In the city of black and white, Zhang Yuanqing felt rigid—physically rigid. Only his mind could move; his limbs were completely immobile. The weight of the superior’s presence pressed down like a mountain on his shoulders, causing muscle spasms and cold sweat pouring out like a flood released from its dam. I have a hidden protection—how could Ling Tu have pinpointed me? He came from the old alleyways; does he know of the seeds’ existence? That’s impossible. Most of my actions have been carried out in secrecy; he couldn’t have observed them along the river of fate… Zhang Yuanqing was both astonished and furious. Though unwilling, the fact that Ling Tu had appeared here and precisely located him during his nocturnal wanderings meant that he had been working for Ling Tu all along. He had never underestimated the Lord of the Moon, but this half-god’s strength surpassed even his expectations. After days of tireless efforts, his efforts had gone in vain—like carrying water in a basket—and he had been publicly humiliated. The vast, sky-enclosing face slowly spoke: "I originally didn't regard you as anything significant—especially after removing the Taiyin Primordial Fragments from your character card, which rendered you valueless. Yet you persistently surged into my sight, repeatedly drawing my attention. Suddenly, I realized you harbor many secrets—secrets beyond your status as the Heir of the Magistrate King." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing, far away in Songhai, immediately raised the Yatsumi Mirror and dissolved his duplicate form. Yet the colossal face remained in the sky, and the gray-white world persisted—his attempt to dissolve failed. His duplicate had been concealed, but the Yatsumi Mirror could not undo the effect. A cold sensation rose from the soles of Zhang Yuanqing's feet, the Taiyin power like black smoke climbing up his ankles, then his calves, then his waist. Unable to move, his pupils widened in profound anxiety. He now understood clearly what Lingtuo intended. Soul-devouring! Under the pressure of the half-god, he could do nothing at all—neither move nor commit suicide—could only watch himself being enveloped by "black smoke." Suddenly, the black smoke surrounding Zhang Yuanqing dispersed, and in the air, Ling Tu murmured lightly, "This body clearly has a soul resonance, yet it cannot be absorbed..." Zhang Yuanqing was startled at first, then brightened with surprise. The body and soul replicated by the Yatomi Mirror were not real; since they weren't genuine souls, they naturally couldn't be absorbed. Indeed, the power to create a soul was the domain of the Yin Domain. Clearly, the Yatomi Mirror was not a tool belonging to the Yūyōshin (Night-Wanderer) profession. Its ability to replicate both soul and body likely stemmed from the Musicians' profession, as the materials used to forge it were sourced by Xu Fu from the bottom of the Eternal Youth Spring in the High Heaven Plain. "The Musicians' profession..." Ling Tu quickly identified the characteristics of the duplicate. On the face formed by the coalesced black smoke, a circular rotating disk emerged—half white, half red, its material indistinct. It was precisely aimed at Zhang Yuanqing, the rotating platform spun swiftly, and Zhang Yuanqing felt the world around him beginning to rotate with it—his mind followed the motion, as though all his thoughts and mental processes were being flung out of his brain. Not good. He—he was trying to hypnotize me… Zhang Yuanqing’s consciousness grew increasingly drowsy, his sense of despair rising like a tide. If Ling Tu discovered his true lineage, his grandparents would surely suffer too—even with his uncle’s protection, the entire family would be hunted down to the farthest corners of the world… Most critically, with the Master of the Taiyin’s strategic acumen, once his secret came to light, it would be as though he had surrendered to the enemy—every subsequent move would be anticipated and pre-ordained by Ling Tu. When your goals, plans, and methods are all exposed, the Master of the Taiyin will be able to foresee your entire future with absolute clarity. I’ve been hidden… My uncle can’t find me… My mind, my mind is growing more and more disoriented… Zhang Yuanqing’s thoughts came in fragmented waves, his heart sinking deeper and deeper into an ever-darkening abyss. Suddenly, in the quiet, hidden world, a clear crack echoed. Zhang Yuanqing's body, like a broken mirror, was covered in fissures, and the very next moment, his form vanished from Lingtuo's sight. …… Songhai, my grandmother's home. Sitting by the desk, Zhang Yuanqing exhaled deeply, feeling a great relief, then looked at the eight-armed mirror split in two beside him, his face filled with regret. Although his duplicate form was concealed, it was the eight-armed mirror that sustained it—not Lingtuo. As long as the object was intact, the duplicate remained; once destroyed, it naturally dissolved. What a pity that such a master-quality artifact had been lost. But now was not the time to lament the loss of the artifact. Zhang Yuanqing quickly picked up his phone and dialed Zhao Chenguang's number. After a few rings, the call connected, and Xiao Zhao's voice came through: "What's up?" "First, check if your grandfather has passed away," Zhang Yuanqing said firmly. "What?" Zhao Chenguang was startled. "If he's still alive, send him down to the basement to check whether that thing is still there." Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone and waited for a reply. About five minutes later, Zhao Chenguang returned the call, his elder brother's voice steady yet urgent: "The seeds are gone—what happened?" The seeds had indeed vanished... Zhang Yuanqing had anticipated this, yet a strong surge of anger and frustration still rose within him: "It must be Lingtuo." So he recounted to Elder Zhao his recent efforts and today's ordeal in full detail. On the other end of the line, there was a long silence. After a while, Elder Zhao sighed deeply: "It's fate! As for Yuanshǐ Tianzun, although Lingtuo is not the sovereign of the stars, the Yin and the stars can be harmoniously paired. If he has a divine artifact capable of observing the stars by his side, his skill in stargazing might well be the first among all beings beneath the stars." Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled the Great Luo Star Disk—stars and the Dark Moon could indeed be cultivated together, with no inherent conflict, though only one could reach the pinnacle. Given Ling Tu's stature, he would naturally be compatible with the lower-tier cultivation of stars. With a star-domain rule-based artifact or a high-tier master artifact supporting him, ordinary protection from the Dark Moon would likely go unnoticed. However, if he could anticipate my strategic layout and position himself accordingly, during the day when he slew the southern sect's senior monks, he could then decisively intervene and bury the Master of the Return of the Dead. Why go through all this extra effort? Indeed, if not for the intimidation from the Pure Yang Master of Instruction, after gathering the information on Tongzhou Association, I would probably have simply departed, without dwelling on the thought that "the intelligence gathered isn't particularly valuable, and Ling Tu doesn't need to worry about me"—thus probing deeply to uncover the relics of Miao Feng Ling. Therefore, Ling Tu's decision not to eliminate the Master of the Return of the Dead during the hunt of the southern sect's senior monks was precisely to use my hands to unearth the seeds of Miao Feng Ling. The seed's priority should surpass that of the many sovereigns who return to restore the fallen—this doesn't make sense. Back in the New Covenant County, at the Free Covenant gathering, Ling Tu was willing to expose Lady Tanna as his hidden strength, even risking her life, to eliminate me, Fu Qingyang, the Eye of Magic, and the Palace Master. That clearly shows our high priority—very high indeed. Then, what must be the significance of the seed left behind by Miao Ling? Reflecting on this, Zhang Yuanqing grew increasingly frustrated, wondering if he might have overlooked a crucial item. "No, I haven't missed it—I've done my utmost. The failure isn't mine; it's simply that the enemy is too strong. Ah, the gap in our status is too vast. To engage Ling Tu in strategy and deception—indeed, I am still too young." "Majestic King's insight is correct. I should have stayed less prominent, focused on steady development instead..." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly rubbed his face, sighed, and said, "I almost fell for Ling Tu's act. What does 'being understated' really mean?" As long as I'm still active and my actions harm the evil faction, I'll naturally become the focal point. Unless I do absolutely nothing. But the battle between Law and Evil is drawing near—doing nothing would mean self-exile. How can I compete for the position of Sun Sovereign? Lingtuo mocks me as a mere minor player, a clown, trying to undermine my resolve. "He has a genuine sense of caution. He's afraid I'll follow in the footsteps of the Marshal and the Mage-King, rising to become a supreme master within a short span. Tomorrow, I'm going straight into the instance—by golly..." Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, gathered his scattered thoughts, and dialed Lingjun's number. "Send your aunt back. This won't work out." Lingjun was taken aback and urgently asked, "How can it not work? What happened?" Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "Lingtuo outmaneuvered me—your mother's heirloom is gone." The sound of Lingjun grinding his teeth could be heard over the phone line. Zhang Yuanqing comforted him a bit, then hung up and delivered the halved Yashimaru mirror to the clan's warehouse, after which he called Xiaohou Aotian. "Main character, I need you to do one thing," Zhang Yuanqing said. "I'd like you to help repair an item that's currently in the warehouse—just submit a request for usage." "Piece of cake!" Xiaohou Aotian immediately agreed. A few seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing received Xiaohou Aotian's request and promptly approved it. "Man, this is a high-tier master-level item, and the materials are quite rare—I can't handle this. This one only the clan head can fix," Xiaohou Aotian remarked after inspecting the materials, muttering under his breath. "Then let's ask Xiaohou's head to take care of it—the price will be easy to negotiate," Zhang Yuanqing decided to seek help from Xiaohou's head rather than wait for three months, precisely because he valued the depth of Xiaohou's talent pool. Lian San-yue is also a seventh-tier artisan, but he may not be able to repair the Yashim Xiahou Ao-tian was different. The protagonist was a half-divine figure from the Xiahou family—someone even Xiahou’s own family couldn’t handle. The family’s most dazzling star. Xiahou Ao-tian asked cautiously, “Is there any intermediary fee?” “Any fees related to your unauthorized use of company assets and public funds will be waived,” Zhang Yuan-qing replied. “…” Zhang Yuan-qing then changed course: “You can negotiate a price with the family head. Whatever amount you secure, it’s all yours.” Only then did Xiahou Ao-tian feel satisfied and hang up the phone. … Jiangnan Leather City. Xiahou Ao-tian stepped out of his home, mounted his custom-built aerial motorcycle, and with the roaring engine, made a bold, showy passage through the sky, cutting directly across the Xiahou family’s estate, landing gracefully in the courtyard of the family head. The grandson of the family head, who had previously issued orders to security personnel that “Ao-tian and dogs were not allowed entry,” now hurried over, smiling warmly upon seeing Xiahou Ao-tian, “Auntie Ao-tian, what can I do for you "Grandpa is in the artifact workshop. I'll take you there," the family's grandson said politely. Xia Hou Ao Tian nodded and walked steadily forward. After a while, he suddenly kicked the grandson off his feet. The grandson was not satisfied: "You've kicked me before, so I've accepted that. But why now?" Xia Hou Ao Tian glanced at him and said, "I still prefer your independent, unruly spirit." "...” Xia Hou Ao Tian moved smoothly to the master artisan of the Xia Hou family, where he found an elderly man with white hair standing by the furnace, arms folded. He spoke directly: "Old man, I need you to repair an artifact." The master turned around and asked with genuine interest, "Please show me." Xia Hou Ao Tian quickly produced the fragments of the Yajizheng mirror and handed them over. The head of the Xiahou family took the two pieces of Yashime mirrors, put on a single-lens pair of glasses, occasionally raising them to gaze intently, then lowering them to examine closely, and spoke in a measured tone: "The materials of this artifact are exceptionally rare, originating from the profession of musicians. Based on the composition of the glasses, it has formed over a long period under a rare environmental condition—this is its greatest value." Xiahou Aotian interrupted impatiently: "Just tell me whether it can be repaired." The head of the Xiahou family nodded slightly: "All the fragments are complete. Repairing it isn't difficult, though the handwork fee will be..." Xiahou Aotian quickly interjected: "Uncle, the artifact belongs to the Yuanshishen, so the lower the price you set, the greater my middleman profit will be. I've already depleted my family's resources to advance to the rank of Sovereign. You need to give me an opportunity to earn." The head of the Xiahou family hummed in response and asked: "Then, what price do you think is appropriate?" Xiahou Aotian thought for a moment, hesitating ... 11 a.m. Before lunch, Zhang Yuanqing called Fu Qingyang to update him on the full details of the "seed" incident, and the two of them discussed it seriously, weighed down by a heavy sense of gravity. Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to inform his uncle first, but when he went to knock on the door next door, his aunt informed him that the family's disgrace had already been out wandering around, and the phone wasn't answered. At that point, Zhang Yuanqing knew the family's disgrace had set off on a journey through the spiritual realm. Just as he finished the call, the handle of the bedroom door turned, and his uncle stood there, leaning against the doorframe with a graceful posture—wearing a red form-fitting pantsuit and a purple suit, smiling warmly. "Surprise~" he said. Zhang Yuanqing was delighted. "Uncle, you've finally returned! I have something important to tell you... um, a surprise?" He suddenly realized. "Did you find the Thunder God's armor? Or have you rescued the single-line knight?"