Zhang Yuanqing was startled: "What happened?" An Yeqi spoke rapidly, with evident anxiety: "The boss entered the realm yesterday—specifically, an S-tier realm." S-tier realm?! Zhang Yuanqing's expression shifted slightly. The S-tier realm at the Master level was considered the pinnacle of spiritual realm realms. His uncle had advised him not to equate the difficulty of Master-level S-tier realms with those of S-tier realms achieved by transcendent or sage-level figures. Even with the current depth of the "Primordial Heavenly Sovereign," entering an S-tier realm was a matter of life and death. Zhai Cai, though blessed with the Church's lineage, could not match Zhang Yuanqing's depth. For a single-line knight, the mortality rate in an S-tier realm was nearly 98%, effectively meaning a one-way trip. That explained Yeqi's palpable anxiety. "The boss has always carefully managed his hidden points. Since becoming a Master, whenever he encountered non-fatal B-tier realms, he would proactively choose to abandon the mission, even at the cost of experience points. Over the years, he had never entered an A-tier realm—this was truly unusual. It was simply inconce "An Ye QI spoke with urgency: 'Master Yuan, the boss said that your backer is a half-deity of the Void Professions. I really hope you can save him—please, I beg you!' Zhang Yuanqing responded seriously: 'I understand. Don't worry yet—he entered the instance yesterday, and he should be fine now. I'll contact the president right away. Just wait for my update.' He comforted An Ye QI a bit, clarified the instance number of the single-charge knight, and then hung up. While listening to the conversation, Fu Qingyang slightly frowned: 'The knight from the Church has been matched to an S-tier instance?' Zhang Yuanqing nodded, speaking with some anxiety: 'Boss, I should go back.' The knight carries the keys and map to the Church's treasure—something that must not be lost. Moreover, after witnessing Xia Zuo's selfless sacrifice in the combat instance, he holds deep respect for the knight's profession. The Lawful faction has long been tainted, and knights stand as a pure and refreshing force within it. Leaving Fu Jiawan, Zhang Yuanqing stepped on the Five-Tailed Golden Dragon, swiftly returning to his grandmother's house and knocking loudly on his uncle's door. In his aunt and grandparents' eyes, his uncle had been absent most of the time, and though now in his later years, he still remained a bit of a loose-canvas type—actually, he had been traveling throughout the spiritual realm, or handling official matters, under the guise of singing, dancing, and rapping. At other times, Zhang Yuanqing might not have been able to find his uncle immediately unless something urgent had happened. But now, nearing mealtime, his uncle was surely at home. After all, if he didn't return for meals, his aunt would eventually have to file for divorce. "Yōuyōu, such a useless Yuanzi!" his uncle began his single-rhyme monologue as soon as he saw his nephew. "Cut the chatter!" Zhang Yuanqing had no patience for rapping, so he pulled his uncle along and, before his aunt could speak, declared loudly, "Aunt, I'm taking Uncle to the hallway to talk." "What could possibly be so important that we need to talk in the hallway? The meal "Go!" Auntie responded happily. The dishes made by my mother-in-law—my own son doesn’t even want to eat them. He’s just a nephew; there’s no need for him to make such sacrifices. Uncle entered the room, closed the door, and sat down at the dining table with the dignity of a head of household, lit a cigarette, and after a moment of quiet thought, murmured, “Hasn’t the Lingjing system’s operation been getting more and more unstable lately?” “What do you mean, more and more unstable?” Mother-in-law came out with the dishes. “My mother’s menopause symptoms are getting worse and worse,” Uncle said casually. “Hmph! Your mother’s menopause was over twenty years ago,” Mother-in-law spat. …… The next day, morning. At Victoria’s villa, Miao Teng'er sat in the sunlit room, watching the flower beds outside the glass walls turn white with frost, the vibrant blossoms appearing to have taken on the resilience and grace of plum blossoms, blooming freely even in the cold. By the end of December, snow had fallen several times in Beijing. Ordinary flowers naturally couldn’t survive winter, but these flowers in the garden were cultivated by Ling Miao Teng'er's grace and features radiate a clear, refined elegance—her lips like drops of crimson, her eyes like polished lacquer, her oval face fair and delicate, her nose straight and refined. She is instantly captivating, out of the ordinary. Such a beauty cannot be dressed up; once adorned, she loses her celestial aura and becomes ordinary. "Tell me," Miao Teng'er held her steaming coffee in both hands, curiously gazing at her cousin seated across from her at the "tree stump table," "why would Yuan Shi Tian Zun specifically invite my mother to meet?" In her view, Yuan Shi Tian Zun and her mother had never crossed paths. Since the death of the demon king, her mother—once regarded by her grandfather as a source of family shame—had been deeply affected, retreating into seclusion and ceasing all social engagements. What could possibly bring Yuan Shi Tian Zun to seek her out? And why at Victoria Elder's villa? Ling Jun remained silent, his gaze fixed on the table for a long time, or simply blankly upon the flowerbed, clearly burdened by thought. In the basement, Zhang Yuanqing sat upright in a high-back chair, observing This woman should be in her forties, but from her appearance alone, she seems more like a young, mature professional in her twenties or early thirties—her skin radiant with collagen, finer than that of a young girl. Her features bear a resemblance to Mei Teng'er’s, though even more striking, yes, even more beautiful. She combines the youthful grace of a young woman with the poised elegance of a mature one, and the fiery, well-proportioned, athletic presence unique to wood-elemental women—yet a soft, quiet melancholy lingers in her expression, like a woman shaped like a jasmine blossom. Multiple qualities blend together on her, not only without conflict but weaving into a distinctive charm. Damn it, the magic king’s wives are all breathtakingly beautiful... As Zhang Yuanqing observed her, she too was studying this renowned young man. "I'm different from the ungrateful Elder Mei," she began. "Today, I've come to see you, thanks to your saving both Teng'er and Ling Jun." "Speak plainly," she said, her voice carrying a calm, slightly detached strength, as though the others had already stepped aside. Zhang Yuanqing began, "I've heard your audio conversation with the Demon King." To Miao Fengyun, this direct critique felt deeply unkind, and her regard for Yuan Shi Tian Zun dropped sharply. She remained lounging in her seat, with a mocking tone: "How lovely is your voice? Shall I call out a few times to really get you going?" Don't try to play the romantic game with me—Ling Jun will cut off all ties with me! Zhang Yuanqing remained composed: "You don't have the same grace as Ting'er or Yin Ji. I came to see you today not to embarrass you, but because I learned something important from your audio exchange with the Demon King." As he spoke, he gently eased Miao Fengyun's hostility and irritation. Watching Yuan Shi Tian Zun's handsome face and hearing his sincere tone, her initial displeasure quickly melted away, and she forgave him, asking, "What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing came straight to the point: "I wish to learn the spirit plant cultivation method left to you by Ling Jun's mother." "Miao Fengyun looked utterly puzzled: 'What do you need this for? It only works when supplemented by the spiritual energy of a Wood Spirit creature. Even if someone outside the Wood Spirit profession acquires it, it will be useless.' Auntie, don't be so curious—too much curiosity often brings misfortune... Zhang Yuanqing was just about to manipulate her emotions, urging her to hand over the cultivation method, when suddenly an idea struck him. With the protection of the Tai Yin currently in place, and since the cultivation method must be controlled by a Wood Spirit, why not simply retrieve the seed here and begin cultivating it on-site? He could make a night visit to Zhao Elder's residence to fetch the seed, then return here—thus streamlining the process and keeping everything more discreet. With this thought in mind, Zhang Yuanqing subtly guided Miao Fengyun's emotions, enhancing her curiosity, trust, and sense of urgency, and then said: 'I'll explain the reasons later, but this matter is of utmost importance. Please stay here while I step out for a while.' After speaking, he left the basement and met Victoria in the living room, asking her to set up the ritual and bestow upon him a discreet form of protection." After the ceremony, Zhang Yuanqing transformed into a dreamlike stream of starlight, leaving the villa and soaring through the air, heading toward Zhao's residence. The wind rushed against his face, and the skyscrapers lay beneath him; as he approached the city center, traffic grew increasingly congested. Though the capital was vast, for a master, even a full crossing of the city took only a short time. Soon, the old alleyway came into view. Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that the alley had lost its color, as though it were a black-and-white photograph—this fading spread rapidly, encompassing the skyscrapers, vehicles, streets, and green belts alike. In an instant, from his vantage point above, the entire city appeared as a black-and-white image, and the clear sky was draped in a dark veil, with only the sun stubbornly emitting a faint glow. A chill passed through him. He quickly realized it wasn't the city that was affected—it was him. He had become invisible, severed from the real world. At that moment, a cold breeze surged forth, as if the gates of the Nine Underworlds had been opened. In that old alleyway, a surge of阴 qi rose skyward, swelling and transforming into a vast, cloud-like face in the heavens. This face, composed of black vapor, gazed impassively upon Zhang Yuanqing. In this instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt his three inner energies—the Taiyin, the stars, and the sun—simultaneously congealing, losing their vitality. A warning signal traveled through his nerves to his brain, triggering a flood of adrenaline, yet his muscles spasmed, remaining rigid as though paralyzed. No matter how his brain attempted to mobilize his limbs, they remained stiff and lifeless. "Li... Li Tu..." Zhang Yuanqing managed to whisper the name, his teeth trembling. "Ah," came a light laugh echoing throughout the heavens, "You and the Demon King are truly nothing but minor players, mere stagefarers."