"What makes the Yin-Yang Town instance particularly special? She thinks it can't be simply submitted to the Archive?" Li Lingjun asked with suspicion. "Are they planning to quietly withhold this from the Fu family?" Fu Qingyang picked up his cutlery, relished his breakfast again, and said, "Even if that's the case, it’s perfectly acceptable." Guan Ya is not only a member of the Five Elements Alliance but also part of the Fu family’s core lineage—she has a clear tradition of informing the family first about any noteworthy items. It makes perfect sense both in terms of duty and sentiment. Fu Qingyang himself believes that it might be his aunt who discovered something unusual during her time in the Yin-Yang Town instance. They continued to eat, chatting casually. "When are you returning to the Capital City?" "I’ll stay for a year or two—going back to the capital means dealing with all my girlfriends; it’s simply too much." "And by then, your girlfriends in Songhai will be so numerous they’ll start to bother you, won’t they?" "In fact, not all of them are officially my girlfriends. I enjoy spending time with women—talking about life, about love, exchanging small gifts. It's the kind of platonic relationship people often describe as 'Platonic.' Yet they keep insisting that I’m their boyfriend, which is quite frustrating." "Father of a tiger doesn’t produce a dog!" Fu Qingyang scoffed. "You can criticize my father all you want—but don’t underestimate me! He was born to cultivate Realm Walkers. I, on the other hand, seek romantic connection—deep emotional bonds—and occasionally feel an overwhelming desire for physical intimacy." Li Lingjun said with growing indignation. At that moment, the Rabbit Dancer returned with her Computer, placing it gently beside Fu Qingyang. He unlocked the screen, opened his email, and downloaded Guan Ya’s message. Minutes later, Li Lingjun watched as Fu Qingyang—usually so relaxed—steadily straightened his posture, his calm expression growing serious, his eyes sharpening with intensity. This was unusual for Fu Qingyang. Given Li Lingjun's deep understanding of him, such a reaction usually signaled either a major event or something that profoundly impressed him. Otherwise, a faceless man would not react this way. "What exactly did the report say?" Li Lingjun asked. "Guan Ya mentioned that Yin-Yang Town has an embedded storyline—different teams experience different plots depending on their strength. Last night, they went through the most challenging narrative path—and that path had never been completed before." "Only that?" "The difficulty of this plot may even approach S-level instance standards." "I didn’t expect such a deep storyline hidden within Yin-Yang Town. However, there are countless Spirit Realm instances—many remain unexplored. So it’s not surprising that it needs to be kept confidential." Fu Qingyang glanced at him and said softly: "The enemies they encountered were Li Xianzong." At the moment drinking milk, Li Lingjun suddenly spluttered. With a touch of cleanliness, Fu Qingyang frowned slightly. Li Lingjun wiped his mouth briefly and asked: "Are there any strong members in the Order of Harmony?" Fu Qingyang shook his head. "It was Yuan Shi who defeated Li Xianzong." Li Lingjun paused for a moment, then sighed: "This young man… his growth pace is making me feel dizzy! When we were young, that was about our level. After just another couple of years, he’ll surely surpass us—then the official Four Prince will become the Five Prince!" He brightened up immediately: "The trials in the Evil Organization have been going on for some time now—the young Elevated Stage members have kept getting beaten up. This is finally their moment to stand tall! Haha—I can already picture how the Evil Organization’s Realm Walkers would react upon hearing this news. "But Sun Elder will definitely be unhappy—Sun Elder had just come out of the Spirit Realm not long ago, went around the Forum, and suddenly expressed concern about the younger generations' slackness. Then he summoned Yuan Ting to the capital personally for training sessions. A few days ago, he posted a special video on the Taiyi Gate official website—and now, nobody dares to use that little joke anymore." Fu Qingyang cast him a puzzled glance: "Oh?" Li Lingjun sighed again: "Earlier this month, Sun Elder returned from his Spirit Realm retreat and began circulating through the Forum. He expressed concern about the younger generations' decline in cultivation efforts—then summoned Yuan Ting to the capital personally for training sessions. A few days ago, he posted a special training video on the Taiyi Gate official website—and now, nobody dares to use that little joke anymore." Fu Qingyang said calmly: "I hope so." He picked up his Computer and left the restaurant. In Guan Ya’s report, detailed descriptions of Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s performance during the instance were provided—including specific observations—along with a clear mention of the existence of an embedded Prop. While the exact details about the prop weren’t elaborated upon, it was explicitly stated that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had relied on this very item to turn the tide and achieve victory. What she now needed to do was to "polish" the report—making appropriate edits and deletions—to preserve the narrative of Yuan Shi Tian Zun successfully leading his team through the instance and defeating Li Xianzong, while concealing the existence of the prop. Once a Spirit Realm instance is completed, its official report becomes equivalent to a successful strategy guide. After uploading it to the Archive, members with sufficient permissions—such as official Realm Walkers—can view it. This includes potential hidden members from the Dark Night Rose and any problematic individuals linked with the Evil Organization. Guan Ya had passed this report around to Li Dongze without directly mentioning it—and instructed him to decide on how to handle it—that was precisely her intention. ... In the Scattered Province, Crab City. At a prestigious residential district in the city center, on the 16th floor—wide balconies, a queen with striking facial features and graceful presence, wearing silver circular earrings at her earlobes, sat comfortably on a plush single-seat sofa. In front of her was a small glass table, bearing an elegant notebook. Wearing sunglasses, her fair complexion contrasted beautifully against the black lenses and red-lipped appearance—creating a compelling executive charm. She was now carefully replying to Guan Ya’s message: "I understand—I won’t include that robe in my report when I write it." She set down her smartphone and continued typing furiously on the keyboard. Tasks like drafting reports can wait—we’re more urgent about online browsing! "...After arriving at Yin-Yang Town, I discovered two official colleagues among our team. You certainly couldn’t guess who they are—yes, exactly—the Yuan Shi Tian Zun of Songhai Branch and Guan Ya herself. Oh, Yuan Shi Tian Zun! A true celebrity—I’ve finally met the man personally. Here’s my first impression—he’s a very handsome young man in his twenties, clean-cut, more so than I expected. We faced our first challenge—the 'Cursed Cat.' I won’t go into detail here—only note that this section was truly intense; thanks to Yuan Shi Tian Zun's leadership, we managed to survive. "Then came the second challenge—a widow known for her lively charm. One of our team members became unexpectedly entangled with her—an incident that nearly led to a romantic episode—and again, due to Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s timely intervention, all of us remained unscathed. "Now comes the highlight—everyone, please settle in—the main event is about to unfold. The third challenge involved a joint battle between both our factions. I’m certain you won’t guess—who turned out to be the Evil Organization's team leader?—Li Xianzong! "That’s quite remarkable—it was unexpected for these two to meet within the instance. If Li Xianzong were a woman, I might even suspect they share some fate. "This battle was extremely taxing—the reputation of Li Xianzong as one of the top-tier Elevated Realm fighters is well-earned. I’ve never encountered such fierce resistance from an Evil Organization member. Toward the end, due to certain reasons that cannot be disclosed, the enemy became unstoppable—our team suffered heavy losses—and we had no choice but to retreat. "At that point, I was almost convinced I would die within the instance. Yet—yet—I must emphasize: Yuan Shi Tian Zun truly deserves his title as a rising star. His competence, wisdom, and strategic acumen surpass even what one might imagine. He led us to victory in the faction battle—and personally defeated Li Xianzong! Oh my gosh—he’s absolutely wonderful!" After editing her post, she corrected several minor errors and clicked 'Send.' For the next while, she lounged back on the sofa, sipping coffee gently. Meanwhile, messages came pouring in—sometimes even multiple replies per second. Haha—I knew it would go viral. My post will definitely be highlighted—and within another two weeks, I’ll have accumulated enough points to apply for a Forum Management position! Li Lingjun thought with growing excitement. After she had leisurely finished her coffee—it was now over half an hour later—she finally placed down the cup and refreshed her post to check the replies. The Forum had erupted. The post was highlighted and marked in red by the administrators. [Today's Future: Isn’t that a bit exaggerated, Miss? You’ve clearly been trying too hard to boost engagement. At least include some credible details—such as Li Xianzong launching another surprise attack on Yuan Shi Tian Zun, but cleverly escaping this time.] [Cai Yang: Maybe you’re a fan of Yuan Shi Tian Zun, writing a personal piece to rescue your favorite star’s image and also uplift morale among our official colleagues?] [Bamboo and Smoke—Unstoppable Power: Indeed, that's quite dramatic. From the first challenge through the third—all of it attributed to Yuan Shi Tian Zun? Are all the other teammates just underperforming? I’ve never encountered such a dynamic team leader. Honestly—it makes sense that a two-time S-level achievement would be extraordinary—especially one that surpasses national treasures. I’m not surprised at all; just a normal level of skepticism, please don’t be too critical.] Subsequent replies questioned the authenticity of the post. As more people discovered and joined in, some regulars who knew the Queen well began to contribute: [Little Pig George: First—Queen isn't a fan of Yuan Shi Tian Zun. She doesn’t even follow the Four Prince—not to mention Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Honestly, I don’t think she’d fabricate such a personal narrative just for engagement. But if the content is truly accurate—that’s when I’ll stop working and dedicate myself fully to reading posts on the Forum.] [The Compassionate Jane: I remember Queen mentioned last week that the time until her next instance was getting closer—so personally, I believe she's being genuine. Wow! This situation has really escalated. There’s going to be a lot more drama—the Yuan Shi Tian Zun is truly impressive now!] [The Solitary One: Perhaps my question isn’t timely—but still, I’d like to know—is the reference to 'the needle piercing the peach blossom' meant to symbolize an intimate encounter? Is the widow beautiful and elegant? Don't let anyone misunderstand—I’m nearly entering the Spirit Realm myself and would appreciate a more academic perspective.] The two contrasting groups continued debating fiercely—elevating the post’s popularity—then, members from Songhai Branch began stepping in. [Li Dongze: Wow! Are there no other strong members on your team? Is it really Yuan Shi Tian Zun who defeated Li Xianzong? Oh my God—my goodness—I’m so excited I want to knock you off your chair.] [Wang Fei: I remember Li Xianzong is not a subordinate of Yuan Shi Tian Zun—isn’t this rather surprising? Does he not know about this yet? Then the authenticity of that post seems questionable.] [Bai Long: Whether or not the content in the post is true, I know for certain that Yuan Shi Tian Zun will enter the Spirit Realm soon—indeed, it's a multi-member engagement. We discussed this just yesterday.] [Green Vine: Queen isn’t from Songhai Branch—so how could she have known about Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s upcoming Spirit Realm entry? That suggests the content is genuine—otherwise, how would she know such an accurate detail? Truly astonishing.] [Punch King: Oh no—I had invested five million, betting that Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Li Xianzong would split evenly—the entire investment has been wiped out!] With colleagues from Songhai Branch actively participating in the discussion, doubts gradually faded. The group engaged in lively conversation while continuously refreshing the Archive’s instance reports. Yin-Yang Town is an Elevated Stage instance—accessible to all Elevated Realm official Realm Walkers—even if their access permissions are limited for detailed viewing, they can still search and locate it. By midday, the Forum Administrator personally posted a new thread: #Meeting between Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Li Xianzong in Yin-Yang Town: Li Xianzong’s Defeat# This announcement sent shockwaves throughout the official Forum. ... At Huayu Hotel. Xie Lingxi was enthusiastically scrolling through the official Forum—she had been seated at her computer for over an hour now. Though unable to register or post due to being a non-official staff member, simply browsing discussions about Yuan Shi Tian Zun had filled her with excitement and satisfaction. Indeed, this is exactly the man I admire. He’s already avenged himself so quickly—how could he possibly fall at Li Xianzong's hands? I knew it all along! Xie Lingxi smiled, scrolling through the vibrant stream of discussions. Earlier today, official Realm Walkers still held strong opinions—criticizing Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Li Xianzong’s performance with a tone of disappointment—feeling that he was underperforming. Now, they’re calling him "The Elder"—with no face left to show! Yuan Shi Tian Zun's popularity is soaring—the Evil Organization will surely raise their reward offers for him… And that “Queen” from the Scattered Province—who loves Yuan Shi Tian Zun so much—has truly become unbearable. At this moment, a female assistant approached with her smartphone and whispered softly: "Miss, your family is calling." Xie Lingxi kept her gaze on the computer screen. With a composed tone, she said: “Tell them that due to their teaching, I’ve now severed all ties with Yuan Shi Tian Zun.” “What?” came the voice of the middle-aged man, angry and sharp through the speaker: “Lingxi, you—how can you be so foolish?” “Dad, wasn’t this your idea?” “I…”, the man on the phone paused, his tone softening, “can we still salvage it?” “I’ll try,” said Xie Lingxi with a sigh, “but Dad—you’ll have to pull out all the stops. Prepare two props and one million cash.” “…” … Shiji Farmhouse Resort. The bright lights pierced through the night sky, and a white sedan stood parked outside. The small, well-proportioned woman—Auntie Xiao Yuan—turned off her engine, opened the door, stepped out, and stood by the car, gazing at the sparkling light of the farmhouse hotel in the dark night. Today she wore a light blue jeans pant, a black vest, and a women’s windbreaker. Her long legs, rounded hips, slender waist, and full figure were sculpted with mature allure. Shiji Farmhouse was familiar to her—another hub for the Evil Organization. Recently, it had come to light that the Black Market under Tian Lingling had been completely wiped out—corpses scattered all over, rotting in place, left untouched by anyone. It was only the Evil Organization members who regularly visited underground bars who spotted the scene and called the police department, prompting official intervention. After a rigorous review process, Auntie Xiao Yuan entered the farmhouse, passed through the bustling dining hall, where guests stared at her with admiring glances, and made her way to the back courtyard, where she met the owner. The owner was a plain village woman with dark hair streaked with silver, in her late thirties or early forties. She sat by the well in the backyard, making bean skin rolls. “Little Yuan,” she looked up, still busy at her task, “you don’t come here often—what have you been doing these years?” The woman was a member of the organization and had once been Xiao Yuan’s mentor; she treated her kindly, though due to differing philosophies, Xiao Yuan never joined. She carried a sense of gratitude toward this guiding figure and visited infrequently. “I work at a hotel,” said Xiao Yuan calmly. “Yan-jun, I’m here to gather information.” The woman didn’t respond; she kept making bean skin rolls. “May I have information about Li Xianzong?” Xiao Yuan asked. “What he’s currently doing, any hidden areas—detailed would be best.” She was collecting information on Li Xianzong for the purpose of selling it to Yuan Shi Tian Zun—the man still owed her money. If Li Xianzong failed to repay, she wouldn’t let him harvest her debts. “Actually,” said the woman, lowering her hands and continuing work, “we no longer need that.” “What do you mean?” Xiao Yuan frowned. “Li Xianzong was killed inside an Instance,” the woman explained. What? This news caught Xiao Yuan off guard. Although it was common knowledge that Realm Walkers often perished in Spirit Realms—like generals falling on the battlefield—it still felt absurd now. Such a brilliant talent, simply gone like this? Wasn’t Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s luck just too good? Xiao Yuan pondered: “Was it news from the Commander of the Army?” “No,” said the woman. “It came from the Five Elements Alliance.” “Ah?” The woman finally raised her head, wiped her hands clean, and said with seriousness: “According to a post on the Five Elements Alliance Forum, Yuan Shi Tian Zun and Li Xianzong entered the same Instance—Li Xianzong was eliminated.” Xiao Yuan stood frozen. The woman continued calmly: “Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s reward has now advanced to fourth place—with an exceptionally generous incentive. If you’re short on funds, consider hunting him down. San Dao Mountain and Jinshan City are both not far away.” “Oh,” she said, “officials have launched such a brilliant talent—many people can’t sleep anymore, all afraid that another Fu Qingyang might rise.” She paused, observing Xiao Yuan’s dazed expression, her eyebrows subtly furrowing: “What’s wrong?” Hmm… Xiao Yuan regained composure and took a deep breath, offering a polite response. “Got it. If the opportunity arises, I’ll go after Yuan Shi personally.” … In the bedroom. Zhang Yuancheng opened his eyes—sunset casting a blood-red glow. It was 4:30 PM. He looked alert and vibrant, full of energy—he felt as though he could punch through Bodhisattvas and step on Marshals, shout down the headmaster of Taiyi Gate. His condition was better than ever before. He slipped on slippers and went to the living room, where his grandmother’s sound of flipping ingredients from the kitchen reached him. “Grandmother! I’m hungry—hurry up!” Zhang Yuancheng exclaimed. But Grandma didn’t pay attention. Zhang Yuancheng nodded to Grandfather and returned to his bedroom. He picked up his smartphone, turned off flight mode, and began scrolling through unread messages. Guan Ya had sent him a message at noon—completed her strategy report—and reminded him to rest well. After exiting the chat app, Zhang Yuancheng opened the official Forum immediately, delighted by posts praising him everywhere—his spirits lifted instantly. He smiled with satisfaction and immersed himself in the content, losing track of time for over half an hour. How thoughtful of the Queen—to step forward and shine publicly… Indeed, people need to be visible, to be recognized—being seen on stage relieves inner turmoil… … After dinner, Zhang Yuancheng returned to his bedroom and sat at his desk, pulling out from the inventory section a treatise on Daoist cultivation authored by a figure who lived alongside the San Dao Mountain Lady. A personal record left behind—what secrets might it hold? Could it perhaps reveal just part of the mystery surrounding the Spirit Realm? Zhang Yuancheng carefully opened the yellowed, brittle cover of the book. …