"Let's prepare their bodies for burial," Fu Qingyang said, glancing over the evil sovereigns—some blackened and carbonized, others with bodies severed from heads. Zhang Yuanqing took out the little red hat and carefully collected the remains. Half an hour passed swiftly. Elder Gao Feng lifted the quilt of the timid ones, folding it back into the inventory, its worn and patched condition now neatly stored. Fu Qingyang looked toward the distant sky, slightly disappointed: "The Void Sect and the Spiritual Energy Association didn't send any reinforcements. Then, let them disperse." Elder Ganlu stood up, brushing off the dust from her clothes. Wearing a practical combat uniform with a sports jacket over it, she had a full, rounded figure—like a perfectly ripe watermelon. She looked at Yuan Shi Tianzun and Fu Qingyang, smiling warmly and gratefully: "Your life-saving grace—there's nothing I can offer in return!" Nothing to offer? Hm. If it were the Magus, he'd surely demand a promise of lifelong devotion. Zhang Yuanqing murmured these thoughts to herself, maintaining a cool, composed nod. "Elder Gao Feng, how have the Flower and Xia Shu been lately?" "Zhang Yuanqing asked. "None of them have died," Master Gao understood what he meant. That's good! Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to entrust him with looking after the two, especially Xia Shu, whom he had met through official circles—among his few close friends. But then he thought: as the world grew more chaotic, and people's lives became increasingly uncertain, could not other official members sacrifice themselves for order? Could not Xia Shu and Ganlu do the same? Could not even he, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn? After Fu Qingyang had laid to rest the bodies of the four evil faction leaders, the group parted ways at the park grounds. Zhang Yuanqing ascended upon his five-clawed golden dragon, breaking through the sky. Fu Qingyang carried the unconscious Tian Huo elder, riding his sword in close pursuit. Master Gao, meanwhile, took Ganlu elder with him, descending into the earth to vanish. Upon returning to the Fu family village, the young gentleman summoned a rabbit maiden and instructed: "Our phones have been damaged. Go and prepare two new ones." He then turned to Zhang Yuanqing and said: "Hand over the bodies to them." After handling the matters, he sat at his computer, typing messages while saying, "Yuanshǐ, your account hasn't been canceled yet. Later, I'll post an announcement on the forum under the Songhai branch's account—please give it a like." Zhang Yuanqing nodded in response, quietly moving to stand behind Fu Qingyang and seeing him editing the announcement. "At 2:32 p.m. today, the senior monks of the Hangzhou branch, 'Challenging the Peak' and 'Manjusca,' went missing while handling a case involving a heretical sect. After investigation by our branch's Senior Monk Fu Qingyang, Senior Monk Mishi Tianhuo, and former members of the Five Elements Alliance, Yuanshǐ Tianzun, it has been confirmed that the senior monks were ambushed by the forces of the evil faction and are now in peril." "At 4:40 PM, the Peak Challenge Elder and the Nectar Elder were rescued; the Elder of the World-Ending Fire sustained serious injuries. Our forces eliminated two Masters of the Southern Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association and two Masters of the Void Sect's Southern Branch. Their Spiritual Realm IDs are... "It is reported that this marks the sixth official incident of Elder attacks this month. In recent times, the evil organizations have grown increasingly active, significantly disrupting the stability of the orderly forces and social harmony. "At the internal meeting convened today by Elder Fu Qingyang at the Songhai Branch, a proposal was made to establish a Stabilization Unit, actively launching operations to hunt down the Masters of the evil organizations nationwide. Master Yuan Shishen, a former official, promptly responded, emphasizing that managing one's own territory is the primary responsibility, and recommended that the primary targets be the Southern Branch of the Void Sect and the Southern Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association, a proposal that received unanimous approval from the senior leadership of the Songhai Branch. "This is hereby announced!" Fu Qingyang lifted his tea cup, took a sip without turning around, and said calmly, "How about it?" "The Prime Immortal behind him stroked his chin," said Zhang Yuanqing, "Is the elder really trying to intimidate the evil rulers of the southeast region through this announcement?" This strategy has indeed proven effective—last time, he had convened the rulers of the Departed, the Salvation Society, and the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance, successfully eliminating the third and ninth elders of the Southern School, one at the eight-tier and one at the seven-tier level. This time, in alliance with Fu Qingyang, they have eliminated four rulers—three at the seven-tier and one at the eight-tier—each with substantial mid-to-late stage experience and seasoned senior status. Rulers below the ninth tier are essentially just fresh grass—coming in, they're cut down, and two coming in, they're completely uprooted. As soon as the news spreads, the rulers of the Southern School and its regional branches will surely choose to remain hidden and observe. Thus, Zhang and Fu Qingyang will be able to enter the instance without any distractions. "But..." Zhang Yuanqing frowned, "Will such a bold and showy declaration of intent, announcing their campaign against the villains, appear too conspicuous? Might they sense that this is a deliberate strategy of intimidation?" "After all, attacks and hunts should be as discreet as possible. To make such a grand show would surely alert the prey. Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Think of it from another angle—perhaps this is precisely our strategy. By being so conspicuous, we're making them believe we're merely making noise, thus relaxing their guard. You and I are people who actually do things—when have we ever raised slogans?" "The rulers of the evil faction won't stop at the first level of anticipation. They'll feel they've already anticipated our anticipation." Zhang Yuan thought to himself, wondering if that was indeed the case. Fu Qingyang continued, "Moreover, issuing public announcements to boost morale is a necessity for the official side. The evil rulers won't think so deeply about it. Even if they truly see through our strategy and continue to cause disturbances, that's exactly what we can accept. "Local sacrifices are inevitable at this stage. Right now, nothing is more important than upgrading." During the conversation, the rabbit maid carried two smartphones and opened the door to the study. The beautiful elder sister handed her phone to the two of them, smiling, "Photos of the four corpses have been saved to your phone." Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction, opened his phone, logged into his account, uploaded the photos to the computer, and clicked to publish. Zhang Yuanqing also logged into his long-overdue official account and liked the new post posted by the Songhai branch's official page. Neither of them refreshed the post to check the replies; they folded their phones, and Zhang Yuanqing said, "I'll go prepare the materials to craft my spiritual servant." Fu Qingyang gave a simple "Hmm." "Why do you have to mimic him all the time?" Uncle remarked, "After all, I've raised a white-bird that's always flown away—now he's so eager to please others, I'd like to finally experience that feeling of 'Beyond your body, three feet of snow—who else in the world could wear white robes like you?'" Zhang Yuanqing gave him a withering look. "You've been rhyming your whole life, yet you're still only good at single rhymes. You don't have the right to claim that line. Just get on with your matter—I'm busy." Uncle shrugged. "The props are all ready. I called you, but you didn't answer. No one at home either—so I had to come personally. Good thing you haven't been doing the same thing with your girlfriend, or I'd be embarrassed." "Your well-behaved nephew isn't someone who indulges in daytime romance," Zhang Yuanqing said, excitedly patting his hands. "Look at the props." One by one, Uncle reached out from the void, summoning the props: a jade belt-shaped waist ornament, a pair of black-and-red half-fingered gloves, a black horn composite bow, a fierce Zhang Yuanqing went through each item one by one, occasionally murmuring in approval. If he were at the Sage stage, he could have turned all of them black. Guan Ya's item was a sword-shaped belt jade, with functions of "Sword Energy Shield" and "Ultimate Counterattack." The former enables the concentration of sword energy to form an invisible barrier, offering defense that falls short of earth monsters but sufficient to withstand three attacks from a sixth-level Sage. For a peak Sage, it would only last one attack. For a swordmaster—a combat specialist who relies on close-range engagements and decisive strikes—this difference of one attack might mean the difference between life and death. The "Ultimate Counterattack" feature activates when the user's physical strength and spiritual energy are depleted, or when they are besieged by two or more opponents, launching a surprise strike. It serves as an excellent last-ditch move. The black half-finger gloves belong to Hongji, providing a 10% boost to fire-based spiritual energy—considered a top-tier item for fire practitioners. The trade-off is a slight loss of intelligence, resulting in greater impulsiveness and emotional volatility, adhering to the principle of "action over thought," The cow-horn bow is for Zhao Chenghuang, with functions: penetration, tracking, and one-hit-kill! A tool for mesmerizing spirits. Penetration and tracking are standard for this profession; what truly sets it apart is the one-hit-kill ability. Every third arrow fired activates this effect, reducing the enemy's defense by 50%, making it ideal for surprise attacks or using the Star-Dodging Technique to keep enemies at bay. The cost is that every shot must result in a kill—otherwise, the user will be gradually eroded by the killing intent, losing rationality. Additionally, for 12 hours after using the bow, the user's temperament becomes extremely irritable, even causing dogs passing by to be kicked repeatedly. The ghost mother mask is for Sun Miao-miao, greatly enhancing her Yin energy, thereby boosting both the number and strength of her spirit servants—perfectly suited for Sun Miao-miao, who possesses a Soul-Calling Banner and follows a path of commanding spirits. The Terracotta Army figurine, similar to a shadow corpse or puppet, can be controlled by the owner to fight, though its combat power is moderate; its strength lies in durability and immense physical power, making it the ideal expend Moreover, since the five elements show that fire generates earth, the more fiery spiritual energy is infused, the stronger the power of the Terracotta Army figurines becomes—offering excellent operability. Ideal for the realm where everyone else has eight out of ten intelligence points, I hold nine, and the other fire masters collectively fall short by one. This fits perfectly with the "Heaven's Return to Fire" initiative. Zhang Yuan satisfied himself with folding up the props, sent his uncle away, sat at his desk, opened his computer, logged into the chat platform, and posted a message in the "The Departed Return" group: "Anyone who attended the Angel Investment event at the Pan God's Maze—please step forward and share your name. Our annual dividend has just been distributed." Guan Ya, Zhao the City God, Sun Miaomiao, and Heaven's Return to Fire responded one after another, their messages brimming with anticipation. Only Red Chicken Brother remained silent for a while. Zhang Yuan had to mention him directly. Only then did Red Chicken Brother respond: "What's up? What's the Pan God's Maze, and how does it relate to me?" Had he completely forgotten about it? Or perhaps he simply didn't remember the name " 【The Whole World Converges to Fire: That's the maze we encountered in Xinjue County—nearly wiped out in the process.】 【Red Chicken Brother: Oh, that place! I remember now—it's called the Pan God's Maze. I completely forgot.】 Indeed... everyone silently added to their thoughts. 【Master Yuan Shǐ: I've stored the division shares in our faction warehouse, starting with the sword-shaped waist jade, followed by Guan Ya, Sun Miao Miao, Zhao the City God, Tianxia Guihuo, and finally Red Chicken Brother.】 The very next moment, Guan Ya and the others submitted requests to use warehouse items. Zhang Yuanqing approved each one in turn. About half a minute later, Sun Miao Miao sent a string of heart emojis: 【Thank you, Master. I pledge to serve and sacrifice for you without hesitation.】 Red Chicken Brother, on the other hand, flooded the chat with a series of enthusiastic worship emoji messages. 【Zhao the City God: Aside from the master-level items I obtained in the underground palace, this is the most satisfying, most tailored set of equipment I've ever received.】 Even for 【The world turns to fire: the item is excellent—now I no longer need to risk my life. I can eliminate eighty percent of the dangers in the dungeons, though most fire specialist dungeons don’t feature particularly clever traps requiring mental acuity.】 He was very satisfied with the item, seeing it as a valuable complement to his own abilities. Guan Ya, as the girlfriend of the Primordial Sovereign, quietly thanked him in the group chat and then privately messaged him: “Thank you, Sovereign Lord. Tonight, I pledge myself to you.” Zhang Yuanqing replied, “I’ll go take a bath right away.” He then returned to the chat group and mentioned @Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang: 【I need several special materials to craft spiritual servants. Could you help me exchange them with the Taimei Sect? I’ll reimburse you for the costs later.】 Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang readily agreed. As a senior descendant and a Sixth-Class Sovereign, just one step away from becoming a Sovereign, it was within their authority to pre-arrange exchanges for some Sovereign-level materials. Beyond that scope, they would need to seek assistance from their own grandf After a few casual chats in the group, Zhang Yuanqing opened the forum and noticed that Fu Qingyang’s announcement, posted under the official account of Songhai Branch, had been pinned to the top. The post was receiving tremendous attention, with over 999 comments. "Excited! After so many years, the Heavenly Sovereign has finally made an appearance on the forum!" "The Heavenly Sovereign has been quiet for several days—yet his first move has stunned the entire server. He’s eliminated four Masters in one go, including one high-level Master. Now the Heavenly Sovereign is a daily visitor, with no decline in performance." "Although no longer an official member, he remains a hero of the Order-aligned faction." "Right above me, the senior figures at headquarters are even more confused than Sun长老—except for Qian Gongzi." "Most satisfying! It’s finally giving the Evil-aligned faction a clear message: even among the Masters, there are still those who feel hopeless when the Alliance leaders remain inactive." The forum atmosphere had been quiet and subdued for a long time—today, it finally received a strong boost, returning to its usual lively spirit. Since the disappearance of moral value, the headquarters of the Five Elements Alliance has issued numerous encouraging announcements on the forum, urging members to remain confident and steadfast. It has emphasized that the loss of moral value was an unforeseen event, and that the lawful factions would vigorously combat criminal activities by evil organizations, upholding peace and stability. Yet the reality is that evil sects continue to emerge like mushrooms after rain, and within the past month, three senior elders of the lawful factions have fallen. Mid- and lower-level spiritual practitioners, lacking access to genuine high-level intelligence, remain perpetually confused about the broader picture and current situation, easily becoming anxious and suspicious. Thus, they require constant positive news to strengthen their confidence and belief. Simply reiterating the importance of confidence and belief is not enough—concrete, positive developments are needed, and the mid- and lower-level members must see tangible hope. It is more effective to deliver one announcement that reports the elimination of four evil professionals than to repeat the message of confidence and belief a hundred times.