The Trial Opens

Seeing Elder Miao send a meeting invitation in his capacity as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fu Qingyang instinctively had a bad feeling. Resting his hand on the mouse, he clicked the meeting link attached to the email. The screen switched rapidly as the Five Elements Alliance's internal conferencing software launched and automatically logged him in. In the six-person virtual conference room, only Fu Qingyang and Elder Miao were present. The former's avatar was a portrait of himself, while the latter's was a towering, colossal tree. "Fu Qingyang!" On Elder Miao's avatar, a blue microphone icon lit up. "The Heaven's Punishment branch in New York County sent an email inquiring about a matter. The support team you dispatched to New York County hunted down two peak Saints yesterday. One of them, named Hecate, is said to have been delivered to you?" *Who is Hecate? Why would he be sent to me? What happened?* Fu Qingyang wore a cold, aloof expression, but his mind was flooded with question marks. That fellow Yuanshi hadn't told him a single thing. Even though he didn't know the exact circumstances, the tacit understanding between them remained intact. Fu Qingyang asked coldly, "And then? What does Heaven's Punishment want?" "Heaven's Punishment wants Hecate extradited back, and they're willing to offer compensation that satisfies you," Elder Miao said. Between official organizations, dialogue could only be conducted through foreign affairs departments. Contacting an elder of the other side privately would be viewed as collusion—a massive taboo. Elder Miao was therefore left with no choice but to serve as the intermediary messenger. "I'll consider it." Fu Qingyang neither agreed nor refused, intending to contact Yuanshi Tianzun afterward. Elder Miao gave an "Mm." He was only responsible for relaying the message and didn't particularly care about the incident itself. Instead, he was thoroughly astonished by the support team's performance in New York County: "Just who on earth is this Jumang? A few days ago, I heard he clashed with a Saint from the Meade family and beat him up. Over the past couple of days, he went on to hunt down Haas the Beast, Bacchus, and Hecate. Every one of them was a peak Saint, only a sliver below what you were back then. "How come I've never heard of someone named Jumang before?" *Bacchus has actually returned to the Spirit Realm...* Fu Qingyang was taken aback. As a Scout of the Fu family, he had lived in the Free Confederation before joining the Five Elements Alliance. Bacchus had been a renowned figure in the evil faction. Back when Fu Qingyang was just an obscure nobody, Bacchus had already made quite a name for himself across the Free Confederation. To think Bacchus would end up dying at Yuanshi's hands. Fu Qingyang felt gratified, but at the same time, he couldn't help a fleeting sentiment of "there goes my youth." Reining in his thoughts, he replied in a cool tone, "Jumang is a secret weapon I cultivated. He only advanced to Level 6 last month." "He just advanced to Level 6 and can already take down peak Saints?" Elder Miao chuckled softly. "I've looked into the profiles of those evil classes. Leaving Haas the Beast and Hecate aside, Bacchus was a powerhouse wielding a Dominator-grade item. In terms of overall strength, you wouldn't even have been a match for him back then." In terms of raw prowess, Fu Qingyang as a Saint would have surpassed Bacchus, but Fu Qingyang hadn't possessed any Dominator-grade items at that stage. His first Dominator item had been the Jade Dragon Sword gifted by his family after he cleared the killing trial. Without batting an eye, Fu Qingyang said, "I sent over the items Yuanshi left behind." Elder Miao fell silent. Hearing that person's Spirit Realm ID again after half a month brought a wave of complicated emotions. Yuanshi Tianzun was a taboo topic among the Ten Elders—no, the Nine Elders—of headquarters. The young man who had chosen mutual destruction at the tribunal was a dark mark in the history of headquarters' Nine Elders. Every time he was mentioned, their faces burned with shame. It was a disgrace that could hardly be washed away! "No wonder!" Elder Miao said mildly. Even a peak Dominator like him had to acknowledge Yuanshi Tianzun's arsenal of items—a heap of top-quality items, rule-based items, and especially the Heaven Worship Set, a treasure that had tempted even him. Leaving those words behind, Elder Miao exited the conference room in a rather foul mood. Fu Qingyang immediately switched to the web browser and logged into the Five Elements Alliance's official forum. Sure enough, right at the top was a pinned thread: [Divine Colleague Gunned Down Three Peak Saints in a Row—Just Who on Earth Is Jumang?] "I'm completely floored, fam! I got bored today and hopped over the firewall to check out Heaven's Punishment's forum, and what I saw blew my mind. The team our Five Elements Alliance sent to New York County caused yet another massive stir! No more nonsense—let me throw up the screenshots. Fresh, hot gossip grabbed straight from Heaven's Punishment's forum." Dozens of screenshots were attached to the post, and the poster had thoughtfully translated them into Chinese. Fu Qingyang scanned the screenshots quickly. The content matched what Elder Miao had said, only far richer in detail. The attitude of Heaven's Punishment's orthodox classes toward this matter was fascinating. On one hand, they were reluctant to acknowledge the brilliance of the Five Elements Alliance's support team; on the other hand, they were grateful for their contributions in New York County. "My god, he actually killed Bacchus and Hecate! Why have I never heard of such a legendary figure before?" "Oh Lord, tell me this isn't real. An unknown nobody achieved something none of us could. Has the Five Elements Alliance really grown this powerful?" "I can't believe it's true! Not even if my grandfather kicked my ass with his pointed boots!" "He killed Bacchus and Hecate and salvaged Heaven's Punishment's honor. We should be grateful. He's a powerhouse worthy of respect, but he keeps way too low a profile!" "Did he practice Eastern qigong before becoming a Spirit Realm walker? Otherwise, how do you explain how ridiculously strong he is?" "How long is this hero staying in New York County? Can he come work in the Windy City for a while? The Biological Alchemy Society in the Windy City is way too arrogant." "Suddenly I feel like all the Saints we used to regard as heroes are complete trash!" What Heaven's Punishment's orthodox classes found hardest to stomach was that an obscure Beast King had accomplished something that the Saints they took pride in had failed to do. The Five Elements Alliance had casually dispatched an unheard-of Saint, and he had pulled off such an astonishing feat. It was a massive blow to the confidence and pride of Heaven's Punishment's members. Had it been Fu Qingyang or Yuanshi Tianzun achieving this, their reactions wouldn't have been nearly so exaggerated. The comments and reactions of Heaven's Punishment's members filled the Five Elements Alliance's official walkers with delight. They felt thoroughly vindicated. For the longest time, the official walkers of Heaven's Punishment had looked down from high above, viewing orthodox walkers across the globe like country bumpkins. They finally had their day! Furthermore, the official walkers of the Five Elements Alliance were equally curious about Jumang, eager to learn the past history of this expert who seemed to have "sprung out of nowhere." Fu Qingyang closed the thread. Just as he was about to log off the forum, another post caught his eye: [I've Figured Out Why Jumang Is So Strong] Frowning, Fu Qingyang clicked into the post. The content was a screenshot taken from the Taiyi Sect's forum: [Yuan Ting: You've all got it wrong. Jumang is just an ordinary Level 6 Saint. The only reason he's so powerful is that Fu Qingyang and Guan Ya lent him the items Yuanshi Tianzun left behind.] The mood in this thread was somber and mournful. In the comments, Saints from the Five Elements Alliance were reminiscing about that unyielding, legendary figure. In life, he had blazed with unparalleled glory; in death, he continued to bless the orthodox faction. He had risen like a comet, only to streak across the sky like one. He was the lingering heartache in the hearts of this generation's orthodox walkers. Had he lived, he very likely would have become the Five Elements Alliance's sixth demigod. *** Late at night. In an uninhabited, vacant house in Kings County, brilliant starlight flared. Zhang Yuanqing stepped out of the starlight, retrieved the Yata no Kagami, and flicked out a streak of yellow light. The yellow light transformed into an avatar! The avatar wiped a hand across his face, disguising himself as a cold young man—Sect Master Tongtian. The avatar and the original exchanged a glance, like looking into a mirror. Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on the dust-covered floor and set the Yata no Kagami down. "I'll probably be entering the Spirit Realm tonight. When you return, remember to put away the Yata no Kagami." Next, he brought out Dominator-grade items and materials, including the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade and the Chaotic Oil Painting. He had already activated the heart's ability, using Haas the Beast's character card to overwrite his own. His purple-gold set and inherent strength could fool the Spirit Realm. However, these items could not deceive the Spirit Realm. If he brought them along and was matched into an overseas Dominator-grade trial, he would be completely done for. "These are our life savings. Make sure you come back early," Zhang Yuanqing said, hiding the items and materials in a cabinet. The avatar nodded. "As soon as I handle Catherine, I'll come right back." The Yata no Kagami could only be used once every twenty-four hours. The avatar had died last night under the attack of the Dominator-grade item "Chaotic Oil Painting," so Zhang Yuanqing had been forced to stall until nightfall before dealing with Catherine. "Remember, don't sleep with Catherine," Zhang Yuanqing warned. The avatar froze for a moment. "Why are you telling me that?" "I'm afraid you won't be able to hold back." "Aren't we of one mind and one brain? You're the one who can't hold back. Ah, I see what you're getting at. I'm just an avatar, so my experience is your experience, yet technically it wouldn't count as cheating on Guan Ya. Original body, you really are a dog." "Aren't we of one mind and one brain? If I'm a dog, then you're a dog too." The avatar cupped his hands to him and dispersed into starlight. *** Queens, No. 69 Hamburg Street, Wellness Club. Wearing a face mask and a peaked cap, Zhang Yuanqing passed through the entrance of the club, which was hung with Japanese lanterns. Familiar with the place after his first visit, he bypassed the waitresses and walked straight inside. Strolling down the dimly lit hallway lined with glamorous, provocative photos, Zhang Yuanqing slowed his pace, sensing the emotions around him. Soon, he picked up on Catherine's emotions. *Anger, suspicion, agitation... She's in a pretty foul mood. If I'm not careful, I might get dragged into it, or lose her trust...* Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened. He stopped in front of the private room and gently knocked on the door embossed with brass carvings. *** Back in the vacant house, a Spirit Realm prompt sounded by Zhang Yuanqing's ear. [Ding! Spirit Realm map loading. Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. Your designated trial this time is "Thriller Cruise," ID: 015.]