Announcement

"Yuanshi, collect their corpses." Fu Qingyang's gaze swept over the evil Dominators' bodies, some charred black and carbonized, others with heads severed from their necks. Zhang Yuanqing took out Little Red Riding Hood and stored the corpses inside. Half an hour quickly passed. Elder Gaofeng pulled back the Coward's Quilt, stowing the tattered, heavily patched quilt back into his inventory. Fu Qingyang looked into the distant sky and said with a touch of disappointment, "Neither the Nihility Sect nor the Spirit Society sent reinforcements. Let us disperse, then." Elder Ganlu rose and patted the dust from her clothes. She wore an athletic combat suit under a sports jacket; with her rounded hips, slender waist, long legs, and ample bosom, she was like a ripe, juicy peach. Looking at Yuanshi Tianzun and Fu Qingyang, she beamed with gratitude. "There is no way I could ever repay your life-saving grace!" *No way to repay? Tsk tsk, if you were dealing with the Demon Lord, he'd be demanding you repay him with your body.* Zhang Yuanqing made cheeky quips in his head while offering a cool nod in reply. "Elder Gaofeng, how have Yu and Xia Shu been doing lately?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "Neither of them has died," Elder Gaofeng replied, knowing what he meant to ask. *That's good to hear!* Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to ask him to look out for the two, especially Xia Shu, one of the few good friends he had made in the official faction. On second thought, the world was growing more chaotic by the day, and everyone lived from hand to mouth. If other official members could lay down their lives for order, why couldn't Yu and Xia Shu? He, Yuanshi Tianzun, could do the same. Once Fu Qingyang finished wrapping up the four evil Dominator corpses, everyone parted ways at the industrial park. Zhang Yuanqing mounted the five-clawed golden dragon and soared through the sky. Fu Qingyang picked up the unconscious Elder Skyfire and followed behind, riding his sword. Meanwhile, Elder Gaofeng took Elder Ganlu and escaped underground. Returning to Fujia Bay, Money Prince summoned a bunny girl and instructed, "Yuanshi's phone and mine were damaged. Go prepare two new ones." He then looked at Zhang Yuanqing. "Hand the corpses over to them." Having arranged the matters, he sat before the computer and typed, saying at the same time, "Yuanshi, your account hasn't been cancelled yet. In a moment, I will post an announcement on the forum under the Songhai Branch's account. Go give it an upvote." Zhang Yuanqing agreed aloud and quietly stepped behind Fu Qingyang, watching him draft the announcement. "Today at 2:32 PM, Elder 'Tiaozhan Gaofeng' and Elder 'Ganlu' of the Hang City branch went missing while handling an incident involving an evil cult. Following an investigation by Elder Fu Qingyang, Elder World-Destroying Skyfire, and former Five Elements Alliance member Yuanshi Tianzun, it was confirmed that the Hang City branch elders were ambushed by the evil faction and plunged into mortal danger. "At 6:40 PM, Elder Tiaozhan Gaofeng and Elder Ganlu were rescued, while Elder World-Destroying Skyfire sustained severe injuries. Our side executed two Dominators from the South District Branch of the Spirit Society and two Dominators from the Southern Sect of the Nihility Sect. Their Spirit Realm IDs are as follows... "It is reported that this is already the sixth ambush against official elders this month. Recently, evil organizations have grown increasingly rampant, severely disrupting the stability of the orthodox faction and the harmony of society. "Elder Fu Qingyang convened an internal meeting of the Songhai Branch today, proposing the establishment of a Stability Maintenance Group to take the initiative in hunting down evil organization Dominators nationwide. Former official member Yuanshi Tianzun responded enthusiastically, pointing out that managing our own territory is our foremost responsibility, and proposed that the primary targets of the stability maintenance initiative should be the Southern Sect of the Nihility Sect and the South District Branch of the Spirit Society. His proposal was unanimously endorsed by the senior leadership of the Songhai Branch. "So announced!" Fu Qingyang lifted his fingers from the keyboard, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. Without looking back, he said calmly, "What do you think?" Standing behind him, Yuanshi Tianzun rubbed his chin. "Boss, are you trying to intimidate the evil Dominators across the southeast through this announcement?" The method was indeed effective. Last time, he had organized the Dominators from Return of the Dead, the Benevolence Society, and the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance to hunt down the Third Elder and Ninth Elder of the Southern Sect—one level eight, one level seven. This time, teaming up with Fu Qingyang, they had taken down four more Dominators: three level sevens and one level eight, all of whom had mid-to-late stage experience bars and were seasoned elders. Dominators below level nine were basically like leeks—mowed down as they came, one by one or two by two. As soon as the news spread, the Dominators of the Southern Sect and the South District Branch would definitely choose to lie low and adopt a wait-and-see attitude for a while. That way, he and Fu Qingyang could enter dungeons without worries. "However..." Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "Isn't posting such an arrogant call to arms against them too high-profile? Won't they realize it's an intentional scare tactic?" After all, for ambushes and hunts, the quieter, the better. Making such high-profile claims would surely alert the enemy. Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Look at it from another angle: perhaps this is our ploy. By acting deliberately high-profile, we make them think we're merely chanting slogans, causing them to let their guard down! You and I are men of action; when have we ever chanted empty slogans? "The evil faction's Dominators won't stop at the first layer of thinking. They will assume they've outpredicted our predictions." *So, in the end, we outpredicted their prediction of our prediction?* Zhang Yuanqing mused. Fu Qingyang continued, "Furthermore, issuing an announcement boosts morale, which is something the official faction must do anyway; the evil Dominators won't overthink it. Even taking a step back, if they truly see through our scheme and continue making trouble, then so be it. "Localized sacrifices are inevitable. At this stage, nothing is more important than leveling up." As they spoke, a bunny girl knocked on the study door carrying two cell phones. The glamorous young woman handed the phones to the two men with a smile. "Photographs of the four corpses have been saved onto your phones." Fu Qingyang nodded with satisfaction, opened his phone, logged into his account, uploaded the photos to the computer, and clicked publish. Zhang Yuanqing also logged into his long-dormant official account and gave a thumbs-up to the newly posted thread from the Songhai Branch's official account. Neither of them refreshed the thread to read the replies. Putting their phones away, Zhang Yuanqing said, "I'm going to prepare materials to refine spirit servants." Fu Qingyang gave an "Mhm." ... Returning to the neighboring villa, Zhang Yuanqing stepped into the bathroom to wash away the exhaustion and grime accumulated from the Holy See's treasure. Putting on dry pajamas, he walked out of the bathroom feeling completely refreshed. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. Sitting at the desk with legs crossed was his uncle, clad in a white suit and trousers and wearing a silver mask. Zhang Yuanqing let out a sigh of relief and said in exasperation, "You scared me! I thought Fu Qingyang had put on a mask and snuck into my room. Why are you imitating him for no reason?" His uncle sighed with emotion. "After all, I raised an ungrateful wolf for fifteen years, only to watch him suck up to someone else so hard. Your uncle also wanted to experience what it feels like to hear, 'Aside from the three feet of snow upon your form, who under heaven is worthy of white robes?'" Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes at him. "Someone like you, who's been rhyming for a lifetime and can still only manage monosyllabic rhymes, has no right to quote that line. Say what you came for; I'm busy." Uncle shrugged. "The items are ready. You didn't answer your phone, and no one was home, so I had to come in person. Luckily, you weren't busy doing what lovers do with your girlfriend, or your old uncle would've been in an awkward spot." "Your upright nephew isn't the type to engage in daytime debauchery," Zhang Yuanqing said, rubbing his hands in excitement. "Let me see the items." Uncle pulled items out from the void one by one: a sword-shaped jade waist pendant, a pair of black-and-red fingerless combat gloves, a stiff black ox-horn bow, a grotesque Ghost Mother mask, and a figurine resembling a terracotta warrior. Zhang Yuanqing inspected them one by one, clicking his tongue from time to time. Had he still been in the Saint stage, he would have embezzled all of them for himself. Guan Ya's item was the sword-shaped jade waist pendant. Its abilities were "Sword Qi Body Protection" and "Extreme Counterattack." The former could condense sword qi into an invisible barrier. While its defense couldn't match an Earth Monster, it could withstand three strikes from a level-six Saint. Against a peak Saint, it could block one strike. For a Swordsman profession reliant on close-quarters combat and lethal finishing strikes, the margin of a single blow could spell the difference between life and death. Extreme Counterattack: If the owner's stamina was depleted, their spiritual energy exhausted, or if they were besieged by two or more enemies, the jade pendant would unleash sword qi in a sneak attack. It was ideal as a surprise trump card. The black fingerless combat gloves belonged to Brother Red Chicken. Their function was amplification—a 10% boost to fire-attribute spiritual energy, a top-grade item for a Fire Mage. The price was sacrificing a bit of intelligence, becoming even more irascible and impulsive, and believing that action should precede thinking—and the effect was irreversible. The ox-horn bow was for Zhao Chenghuang. Abilities: Armor Break, Tracking, One-Hit Kill! An item of the Bewitching Demon profession. Armor Break and Tracking were standard setups for that profession, but what made it truly formidable was One-Hit Kill. Every three arrows fired, one would trigger the "One-Hit Kill" effect, reducing the enemy's defense by fifty percent. It was excellent for sneak attacks or kiting enemies with Star Escape. The drawback was that every draw of the bow required taking a life; otherwise, the user's mind would be corrupted by killing intent, compromising their rationality. Furthermore, within twelve hours of using the bow, the user's personality would become exceptionally nasty—bad enough to kick any stray dog that crossed their path. The Ghost Mother mask was for Sun Miaomiao. It significantly enhanced lunar power, thereby boosting the number and strength of spirit servants under her control. It was perfect for Sun Miaomiao, who possessed the Soul-Summoning Banner and specialized in controlling spirit servants. The terracotta warrior figurine was similar to a yin corpse or puppet. The user could control it in combat; its combat prowess wasn't exceptionally high, but it was durable and possessed immense strength, making it prime cannon fodder. Furthermore, under the Five Elements, fire engenders earth; the more fire-attribute spiritual energy infused into it, the stronger the terracotta warrior became, offering high versatility. It was tailor-made for Tianxia Guihuo, who believed: "Of the ten pecks of intellect in the world, I hold nine, while the rest of the Fire Mages collectively owe one." Content, Zhang Yuanqing stowed away the items, sent his uncle off, and sat down before his desk. Turning on his computer, he logged into his chat app and sent a message in the Return of the Dead group: "Those who participated as angel investors for Pan's Labyrinth last time, sound off. Your start-of-year dividend is here." Guan Ya, Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miaomiao, and Tianxia Guihuo popped up one after another, responding with unconcealed anticipation in their words. Only Brother Red Chicken remained silent for quite a while. Zhang Yuanqing had no choice but to @ him. Only then did Brother Red Chicken surface: "What's up? What on earth is Pan's Labyrinth? Does it have anything to do with me?" *Did he already forget about it? Or did he just never remember the name 'Pan's Labyrinth'? Truly, nobody does it like you!* Watching Brother Red Chicken's reaction, the same thought crossed everyone's mind simultaneously. [Tianxia Guihuo: It's the labyrinth we entered in New York County, the one where we almost suffered a team wipe.] [Brother Red Chicken: Oh, oh! That godforsaken place! So it was called Pan's Labyrinth. I completely forgot.] *As expected...* everyone mentally added. [Yuanshi Tianzun: I've placed the dividends in the guild warehouse. Starting from the sword-shaped jade waist pendant, the order is Guan Ya, Sun Miaomiao, Zhao Chenghuang, Tianxia Guihuo, and Brother Red Chicken.] In the next second, Guan Ya and the others submitted requests to use items from the warehouse. Zhang Yuanqing approved them one by one. About half a minute later, Sun Miaomiao sent a string of hearts: [Thank you, Guild Leader! I'm ready to walk through fire and water for you, no matter what!] Brother Red Chicken spammed the chat with worshiping emojis. [Zhao Chenghuang: Aside from the Dominator-grade item I obtained in the subterranean palace, this is the most satisfying and well-matched item for me.] Even as an elder's descendant, top-tier items like this weren't easy to come by. [Tianxia Guihuo: A fine item. With this, I won't have to put myself in danger. I can eliminate eighty percent of the risks inside dungeons—even though Fire Mage dungeons rarely feature traps requiring any real brainpower.] He was very pleased with the item, considering it a solid supplement to his abilities. As Yuanshi Tianzun's girlfriend, Guan Ya politely typed a thank-you in the group, only to immediately send him a private message: "Thank you, Lord Tianzun. This humble maiden will offer her body to you tonight." Zhang Yuanqing replied: "Go take a shower right now. Immediately." He then returned to the group chat and @ Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang: [I need a few special materials to refine spirit servants. Help me redeem them from the Taiyi Sect; I'll reimburse you later.] Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang agreed readily. As descendants of elders and level-six Saints on the verge of becoming Dominators, redeeming certain Dominator-level materials in advance fell within their authority. Anything beyond their clearance, they could ask their respective grandfathers or great-grandfathers for help. After chatting in the group for a bit, Zhang Yuanqing opened the forum and saw that Fu Qingyang's announcement, posted under the Songhai Branch's official account, had already been pinned to the top. It was wildly popular, with over 999 comments. "So exciting! After so long, Lord Tianzun has finally surfaced on the forum." "Lord Tianzun has been quiet for days, but the moment he strikes, he shocks the entire server! Harvesting four Dominators in one go, including a high-ranking Dominator—even after becoming a Day Wanderer, Lord Tianzun's record hasn't slipped in the slightest!" "Even though he's no longer an official member, he's still a hero of the orthodox faction." "To the commenter above: the big shots at headquarters are even more muddled than Elder Sun—except for Money Prince." "What a thrill! This'll let the evil faction know that even if the Alliance Leaders don't act, there are still Dominators among us who will plunge them into despair." The atmosphere on the forum had been dead and dreary for a long time, but today's shot in the arm finally revived its past cheerfulness. Since the disappearance of Morality Points, the Five Elements Alliance headquarters had repeatedly published inspirational announcements on the forum, telling everyone to maintain faith and confidence in the future, stating that the loss of Morality Points was an emergency event, and asserting that the orthodox faction would crack down heavily on the criminal acts of evil organizations to safeguard peace and stability. Yet the reality was that evil cults sprouted like bamboo shoots after rain. Within a little over a month, three elders of the orthodox faction had fallen. Mid- and low-tier Spirit Realm walkers had no access to true high-level intelligence. In viewing the big picture and the current situation, they were always shrouded in fog, making it easy for panic and suspicion to fester. Therefore, a steady stream of good news was needed to fortify their confidence and conviction. Looking toward the future with firm faith couldn't be achieved with empty slogans; it required actual positive news, allowing mid- and low-tier members to see hope. Preaching about faith and confidence a hundred times was not as effective as a single announcement reporting the deaths of four evil professionals.