Action, Action

A medieval-style council chamber. Zhang Yuanqing appeared at the head of the table and watched figures materialize beside him one after another—the Dominators of the organization. Except for Demon Eye Heavenly King and the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, every Dominator instinctively turned toward "Apple Pie." The Western woman had dark hair, brown eyes, heavily drawn eyeliner, bright lipstick, and a thick layer of foundation, looking every bit the queen of the nightlife. Even Xiahou Aotian, who normally believed that *women don't need too much personality, just stay obediently in my harem,* stared at her in foolish lust, unable to take his eyes off her. A Level 8 Dominator of Desire could bewitch a whole crowd of men with a smear of dirt on her face, let alone in full, glamorous makeup. Apple Pie curved her lips into an ambiguous smile. "Leader, should I step outside for a bit?" Before Zhang Yuanqing could reply, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter said coolly, "No need." Her voice was undeniably soft and pleasant, yet when it struck everyone's ears, it rang like an evening drum and morning bell, instantly shattering their wanton thoughts. Xiahou Aotian scrutinized Apple Pie and asked with reserved dignity, "Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?" Her smile broadened at the question. "While I don't care much for younger boys, if it's a young genius, I wouldn't mind a delightful, pleasurable experience." She would never take the initiative to hook up with Dominators within the same organization—after all, office romances were not to be encouraged. But if someone delivered themselves to her doorstep, she was more than happy to indulge. The Desire profession ruled the realm by sleeping with it and built connections by sharing beds. Xiahou Aotian nodded and rubbed his chin, muttering under his breath, "I don't have a virginity complex, but she's a bit too gaudy, and her profession isn't great either. Still, she's definitely prettier than any woman I've ever seen. Hmm, if I bring her into my harem, her role should be a mistress, not a soulmate or head wife..." *What in the world is he babbling about?* The Dominators looked utterly bewildered. Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat, cutting off Xiahou Aotian's daydreaming. "Let's cut the chitchat. Meeting's in session. Everyone, everyone, Return of the Dead's first coordinated operation is about to begin." The Dominators of the Benevolence Society, along with Deng Jingguo and Xiahou Aotian, turned to him with quizzical looks. They had no idea what Zhang Yuanqing was planning. Upon receiving the notice about tonight's meeting, they had simply used the targeted teleportation jade talismans given by the President to enter the dungeon. Zhang Yuanqing said, "I intend to hunt down senior figures of the Nihility Sect's Southern Sect." The Dominators from the First District looked astonished at his words. Only Xiahou Aotian's eyes lit up with excitement. "Splendid! This will be the opening salvo to make a name for Return of the Dead. Not bad, not bad at all, Yuanshi Tianzun. Your drive satisfies me greatly. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I was already planning to suggest you stir up some trouble." The Second District Dominators immediately gave him impressed looks. Only a genius who had openly tongue-lashed a demigod could possess such fierce aggression and confidence. Deng Jingguo was tempted. A successful hunt targeting Dominators promised massive gains. Choosing his words carefully, he said, "The Nihility Sect is a massive organization. If you hunt down their top brass, you must be prepared to face a siege by high-ranking Dominators—even peak Dominators might make a move. Leader, are you confident?" "I can't make any absolute guarantees, because our enemy is the Nihility Sect—the most elusive Illusionists of all. And behind the Southern Sect, there might be maneuvering at an even higher level." Zhang Yuanqing alluded to Ling Tuo without naming him outright. He looked around at the Dominators seated around the table. "Today's meeting is to formulate a plan. You're all experienced Dominators. If you think it's feasible, choose to participate; if you think it's too risky, you can opt out." The Dominators from the Benevolence Society nodded inwardly. It was fair. No one was forcing them to take part. Zhang Yuanqing continued, "Our targets are the Southern Sect's Third Elder and Ninth Elder, corresponding to Level 8 and Level 7. Based on the habits of the Southern Sect's top brass, they spend most of their time hidden inside dream worlds they've woven themselves. These dreamscapes are exceptionally well concealed and practically impossible to locate. Only an Illusionist holding a specific item, reciting an incantation, and channeling spiritual energy can open an entrance into them." At this point, Chen Shu's personal bodyguard, Sophia, spoke up. "If that's the case, how do we track down the Third and Ninth Elders? And even if you have a way to control Southern Sect members to enter the dreamscape, doing that would just be like moths flying into a flame." Deng Jingguo nodded in agreement. "Fighting Southern Sect Dominators inside a dream really is suicidal." Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "You don't need to worry about that. I have a way to expel them from the dream world. All you need to do is coordinate with me to surround and kill them once they're forced out, or intercept any Southern Sect reinforcements. As for demigods, don't worry—we have a Void demigod, a White Tiger demigod, and a Succu—a demigod of the Goddess of Beauty." He had nearly blurted out "Succubus," which was his uncle's nickname for that demigod. According to his uncle, that "Succubus" was a figure even demigods of the evil faction dreaded. Because evil professions magnified malice and desire, they found it extremely difficult to resist absolute beauty and temptation, and thus none dared cross her. However, the Succubus herself had low offensive power and couldn't force herself onto those evil demigods either. Over the past decade, the only person daring enough to pin her down and have his way with her was the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord had given up caring anyway; with karma already tangled and the Holy Grail's corruption upon him, one more Succubus made no difference. In a sense, the Demon Lord had succeeded wildly in freeloading off her. Hearing Yuanshi Tianzun's words, the First District Dominators felt thoroughly reassured. Deng Jingguo raised a hand. "Count me in!" The seductive Apple Pie thought for a moment and smiled. "Illusionists counter my charm abilities, so I won't participate." "I don't really want to get involved in affairs on dry land." The young, handsome Little Spider shook his head. He was a Siren, ill-suited for land-based combat, and lacked methods to counter Illusionists. As a Lightning Mage, Schindler's profession overlapped with Deng Jingguo's. There was no need to deploy so much manpower just to hunt a single Void One, so he opted out as well. Once the participants were confirmed, Zhang Yuanqing assigned their duties: "Palace Master, Demon Eye, Xiao Yuan—you three will move with my avatar. Lady JoJo will provide support and keep watch. "Xiahou Aotian, Sophia, Deng Jingguo—you three will move with my true body. Later, I will ask the President to send you teleportation jade talismans. We will meet tonight at midnight at Fujia Bay in Songhai." He had originally intended to wait a little longer, as neither Youqing nor his uncle had managed to gather the materials and items yet. But on second thought, barring any accidents, a four-on-one fight was a guaranteed win with their eyes closed. There was no need to delay any further. Besides, collecting materials and items came with too much uncertainty. What if they never found them? He couldn't keep waiting forever. Deng Jingguo pondered briefly and asked, "How will the spoils be divided?" "According to contribution!" Zhang Yuanqing answered. Deng Jingguo nodded slightly. Seeing that no one had any further questions, Zhang Yuanqing declared, "Meeting adjourned!" *** Yurong City, Fu Province. Having just returned from the black market, Brainstorm walked back into his apartment with his arm around a curvaceous, pretty young woman. Brainstorm was already past fifty, but as a Dream Master, he could change his appearance at will. His current disguise was that of an idol-style pretty boy with delicate features, a center-parted haircut, and the kind of look that seemed ready to slip into overalls, grab a basketball, and start dancing. Trading on this handsome face, he brought beautiful women home every few days. It cost him no money and required no violence. The women were all eager to roll between the sheets with him of their own accord, so there was no seduction or coercion, and his Morality Points remained unharmed. "Babe, I've got a surprise for you tonight!" Brainstorm held the beauty by her slender waist as they entered the bedroom. He picked up a gift box from the desk—a designer handbag, this winter's new release. The young woman's eyes lit up instantly. Hugging the exquisite box, she whined sweetly, "Thank you, hubby!" In truth, they had only met twice before; tonight was their third time. They were merely a fresh hookup looking for mutual satisfaction. Brainstorm threw back his head and smirked mischievously. "Saying thank you isn't done with your mouth talking—it's done with your mouth working." With that, he pressed down on her shoulders. He had always adhered strictly to the principle of getting things for free, rarely willing to spend money on women. But a few days ago at the Wanbao House auction, he had successfully bid on a Dominator-quality item for the Ninth Elder. Because of that, he had received a massive cash reward and a small amount of Illusionist materials. His frequent visits to the black market over the past few days were meant to convert that cash into materials. With plenty of cash and in a great mood, he had bought the bag on a whim. Tossing a treat to a woman once in a while wasn't bad either; it ensured he was treated like a king in bed. After a thorough prelude, the impatient Brainstorm pulled the woman up, pressed her against the edge of the bed, and embarked on a vigorous, pleasurable gallop. Amid the friction that struck sparks of life and the most candid collision between two human beings, his entire body shuddered as a tingling wave of pleasure surged from his tailbone straight to the crown of his head. At that exact instant, his body stiffened. A terrifying phantom draped in a red bridal gown materialized behind him, pressing tightly against his back. He was possessed. Simultaneously, right in front of him, faint starlight rose. A beautiful woman with eerie crimson irises set in dark, hollow eye sockets emerged from the starlight, holding a gold pocket watch. *Click!* The watch case sprang open. The red-eyed woman pinched the chain and gently swung it back and forth. *Hyp... hypnosis?!* Possessed, Brainstorm could neither resist nor evade. His consciousness began to spin, his mental focus inevitably scattering beyond his ability to gather. Ten-odd seconds later, the hypnosis succeeded. Brainstorm's pupils went dull, and he stood frozen like a wooden post. The young woman slumped against the edge of the bed had long since passed out. Commandery Princess Yinyao put away the pocket watch, fished out a little speaker from the small pouch behind her, and said, "You are going to see the Ninth Elder now." After repeating it several times, Brainstorm blankly opened his inventory and took out a brass compass covered in archaic, mysterious incantations. "Tell me the incantation to activate the compass," Commandery Princess Yinyao asked again. Brainstorm recited the incantation truthfully. Commandery Princess Yinyao stowed the little speaker with satisfaction, casually picking up the luxury handbag from the desk while she was at it. A hand reached out from the void and grasped the compass. Its owner stepped out of invisibility, slowly coming into view. Throughout the entire process, he had remained in Night Patrol, keeping himself concealed so as not to be detected halfway through by the Lord of the Lunar. His face covered in vine-like patterns, Zhang Yuanqing took out Little Red Riding Hood and recalled Commandery Princess Yinyao and the Ghost Bride. He immediately infused his Illusionist spiritual energy, chanted the incantation, and unlocked the dream world. *Time to gamble. If what awaits me in the dream world is a Southern Sect demigod, then Uncle's guess was right...* His figure vanished from the bedroom.