deng Jingguo. "Did Master Deng get injured?" "During the period when moral value disappeared, evil-aligned professions caused disturbances in the Tang Street area. I dispatched my team to restore order, which in turn drew the attention of the chief of the evil faction." Deng Jingguo offered a concise explanation. Ah, so he was injured by the evil sovereign—good news, the New Covenant region hasn't suffered a major collapse. These civilian lawful professions have indeed made a difference. Without the official agents, they simply couldn't keep up! Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently, opened his inventory, and tossed a tube of diluted life essence toward Deng Jingguo. Deng Jingguo accepted the life essence, raised an eyebrow, then descended the stairs and sat across from Zhang Yuanqing. "What do you want?" he asked, placing the life essence on the coffee table. "I'd like to absorb the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance," Zhang Yuanqing stated plainly, getting straight to the point. Deng Jingguo's eyes narrowed immediately, and he replied coldly, "Are Could we develop the anti-Black-White Coalition into an unofficial body? Regrettably, although the Coalition is composed of Chinese-descended members, it has no connection with the largest region, and we have no interest in collaborating with the Five-Element Alliance. It is quite common for official organizations to attract civilian groups—after all, there are so many independent practitioners that they cannot be eliminated or fully absorbed. Developing them into unofficial forces is often the most practical solution. Much like the government secures local powerholders by offering incentives, these powerholders can serve the government without requiring formal appointments, while also helping maintain local stability. Minor violations or misconduct by local powerholders are understandable, as long as the overall situation remains intact. Given the continuous strong pressure from the evil faction, the Five-Element Alliance's efforts to consolidate its influence are fully comprehensible. However, Deng Jingguo cannot agree. First, as a native force within the Free Federation, he feels no sense of belonging to the Five-Element Alliance. Second, he does not wish to be constrained by them. Finally, due to the incident of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's return to the Spiritual Realm, his impression of the Five Elements Alliance had deteriorated significantly. Ah, the Five Elements Alliance doesn't seem to be doing very well in the eyes of the locals. Zhang Yuanqing sensed Deng Jingguo's resistance and aversion, and smiled, saying, "I don't represent the Five Elements Alliance—I represent myself." "Yourself?" Deng Jingguo stared intently at the swordsman before him. As a strong, impetuous Thunder Mage, he hadn't laughed out loud, merely holding back out of respect for their past, modest relationship. Zhang Yuanqing smiled and brushed a hand across his face. "Perhaps this way, our conversation will go more smoothly." The stern expression on that face rippled, then settled into the vibrant, youthful countenance of a young man. Deng Jingguo looked at this face, first taken aback, instinctively feeling a sense of familiarity. After a few seconds, he suddenly rose to his feet, his serious, composed face filled with astonishment, "The Prime Heavenly Sovereign?" "Me!" Zhang Yuanqing stood up and opened his inventory, donning the Sacrificial Heaven set, activating its special effects, then raised his hand and gave a sharp snap of his fingers. Pop! Stars rose, and he appeared at the dining table, then, in the dreamlike glow of starlight, returned to the sofa. "I have another identity!" Waves of light shimmered across his face, transforming him into Ju Mang, who then produced the Divine Form-Extinct Blade and the Demon Oil Painting—key artifacts of the Sovereign. Deng Jingguo stood speechless, frozen in place. No further explanation was needed—he now believed the man before him was the Yuan Shih Tian Zun, and realized that the rising star of Xin Yue Prefecture, Ju Mang, was merely a disguise assumed by the Yuan Shih Tian Zun. It was now clear why he was so powerful, and why Ju Mang could freely command and utilize the Yuan Shih Tian Zun's legacy. For a long time, Deng Jingguo remained seated, his gaze fixed on Zhang Yuanqing, filled with excitement: "You didn't die, did you?" "I was reborn!" Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "In the Second District, there Deng Jingguo nodded slowly, without pressing for further details. He reached for the diluted Life Source fluid on the coffee table, injected it into his arm vein, and within a moment, his pale complexion gradually turned rosy. Zhang Yuancheng smiled at the sight. For a world-class prodigy, joining an official organization directly eliminates the time spent painstakingly building a base, allowing them to rise as a leader of a major institution—Fu Qingxuan is the perfect example. If Fu Qingxuan had not joined the Wuxing Alliance and instead founded her own organization, she would have at most achieved the status of a semi-divine with a substantial following, far falling short of the prestige of "Marshal." Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "I don't merely cultivate influence—I am actively building one. Currently, my core organizations include the Ji Shi Society of the Free Federation, domestic machinery and technology R&D companies, the Zhishi Palace, and my own spiritual realm guild, which has seven key members. My backing comes from the Merchant's Guild, the Beauty Goddess Association, and Fu Qingyang of the Wuxing Alliance. "Now, I aim to transform the Anti-Black-and-White Coalition into a collaborative network. In the future, this will enable me to assist you in absorbing the Black Dragon Hall, the Bao Lin Hall, and the Hong Guild—or even integrate them under your leadership." Deng Jingguo was stunned: "This... this..." Zhang Yuanqing lifted his legs. "Have you ever heard of the Sun Sovereign?" ... At dawn, the River Desen in Xin Yue Commandery. Zhang Yuanqing sat by the riverbank, the sky above clear and deep blue, the river ahead dark and shimmering with ripples. After having just endured a crisis, order had not yet been restored. Where once boats had passed like swift weavers, the river now lay silent and vast, empty and serene. "Did you think I'd die?" a voice came from afar. A tall young man approached, walking through the chilly morning breeze, with a slightly messy short haircut reminiscent of a drama idol, his features strikingly handsome, a carefree smile playing at his lips. He was the only knight of the Church's sixth generation. He stopped beside Zhang Yuanqing, hands resting on the railing, gazing into the dark river surface. "What brings you here? I told you last time that I was preparing for a major quest." "As long as you haven't entered the instance, you won't be able to witness the chaos caused by the evil classes. So my invitation to you to come to the New Covenant County wasn't really a disturbance," Zhang Yuanqing turned his head, gazing at the ever-irritable expression on the other's face, and said, "Xia Zuo died in the combat instance—he sacrificed himself willingly for the sake of order. I think you should know this." Zhai Cai remained silent. He sighed, "This is the fate of knights!" When he said this, there was no trace of exaggeration or world-weariness—only seriousness and sincerity, as if it were a matter of faith. The two of them stayed quiet for a long time, as though silently honoring the knight who had perished in the instance. After a while, Zhang Yuanqing looked out at the river's surface and added, "There's one more matter—I've successfully advanced to the rank of Sovereign and wish to establish my own power base. However, this is different from the spiritual realm guilds, which are bound by the constraints of the realm. Therefore, I would like to ask you to help me secure a binding pact among the "Zhai Cai chuckled, 'Friend, your perspective seems rather narrow. A simple item loan would suffice—why do you need me, a knight, to personally attend?' Zhang Yuanqing had been waiting for exactly that remark, his smile brightening, 'Our core members are all Masters—no less than eight!' Zhai Cai's expression stiffened, his eyes widening, 'How have you managed to gather so many Masters?' Zhang Yuanqing smiled even more warmly, 'Through character and charm.' ... He stood at the entrance of the orphanage, like a statue. After a while, it seemed he had gathered enough courage to lift his foot and step inside. The security lines that had webbed across the entrance automatically broke, sagging helplessly. The once-bustling orphanage was now silent and lifeless, with no signs of movement. Even the camphor tree by the wall appeared weak and weary. On the small playground, the basketball hoop stood alone, rusted and isolated, its weathered supports glistening with dew. On the cracked ground, patches of dark red stood out vividly—fresh blood, still uncleaned. The King of the Mystic Eye moved slowly across the playground, pushing open the classroom door—the orphanage had only one classroom. The desks and chairs had been piled in the corners, clearing a space where sixteen small bodies lay, sealed in body bags. The morgues of hospitals and the crematoriums in the city are overflowing. The crematoriums are burning bodies around the clock, as families have been unable to reach them—these children are temporarily staying there, awaiting pickup by either hospitals or crematoriums. King of the Mystic Eyes stands silently in the classroom, arms folded, speechless, with crimson blood seeping steadily from beneath his sports headband.