The Great Protector then conveyed to the Sovereign of the Yin the experiences he had encountered during his investigation of Yuan Shi Tian Zun. "Yuan Shi Tian Zun is deeply sincere and resolute—he will neither bend nor yield. As long as we control his family, eliminating him will be a straightforward matter," the Great Protector said, his voice filled with passion. "While your power may be able to disrupt mine, I am not certain it can reach you." The ethereal figure, formed from coalesced black yin qi, spoke calmly: "This matter shall be set aside for now." What? The Great Protector nearly doubted whether his ears had failed him, urgently adding, "Yuan Shi Tian Zun's potential is boundless. Given time, he will surely become the second Fu Qingxuan. Leader, I know you hold the esteemed position of Sovereign of the Yin, and that you regard even a seventh-tier Day-Wandering Deity as insignificant. Yet, do not underestimate him—under my watch, I will ensure this threat is extinguished from its very cradle." The voice of Ling Tu, calm and majestic, resonated: "Abandon all current actions targeting Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Not only shall I "Regarding the Linghai sector, dispatch personnel to monitor the situation and ensure no one approaches that teacher. When the time comes, I will personally go myself." The Grand Protector, with evident reluctance, said, "Leader, Yuanshǐ Tianzun has risen too swiftly—his ascent must be halted." On the blurred face of Lingtuo, the hollow eyes silently watched the Grand Protector: "The mountains and rivers shall endure. Your animosity toward Yuanshǐ Tianzun is deep." The Grand Protector suddenly bowed his head, "Understood, subordinate." The black mist-like form collapsed and retracted into the scroll. The Grand Protector silently folded the scroll. The Pure Yang Master, who had been continuously soothing his own emotions, could bear it no longer, and emitted a cold, eerie chuckle. "What new schemes is your leader plotting? I agreed to collaborate with you, the Night Rose, precisely because your disputes with Yuanshǐ Tianzun cannot be resolved. Now, your leader informs me that you intend to abandon all plans against Yuanshǐ Tianzun and instead support him?" A raspy voice came from within the cloak of the Great Protector: "I now understand the leader's intentions. The official body aims to gather the fragments of the Compass of Light, unlock the Sun's realm, and empower the Master of the Taiyin Sect with the authority of the Sun. "Yet the Merchant Guild and the Goddess of Beauty refuse to hand over the fragments, as they back Yuan-Shi Tianzun." Upon hearing this, the Master of Pure Yang felt a surge of jealousy. "So your leader wishes to support Yuan-Shi Tianzun, giving hope to the Goddess of Beauty and the Merchant Guild, thus prolonging their stalemate with the Five Elements Alliance." The Great Protector nodded. "It seems the leader will need some time to gradually weaken the Sun's power on the Merit Scroll." ... The following morning. Early as always, Zhang Yuanqing deleted all chat records on his phone, logged out of the messaging app, and then plugged in the charging cable, placing it on the desk. He then sat quietly by the desk, waiting in silence. A few minutes later, a subtle voice from the ears announces: 【Ping! The Lingjing map is loading. In 60 seconds, you will enter the Lingjing. This time, your Lingjing is "Shu Mountain Nan Yuan," ID: 45.】 【Difficulty Level: A】 【Type: Multiplayer (Death-based)】 【Main Objective: Resolve the strange phenomena affecting Nan Yuan.】 【Note: Non-Lingjing items cannot be brought in.】 【Introduction to Lingjing 45: Black smoke seeping from the main hall has enveloped Nan Yuan. The footsteps, laughter, and cries within the smoke... are sharper than the blades of a swordsman's weapons.】 A reflective voice from the Heavenly Eye King echoed behind. Zhang Yuanqing turned around and spotted the Palace Master, the Heavenly Eye King, Fu Qingyang, and Xiahou Aotian standing about three to four meters behind him. These five were the leaders entering the instance this time. "Although small instances last only a short duration, their danger density is significantly higher than that of large instances. Without sustained capabilities, many professions will perish," Fu Qingyang said solemnly. As they spoke, the Palace Master, dressed in a vibrant red gown, pointed toward a distant mountain peak, asking, "Is that where the main hall of the Shu Mountain is located?" About three hundred meters away, a taller and more imposing peak stood, with a denser concentration of buildings. "It's rare for a single sect to be divided into two instances. This indicates that the Shu Mountain's challenges exceed even the S-level standard," Xiahou Aotian said, pulling out a black metal box. "I'll send drones to investigate." He opened the box, and several miniature drones automatically took flight, hovering in the air. Xiahou Aotian pulled out the neural interface cables and pressed them against the sides of his temples, steering the drone fleet toward the main peak three hundred meters away. The drones operated on electricity, equipped with built-in cameras and microphones, and were otherwise no different from conventional drones. The only cutting-edge technology was Xiahou’s own enhancement: the video footage transmitted back by the drones did not rely on wireless signals but instead flowed directly into his mind through his mental focus. Faced with this highly challenging quest, everyone else in the group remained patient, even if they thought Xiahou’s efforts to investigate the main peak were redundant and unnecessary. As the drone fleet departed from the southern estate peak, gliding through the forest, they suddenly encountered an invisible barrier just as they approached the main peak—several drones shattered instantly. "There’s a seal—we can’t proceed," Xiahou immediately commanded the remaining drones to return. Fu Qingyang said, "Let’s check out the summit of the southern peak." Xiaohou Aotian nodded with his eyes closed, maneuvering the drone across the weathered, cracked stone steps, through the forest, and swiftly approaching the building at the mountain peak. Soon, in his downward view, the complex of buildings of Nan Yuan grew closer. He saw the golden roofed halls, the collapsed pavilions, the eaves covered with dry branches, the ground paved with stone slabs, stone bricks, and pebbles, thickly layered with decaying leaves and sprouting lush wild grass. "Nan Yuan is quite extensive—three large halls with golden roofs, a plaza to the west, and what looks like a residential area to the east…" Xiaohou Aotian was still describing the layout when the screen suddenly went dark. The drone captured a dense, fog-like black smoke rising from all directions. The propellers emitted a sharp noise, and the gusts of air caused the smoke to tremble violently. Xiaohou Aotian slowed the drone's speed and circled within the smoke. He needed to do nothing—just let the drone remain suspended in the black haze. "Thud, thud, thud..." Suddenly, amid the sharp whir of the propellers, Xue Hou Ao Tian picked up a faint footstep sound. The sound persisted for about fifteen seconds before fading away. The buildings in the outer area of Nan Yuan reappeared in his mind, yet at that moment, Xue Hou Ao Tian realized that one of the drones had been damaged at some point. His face turned pale. "My drone has been destroyed," he said. "How extraordinary!" Magi-Eye King scoffed. Xue Hou Ao Tian snorted. "Just think! My drones are connected to my consciousness. Any damage to one would immediately register with me. Yet, I only noticed the loss when the black smoke cleared." He immediately informed his teammates of this discovery. Fu Qingyang listened quietly and then asked, "How long did it take from when the drones entered Nan Yuan until the black smoke fully covered the area?" "Three minutes." "And from when the smoke fully covered the area until the footsteps were heard?" "One minute." Fu Qingyang said, "Let's verify the accuracy of the data." Xiahou Aotian maneuvered the drone, continuing its circular flight. After about ten minutes, black smoke once again surged. This time, Xiahou Aotian lost another drone. "Everything remains unchanged except that three minutes has now become ten," he said to Fu Qingyang. Qian Gongzi remained expressionless, "Proceed with further data verification." After three additional tests, the team obtained accurate readings. The first time entering the Nan Yuan, black smoke would appear three minutes later, followed by footsteps one minute after that, triggering the attack. Thereafter, black smoke would trigger every ten minutes, repeating in a cycle. Fu Qingyang said, "The black smoke has the ability to impair sensory perception. Relying solely on drones will not suffice to overcome the danger. This is a master-level quest—any yin尸 below the Master realm are indistinguishable from the drones. We must enter the Nan Yuan ourselves." He then turned to the Chief of Zhi Sha Palace, "The intensity of the attack has not yet been assessed. You are ready to provide treatment at any moment." The Master of Zhishi, wearing a silver mask, gave a slight nod. Fu Qingyang immediately took charge, leading Xiahou Aotian and the King of the Mystic Eye up the mountain. Zhang Yuanqing was about to follow when a fragrant breeze blew past, and the Master landed on his back, her two slender arms wrapping around his neck, smiling cheerfully. "Yuanshi, carry me." Fu Qingyang, Xiahou Aotian, and the King of the Mystic Eye all halted, turning coldly to face her. Her younger brother was right ahead—how could she face him and wear a green hat in front of him? Zhang Yuanqing sighed, lifting the Master's翘 buttocks and hastening up the mountain. He soon passed the three ahead, leaping over the weathered, cracked stone steps. "Next time, use materials from the Spiritual Realm to make a phone, take pictures, and send them to Guan Ya." Xiahou Aotian expressed his frustration at this rather awkward behavior. Reaching a mountain at 600 meters in elevation, they arrived at the summit in just a few breaths. At the end of the steps lies a flat area paved with stone bricks, covering an area of approximately four hundred meters, featuring a golden-roofed hall, pavilions, and a small, overgrown garden. At the far end of this flat area are thirty more steps, leading to another flat area—thus forming three terraced-level platforms, each crowned with a golden-roofed hall. This constitutes the fundamental layout of the southern garden of E-shan. Fu Qingyang turned to Zhang Yuanqing: "Yuanshi, observe the stars and predict our future course of action." His arrangements were methodical, his thoughts clear and composed, embodying the calm demeanor of a steady commander. Zhang Yuanqing nodded, settled himself on the ground, and drew out the Da Luo Star Disk to begin his calculations. Less than five minutes later, he opened his eyes, furrowed his brow: "After entering the halls, we will encounter black smoke. Beyond that, the course of events cannot be predicted—the smoke has obscured my star-gazing abilities." Drawing upon the information from the quest narrative, he offered an interpretation: "The quest description of the southern garden of E-shan clearly highlights mystical elements. This realm possesses the "King of the Mystic Eyes smiled gently, 'This is precisely your area of expertise. In such high-difficulty raids, we won't have many opportunities to improvise—I recommend we proceed directly into the hall.' Xiahou Aotian studied him carefully, 'Even when there's no Fire Master on duty, you've been stepping in as the Fire Master?' The King of the Mystic Eyes rubbed his forehead where the sports headband pressed, and chuckled coldly, 'Have you always been so courageous?'