Fujiawan. The headquarters of the Technological R&D Company. In the president's office, the chairman—wearing a silver mask and a pink suit and trousers, stylish and lively—leans back, shifting his weight onto the chair back, his legs crossed over the office desk. "Shortly, I'll transport you all into the 'Five Elements Secret' realm. Before entering, I'd like to go over a few key points." Though his posture is flamboyant, his tone is serious: "You are time-travelers, not realm explorers descending into the spiritual world. To the spiritual realm, you are bugs, viruses—interfering factors that disrupt its normal operation. As soon as it detects you, it will either expel you from the realm or eliminate you on the spot. Therefore, please remember these three rules: First, do not move the items within the realm—especially materials and equipment. Second, avoid conflicts with the realm's NPCs. Third, refrain from activating high-level spiritual abilities." "Well, it seems my uncle has had to bear a certain cost in order to retrieve the components of the Thor's armor from the quest—indeed, he was able to take the Thor's spear, yet dared not bring out Zhai Cai. This suggests that disrupting an active quest incurs a higher price. Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows: 'But I'm not sure whether removing the ill-Commander's badge will trigger a major upheaval.' Given that the ill-Commander is likely a half-god, the kind of figure whose movements and outcomes cannot be observed or predicted through celestial observation or star-reading techniques. Thus, he cannot determine whether this journey will be auspicious or otherwise. 'That's beyond our control,' the Chairman said, spreading his hands. 'But don't worry—should any danger arise, simply break the jade token I've given you, and the Chairman will descend from the heavens, carrying you to safety.' The Chairman has decided not to enter the Five Elements Secret quest, fearing that it might provoke an overreaction from the ill-Commander, which would in turn trigger the spiritual realm's detection of abnormal fluctuations and prompt penalties." Second, if a conflict arises, communication with an inept commander becomes difficult. The Secret of the Five Elements is indeed a 7-star raid—just recently, even after March and Bingge were promoted to Grand Masters not long ago, they encountered it. Out of six Grand Masters, only these two survived. Zhang Yuanqing said, "I'm ready. I can enter the raid at any moment." Xiahou Aotian lifted his chin and said, "I don't need to prepare, because the protagonist is always ready." The chairman glanced at him and chuckled, "You're quite interesting." He raised his hand and gave a crisp, clear snap of his fingers: "Exiled!" Instantly, both of them felt a tremendous force pushing against their chests, yet instead of retreating their bodies, the entire world seemed to pull away from them—like they had been abandoned by this very space, as the surrounding scenery rapidly receded. The next moment, the retreating scenery halted. Before them lay a gray, overcast sky, thick clouds suspended motionless, with rain poised to fall but not yet beginning to fall. In the distance, a volcano that had just erupted poured out molten, crimson-hot lava, flowing steadily toward the cluster of buildings at the foot of the mountain. Though the group of structures was not numerous, they were vast in scale—each a magnificent palace. "Such a heavy atmosphere…" Xue Hou Ao Tian glanced around, frowning, "I feel my spiritual energy being suppressed, thickened, almost like syrup." Zhang Yuanqing focused his awareness, noting that the movements of the stars and the moon were indeed sluggish and obstructed, while the power of the Sun remained free and unimpeded. From within the black iron ring, the spirit vibrations of the Qin dynasty's court magician resonated: "The Five Elements have unified, and all things have returned to chaos—only the power of the Sun remains distinct and unaffected. Here, the Five Elements are abundant, merging and counteracting one another. You're fortunate. If five spiritual practitioners, each representing one of the Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—had matched this quest, it would truly be a hellish experience." "Xia Hou Ao Tian" said with a nod, gradually understanding, "No wonder it's an S-tier raid—the entire environment is a weak array." He turned to Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun and asked, "Where shall we go to meet the First Emperor?" "I'll go up and take a look," Zhang Yuanqing pointed toward the sky, riding the wind upward. Soon, he reached several kilometers high, offering a sweeping view of the vast land. A palace constructed primarily of white stone exudes a majestic grandeur, yet carries a sharp, solitary strength reminiscent of isolated, towering rocks. Another palace is built entirely of pure limestone and granite, with a simple, ancient style that conveys the solid, pyramid-like weight. A third palace is constructed largely of dark wood, with dripping eaves and upright columns, as if it had just been rained upon. Numerous pools of varying sizes are scattered outside, appearing like water-filled depressions when viewed from above. A fourth palace features walls and columns stacked from rounded red river stones, extending even to its roof, composed of individual red stones laid together. All these palaces share a common feature—immense scale, so grand that they appear not designed for human habitation, but rather as homes for giants said to stand six meters tall. Zhang Yuanqing continued ascending, and soon reached the horizon, where a hazy spatial barrier lay. In his mind, he estimated the total area of this realm to be approximately six to seven hundred square kilometers. "Lian San-month mentioned that after defeating the boss, they witnessed the Abyss—the atmosphere of the Abyss made even the Sovereign tremble..." Zhang Yuanqing paused, then dissolved into a streak of starlight. Let's find the Abyss first. After consecutively performing star-dash maneuvers for over a dozen times, he reached the edge of the world, yet still didn't see the Abyss. Zhang Yuanqing then used star-dash to return and said, "We'll search for the Abyss along the edge of the world first. However, this instance is quite large; it will take considerable time to fully explore all the boundaries." Xiahou Aotian chuckled, "At this point, it's time for the protagonist to step in." He opened his inventory, grasping fiercely at a square metal box two meters high and two meters wide. "Crack!" The box opened, and sixty small drones—each no larger than a palm—flew out from the grooves, hovering steadily above their heads. Xiaohou Aotian pressed a button on the side of the box, and two neural connectors popped out from a circular opening, automatically connecting to the temples of his head. He immediately closed his eyes. "Buzz... buzz..." Sixty drones swiftly moved into action, dispersing in all directions. Zhang Yuanqing waited quietly by his side. After about thirty minutes, Xiaohou Aotian opened his eyes and shook his head. "No signs of the Abyss found." Zhang Yuanqing stroked his chin, pondering, then said, "A friend of mine mentioned that they discovered the Abyss after completing the Five Elements Secret Quest. Since we haven't found it yet, it suggests that entering the Abyss requires a specific trigger condition." Xiaohou Aotian stared at him, stunned. "We need to complete the quest? But we're just travelers—any combat we have in the quest would be wiped out by the spiritual realm." Zhang Yuanqing gave a short, dry smile. "Even if the spiritual realm doesn't wipe us out, a S-tier quest could still kill us." "Then what now?" Xiaohou Aotian glanced at him. "Shall we just head out?" "Zhang Yuanqing and the Ring Elder spoke in unison: 'No way!' Xia Hou Aotian was taken aback and muttered, 'Why make such a big deal out of it if it's no good?' After a moment's thought, Zhang Yuanqing drew out the Little Red Hat and produced a transcendent shadow corpse, stating, 'The deep abyss must be within the palace. I'll send this shadow corpse to investigate.' 'Be careful,' Xia Hou Aotian exclaimed, startled. 'If it comes into conflict with the副本 monsters, we might be wiped out by the Spirit Realm.' 'Don't worry,' Zhang Yuanqing replied with confidence. 'This is a Master-level S-tier dungeon. A transcendent shadow corpse is like a mere insect—such insects won't have any impact on the dungeon, and the Spirit Realm is unlikely to detect such minor disturbances.' Seeing that Xia Hou Aotian no longer objected, Zhang Yuanqing guided the shadow corpse with care, advancing cautiously into the complex. He first headed toward the lush, verdant palace, stepping into the courtyard teeming with vegetation and flowers. Instantly, Zhang Yuanqing noticed the trees gently swaying, as if coming to life. The next instant, Zhang Yuanqing lost sight of the shadow corpse and regained his conscious awareness, the last image he saw being the vines surging forth, breaking through the soil, and wrapping around him. He opened his eyes and looked at Xia Hou Ao Tian. "Now I have a good news and a bad news." Xia Hou Ao Tian raised his chin. "Let me hear the good news first." "The good news is that the extraordinary shadow corpse is indeed a mere insect—unnoticed by the divine realm's elimination mechanisms." "Then what about the bad news?" "The bad news is that the extraordinary shadow corpse *is* indeed a mere insect." "..." The two of them exchanged a quiet silence. Amidst the stillness, the Elder Ring sent a mental ripple, reminding him: "You haven't had that poorly-graded general's badge, have you?" "The badge serves as an identity credential—essentially a pass card today." A sudden realization struck him. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes brightened. He opened his inventory and retrieved the copper badge, vibrant with colors. As soon as the plaque, edged with carved patterns and bearing a relief of the "Unsatisfactory People," appeared, the entire spiritual realm gently trembled. The plaque projected a radiant beam of colorful light, illuminating the complex of buildings. One by one, the five massive palaces were bathed in vibrant hues of light, then each emitted a beam of energy—red, white, black, yellow, and green—directed toward the central area. The five beams collided fiercely, blending into a chaotic, grayish mixture. "Boom... boom..." The central regions of the five palaces collapsed inward, revealing a deep, unfathomable chasm. A powerful cold current surged forth from the hollow depths, rising in delicate wisps of white mist and drifting upward into the sky. The atmosphere of freezing and sealing spread, immobilizing everything—even the chasm that March had mentioned. Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed: "It's this very chasm—right beneath us." A strong surge of spiritual energy rippled through Xiahou Aotian's ring, then quickly subsided, returning to its calm, still state. The protagonist looked down and said, "Old thing, you're quite excited, aren't you?" The old thing paid no attention. For added safety, Zhang Yuanqing summoned the shade spirit once more, having the spirit carry the badge and walk toward the lush palace. As the shade spirit stepped into the courtyard teeming with vegetation and flowers, the earlier shade spirit had vanished—seemingly devoured by the plants. Zhang Yuanqing stopped the spirit in place, commanding it to remain vigilant. The surrounding trees and flowers remained silent, showing no signs of coming to life. Both of them exhaled in relief, quickening their pace toward the central area encircled by the five palaces. Passing through the courtyard featuring artificial mountains, pavilions, and pavilions, and rounding the main hall several dozen feet tall, Zhang Yuanqing and Xia Hou Aotian reached the edge of the abyss, gazing down at the fissure below. A wave of coldness surged against them, and within just a few seconds, they felt their facial skin stiffen, their spiritual energy stagnate, and the vitality of their body cells begin to wane. Faintly, intermittently, they heard the sound of breathing emanating from deep within the abyss. Xiaohou Aotian lowered his head, gazed at the black, bottomless chasm, and quietly swallowed a lump of saliva. "How about this—let me give you the ring, and you take the old thing down with you?" Zhang Yuanqing had yet to speak, but the ring's elder spoke first. "Heh, throughout history, the timid have always been secondary characters." Xiaohou Aotian's face twitched. "That's the principle of a gentleman—never standing under a dangerous wall. What does this quest have to do with me? I'm not going down there to risk it." "There won't be any danger," Zhang Yuanqing said. "The cold doesn't freeze your spiritual energy or body quickly. As long as you're out within ten minutes, you'll be safe." Xiaohou Aotian looked at Yuanshǐ Tianzun in surprise, sensing that his tone was unusually confident—almost as if he had been here before. Just as he was about to ask a question, Yuanshǐ Tianzun leapt into the chasm.