【Ping! The moral values of Lei Shen and Borias have been reset. Eliminate two more individuals to receive substantial rewards.】 【Ping! The moral values of Lei Shen and Borias have been reset. Eliminate two more individuals to receive substantial rewards.】 Fu Family Villa. In Fu Qingyang's grand villa, Zhai Cai, Xiahou Aotian, Guan Ya, and Tianxia Guihuo gathered, listening intently to the continuous spiritual realm notifications drifting through the air. Their faces were serious, solemn, and tinged with growing anxiety. For two days, the spiritual realm's manhunt had never ceased—new summoning orders issued every few minutes. Each summons meant the death of one ordinary person. This placed immense psychological strain on the lawful order faction's spiritual realm travelers. Xiahou Aotian ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed with growing impatience: "I can't take it anymore. I've never found the spiritual realm so noisy. Let's rally all the lawful order sovereigns across the world and fight our way through against the Thunder and Wind Deities." Zhai Cai, whose expression was equally grave, chuckled dryly. "Are you hoping to see the Wind and Thunder Divinities march from south to north, or from north to south?" He took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily, as if trying to calm his inner restlessness. For most Lawful Wayfarers, the spiritual realm's voice messages challenge their moral foundations. It screams incessantly in their ears: "Another one has been killed—shouldn't you be doing something?!" Yet, what else can one do but watch helplessly? In the face of absolute power, sacrifices become futile, offering no real contribution. The moral weight and psychological pressure remain unavoidable, thus causing anxiety and agitation. Tian Xia Geng said calmly, "The headquarters has issued a high-alert warning and instructed all official members to remain at home and stay hidden—their stance is clear." Guan Ya spoke softly, "All we can do is wait—wait, and wait again." But when do the half-gods leave the instance? If the battle can be won swiftly, the losses can be kept under control. If it's a prolonged campaign, however... Then this disaster will claim countless mortal lives, leaving the half-gods with a world in ruins. Zhai Cai sighed, "Worse still, if the lawful half-gods perish within the instance—without any salvation—then the world has already entered its endtimes countdown... Oh, by the way, where is Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun, that dog?" Xia Hou Ao Tian replied, "That dog entered the instance, didn't he?" Guan Ya expressed a mixture of emotions, "He actually exited the instance three days ago. He successfully advanced to the ninth rank, and since then, his whereabouts have been unknown." Ninth rank? Zhai Cai was stunned, "This lad is a natural-born child of the spiritual realm, isn't he? He only just reached the eighth rank a while back—this is a promotion from eighth to ninth, not a first-grade leap!" Xia Hou Ao Tian was amazed, "You, this so-called foreigner, even know what a 'first-grade leap' means?" What a foreign Zhai glanced at him and then sighed, "After all, right now, even the ninth-level masters are no better than cats and dogs on the roadside—they're completely useless." ... Kangyang District. Grandfather turned on the television to watch the morning news. "Our report: Recently, through the continuous efforts of the security officers, the security situation in Songhai has significantly improved and has now returned to the level it was before the virus outbreak. Going forward, the government will continue to deploy additional police resources to maintain peace and ensure the safety of residents' lives and property." Always bear in mind the fundamental mission of people-centeredness and people-first principles... Next, let's bring you a news report from the Free Federation. According to our correspondent stationed there, a series of extraordinary natural events have occurred across the Free Federation over several days, affecting nine cities and causing widespread outages in power and water supplies. What we can see is a level of devastation unprecedented in scale. The cities appear to have been struck by a massive storm, with trees uprooted, buildings collapsing, streets submerged, and homes crushed. Even more alarming, the cities are experiencing an unknown electromagnetic pulse, resulting in signal disruptions and varying degrees of damage to all electrical appliances. Initial estimates suggest that this ongoing crisis has led to the loss of life and injuries for two million people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country has expressed deep concern over the Free Federation's situation and has urged the Federation to take responsibility, actively manage the crisis, and never neglect the safety and well-being of its people. The grandmother, wiping dishes at the table, peered at the television with disbelief, saying, "Two hundred thousand people have died... is that really true? Can a war really claim that many lives?" The grandfather, with his silver hair, looked serious, "Can the news deceive you? Two hundred thousand is just a conservative estimate. According to the Free Federation's style, that number should be doubled." The grandmother looked deeply concerned, "Thank goodness it's the Free Federation. If it were in our own country... Oh, Chen Shu is in the Free Federation!" As she finished speaking, a knock came at the entrance. The grandmother's worry remained unchanged, so she had to go and open the door. "Click!" She turned the handle and opened the security door to find a strong, composed woman in a white business suit, wearing glasses with a metallic frame, standing at the threshold, holding a 20-inch white carry-on suitcase. Her long, wine-red hair was neatly coiled, with no elaborate jewelry, exuding grace, simplicity, and efficiency. The woman furrowed her brows, "Mom, why didn't you tell me you'd changed the password?" "It was clear that her daughter, Chen Shu, returned home only a few times a year. Seeing her eldest daughter return, her grandmother's weathered face relaxed with relief, then tightened again: "Do you even know you've come back? Do you remember you have a son living with us in the old household? Hah! In a few months, not only will you forget to tell me your password, but even I'll forget who you are." Chen Shu didn't try to be sweet or pleading; she simply said calmly, "My work has been busy—aren't I here to celebrate the New Year with you all? Stop being so critical; I've long passed my menopause." Chen Shu's strong and determined nature was inherited from her mother. She placed her suitcase in the living room and called out to her grandfather sitting on the sofa, "Dad!" Grandfather gave a neutral "Hmm," his eyes still fixed on the news, saying, "Your mother was still worried about you just now. The Free Federation has been unstable lately. This time, you'll stay in the country for a bit longer." Chen Shu glanced at the television and replied, "Got it!" "As soon as she sat down at the restaurant table, she spoke in a relaxed, conversational tone: 'My assistant is still downstairs—she brought you all the New Year gifts. Mom, how have you been getting along with your daughter-in-law this year?' Her attire was so cold and assertive—typical of a corporate executive or a social figure—out of place with the warmth and charm of this household. Hmph. Since his son got engaged, he's completely forgotten about his own home—living day in and day out at his girlfriend's place, as if he'd become an in-law. Chen Shu seemed completely unaware. Grandmother continued complaining: "The younger generation isn't reliable; the older one is even more astonishing. Just a few days ago, my brother said he'd gone out for a trip and hadn't come back for three days. No answer when he called—couldn't find him when he went looking. I tried calling Yuan Jun, but he's currently on a business trip to Hangzhou, so I asked one of his colleagues to check in. No luck so far—still no word from him." Chen Shu showed no curiosity or concern about the disappearance of these family "failures," instead asking about her nephew's recent situation: "Since he became the head of the public security team, has he been so busy? With the New Year approaching, is he still traveling out of town?" Grandmother replied: "It's not a work assignment—this time, he's going to Hangzhou to see Ah Bing, the boy who's been close friends with Yuan Zi. He used to live next door to us Chen Yuanjun, who had stayed at the hotel for three days, finally received a call from his subordinates. "Chen, we've found the records on Lei Yibing's disappearance at the Xizhilake Public Security Bureau. The case was forwarded to us four years ago," said Xiao Gao, his tone full of excitement. After a busy three-day trip, this finally proved worthwhile. Chen had promised himself that once this matter was settled, he'd take three extra days off during the Spring Festival. He'd even be able to stay home without having to report to work. Chen gently exhaled, "The Xizhilake Public Security Bureau should have conducted a detailed investigation—tell me about it." "She was conveying the impression that there were two mature men in the household. Anyone who dressed this way—no matter where they were or when—would never be trusted and had to be watched. "I have some news about Lei Yibing," said the man who wore a cap and mask, his voice hoarse. Zhou Aun's hand froze as she closed the door, her face expressing a complex blend of surprise, doubt, urgency, and more. Pausing, the man stepped into the foyer, entered the living room without removing his shoes, and said, "Close the door, come over here!" Without hesitation, Zhou Aun complied, closing the door and sitting across from him on the sofa. The man looked up, his cap revealing eyes shadowed with depth, as if holding swirling currents: "You're so tired, so tired—you need to rest..." Zhou Aun closed her eyes, leaned back, and fell asleep sideways on the sofa. Before Zhang Yuanqing, countless vivid and bizarre dreams suddenly unfolded—right then, people in the nearby residential areas were still asleep. He had thoroughly investigated all possible individuals at Kangyang Middle School who might be connected to the Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign, yet found no leads. After a series of rounds, he returned to Lei Yibing’s home—seemingly unrelated to the Prime Origin Celestial Sovereign, yet clearly showing signs of disturbance. He now intended to deeply analyze her dreams, uncovering memories she had forgotten. In his perception, from the moment he summoned the Heavenly Emperor Hou Tian until now, it's at most half an hour. "Chaos has no time; the flow of time here differs from that outside." The Heavenly Emperor Hou Tian calmly gazed at him, waiting for his request. If I were to stay here for a year, wouldn't centuries pass outside? What could I possibly ask for? Zhang Yuanqing试探ly inquired. "I would like to become the sovereign of the Sun." The Heavenly Emperor Hou Tian smiled at him, silent. A slight awkwardness settled in the air. Indeed, even deities have their limits... Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing softly stated his request: "I wish to enter the Sun's realm." This was the very fundamental purpose for which he had summoned the Heavenly Emperor Hou Tian. He had discussed the existence of the Heavenly Emperor with Fu Qingyang and his uncle on numerous occasions, and they all believed this enigmatic figure to be a power surpassing that of a half-god. Both the First Emperor and the unwell individuals had their needs in him. Upon learning that the magical lineage had pierced through the Sun's realm, sending the malevolent half-deity inside, and thus losing his own qualification to compete for the Sun, Zhang Yuanqing immediately thought of reaching out to the Heavenly Emperor. Over the past three days of casual conversations, he had merely taken the opportunity to gather information and uncover secrets, as the Heavenly Emperor had shown a remarkable enthusiasm for dialogue. His fundamental objective remained unchanged: to enter the Sun's realm. As long as he could gain access to the Sun's realm, his uncle, the Goddess of Beauty, his aunt, and the elder of the Xie family would surely shift their support to him, and the head of the Xiahou family would likely switch sides as well. Among the other leaders of the Five Elements Alliance, Master Jiang held a favorable impression of him, and there was also a personal bond with Jiang Jingwei and Jiang Ju—so even if they did not actively assist him, they would not become adversaries. He could thus establish a balanced tripartite power structure with the leaders of Lingtu and Taiyuan. Of course, as a Level Nine Initial Day-Wandering Deity, he might well be targeted and concentrated upon by the half-deities; The Emperor Hao Tian, slowly rotating his back disc, gently nodded, "Excellent!" Immediately, Zhang Yuanqing heard the spiritual realm's prompt: 【Your current spiritual realm is "The War of the Gods," Code: 00】 【Difficulty Level: Unknown】 【Type: Multiplayer (Death-based)】 【Main Objective: To establish the Sovereign of the Sun】 【Note: Non-spiritual realm items cannot be brought in.】 【Introduction to Realm 00: Two major factions of half-gods gather, each supporting a different candidate for the Sovereign of the Sun. The Sun is encased within five array formations, sealed deep in the abyss. By mastering the core of each of the five arrays, one may summon the Sun from its slumber and become the Sovereign of the Sun.】