The following morning, early in the morning. Zhang Yuanqing, having just left Guan Ya's room, sat at the head of the dining table enjoying a breakfast that blended Chinese and Western elements. Beside him were Xie Lingxi and the Queen. For a sovereign, eating was more about satisfying his palate than about absorbing the nutritional value of the food, which alone was insufficient to meet his needs. "Brother Yuanshi, are you troubled?" Xie Lingxi cut a piece of grilled sausage for him. Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I'm wondering how I can get a strong-willed woman to make a decision that goes against her ancestors' traditions." Xie Lingxi, alert and cautious, asked, "Are you hoping she'll accompany you to bed?" The Queen added, "Or perhaps she'll bear your child?" What tiger-and-wolf metaphors! Zhang Yuanqing chewed on his sausage. "It's not about bearing a child. I'd like to ask her to do something for me." Xie Lingxi quietly set aside her intention to inform Guan Ya's sister, and thought for a few seconds before tilting her head. "It all depends on your relationship with that strong-willed Zhang Yuanqing: "I'm her long-awaited son!" The disciple's son. The queen and Xie Lingxi exchanged puzzled expressions. "Long-awaited son? Then she just pouts and coos for it, doesn't she? Women are never principled when it comes to their beloved men or sons." Xie Lingxi said. Ah, how long has this sturdy old man been immune to my "pouting and cooing"! Zhang Yuanqing sighed. After thinking it over, he realized he had no other options besides playing the emotional and moral cards. In the queen's eyes, I've always been too polished—emotional appeals fall flat, so the moral appeal is what works best. For emotional appeal, I should send Yin Yao instead! Zhang Yuanqing set down his chopsticks, snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, and the scene shimmered into a radiant, dreamlike cascade of starlight. He then appeared in the second-floor bedroom, gently unfolding the little red hat to reveal Princess Yin Yao. "Yin Yao...," Zhang Yuanqing wrapped his arms around the princess's cool, fragrant shoulders, speaking with earnest gravity, "to be honest, as a direct disciple of the Hearing this, Yin Yao's refined and beautiful face, though otherwise expressionless, had her unusually vivid, crimson eyes flicker. She tapped the cat king speaker at her waist. The cat king speaker emitted a series of crackling sounds, followed by an exaggerated laugh: "Ahahaha~ Let's cut to the chase!" "As she spoke, a dark, lustrous crystal appeared in her palm, releasing a cool, damp qi that lowered the room's temperature and caused moisture in the air to condense into white frost on the tables and chairs. Princess Yin Yao stared fixedly at the crystal, unable to shift her gaze. After a few seconds, she raised her small horn once more, firm and resolute: "I pledge to die as a true disciple of San Dao Mountain!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded with satisfaction: "Loyalty cannot be overstated—loyalty indeed cannot be overstated!" “Zhang Yuanqing paused: ‘Does our Master still have loyal followers?’ Without waiting for a response from Lady San-Dao Mountain, Princess Yin Yao lifted her snowy chin and offered a well-placed compliment: ‘Our Master is an Imperial Princess, and also holds the title of Master of Pure Yang Sect—naturally, she has a strong following.’ ‘Don’t mention the title of Master of Pure Yang Sect—something unfortunate!’ Zhang Yuanqing spat out, only then realizing that Lady San-Dao Mountain was a princess from the Song Dynasty, living during its golden age. Zhang Yuanqing sighed: ‘Master, in recent times, the demonic forces have grown increasingly aggressive. The battles between the righteous and the wicked have become daily, intense, and widespread, deeply affecting ordinary people—many households have been left empty, with infants and orphans scattered everywhere, and roads lined with the remains of war dead. In the past few months, I have been tirelessly refining my own abilities and advancing my cultivation level, striving to support the righteous cause and suppress the wicked. Yet, despite my efforts, my disciples remain relatively weak, and I find myself short of strength.’ Lady San-Dao Mountain listened intently, her brows furrowing repeatedly. Zhang Yuanqing silently gave Princess Lady Yin Yao understood at once, raising her small trumpet with grace: "Please, Master, enter the scene for the welfare of all beings beneath the sky." Zhang Yuanqing responded smoothly: "The semi-gods outside are constantly restraining one another, rarely stepping forward. Master, as a peak sovereign and a rare sun-wandering deity of our age, you are truly unparalleled. Should you step forth, every court across the world will rejoice." The Lady of San Dao glanced at the two of them, then said calmly: "Speak plainly!" Zhang Yuanqing bowed deeply: "Lately, I have stumbled upon a strange, unconventional art—designed to risk everything for the welfare of all beings. I humbly request Master's support." With that, he presented the pre-recorded formula for the San Cai Pill. The Lady of San Dao took it, glanced at it, and instantly grew furious, her face composed yet stern, her dark brows furrowed: "You dare to pursue such a heretical, unconventional art? Then I shall cleanse my own temple." Her San Dao Temple had indeed fallen victim to a similar kind of heresy. Lady Yin Yao bowed deeply: "Master, the law of magic My younger brother is not seeking to rely on this method for cultivation—he is driven by circumstances, compelled by necessity. "I, Yin Yao, swear on my life that he will never abuse this method..." Before she could finish, the old sturdy one cut in coldly, "Your life is not enough to serve as security." Implied: your life is not worth much! Yin Yao Princess fell silent, thinking, as always, the elder is wiser. She had prepared ten lines of dialogue, yet before she could finish the first one, her master had interrupted her. "Master," Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "I merely wish to contribute my share to the welfare of the common people. You wish to break through into the realm of human and immortal, and I cannot force you to awaken. Yin Yao, my senior sister, is fearful and timid—she cannot be relied upon. Among our lineage, only I can offer consistent support to the righteous cause. "I employ these esoteric techniques to elevate my cultivation—not out of reliance on unconventional methods, but rather out of necessity, as a temporary measure. I will never fall into the realm of darkness or evil." The serene face of the Lady of San Mountain, once so graceful, now seemed veiled in frost Every fallen one carries an unruly confidence, convinced of their uniqueness, certain they can withstand temptation and erosion. "In the end, none escaped. I believe your original intent was to serve the nation and its people, yet I cannot watch you sink into ruin—especially since this very door was opened for you by me." With the Master of the Sect first succumbing to the path of darkness, and then the disciples and junior disciples practicing malevolent arts, the Lady of the Three Mountain Paths is most attuned to such developments. Lady Yin Yao quickly replied, "That's precisely why the Master revised the formula, aiming to minimize the erosion." The Lady of the Three Mountain Paths narrowed her eyes coldly, "When I speak to him, do you have any right to interrupt?" Lady Yin Yao hurriedly bowed her head. Zhang Yuanqing sighed deeply, "I now fully understand the Master's intentions. Master, the Pure Yang Patriarch is not bound by merit points and has indiscriminately killed the innocent. He holds you in deep resentment, yet dares not enter the Spiritual Realm to confront you directly. Thus, he has allied with evil forces and targeted me from every angle. I have had no choice but to take decisive, "Ah, with the magic path now so rampant, countless lives have been devastated. As the sole living disciple of the Pure Yang Sect and your final disciple, I am willing to risk my life for the righteous cause. Perhaps this parting will be final—may your health remain strong." With that, he bowed deeply twice, did not retrieve his herbal formula, and held firmly on the Princess Yin Yao's shoulders before leaving the Ling Jing. "Most importantly, she awoke in the spiritual realm, utterly alone—without any relatives or kin, save for us." Princess Yin Yao lifted her chin with pride. "Her two remaining disciples are destined to die in service to the righteous cause of the world. Though she appears indifferent on the surface, she must be thrilled, and certainly won't be willing to see us sacrifice ourselves. She will certainly examine that prescription carefully and evaluate it. If she finds it capable of mitigating most of the erosion and contamination, she will surely yield. Rest assured—I've served under my master for many years, and I know her personality better than anyone. She prefers softness over firmness, and she excels at yielding and advancing through empathy." Lady Yin Yao stood firm on the crest of the waves, tightly grasping the sun and moon as they spun—everything under her control. Zhang Yuanqing nodded with confidence: "The Cat King speaker—did it record that?" The Cat King speaker emitted a few crackling sounds, responding with an energetic and joyful melody: "Today is a great day! All my dreams come true! Today is a great day! We open our doors and welcome the spring breeze..." Lady Yin Yao felt her heart sink. ... Afternoon. At the café across from the Kangyang District Public Security Office. Li Dongze held his coffee cup in one hand and gently stroked the top of his cane. "I've checked everything—the office's archivists, the record clerks, and the reception staff—all of them have no memory of when that missing file was deleted. In fact, they don't even recall it ever existed." "How is this possible?" Chen Yuanjun frowned, his already prominent character lines deepening. "Indeed, they don't!" Li Dongze shook his head. "I wouldn't make a mistake—after all, the spies within the Public Security Office aren't even under the protection of the Shadow Moon." "The Shading of the Taiyin?" Chen Yuanjun asked in puzzlement. Li Dongze waved his hand. "That's not crucial. In short, no staff member from your Public Security Office knows about this file. There are two possibilities: either the person who recorded the file wasn't a clerical officer but someone from the Operations Team, or the person who recorded it has already left or been killed. " Chen Yuanjun disagreed: "First, the Operations Team doesn't handle emergency calls or take responsibility for entering records. Since the file was deleted at some point, it means the original staff who entered it didn't consider it problematic—someone at the Public Security Office later discovered the file and then deleted it. Therefore, the record-keeper definitely existed. " "Second, in this incident, all the officers killed were armed patrol officers; the clerical staff managed to hide and escaped without any casualties. Finally, from early last year until now, no staff member has resigned from the Public Security Office." Li Dongze shrugged. "Then there's only one possibility! This missing list isn't from this year—it goes back to earlier times." “Chen Yuanjun tapped the table.” “This is even less likely. Lei Yibing went missing in April this year, and we all witnessed the case firsthand.” “You’ve just made me feel rather suspicious,” Li Dongze said, with a thoughtful expression. “I seem to have forgotten something….” After thinking for a while, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it and said, “Lei Yibing’s disappearance does indeed raise questions—there’s a strong likelihood it involves our group. I’ll take the initiative to follow up on it.” Chen Yuanjun asked, “When will you follow up, and how?” Li Dongze sighed. “Oh, heavens! By ‘follow up,’ I simply mean to take it slow. Recently, the cases of new cults have been pouring in—like bamboo shoots emerging after spring rain—so many that we barely have time to keep up with them.” Chen Yuanjun sipped his coffee, calmly adding, “Cult cases won’t come every day. That won’t hinder our investigation into Lei Yibing. And if we just add an extra hour to our work each day, we might well clear up the matter within a few days.” "Oh my God, you must be the devil sent to earth—so calm and composed about working late." Li Dongze sighed. "Finding a breakthrough is easy: someone has to file a report for there to be a record. So when Lei Yibing went missing, who would have gone to the police station to file a report?" Chen Yuanjun shook his head. "I've asked his family, and none of them have filed a report." "Their memory might be poor, but that doesn't mean they didn't happen." Li Dongze shrugged. "In our circle, there are ways to make someone forget something entirely." At that moment, his expression suddenly stiffened. ... The same afternoon, the Master of Chunyang met the owner of the phone number in a quiet lounge at a tea house. This was a middle-aged man with a lean face, a stern expression, deep forehead lines, and slightly drooping corners of his mouth, giving off an air of being difficult to work with. The well-dressed man, holding a briefcase, glanced at the plump, elegant female server in a qipao. "She can't hear a thing." "Pure Yang Master greeted the female server to serve tea, his gaze deliberately assessing the middle-aged man. "Are you one of the official swordsmen? I heard that last year, during a major health check-up at Songhai, rule-based artifacts such as the tiger seal were deployed. How did you manage to bypass the tiger seal?" The middle-aged man replied coldly, "I was transferred to Songhai after the moral value system collapsed. Previously the head of Kangyang District, he promoted me to a senior steward, responsible for the two major districts of Kangyang Prefecture. Currently, I serve under him, specifically overseeing Kangyang District." Pure Yang Master nodded slightly. "Have you brought what I requested?" The man sat down, opened his briefcase, and pulled out a thick stack of documents. "I've gathered all the profiles of the individuals you're after. Grand Protector instructed me to fully support you. From this group, I've selected thirty individuals whose life circumstances are rather unusual." The Pure Yang Master took the documents, quickly scanned through them, pulled out one, and mused, “In April last year, he vanished from the university dormitory in Hangzhou and has remained unaccounted for since.” The middle-aged man glanced at the documents and said, “Though officially classified as missing, it’s now well-established that he was a Lingjing Traveler who entered a game world and has not reappeared—likely deceased within that realm. This is the only Lingjing Traveler in the records whose status is confirmed. He and Yuanshǐ Tianzun both graduated from Kangyang Middle School, but not from the same class.” Not sharing the same class, and with his disappearance time closely aligned with when Yuanshǐ Tianzun became a Lingjing Traveler, the timeline suggests a weak connection between the two. Nevertheless, the Pure Yang Master kept this document, placing it at the bottom of the stack. … That evening, Zhang Yuanqing entered the sect’s realm copy, “Mo Sect Mechanized City,” alone. Indeed, the scroll recording the elixir formula was still there, glowing with a soft golden light in the night. Zhang Yuanqing approached with delight, picked up the scroll, and noticed that on its previously blank back, faint traces of the Sun God's power had drawn two spiritual array patterns and a line of characters: "The first array is to be used during the elixir's brewing, inscribed on the furnace wall. The second array is to be used after the elixir is complete, inscribed on the furnace body." My mother truly loves me! Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed, focused intently, memorized the array patterns carefully, and then gently shook his hand. The Sun God's power on the reverse of the scroll manifested as golden flames, and a streak of ash drifted away with the wind. Returning to reality, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the table, reflecting. Now that he had the formula, all that remained was the "herbs"—herbs that would swiftly boost his experience points, and these must be Day-Wandering Immortals. Today, Day-Wandering Immortals are few in number—either stationed at the Taimei Gate or hidden among the Night Rose Blossoms. The former Finding herbs in副本is indeed a solid approach. The creatures within the副本are no different from those in the real world. However, as far as he currently knows, the Day-Wandering Deity appears only in profession-specific副本and in guild副本established by the Day-Wandering Deity groups. For instance, the guild副本of the White Tiger's military forces mainly involve the Yin and Star Officials. "Either my solo spiritual realm will arrive soon, or I'll join the Taimei Guild's副本—there's no third option!" Ah well, let's try the formula first! Zhang Yuanqing picked up his phone and dialed Fu Qingyang's number: "Boss, I've obtained the formula. I need a Star Official to conduct an experiment. Could you please recommend some White Tiger guild副本that have Star Officials, preferably with lower difficulty levels?" The San-Cai Formula requires the unity of "spirit, soul, and vital energy"—it must be a living person. Inanimate materials cannot be used for the preparation. Most of the White Tiger's military guild副本are war-themed, which inherently involves many skilled participants and thus includes various professions. It's impossible for an entire army to consist solely of scouts.