Zhang Yuanqing was startled and asked, "What happened?"
An Dieqi spoke rapidly, her voice filled with anxiety: "Boss entered a dungeon yesterday, an S-class dungeon."
"S-class dungeon?" Zhang Yuanqing's expression changed slightly. A Dominator-level S-class dungeon was the pinnacle of Lingjing dungeons. His uncle had warned him not to equate the difficulty of a Dominator-level S-class dungeon with that of an Extraordinary or Saint-level S-class dungeon.
Even if "Yuan Shi Tianzun" entered an S-class dungeon with his current foundation, his chances of survival were slim.
Although Zhai Cai had inherited the Holy See's legacy, his foundation couldn't be as deep as his. For a single-lineage knight, the death rate in an S-class dungeon was 98%, practically a suicide mission.
No wonder An Dieqi was so anxious.
"Boss has always controlled his hidden points. Since becoming a Dominator, he has actively given up tasks that deduct experience points when encountering B-class non-death dungeons. All these years, he has never entered an A-class dungeon. It's very strange, he couldn't possibly enter an S-class dungeon," An Dieqi said excitedly.
"Mr. Yuanshi, Boss said that your backer is a Void-class Demigod. I want to beg you to save him, please!"
Zhang Yuanqing said with a solemn tone, "I understand. Don't worry, he entered the dungeon yesterday, so he should be fine for now. I'll contact the Three-Department Leader. Wait for my news."
He comforted An Dieqi a few times, asked for the dungeon number that the single-lineage knight had entered, and then hung up the phone.
Fu Qingyang, who had overheard the call, frowned slightly. "That knight from the Holy See was assigned to an S-class dungeon?"
Zhang Yuanqing hummed in agreement, saying with some anxiety, "Boss, I'm going back. The single-lineage knight carries the key and treasure map to the Holy See's treasure, which cannot be lost."
Having experienced Xia Zuokang's heroic sacrifice in the Slaughter Dungeon, he held respect for the knight class. The orthodox faction harbored filth, and knights were like a breath of fresh air.
Leaving Fū Jiā Wān, Zhang Yuanqing stepped on the Five-Claw Golden Dragon and quickly returned to his maternal grandmother's house.
He knocked loudly on his uncle's door. In the eyes of his aunt and maternal grandparents, his uncle was never home all day, a good-for-nothing even at his age.
In fact, his uncle was touring the Lingjing under the guise of singing, dancing, and rapping, or doing serious business.
At any other time, Zhang Yuanqing might not be able to find his uncle immediately unless he was in danger. But now, nearing dinner time, his uncle was definitely at home.
He wasn't home on weekdays, but if he didn't come home for three meals a day, his aunt would divorce him.
"Yo yo, useless Yuanzi." Seeing his nephew's visit, his uncle started rhyming his single-syllable repetitions again.
Zhang Yuanqing wasn't in the mood to rap with him, pulled his uncle out the door, and shouted before his aunt could speak, "Aunt, I'm going to talk to my uncle in the stairwell."
"What needs to be said in the stairwell? Dinner is almost ready," his aunt, who wasn't good at cooking but insisted on going to the kitchen, called out.
"We're going to talk bad about Grandma," Zhang Yuanqing said.
"Go then!" his aunt replied happily.
Entering the stairwell, Zhang Yuanqing quickly told his uncle about the single-lineage knight entering the S-class dungeon. He had entered Lingjing No. 16, Knight's Twilight.
His uncle had spent many years in the Lingjing, staying up late and entering many dungeons. As long as he knew the dungeon number and name, he could quickly locate it.
"Sigh, useless Yuanzi is giving me another problem." His uncle put one hand in his pocket and spread the other out in a helpless gesture. "Alright, leave this to me. I'll bring back the single-lineage knight, but in a way you won't expect."
"What way?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
At this time, his aunt shouted from inside the house, "Dinner's ready, Yuanzi. Stay and eat here."
"Coming, wife!" His uncle ran back home happily, without finishing his sentence.
Zhang Yuanqing cursed and complained, replying loudly, "No thanks, Aunt. I plan to eat Grandma's food. Grandma's cooking is terrible."
After saying that, he slipped away quickly. Even his own son didn't want to eat his aunt's cooking, and he was just a nephew, no need to sacrifice himself like that.
His uncle entered the house and closed the door, sat at the dining table like a lord, lit a cigarette, and pondered for a moment, muttering, "The Lingjing's operational malfunctions are getting more and more serious."
"What's getting more and more serious?" His aunt walked out, carrying a dish.
"My mom's menopause is getting more and more serious!" his uncle said casually.
"Your mom went through menopause twenty years ago," his aunt retorted.
The next morning, in the Victoria's villa, Miao Teng'er sat in the sunroom, which was as warm as spring, watching the flower garden outside the glass wall covered in white frost.
The colorful and vibrant flowers seemed to be imbued with the resilience of plum blossoms, blooming freely in the frost.
Several snowfalls had occurred since she returned to the capital city at the end of December. Ordinary flowers, of course, couldn't survive the winter. The flowers and plants in the garden were cultivated by Ling Jun.
Although the flowers were beautiful, they paled in comparison to the young woman.
Miao Teng'er's temperament and features were striking, her lips like dabs of rouge, her eyes like dots of lacquer, her oval face fair and beautiful, her nose straight and delicate, making her unforgettable at first sight.
This kind of beauty shouldn't wear makeup; makeup would make her look vulgar.
"Why do you think Yuan Shi Tianzun asked my mom to meet?" Miao Teng'er held a steaming cup of coffee in both hands, looking curiously at her cousin across the "tree stump table."
In her opinion, Yuan Shi Tianzun and her mother had no connection. Since the death of the Demon Lord, her mother, considered a family disgrace by her grandfather, had been greatly affected.
Since then, she had lived in seclusion and no longer socialized.
What could Yuan Shi Tianzun possibly want that required him to see her, and even chose Elder Victoria's villa!
Ling Jun didn't answer, staring at the table for a long time, or blankly gazing at the flower garden, looking troubled.
In the basement, Zhang Yuanqing sat upright in a high-backed chair, scrutinizing the mature woman sitting in the same type of chair.
This woman should be in her forties, but judging by her appearance alone, she looked more like a mature woman between 25 and 30 years old.
Her skin, full of collagen, was even smoother than a young girl's. Her features resembled Miao Teng'er's by four or five points, but she was even more beautiful, even more beautiful.
She had the youthful beauty of a young woman and the charm of a mature woman, with a unique allure of a Jí Mù Yao.
With a balanced and graceful figure, and a hint of melancholy between her brows, she resembled a lilac-like woman. The mixture of various temperaments on her body not only didn't create conflict, but instead wove a unique charm.
Damn it, the Demon Lord's women are all beauties, Zhang Yuanqing thought. While Zhang Yuanqing was observing the woman, the woman was also observing this famous young man.
"Unlike the ungrateful Elder Miao, I'm here to see you today only because you saved Teng'er and Ling Jun," Miao Fengyun said first.
"Get to the point." Her voice revealed a sense of indifference and dominance that kept idlers away.
Zhang Yuanqing's first sentence was, "I've heard the audio of you and the Demon Lord."
Hearing these words, which revealed her secret, Miao Fengyun felt extremely displeased. Her goodwill towards Yuan Shi Tianzun rapidly declined, and she maintained her sitting posture, lazily mocking, "Does Auntie's voice sound good? Do you want me to make a few sounds to satisfy you?"
"Don't flirt with me, Ling Jun will break up with me!" Zhang Yuanqing said without changing his expression.
"Auntie isn't as open as Teng'er and Yin Ji! I'm not here to embarrass you, but I learned something from the audio of you and the Demon Lord." While speaking, he soothed Miao Fengyun's hostility and anger.
Looking at Yuan Shi Tianzun's handsome face and listening to his sincere tone, Miao Fengyun's displeasure quickly dissipated, and she forgave him, asking, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Yuanqing cut to the chase, "I want the spiritual plant cultivation method that Ling Jun's mother left you!"
Miao Fengyun looked puzzled, "What do you want that for? It needs to be supplemented with the spiritual power of a wood demon to be effective. Even if non-wood demon classes get it, it's useless."
"Auntie, don't be so curious, it's easy to attract disaster!" Zhang Yuanqing was about to manipulate her emotions, inducing her to hand over the cultivation method, when he suddenly had an idea. Now that there was a Taiyin protection method that required a wood demon to control, why not take the seeds and cultivate them here?
He could travel at night to Elder Zhao's residence to retrieve the seeds, and then return here. That way, he would save many steps and be more secretive.
Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing secretly manipulated Miao Fengyun's emotions, increasing her curiosity, trust, and urgency, and then said, "I can't tell you the reason for now. But please wait here, I'll go out for a while, this matter is extremely important!"
After saying that, he left the basement and met Victoria in the living room, asking her to arrange a ritual to apply a secret blessing to him. After the ritual was completed, Zhang Yuanqing transformed into a dreamlike starlight and left the villa, flying through the air towards Elder Zhao's residence.
The strong wind hit his face, and the tall buildings were all beneath his feet. The closer he got to the city center, the more congested the traffic became.
Although the capital city was large, it wouldn't take long for a Dominator to cross the entire city. Soon, the old alleys appeared before him.
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing saw the old alleys lose their color, as if they had become a black and white photograph. This discoloration spread rapidly, encompassing the tall buildings, vehicles, streets, and greenery.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuanqing, looking down from above, saw the entire city transformed into a black and white photograph. The clear sky was also covered with a layer of dark veil, and only the sun stubbornly emitted a faint light.
He felt a chill in his heart, and quickly realized that it wasn't the city under his feet that had a problem, but him.
He was hidden, isolated from the real world. At this time, a cold aura swept over him, as if the gates of the Nine Nether Hell had been opened. A towering Yin energy rose from the old alleys, and that Yin energy soared into the sky, transforming into a face that covered the sky.
That face, like black smoke, indifferently looked down at Zhang Yuanqing.
In that instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt the Taiyin Star and the Sun's three forces within his body simultaneously congeal, losing their vitality.
Danger signals were transmitted to his brain through his nerves, adrenaline was secreted frantically, but his muscles were spasming. No matter how his brain commanded, his limbs seemed to be paralyzed.
Ling Tuo? Zhang Yuanqing mouthed this name through clenched teeth.
"Yuan Shi Tianzun!" A chuckle echoed between heaven and earth: "Like the Demon Lord, you really are a jumping clown."