Watching the dark, turbid flow of the Yin energy spanning the "Stellar River," consuming vast areas and devouring the realm represented by the "Feathered Immortal Sect" copy, Zhang Yuanqing knew that the Celestial Sovereign had now uncovered both his hidden reserve and its location. Clearly, the Master of Pure Yang had set a contingency. Zhang Yuanqing had not been surprised—these beings, ancient as turtles with a lifespan of ten thousand years, acted and plotted like a sow wearing a bra, layer upon layer—when the celestial patterns were disrupted and could no longer be accurately predicted, he simply could not have been fully prepared. Thus, after purifying the Master of Pure Yang, Zhang Yuanqing immediately rushed to the headquarters of Tianfa, retrieving the fragments of the treasure map from Kris. Unexpectedly, the Celestial Sovereign had already moved ahead of him. Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing activated the "Sunrise," a golden wheel rising behind his back, radiating sunlight that illuminated the entire spiritual realm. The thick, deep black Yin energy instantly dispersed, revealing the newly devoured stars. Zhang Yuanqing immediately intended to rush into the realm. At that moment, a sweep of starlight approached from afar, suddenly expanding into a vast canvas that dimmed the golden light passing through it. The celestial essence, inherently non-combative, could only exert its effect of moderation under the intensity of the sun's radiance, thereby weakening the solar power. This was determined by the fundamental nature of the three primary essences—solar, lunar, and stellar—where the powerful, rigid solar energy could not tolerate the presence of other systems of spiritual force. Thus, the starlight had to be harmonized and guided to achieve the unification of the three essences. Meanwhile, the purified lunar energy surged once more, merging into the starlight canvas and turning it gray and hazy, thereby disrupting the ongoing analysis and purification, and establishing an inherent, concealed barrier. A remarkable phenomenon unfolded: the radiant light that had previously purified, suppressed, and illuminated everything was now completely blocked by this gray, translucent veil, unable to penetrate through. After the initial fusion of the lunar and stellar essences, a clear ability to counteract the solar energy emerged. Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow, drawing the golden wheel back into his body. Then, his entire form transformed into a vast, boundless sphere of blazing sunlight. At that moment, a golden sun appeared in the sky of every realm, recreating the rare phenomenon of two suns shining simultaneously in the real world. "Shhh...shhh..." The hazy curtain ignited with golden flames, like a sheet of paper being set alight, and soon burned completely clean. Yet within Zhang Yuanqing's vision, the star representing the "Feather-Ascension Sect" realm vanished. The immense golden sun hovered silently in the spiritual realm, its golden light filling every corner, searching tirelessly—but the realm was nowhere to be found. It simply disappeared. The great golden sun then collapsed, returning to human form. With brilliant beams radiating from his eyes, like searchlights sweeping across the eight directions, Zhang Yuanqing finally located the realm. It floated quietly at the periphery of the third major region, like a precious gem that had fallen into a murky, impure world. "Hmm~" A light laugh echoed through the void. "Solar energy can illuminate any place on the world—yet, I wonder if it might be able to reach the Third Region?" This was the voice of the Star Sovereign. Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for several seconds, then sighed, "I know what the authority symbolized by the Star Origin represents. After ascending to the rank of Sun Sovereign, I deduced that you could influence the matching strength of the instances. The difficulty of the 'Fallen Emperor' instance is unusually high—your move. You've deliberately set it up so that I would perish within it, eliminating a potential competitor. When Zhai Cai unexpectedly matched with an S-tier instance and found himself in a certain-to-die situation, it was also your handiwork. You aimed to prevent the Void Half-Deity from acquiring the Half-Deity's gear and to block Zhai Cai from obtaining the knight's armor. As for the mother of Ling Jun—everyone believed she perished in an instance, completely unrelated to you. Star, you've concealed this so well! You've consistently hidden your ability to influence instances and disrupt the unfolding of events. Even now, you've caught me completely off guard." This is truly the old silver coin—patient for a century, rarely stepping in. The world cannot see his strategies, cannot perceive his grand plans, nor understand the depth of his hidden reserves. At the critical moments, one by one, the hidden assets preserved for a century were deployed—each time catching the enemy off guard and securing the initiative. The secret technique of fusing the Starborne's manifestations with the Yin Principle proved fatal to the God of Wine. The Night Sovereign's slumber put the majority of the half-gods of the Order of Harmony into a state of dormancy. By disrupting celestial patterns, the enemy was rendered effectively blind. Leveraging the authority of the CPU, the Starborne sent the Yu Hua Immortal Sect's quest into the periphery of the Third Region. In contrast, the enemy's strategies and maneuvers were all within the scope of the Starborne's foresight, fully visible and anticipated. Without the aid of the Heavenly Emperor of the Azure Sky, the former Demon Sovereign could never have achieved a seamless concealment, and the current Primordial Sovereign would never have ascended as the Lord of the Sun. Though the Starborne is not particularly skilled in combat, they are more unsettling than the powerfully martial Asuras. From the void, the voice of the Starborne Sovereign rises in layered, ethereal tones: "Reevaluation is something only the defeated undertake. As the Sovereign of the Sun, Zhang Yuanqing spoke calmly, "I'll come, but not now. You want to merge with the Yin, and that's not easy!" He raised his left hand, and the power of the Sun surged forth, coalescing into a great bow. Then, a golden sun floated behind his head. Reaching toward it, he plucked a golden arrow from the heart of the sun. The intense heat radiating from the arrow caused the void to melt and collapse. Drawing the bow taut like a full moon, he aimed it at the "War of the Gods" instance and released the string. The arrow carried the will of the Sun's sovereign, endowed with the rules of "target detection" and "never extinguished," shining like a beam of light spanning the galaxy, extinguishing one instance after another in its path. Within the "War of the Gods" instance, a dark, viscous force flowed out like crude oil, interwoven with brilliant, dreamlike starlight, merging into a series of hazy barriers. The golden light surged through these layers of barriers, gradually weakening as it went. The power of the Waning Moon and the Star Sovereign flowed ceaselessly within the replica. As the hazy barrier collapsed, it instantly regenerated anew. Watching the arrows grow dimmer and grow more difficult to pierce through the barrier, Zhang Yuanqing bit through the tip of his finger, using his golden blood to trace the solar emblem on his forehead. Suddenly, golden flames erupted from his eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ear canals, blazing fiercely. The radiant solar mark at the center of his brow flared brightly, and one by one, miniature golden phoenixes emerged, taking flight to pursue and merge with the arrows. In an instant, a flash of golden light rippled across the spiritual realm—the arrows pierced through the replica, passing through the black circular moon of the Star Sovereign from above, and then emerging from the opposite side. Nine of the miniature golden phoenixes returned to settle once more at the center of Zhang Yuanqing’s brow. The Star Sovereign, now blazing with golden flames throughout his body, smiled gently. "Thank you!" He said. "With your aid, I have burned away the residual spiritual essence of the spiritual expanse." The Sun Sovereign's attacks would injure both his physical body and his spiritual essence, but with the moderating influence of the Stellar Primordial, the damage would be reduced. The Moon, however, is subdued by the Sun, and continuous burning would severely wound the Stellar Sovereign, ultimately leading to the complete dissolution of his spiritual vitality. Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently, exhaled softly, and in the infinite distance, raised his hand, snapping his fingers with a crisp sound. The golden flames upon the Stellar Sovereign instantly faded. Then, Zhang Yuanqing himself transformed into a deep, dark vortex—this vortex did not consume matter, but rather absorbed spirit. At the center of the vortex, countless pale arms clung to its edge, desperately trying to crawl out, while pale faces emerged, howling in anguish. Both young and old, men, women, and children were present, each displaying a range of emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, and relief. From within the vortex, a low, dreamlike chanting echoed: "Lingtuo, Lingtuo..." The sound of the call seemed to carry a mysterious power, reviving the spirits and stirring a fierce storm of mental unrest. A mental storm roared throughout the Spirit Realm, unable to penetrate the barrier of the Spirit Realm instance, yet precisely reaching the ears of the Star Sovereign. It caused the black full moon above his head to tremble, triggered a surge of powerful energy from the blackness in his right eye, and made the veins on his forehead bulge. The remnants of Lingtuo's spirit seemed to have gained immense nourishment, now actively contesting with his father for control over his physical form—this was precisely Zhang Yuanqing's objective. The earlier attacks had merely been aimed at breaking the Star Sovereign's defenses and the barrier of the Spirit Realm instance, enabling him to successfully awaken the remnants of Lingtuo's spirit. By destroying the path he had laid to restore the Sun's essence, Zhang Yuanqing increased the difficulty for the Star Sovereign to merge with the Yin, thereby minimizing his own losses. … Fujia Bay, Study Room. Zhai Cai, dressed in a black sable coat, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a limited-edition cigar between his fingers, gazing at the sky, his brow furrowed. Just moments ago, the sky had once again revealed a golden, blazing sun. Zhai Cai sighed, "Beyond our sight, another semi-divine battle has unfolded. As the last knight of the Church's sixth generation, I can only retreat to my opulent study, sipping on a limited-edition cigar." Even Tian Xiaohou, seated on the sofa in the reception area, sighed, "As the protagonist, I can only humbly drink my carefully preserved Cognac." He took a sip of the exquisite wine, reportedly crafted in 1776, auctioned at 3 million federal credits—each pour equivalent to ten times the average person's annual salary. As he savored its rich, lingering flavor, Tian Xiaohou murmured, "To be honest, do we really feel like we're doing well? If Fu Qingyang returns, won't he deliver a decisive strike to each of us?" Since fleeing to Fu's hometown, Zhai Cai had never returned to the Free Federation. As he put it, if the world's end is near, why bother working? Yet Tian Xiaohou had heard from his private secretary, An Diaoqi, that the boss is always on standby here. Zhai Cai just settled into Fu Qingyang's villa, enjoying the services of the rabbit-dress lady attendants, and within two days, he had gone through all of Fu Qingyang's collections—especially cigars and wines. Zhai also generously invited Xiahou Aotian to join him in the festivities. Xiahou Aotian had initially hesitated, given the well-earned reputation of the wealthy "Money Prince" Fu Qingyang, who was not only deeply respected in the second-largest region but also a major shareholder and the true behind-the-scenes power at the Machinery Manufacturing Company. Though Xiahou Aotian had advanced to the rank of Eighth-Level Master, he still felt he couldn't afford to be too bold. But Zhai said, "Fu Qingyang entered an S-tier quest—based on my personal experience, that's a near-death journey! If he doesn't make it back, his treasures will likely pass to his close friend, Yuan Shishen. I wouldn't feel comfortable eating from his table; but if I have to eat Yuan Shishen's—well, I'll gladly accept that. Moreover, the world's end is approaching. Who knows—this very moment might be our final celebration. If we don Xiahou Aotian thought it over and found it reasonable, so he gladly joined. At that moment, Xiahou Aotian noticed a figure gradually taking shape by the office desk—none other than Qian Gongzi, with his elegant brow and striking features, so handsome he could hardly breathe. ...Xiahou Aotian swallowed hard and suddenly felt the wine in his hands warm.