In the dimly lit chamber, the Master of Pure Yang and the Grand Protector silently exchanged glances. After a long pause, the former gritted his teeth and said, "What kind of power is this? It forcibly erases memories, bringing people back to the state before they encountered information—somewhat like hypnosis." The Grand Protector shook his head, "Hypnosis requires a medium; spontaneous, distant hypnosis has never been heard of. Moreover, the content stored on the phone is also erased—something hypnosis cannot achieve." Following the first failure, the Grand Protector had placed his phone on the table to record the entire questioning process, hoping to find clues in the footage. To his astonishment, however, the phone captured nothing at all. Both the recording and the memories were completely wiped out. The Grand Protector continued, "It doesn't matter what specific power is involved—what matters is that it very likely stems from a high-tier rule-based or causality-based artifact, which is quite unusual. Why is the real identity of the Prime Origin Sovereign so highly classified?" This was what he found most puzzling. "And as far as I know, no spiritual realm traveler organization or semi-divine being possesses a high-tier causal-type artifact. If the force disrupting our investigation into the Master of the Primordial Origins originates from such a causal-type artifact, then perhaps we have uncovered something terrifying." The Grand Guardian said. "Whether it's a causal-type artifact or not remains to be seen," the Pure Yang Master was unwilling to believe that a mere Master of the Primordial Origins could be protected by such an artifact. What merit did he have? The Grand Guardian rose to the central open space of the chamber, settled into a meditative posture, and said, "I will report this matter to the leader." ... Zhang Yuanqing adopted an attentive posture, "Go on, tell me." Upon hearing this, Xue Hou Aotian offered a dismissive smile, "The old man is right—you're clearly manipulating me, wanting me to work for you free of charge. But scholars have always been fearless when faced with challenges." He first expressed that he had long seen through the tricks of Yuanshǐ Tianzun, then said: "To discover a method for rapid progression, one must first understand the advancement mechanism of the Lingjing practitioners—unlike ancient practitioners who cultivated their spiritual energy through breathing and meditation, the Lingjing practitioners derive their spiritual energy from the 'investiture' granted by their character cards. 'How exactly does the character card infuse spiritual energy into the Lingjing practitioner's body?' Zhang Yuanqing asked: 'I believe it's rather straightforward—just a forced infusion, with no real technical sophistication.' Xiahou Aotian gave a sharp nod: 'Exactly. There's actually no technical depth to it. It's all based on an embarrassing resource monopoly. In the real world, spiritual energy no longer exists—every drop of it is contained within the Lingjing realm. To advance, Lingjing practitioners must obediently follow the realm's schedule, regularly completing quests and dungeons.' Xiahou Aotian continued with confidence: 'Once the core mechanism is understood, the process becomes clear: completing dungeons is the means to gain investiture, not the ultimate goal.' Our goal is to develop a method of bestowing the ultimate blessing—without relying on clearing the boss dungeons. "How can we obtain the blessing without clearing the dungeons?" Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows. "We are the sovereigns, not the administrators of the spiritual realm. To rely on the spiritual realm as a channel is simply impossible," said Xia Hou Ao Tian, raising his chin with a confident, commanding posture. "I reviewed numerous documents yesterday and found a method in ancient records. From the end of the Song Dynasty to the end of the Ming Dynasty—over three centuries—spiritual energy declined, the sovereigns became legends, and saints were exceedingly rare. Most cultivators stagnated at the extraordinary realm. To break through their limits and compete for the dwindling spiritual energy, our ancestors developed a particularly brutal method of advancement." Zhang Yuanqing was startled, now fully grasping Xia Hou Ao Tian's meaning. "So, the method you're referring to is to emulate the ancients—by consuming human beings to enhance spiritual energy?" He thought to himself, what on earth is this crazy idea? Xiahou Aotian hummed, "You want to devour people? You might not even succeed. The documented methods of consuming human beings are limited to those below the Saint level. Moreover, the aftermath is severe. First, there's an incompatibility between the external spiritual energy and the individual's own, making the integration process painful—like adding mud to a clear spring. Even after full fusion, the resulting spiritual energy becomes murky and less refined than that cultivated through diligent personal practice. On the other hand, during the process of consuming, one inevitably absorbs the remnants of the victim's spirit. The more one consumes, the worse the mental condition becomes, and eventually, one may suffer from mental breakdowns, even going mad." The more one eats, the more likely one becomes mad—indeed, compared to his state upon revival from the ancient tomb, the Pure Yang Master has grown increasingly unstable. Yet, the documented methods apply only to those below the Saint level. Yet here, the Pure Yang Master has consumed a Sovereign—indicating he possesses a more advanced method of consumption. Zhang Yuanqing immediately thought of his titular senior teacher. He glared at the protagonist, "You've been talking for so long—basically, you've "No, no, no!" Xiahou Aotian shook his finger. "I've analyzed this with models—others using this method are at great risk, but you're different. You possess a unique advantage. As both a Sun-Walker and a Master of Illusions, you're naturally immune to negative status effects, and the latter specializes in emotional regulation. Ordinary mental disturbances simply can't threaten you. Where others can't attempt something, you can. Then, you need to acquire a master-level method of consuming others and refine it—ideally, you should purify some of the contamination before the consumption actually takes place. For this, I recommend you seek advice from the Lady of San Dao Mountain. Didn't you say she treats you like her own child? The Master of Pure Yang is well-versed in sophisticated culinary techniques. As her disciple, she has surpassed even her teacher in this regard—she must surely understand it as well." Given the Lady's fiery and upright nature, she would likely have immediately slaughtered me—this unworthy offspring, no, this unfortunate disciple—right in the moment I mentioned the idea of being consumed. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. He carefully considered the plan proposed by Xiahou Aotian, saying, "The only day-wanderers I can reach are the guardians of the Night Rose, but they're just as cunning as mice living in the gutter—waiting for the right moment." "Theoretically, the day-wanderers within the quest should also be your targets," Xiahou Aotian added. "Unfortunately, the quest instances you've entered aren't exclusive to day-wanderers. Unless you join the Taimei Sect." "Master of the Taimei Sect is my competitor," Zhang Yuanqing said with a sigh. "The Merchant Guild and the Beauty Goddess Association refused to hand over the fragments of the Light Compass precisely because of me. Do you think the Taimei Sect would willingly allow me access to their quest instances?" "Even if they agree," Zhang Yuanqing continued with irritation, "I still wouldn't dare to go. What if they quietly eliminate me without a trace inside the quest?" "Your perspective is rather narrow," Xiahou Aotian remarked, rolling his eyes. "The main character is most comfortable with competitors—any competitor only strengthens the main character. Clearly, the master of the Taimei Sect isn't the main character." At that moment, the Ring Elder sent out a mental ripple: "I believe your approach isn't working well." Zhang Yuanqing and Xiahou Aotian exchanged displeased glances. "What do you mean by that?" Xiahou Aotian was unconvinced. The Ring Elder questioned: "Why haven't any of the Lingjing Travelers employed a similar method? Have you heard of anyone using such an approach, or have there been any documented cases?" Zhang Yuanqing and Xiahou Aotian both paused, taken aback. "Siphoning others' spiritual essence to gain experience points goes against the principles of humanism. If discovered, such actions would be severely punished," Zhang Yuanqing said, carefully. "Isn't it equally contrary to humanism to commit murder and set fires? Don't the Lawful-aligned individuals do this far less often?" the Ring Elder calmly countered, his mental presence steady. "Lawfulness doesn't necessarily mean kindness—this is something Xiahou Aotian often emphasizes. If there's a way to rapidly accumulate experience points without having to complete quests, someone will surely take the risk and pursue it." "As I just mentioned, this method drives people mad—it comes at too great a cost," Xiahou Aotian said. "What about the evil professions?" the Ring Elder asked, inquiringly. "The evil professions are already erratic and unstable—wouldn't they fear this?" Zhang Yuanqing and Xiahou Aotian exchanged a glance and remained silent. After a brief pause, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Perhaps someone has already tried it, but failed. And since the outcome cannot be made public, it's as if nothing ever happened." Xiahou Aotian pondered for a few seconds, "What exactly went wrong... Elder, do you know?" The Ring Elder smiled warmly, "How could I know? I only listened to your two secret plans and pointed out the weaknesses." Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing, deep in thought, spoke up: "The Master of Pure Yang can restore his strength by 'consuming' people." "Xiaohou Aotian, as a scholar, brightened up and understood: "The Lingjing practitioners are subject to certain limitations, making it impossible for them to use the ancient method of consuming opponents. However, the Pure Yang Master of the Palm Sect is not a Lingjing practitioner, so he can." His thoughts immediately flowed. What's the difference between the Pure Yang Master and the Lingjing practitioners? The answer was obvious—character cards! Thus, it was the character cards that restricted the Lingjing practitioners' ability to consume opponents. Xiaohou Aotian stroked his chin, thinking: "The Lingjing world likely lacks the concept of public order and good customs. It's not because the ancient method is cruel that they've banned this practice—rather, it's due to a matching mechanism issue. 'Our dungeons are matched based on experience points and hidden credits, data recorded in the character cards within the Lingjing world. If a Lingjing practitioner uses the ancient method to gain experience points, the balance between the assigned dungeons and their actual combat strength becomes disrupted, leading to numerous bugs.'" The problem had now been clearly identified, but how to solve it remained? Zhang Yuanqing and Xiahou Aotian once again fell into silence. After a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "At least the direction is correct. How to fool the character cards will need to be carefully planned—this isn't urgent. No great plan comes to fruition overnight. We'll prepare and enter the Shu Mountain Nan Yuan at dawn." Zhang Yuanqing remained undaunted. He now had at least one method to rapidly advance without needing to clear dungeon instances. Though the method was still immature and fraught with difficulties, he knew that capable scholars would handle those challenges. Xiahou Aotian, however, was reluctant: "It feels like I'm working hard but not getting much recognition." Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew serious: "If you develop a secret method that allows rapid progression without entering dungeons, your name will be etched into history. Every current and future traveler of the Spirit Realm—whether they are chaotic or lawful—will remember you, Xiahou Aotian." "Please, please don't say this anymore…" Xiahou Aotian's mouth twitched. This was an irresistible appeal. This was the deliberate strategy of the Prime Immortal. Zhang Yuanqing said formally, "The meeting is adjourned." ... In the inner chamber. As the Great Protector extracted the scroll with the spiritual array patterns, the already dim room grew increasingly gloomy and oppressive, the desk lamp draped in a layer of dark veil. A strand of negative qi rose from the scroll, taking the form of a figure with a blurred face. "Leader!" The Great Protector immediately knelt on the ground. The Master of Pure Yang also rose and bowed respectfully to this sovereign of the Yin. "I have long known that you have been gradually eroding the merit scroll and weakening the power of the Sun, but today I encountered an unusual matter that compelled me to report it to you," the Great Protector began. "What is it..." The voice of Ling Tu resonated like a three-dimensional, immersive surround sound, layered and grand, echoing throughout the chamber.