Zhang Yuanqing landed at the grand manor and stepped directly to the man-made lake, which occupied half the estate's area. The water shimmered a deep blue, carrying a faint briny scent, with schools of sardines, sea turtles, colorful sea snakes, and small sharks gliding through it. As a high-ranking sea nymph, Cliss cherished spending time in the manor's artificial lake. The lake's bottom was carefully designed to replicate marine environments, housing hundreds of common marine species, both plants and animals. Compared to land, "the sea" offered sea nymphs a greater sense of security. When Cliss felt uneasy, insecure, or anxious, she often retreated to the lake's depths to quietly compose herself. Zhang Yuanqing gazed at the deep blue water and sighed, "Cliss, I've arrived!" Winnie already knew his identity; as a direct descendant of the Tianfa Group's chairman, Cliss could hardly remain unaware. As soon as the words fell, a vibrant sea serpent gliding across the water suddenly leapt out, its body swelling into a colossal python several dozen meters long, splitting open its dark-red mouth to spew out mucus that splashed toward Zhang Yuanqing. At the same time, marine creatures around the area began to transform, becoming massive, fearsome sea monsters that surged to the surface and charged toward Zhang Yuanqing. "Ssshhhh..." The first sea serpent to attack was instantly incinerated by golden flames, followed by the successive waves of sea monsters that, at just three meters from their target, were caught on fire and silently reduced to ash. Zhang Yuanqing gazed steadily at a spot beneath the lake, his voice cold. "Are you coming out on your own, or shall I dry up this entire body of water?" The lake surface fell silent—no response, no further sea creatures rising to the surface. A dark figure swam swiftly near the lake's surface, then leapt upward as it approached the shore—a mermaid woman covered in deep green and black scales, holding a golden trident. Her chestnut-brown hair flowed freely, her skin fair and her lips dewy, exuding graceful strength. High in the air, she arced like Lu Tuan lifting his trident under the moonlight, and with a sudden *whoosh*, she plunged toward Zhang's cormorant. Zhang Yuanqing grasped the trident's tip with one hand, gently pulling the spirited mermaid into his arms, while with the other he clenched his fist and struck her squarely in the abdomen. *Thud!* The shockwave surged outward, uprooting grass and trees along the shore and sending great waves crashing across the man-made lake. Klis staggered backward, spitting blood, and was kicked to the shore by Zhang Yuanqing, who materialized behind her. Like a bouncing ball, Klis rolled and tumbled across the ground, leaving deep craters in her wake. Finally, she landed in the grass, half a person high. *Whoosh!* She leapt out of the grass, steadying herself Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the sky, just beginning to dawn, "Return the fragments of the treasure map to me—otherwise, I'll have to endure bodily harm." Among all his lovers, Chris was different. Zhang Yuanqing hadn't won her over with eloquent words or with the steady consistency of daily meals and enduring companionship. Rather, he had won her through force. The sea nymphs were fiery, competitive, and admired strength above all; their preference leaned toward powerful warriors rather than handsome appearances. Indeed, when the魔 king first fought with Chris, it wasn't with the intention of winning her favor. It was purely Chris who was making things difficult—driven by her desire to hunt down and eliminate the fallen night-wandering deity. She had repeatedly tried to kill him, only to be repeatedly beaten. Over time, she came to fall deeply in love with the magic king. Zhang Yuanqing had initially found her unappealing, merely drawn to her beauty and graceful figure, and had only decided to sleep with her once he saw her worth. Later, it was discovered that the lady was straightforward and simple-hearted, genuinely fond when she liked someone, and truly disliking when she didn't—without any undercurrents or countless subtle thoughts. This brought the weary, seasoned magic king a long-overdue sense of ease and peace, making him view her as his second beam of white moonlight, alongside Yin Ji. Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath, his gaze steady and commanding as he fixed it on Chris. Chris met his gaze with firm determination. Zhang stepped forward and gave her a strong shove, sending her sprawling to the ground. The fiery, spirited lady landed with a gasp, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably—like a wild mare being tamed. Zhang reached out a hand to her. Chris pulled out a fragment of the treasure map, angrily tossed it to him, her eyes wide and blazing with red, silently protesting. Zhang took the map fragment, gently stroked her hair, and whispered: "I am both him, and no longer him!" What he meant was that he was the魔君—the one with whom she had a deep emotional connection, the one she had long cherished as her beloved. Yet at the same time, he was no longer the cold, unfeeling magic king she once remembered. Without waiting to see if Chris had understood, Zhang transformed into a golden rainbow and vanished. Chris looked at little fish Lusis, her eyes glistening with tears. "What does that mean?" "Little fish Rosel blew a few bubbles, then spread out her short, delicate fins, saying, 'I think he means: yes, I am indeed the Mage King, but I am no longer tainted by the corruption of the Fallen Holy Cup. Therefore, I won't take responsibility for what happened before. You can listen and understand if you wish; if not, that's perfectly fine too.'" Chriss's eyes dimmed. "I never thought the Primordial Celestial Sovereign would be the Mage King. Had he been there at the beginning in the New Covenant County, he should have been castrated to vent your honor." Rosel comforted her, "Don't worry. After all, the end of the world is approaching—what personal grievances matter now?" ... Northwest, in a rural village. The rural villages in the northwest are poor and underdeveloped. Whether built of yellow mud or brick and tile, the houses all exude an old, simple atmosphere. There are no grand, well-planned residences like those in southern villages, no clean, paved roads, no streetlights. The land is barren, and most farmers barely manage to feed themselves, with only a few crumpled bills in their pockets throughout the year. The public's attention rarely focuses here; influencers don't come, journalists seldom step foot, and official surveillance rarely reaches this area. Yet here lies the temporary stronghold of the Order of the Commander. Some villagers have long been won over by the members of the Order, maintaining their daily routines while unconditionally obeying the commands of the enchanted beings. When the Order arrives, they provide free lodging and meals. Similar hidden strongholds of the Order are scattered throughout the northwest. The Order's members visit only occasionally—primarily to maintain stability—unless conflicts between the Order and the more orderly, freedom-oriented factions intensify and tensions rise. In one two-story brick building with a courtyard, the lights remain on, and a group of over a dozen members of the Order gather around a hearth, enjoying hot pot meals. Beef, lamb, pork, and various offal rise and fall in the simmering broth. Though green vegetables are scarce in the northwest winter, the meat supply is abundant. A stocky man with a bald head and tattoos growled, "This place is hopeless—can't even find a decent woman! All these women are dark, dry, and lifeless. When will we ever get to go on duty? Honestly, I'd love to go out and patrol—there'd be wine, meat, and women!" While the main force of the military commander remained hidden, they were far from content to be blind or deaf. Outside, intelligence officers still patrolled, regularly sending back coded messages from those on duty. "Or perhaps we should just go out and make a show of it? The King of Extinction is still out there, killing people—she's doing quite well, yet no official hunt has been launched against her," someone suggested. The two kings didn't hide in secluded strongholds; their personal flaws made concealment difficult. For instance, the King of Extinction was bloodthirsty—without a clear target, she'd turn her blade against members of the military commander's staff. "If you don't want to live, don't burden us with your fate." "A compact, sturdy man spoke gravely, "Master Yuan Shi has ascended to the rank of Sun Sovereign. The Fearful King stated that he is the strongest half-deity of our age, even surpassing the War Lord. Should he take notice of us, we shall all perish. "Good heavens! Master Yuan Shi has become the Sun Sovereign—how is that possible?" "In just one year, he's transformed from a commoner into a half-deity. This boy is truly a marvel—his very presence inspires dread." The conversation shifted to focus on the Sun Sovereign. At that moment, a thunderous roar of a hypersonic fighter passing overhead caused the military commanders' members to pale. Before they could react, a towering black silhouette crashed down into the courtyard. A tremendous crash echoed, bowls and chopsticks on the table slightly jumped, hot broth splashed out of the pots and landed on the shoulders of the gathered guests. It was no enemy assault—relief washed over the spirits of the enchanting demons. They bowed deeply, trembling, and exclaimed, "Lord Vrtra!" Vrtra surveyed the assembly, speaking in a deep, resonant voice, "Any new intelligence?" A mist lord rushed out of the house, bowing, "We haven't received any updates from our on-duty members yet." In his estimation, Lord Shura and King of Fear had only been out for a few hours. Upon hearing this, Shura remained expressionless and stepped outward. He intended to proceed to the next outpost—the General of War's secret base was not a single location; one small village could not accommodate all the enchanted spirits. Since no reports had come in here, he would have to move on to the next one. As he took his first steps, a phone ringtone sounded inside the house. The mist lord hurried back in, and within seconds, he dashed to the courtyard, his face now strange with urgency, "Lord Shura, the Forest King of the Guardian of Night's Rose has just sent a message." Shura turned around, his six eyes simultaneously fixed on the mist lord. The mist-king still wore an odd expression, saying, "Four years ago, Yuanshǐ Tianzun went missing and, during that disappearance, became a Spirit Realm traveler. When Pure-Yang Master investigated his origins, he uncovered this secret, only to fall into a cycle of memory loss..." What was he saying? The enchanting spirits in the courtyard didn't understand. Vishnu remained silent for several seconds, then turned and entered the room, retrieving an old leather scroll, and willingly entered the dream. In the vivid, dreamlike world, he saw figures formed by gathering starlight. "Any one who uncovers the truth that Yuanshǐ Tianzun is a Demon King, or anyone who draws near to this truth, will enter this cycle," Vishnu said. The starlit figures nodded slightly. ... In the Spirit Realm, within the Divine War quest. The headmaster of Tai Mu sat in the air, draped in a long robe of starlight, with a black circular moon above his head. Starlight surged around him continuously, blazing like flames, fiercely heating the black moon above. The Master of the Stars is gradually eroding the residual spirit of Lingtuo, with the essence of Taiyin now beginning to integrate with him. Within two days, he will erase Lingtuo's imprint and fully command the Taiyin. Suddenly, he listens intently for a moment, then opens his eyes. His left eye glows with brilliant starlight, while his right eye is filled with dark energy. "Now I understand..." The dark energy in the Master of the Taiyin's right eye recedes, and starlight emerges. He lifts his head toward the stars, contemplating for a while, then forcefully expels a surge of Taiyin power. This dark, smoke-like essence of the Taiyin Master penetrates the realm, flowing through the spiritual world like oil, "extinguishing" the stars along the way. Soon, this "oil" reaches its destination—a realm known as the "Feathered Transformation Sect." A dense, dark Taiyin force envelops the star representing the realm, causing it to vanish from the spiritual world. Almost immediately, a beam of golden light cleaves through the "starry river," arriving within the spiritual world.