After a few seconds of buffering, the video began playing. The first thing Yin Ji saw was a dense pine forest, filmed from a high downward angle—the cameraman was likely positioned in the treetops.
In the frame, two groups were facing off amidst the pines. On the left were Heaven's Punishment's three young Saints, while on the right stood Yuanshi Tianzun and his yin corpses.
In the footage, the Siren, Osmond, was the first to strike, conjuring white-foaming tidal waves and discharging arcs of blue-white electricity as he drove a five-to-six-meter wall of water crashing toward the enemy like a tsunami.
The entire clash lasted barely five minutes from start to finish.
An ordinary Spirit Realm walker would simply marvel at the staggering number of top-tier items in Yuanshi Tianzun's possession: the terrifying Five Elements set, the inescapable Yin-Yang Turntable, and the Purple Gold Shield capable of withstanding even a Dominator's strike.
An ordinary Stargazer, someone like Yuan Ting, would instead gawk at Yuanshi Tianzun's abundance of high-grade yin corpses and spirit servants, consumed by intense envy and jealousy.
Yet in the eyes of a high-ranking deacon like Yin Ji, what truly commanded attention were the subtle details that ordinary people easily overlooked.
From the moment the battle began, Osmond's waves, Hoover's gale, and Chazo's decrees were almost instantly neutralized by Yuanshi Tianzun.
As the fight progressed, Hoover's wind-blade and petrification attacks, along with Chazo's doll-induced dysfunctions, met the exact same fate.
Those attacks materialized in a split second and took effect immediately; under normal circumstances, reacting in time should have been impossible.
Yet Yuanshi Tianzun had pulled it off. He had anticipated every enemy maneuver well in advance.
Beyond countering move for move, his pairing of items and yin corpses was exceptionally calculated. Using the power of the set to empower the Greed Divine General allowed the yin corpse to grievously wound the Knight, Chazo, at top speed, crippling the enemy's main melee combatant.
Knowing Osmond was invincible in his home element, Yuanshi Tianzun had outfitted a yin corpse with high agility, high evasion, burst damage, and ranged output, forcing Hoover to intervene and protect his teammate.
With just two yin corpses, he had tied down three opponents.
And all of it was meant to keep Osmond's trio scrambling, completely overlooking the true finishing blow—the Yin-Yang Turntable.
The moment that unremarkable yin corpse tossed out the Yin-Yang Turntable, the battle was effectively over.
It was breathtakingly smooth.
The entire engagement featured no flashy acrobatics and no desperate, skin-of-the-teeth turnarounds. It had unfolded so seamlessly that it almost appeared deceptively simple.
Because of the sheer visual impact of the items and yin corpses, onlookers would easily write off that simplicity as "Item Tianzun simply having too many treasures."
Only Stargazers understood that the items and yin corpses were merely auxiliary tools. The true core was Yuanshi Tianzun himself. Like a supercomputer boasting terrifying computational power, he had deduced the entire course of the battle through Stargazing.
When you already know the script, concluding the battle smoothly and effortlessly is second nature.
Yin Ji replayed the first three-plus minutes—from the opening clash to the moment the yin corpse hurled the Yin-Yang Turntable—watching and dissecting the footage again and again.
Only then did she turn her attention, still craving more, to the final minute and a half.
When she saw Yuanshi Tianzun leap onto the boundary himself and activate the energy shield to block Demon Hunter's wind blades, Yin Ji's beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise.
She knew the effects of that shield. Back at the Baihui Club, she had witnessed him desperately gathering energy to block an arrow storm that should have wiped them all out.
*Did he even anticipate Demon Hunter's intervention? Was that pure intellect, or did he deduce it through Stargazing?*
This distinction was vital.
If it was the latter, it meant Yuanshi Tianzun's Stargazing was no weaker than that of a Stargazer who specialized exclusively in the celestial path.
Yin Ji dragged the progress bar back and watched once more, noticing that throughout the battle, Yuanshi Tianzun had been deliberately gathering energy into the shield.
*He really factored in a Dominator? That defies reason...* Yin Ji thought in disbelief.
Granted, deliberately charging the shield could also be interpreted as a precautionary measure; after all, facing an enemy that had a Dominator on hand meant keeping a fallback ready would never hurt. Yet Yuanshi Tianzun was a Stargazer, and his formidable predictive calculus was already an established fact.
There was no point in self-deception.
After watching the video one last time, she closed it and saw that the deacons in the chat group were still fiercely debating the battle.
[Vampire Duke: Impressive. Truly impressive. Yuanshi Tianzun advanced to Stargazer in mid-June, and by mid-September, he already commands this level of combat prowess. I suddenly realize his talent exceeds our wildest expectations—and by that, I mean his class talent.]
Talent came in many forms. In the consensus among Spirit Realm walkers, two varieties mattered above all: talent for clearing dungeons, and class talent.
The archetypal figure for the former was Yuanshi Tianzun, while the archetypal figure for the latter was Jiang Ju, born with innate Fire Virtue.
[The Moon Doesn't Sleep So Neither Do I: Phenomenal dungeon-clearing talent and phenomenal class talent... isn't that just a carbon copy of the Demon Lord?]
#The Moon Doesn't Sleep So Neither Do I recalled a message#
[The Moon Doesn't Sleep So Neither Do I: Talent that turns people green with envy. It really was a textbook battle, but none of us have nearly as many items as he does.]
[Yuan Ting: @The Moon Doesn't Sleep So Neither Do I, he really is a carbon copy of the Demon Lord—even his fondness for Deacon Yin Ji is identical.]
The chat group fell dead silent. Yuan Ting had thoroughly killed the conversation.
[Yin Ji: Hoover is a Wind Mage and was on his own. Crippling his limbs first made complete tactical sense. It had nothing to do with me.]
[Yuan Ting: Wind Mages are physically fragile, and Hoover had already lost the ability to move. Besides, in terms of sheer annoyance, Osmond mocked Yuanshi Tianzun openly, yet he was visibly far more hostile toward Hoover. It's hard to say you weren't the reason.]
Yin Ji pursed her lips, suddenly feeling rather awkward.
[Crimson Sun Executioner: Does anyone else have insights regarding the video?]
The First Elder was subtly reminding Yuan Ting that this was "class time," not the place for idle gossip.
Such instructional sessions had not been uncommon in the past; Taiyi Sect elders occasionally set aside time from their official duties to guide the Stargazers under their wing. Tonight, with such prime material at hand, First Elder Crimson Sun Executioner had personally "taken the podium."
The Stargazers voiced their interpretations one after another. Crimson Sun Executioner replied to each with great care, offering praise or corrections, before addressing the complaint from The Moon Doesn't Sleep So Neither Do I:
"Everyone's circumstances are unique, and the environment of every battle differs. What I want you to learn is the tactical mindset. Having few items or many requires different approaches."
Yin Ji began typing: *I think everyone overlooked one detail. Yuanshi Tianzun's Stargazing can already account for a Dominator...*
Her fingers abruptly paused. After a moment of hesitation, Yin Ji deleted the message and remained silent.
She suddenly felt reluctant to expose too many of Yuanshi Tianzun's hidden cards, driven by an instinct to protect him.
After all, they were friends.
***
Fujia Bay.
Inside the modest CEO office of the Mechanist Arts R&D Company, Xiahou Aotian sat blank-faced in front of his computer, wearing blue work overalls.
The battle in the Shiwan Dashan played on his monitor.
As the video looped endlessly, Xiahou Aotian sat motionless, looking as though his very soul had been hollowed out.
A voice full of sighs drifted from the dark iron ring:
"The younger generation is formidable indeed. With his talent and ability, had he lived during the Qin dynasty, the First Emperor would surely have prized him, enfeoffing him as a prince or appointing him chancellor. Even had he chosen to remain hidden in the pugilistic world, he would have stood as a towering hero."
Xiahou Aotian suddenly clutched his chest, grimacing in agony as he gasped for air.
The Qin dynasty fangshi started. "What is the matter?"
Xiahou Aotian said in a trembling voice, "Since childhood, I have pored over the classics, loving none more than *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*. I yearned for Zhou Yu with his feather fan and silk headcloth, who reduced masts and hulls to ash amid laughter and talk—how it stirred the soul! Yet Heaven is cruel! If Zhou Yu was to be born, why did You also bring Zhuge Liang into this world?! Alas, woe is me!"
"Speak plain human!" The old man had never read *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*.
Xiahou Aotian summarized his inner torment with blunt precision: "I am so jealous I could puke blood!"
Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Old man, if I had lived in antiquity, would the First Emperor have relied on me? What sort of figure would I have been?"
"One of the Hundred Craftsmen."
The Hundred Craftsmen were minor officials in charge of manufacturing and production.
"..." Xiahou Aotian felt profoundly insulted. "That's it?"
The Qin dynasty fangshi chuckled. "Isn't that precisely what you are doing right now?"
Xiahou Aotian froze, sensing something deep inside him shatter into pieces.
It was his Dao heart!
***
The Gulfstream touched down at Capital International Airport.
By the time the members of Heaven's Punishment returned to the capital, it was already half past five in the morning. In late autumn, a sharp chill hung in the air.
Osmond stepped out of the cabin expressionlessly, gazing out into the desolate gloom of dawn, feeling a wave of bleak despondency wash over him.
The group boarded a private vehicle back to the Fenglinwan Hotel. The moment they stepped into the lobby, they felt gazes converging on them from all sides—the front desk staff, the lobby manager, the greeters.
Polite smiles were plastered on their faces, their demeanor deferential, yet beneath the surface lingered mockery, disdain, and an arrogance that Osmond found utterly intolerable.
Even these service workers, who ought to have been bowing and scraping, were putting on airs now.
Demon Hunter led his three subordinates across the lobby with a dark expression, took the elevator up, and went straight to see the Foreign Guests Department.
The manager of the department sat behind his desk in sharp attire, wearing a bright smile as though he had been expecting them.
Exuding the mature charm of a seasoned man, Demon Hunter spoke in a calm, measured voice: "We need to see Elder Miao!"
The department manager did not budge. Still seated behind his desk, he smiled. "Elder Miao is in a conference. Executive Officer, you and your team should head back and get some rest first."
Osmond's eyebrows shot up, seizing on the opening to vent his frustration. "Whether Elder Miao sees us is for him to decide. Your job is to report our presence."
The manager dropped his smile and adopted a strictly professional tone. "These are Elder Miao's instructions."
"You—" Osmond flared with fury, about to explode, but Demon Hunter raised a hand to wave him down, giving a curt nod.
"We will await Elder Miao's reply."
Back in their large suite, Osmond swept everything off the table in a rage, his teeth clenched tight.
"Contemptible race, vile mortals... I want to gouge out their eyes, smash their teeth, and rip their mouths apart!"
He could not stomach that courteous exterior masking secret schadenfreude.
Chazo said in a deep voice, "You are venting impotent rage."
Osmond stumbled back a few steps, feeling as though a mouthful of congested blood had welled up in his chest, nearly spurting free.
"A loss is a loss," Chazo said. "This is a valuable form of cultivation."
"Fuck!" Osmond's face twisted savagely. "I'm not a masochist like you lot!"
Sirens were inherently violent and short-tempered.
Hoover sighed. "I want to go home... No, forget it, I don't want to go back yet. Once we wrap up Pluto's situation, I'd like to travel around for a bit."
Going back right now would turn them into an international laughingstock.
Osmond muttered, "Count me in..."
***
Inside a sunroom framed in glass and steel, Elder Miao, appearing in his half-human, half-tree form, looked around at the holographic projections surrounding the conference table as he listened to Five Elements Alliance First Elder Di Hong's debriefing.
"...That covers the details of the clash. For now, Pluto is detained in Fu Qingyang's villa and can be escorted to the capital at any moment."
Elder Cai said coldly, "As a member of the Five Elements Alliance, secretly colluding with an overseas organization like the Association of God of Beauty warrants a thorough investigation into Yuanshi Tianzun's interpersonal relationships and family background.
"Sword Pavilion Elder, Yuanshi Tianzun belongs to the White Tiger Soldiers. I expect you to make his personal file public."
The snow-haired Sword Pavilion Elder wore an indifferent expression.
"First, that violates protocol. Second, Yuanshi Tianzun's file was held back by Fu Qingyang; it was never submitted to me."
"Something as critical as personal records, and you just let Fu Qingyang hoard them?" Elder Cai was taken aback. "Personnel files are an organization's most important leverage in managing its employees!"
Sword Pavilion Elder said flatly, "If your older sister were the Grand Marshal, you could do the same."
"Enough!" Di Hong interrupted in a heavy tone. "Contact between overseas factions and exceptional geniuses within our ranks cannot be entirely prevented. Yuanshi Tianzun's relationship with headquarters is already strained enough; I do not wish to see any more friction."
In truth, it wasn't just geniuses; quite a few Dominators within the Five Elements Alliance were secretly winking and nodding at overseas factions.
During the most absurd years, certain branch offices had even organized official overseas tours for their members, distributed world histories of the Spirit Realm penned by foreign organizations, and handed out the doctrines of various external factions.
Only after headquarters launched a severe crackdown did that climate begin to improve.
How could they not crack down? The enemy had infiltrated right into the upper echelons.
Di Hong's tone softened. "He is also attempting to mend relations with headquarters, as evidenced by this mission report. Now, consider how we should deal with Pluto. I also have another report submitted by Fu Qingyang."
Without delay, he briefed the nine headquarters elders on the intelligence regarding the 'Covenant of Freedom' and parts of the roster.
The peak Dominators seated at the table instantly grasped the gravity of the situation. As rulers of one of the world's foremost Orderly factions, they were well aware of the Covenant of Freedom.
Before true wielders of power, the world held few secrets.
Yet even for them, their understanding of the Covenant of Freedom was exceedingly limited. The organization lurked in the dark and remained largely dormant, sometimes making no visible moves for over a decade—very different from evil classes that constantly plotted chaos.
Even so, the members of that organization were undeniably dangerous figures pulling strings from the shadows, steering the course of world events.
Ordinary mortals were nothing more than marionettes in their hands.
"Do Yuanshi Tianzun and Fu Qingyang know what is on the list?" the First Elder of Water God Palace suddenly asked.
Di Hong gave a slight shake of his head.
The First Elder of Water God Palace grunted in approval. "At least they know their boundaries. In my view, this matter should be reported to the Alliance Leader."
The clearance level for the Covenant of Freedom was beyond their authority.
"He has already been informed," Di Hong replied. "Father's stance is to give the list to Heaven's Punishment free of charge, but in exchange, Heaven's Punishment must share all of their intelligence concerning the Covenant of Freedom with us."
Elder Miao spoke up. "Does the Alliance Leader intend to move against the Covenant of Freedom?"
"The Covenant of Freedom is far vaster than we imagined. During World War II, they once expanded their influence onto the mainland. Back then, domestic Spirit Realm walkers had only just begun to rise, ravaged by the flames of war. Taking advantage of the vacuum, the Covenant of Freedom established an organization called the 'Tongzhou Society'—to help each other in the same boat!" Di Hong's voice grew grave.
"They recruited a cohort of native Spirit Realm walkers, alongside elites from politics and business, forming a so-called resistance front. Their true objective was to seize control of this nation from behind the scenes while we were at our weakest, becoming the rulers behind the veil.
"In his youth, Father was a member of the Tongzhou Society."
A dead hush descended over the conference table. Even these Dominators of the Ten Elders rank were shaken by this hidden piece of history.
The Lord of the Central Court had been among the very first generation of domestic Spirit Realm walkers, born between the late Qing dynasty and the early Republic. Who could have imagined he had once been part of the Covenant of Freedom?
"I never heard of any Tongzhou Society," Elder Miao, who also belonged to that foundational first generation, said with a slight shake of his head. "Of course, I was a nobody back then, and communications in that era were primitive. But if the Tongzhou Society had grown and prospered, I would have known. What happened afterward?"
Elder Di Hong shook his head. "Father did not say."
The room lapsed into silence once more. A moment later, Elder Cai said coldly, "Elder Miao, prepare to receive the Association of God of Beauty. And while you're at it, have Yuanshi Tianzun name his price."
***
The following day at noon, Zhang Yuanqing woke feeling completely refreshed, enjoying his lunch while being pampered by rabbit girls.
Only then did he finally dare turn off his phone's airplane mode.
The very next second, the messaging app erupted in a barrage of chimes. Hundreds of unread messages and over a dozen missed calls flooded the screen.
Evidently, news of the battle in the Shiwan Dashan had completely blown up.
"Good thing I had the foresight to turn it off, or I wouldn't have gotten a wink of sleep." He tapped open his contacts to check the messages.
Chapter 589