A Meeting

"I'll go take a look!" Zhang Yuanqing said in a heavy voice. "This incident made us realize that when it comes to authority, the Lord of the Stars cannot contend with the Lord of Taiyin. Since Ling Tuo could erase Morality Points once, there will be a second time. This kind of event will happen again. I don't know when the next time will be, but time is running out for the orthodox faction." Winnie Berrent's expression and mood grew increasingly grim. Zhang Yuanqing said no more. He inspected the corpses of the two giant fiends, but found them severely burned and impossible to refine into yin corpses, leaving him no choice but to give up. Snapping his fingers, he departed via Astral Travel and returned to the 106th floor. He found Brother Red Chicken and Yuan Ting restored to human form; aside from weakened vitality, they were largely unharmed. Zhao Chenghuang was absent, but the Japanese schoolgirl Asano Ryo had joined them. Seeing him return, Brother Red Chicken bounded over excitedly. "Hou sai lei! Amazing! Congratulations, Guild Master, on advancing to Day Wanderer! Tonight, congee is on me!" A Fire Mage wore his emotions on his sleeve. "Y-You, you, you..." Yuan Ting pointed a trembling finger at Zhang Yuanqing, his expression agitated and his entire body shaking. He wasn't shocked by Yuanshi Tianzun's return from the dead—he had already heard everything from Sun Miaomiao just moments ago. His breakdown stemmed from the fact that Yuanshi Tianzun had been hiding right beside him all along, yet he had known absolutely nothing. "I actually failed to notice you... I completely failed to figure it out..." Yuan Ting was overwhelmed with remorse. He considered himself a master at uncovering secrets under heaven and earth, yet he hadn't managed to sniff out that Jumang was Yuanshi Tianzun. What utter humiliation! Zhang Yuanqing looked at Asano Ryo. "Where were you hiding?" Asano Ryo looked thoroughly ashamed. "I slipped into the water supply pipe through the bathroom faucet... I didn't fight the enemies alongside everyone... Sumimasen, sumimasen..." Her face flushed crimson as she bowed repeatedly. "Forget it. In a crisis, keeping yourself safe is enough." Zhang Yuanqing waved a hand and instructed, "Head back to your rooms and recover from your injuries. I'm going out to take a look." *** Songhai, inside a dim bedroom. Upon the neat, flat bed, Xiao Yuan's figure slowly materialized. She still retained her Queen Bee appearance, her gem-like black eyes tinged with a mud-like hue. Suddenly, she snapped her head toward the desk, a glint of dark light flashing in her eyes. Kou Beiyue, who was sitting silently beside the desk, let out a muffled grunt. The spiritual energy inside him surged violently, his eyes turning bloodshot. In a hoarse voice, he shouted, "It's me! It's me!" The defiled hue in Xiao Yuan's eyes receded. "I still cannot control the power of the Defiled Evil Spirit well. In the future, do not conceal your presence and hide near me." She got out of bed, opened the wardrobe, and picked out a plain coat and a pale yellow dress. Kou Beiyue, whose temperament had grown increasingly haughty and gloomy, breathed a sigh of relief. Casting aside the heavy weight in his chest, he said, "You're finally out. Fu Qingyang said there was an anomaly in the Spirit Realm, that the damned Ling Tuo was stirring up trouble in there. I thought you and Yuanshi Tianzun were done for this time." He deliberately adopted a casual tone to project composure, masking his concern. Xiao Yuan, who had been about to chase Kou Beiyue out, set down the dress in her hands. Her deep, dark eyes fixed upon him. "How did Fu Qingyang know there was an anomaly in the Spirit Realm?" There had indeed been an anomaly in the Spirit Realm scenario—the fusion of scenarios from both districts, the evil faction discerning the scenario mechanics ahead of time, and Yuanshi's sudden eruption of Dominator-stage power. She was still waiting for Yuanshi to return and explain all of it. "It wasn't just the Spirit Realm that went haywire—the real world was thrown into total chaos," Kou Beiyue said in a low voice. "Not long after you entered the Killing Scenario, Morality Points vanished. The evil faction launched terrorist attacks across the entire country, causing countless casualties. In Songhai alone, a tremendous number of people died." He gave a brief overview of the situation in Songhai. Hearing that banks, schools, security bureaus, and shopping malls had become frequent targets of terrorist attacks, and learning of the grim scenes of bodies strewn everywhere, Xiao Yuan fell silent. After a long while, she let out a long breath. "I understand. Get out. I need to change." Just as Kou Beiyue stood up, she added, "The restoration of Morality Points is likely related to Yuanshi." *** Songhai, Fujia Bay Villa. Xiahou Aotian's figure took shape in the office. He looked around and, seeing no one, picked up the megaphone on the desk and yelled, "Employees, your Dominator has returned!" After hitting record and setting it to loop, he carried the megaphone, threw back his shoulders, and strode out of the office in high spirits, ready to welcome the cheers and adoration of his workforce. The ground floor, which had been converted into a workshop, was completely deserted. The Scholars responsible for research and development and the Wood Monsters and Earth Monsters handling manual labor were nowhere to be seen. Only three White Tiger Guard Saints remained behind to guard the facility. *Did they all slack off just because this Dominator entered the Killing Scenario?* Xiahou Aotian was instantly displeased. He waved over a distant White Tiger Guard, resting one hand on his hip while holding the megaphone in the other, and demanded, "What's going on? Where are the technicians? Where are the 996s and 007s?" "996s" referred to the Wood Monsters, "007s" to the Earth Monsters, and "technicians" to the Scholars. As the mechanical technology company expanded, the physically frail Scholars could no longer keep pace with the assembly of the mechanical devices. Consequently, the young authority figure Fu Qingyang had leveraged his resources to mobilize official Wood Monsters and Earth Monsters to work on the assembly line turning screws. Wood Monsters possessed monstrous strength and immense endurance, while Earth Monsters possessed extraordinary stamina and could work around the clock without rest. They were precisely the talent the factory needed. Thus, the arrogant President Xiahou had bestowed the nicknames "996" and "007" upon the two groups. The White Tiger Guard hurried over, his expression grim. "President, while you were in the Killing Scenario, Morality Points vanished for Spirit Realm walkers. The evil faction went on a killing spree across the country, inflicting countless civilian casualties. All the Spirit Realm walkers in the workshop took mechanical weapons and went out to deal with the terrorist attacks." He rapidly recounted what had unfolded in the real world. The smug satisfaction on Xiahou Aotian's face gradually stiffened into solemnity. He quietly switched off the megaphone. A moment later, a booming roar echoed through the workshop: "Evil classes, your daddy is back!" *** Beijing, Taiyi Sect. In the courtyard residence of Elder Hongying, Yin Ji's figure coalesced beneath the pagoda tree. She looked left and right, searching for her master. A faint joy rippled in her gentle, clear eyes; she wished to share the delight of advancing to Dominator with a senior close to her. Yet the courtyard was entirely empty. The afternoon sunset bathed the flowerbeds and treetops, radiating a soothing tranquility. Yin Ji stepped into the room, unplugged her phone from its charging cable, and dialed Elder Hongying's number. *Ring... ring...* The call connected, and Elder Hongying's voice came through, sounding slightly urgent. "Yin Ji, have you advanced to Day Wanderer?" Yin Ji's tone was gentle, tinged with a smile. "Master, I successfully advanced." Elder Hongying laughed, her tone full of joy. "Good, very good!" The student she had painstakingly nurtured for years had finally stepped into the realm of Dominator, becoming a true titan. "Master!" Yin Ji suppressed the joy in her heart and said seriously, "I have something to report to you. Can you come back for a moment?" Elder Hongying was silent for a few seconds. "Is it very important? Sigh, I cannot return for now. While you were in the Killing Scenario, a major catastrophe occurred in the outside world. I will be busy handling the aftermath for the foreseeable future." Yin Ji was startled. "What happened?" Elder Hongying gave her student a succinct summary of the disappearance of Morality Points, concluding with a sigh: "Beijing fared relatively well, but the surrounding provinces and cities were ravaged by the evil faction. Countless buildings were destroyed. In just five or six hours, an innumerable number of civilians were killed. The evil faction engaged in retaliatory slaughter, and the casualty numbers haven't even been tallied yet. "The Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance are currently coordinating with the government on rescue operations. Following that, there will be post-disaster reconstruction, as well as the matter of how to disclose the truth about the existence of Spirit Realm walkers to the general public." Yin Ji broke into a cold sweat as she listened, her heart sinking to the depths. The joy of advancing to Day Wanderer vanished without a trace. Setting aside the staggering losses from this catastrophe, merely revealing the existence of Spirit Realm walkers was prone to triggering massive social unrest—panic, suspicion, protests, and more. It could even lead many individuals of ill intent to gravitate toward the evil faction, becoming pawns of evil and chaos. Furthermore, since Ling Tuo could suppress Morality Points once, he could do so a second or third time. The future of the orthodox faction looked bleak. As her thoughts raced, Yin Ji heard Elder Hongying ask, "What was it you wanted to report to me just now?" Yin Ji snapped back to attention and said solemnly, "Master, Yuanshi Tianzun isn't dead. He appeared in the Killing Scenario, and it was he who helped me advance to Day Wanderer." As soon as she finished speaking, she heard her master's breath hitch. *** Beijing, a grand manor on the outskirts. Huang Taiji returned to his bedroom. He picked up the phone from his nightstand, habitually preparing to report his safety, announce his advancement, and contact his adopted son wandering abroad. Opening the messaging app, he saw an emergency notice broadcast by the Five Elements Alliance headquarters to all high-ranking members. From the notice, he pieced together everything that had transpired in reality. He immediately held back on reporting the news of Yuanshi Tianzun's survival. Setting down his phone, he hurriedly changed into casual clothes and rushed out of the room. *** Manhattan. Using illusion to conceal himself, Zhang Yuanqing rode atop the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, cruising at low altitude as he looked down upon the chaotic streets. The wave of terrorist attacks unleashed by the evil faction had already receded, but the trauma and terror left behind would require time to heal. Police sirens and ambulances wailed as vehicles sped through the streets—the former patrolling, the latter rushing the injured to safety. The hospitals and morgues were destined to be overwhelmed today. Thick plumes of smoke billowed in the distance as firefighters exerted every effort to extinguish blazes and rescue survivors. The New York County government had organized ad-hoc corpse retrieval teams. Led by SWAT teams, they hurried from one attack site to the next. Whenever they encountered suspicious individuals or street thugs along the way, the workload of the retrieval teams only grew. Some residents of New York County hid in their homes, terrified to step outside. Others, seeing that the disaster had subsided, drove away in droves, intending to seek refuge in the suburbs. In a few days, they might band together to protest against the government and demand answers, forming a "scenic landscape" of the Free Federation. For now, however, they were preoccupied with fleeing for their lives. A thick, black energy surfaced in Zhang Yuanqing's eyes, revealing dull, listless souls wandering the streets, alleys, high-rises, and every corner of the city. Just as Winnie Berrent had said, the casualties were impossible to tally because there were simply too many victims. If even New York County had been reduced to this state, what about back home? Riding the divine dragon, Zhang Yuanqing drifted aimlessly, growing increasingly silent as he observed the aftermath. Right then, he suddenly heard a loud snore. Looking down, he discovered that the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon had fallen asleep at some point, swaying crookedly as it drifted straight toward a high-rise building. *It can fall asleep even like this?!* Cursing under his breath, Zhang Yuanqing deactivated mount mode, returned it to its statue form, and stored it in his inventory. Hovering in midair, he was just about to head back to the Heaven's Punishment branch when the phone in his pocket buzzed. Mr. President had sent a text message requesting to meet. *** Inside a vacant, uninhabited apartment. Dressed in a wine-red suit, the President appeared soundlessly and looked toward the window. By the window stood a tall, upright figure gazing absently at the city under the setting sun. The streetlights were coming on. Post-disaster rescue operations did not halt simply because the sun had dipped below the horizon. The citizens of the Federation, who valued freedom and abhorred overtime, were still busy toiling in the streets, alleys, and apartment complexes. Morality Points had vanished for only five or six hours, yet Spirit Realm walkers possessed far too many methods of killing—sharper than any capitalist sickle. A gust of toxic smoke or a single spell of confusion could reap ordinary mortals like weeds. *Clap, clap, clap!* The President clapped vigorously, his tone melodramatic. "Congratulations on advancing to Day Wanderer! Our future Lord of the Sun is finally no longer a baby." Zhang Yuanqing turned around, staring at the President behind his silver mask, the corners of his lips curving upward. "I thought you'd be happy enough to drop a rap, Uncle!"