Twenty minutes earlier, atop a high-rise building outside the Ginza District, a man named Gu Yue set down his telescope. His features morphed, his expression slowly becoming vacant.

After a long while, a bone-white mask with the likeness of a sleeping face, yet completely void of life, suddenly emerged on his visage.

It was so unsettling that one would instinctively shy away at the sight.

But once the facade of 'Gu Yue' had faded away, that mask seemed to come alive in its own way. Its drooping eyes lifted, its yellow pupils slowly moving twice, as if they had not seen light for an extended period.

"What a pity, I can no longer use this identity," he said offhandedly, tossing the box he held onto himself with a sigh.

He had been discovered while infiltrating their ranks; his long concealment had come to naught.

Gathering so much intelligence was sufficient, however. He had not expected that a spontaneous transformation at the outset would yield such significant, critical information.

As he sighed, a cracking sound continuously emanated from his body.

It was as if the sun had baked clay soil until it started to fissure and break apart. The people around him were prepared. They opened a palm-sized box and pulled out a large chunk of transparent ointment, quickly tearing off his clothes and beginning to smear it all over his body.

Under the treatment of the secret Toad oil, the battered shell of 'Gu Yue' was reluctantly restored to wholeness, though he now appeared to be at death's door, gravely wounded.

"Weak Magician is useful, but there are limits," the middle-aged man said, looking down at him. "The Joyful Framework can grant false life, but injuries to the Soul and Stigma can hardly be mended. If your Stigma collapses here, no one can save you."

"Understood," replied the Weak Magician with a sigh, lifting a finger. "Got a smoke? Haven't had one in three or four days, I'm dying for a cigarette."

Soon, a cigarette was lit, and he was propped up against the wall. After collecting his thoughts, he began to report the intelligence he had gathered.

Amongst Sublimators, Yingzhou's Phylogeny has always been dubbed the Transformed Creature Genealogy, largely because most of the Stigmata known to the public originate from spirits born of various demons and objects—also known as the Ninety-Nine Gods or the miraculous Transformed Creatures.

Most of these are spirits and demons. The rarity of benevolent examples aside, a more fatal flaw is their inherent insufficiency.

While there is no lack of high-ranking Stigmata, a nearly monopolistic void exists between the divine stature of Gods and the lower-tier demons. There is a lack of channels to connect them.

This ensures that the Superiors can always temper the lower-level Sublimators. However, this temporary convenience cannot compensate for such a significant defect: the absence of strong individuals capable of standing alone.

History saw proclamations of 'God-Buddha Integration,' which brought in many foreign miracles and referenced numerous texts from the Dongxia Genealogy and India Genealogy. Yet, apart from the royal family and the hidden powers of various Court Officials, few paths of Sublimation could be accessed from the bottom up.

Perhaps influenced by the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy's legacy, Yingzhou pioneered transformations and corrections within its own Phylogeny by overhauling the framework. While this process created many aberrations and corrupt beings, the end result clearly justified the immense sacrifice.

The true essence of the Transformed Creature Genealogy was extracted, forming several complete paths of Sublimation collectively referred to as 'Ability.'

From the day this power was created, it was controlled by 'Seat,' a secretive organization under the direct authority of the court and supervised by successive Law Emperors.

Through constant selection of talent and numerous attempts, the organization of Sublimators representing Yingzhou to the outside world, Deer's Sing Hall, eventually took shape. While other Stigmata might fall into the hands of outsiders, the 'Ability System' Stigmata are still firmly held by the Tianjin System—represented by the Court Officials—who rely on it as a weapon to counter the Wu Family faction.

Well, it would have been even better if a certain Wild Samurai currently loafing about at the Social Security Bureau would commit suicide…

And now, what appeared on 'Gu Yue'—no, on the Yingzhou Sublimator—was a secret advanced manifestation from the Ability System: a bizarre Stigma known as 'Weak Magician.'

In the original tales, the true form of the Weak Magician was nothing more than a pitiful, helpless child who drowned on the road after running away from home.

Now, after being reconstructed from many Stigmata, he had undergone a radical transformation and obtained an Ability named 'Zhenzi.'

Like wearing a new skin, he could perfectly disguise himself as any Sublimator below the Third Stage whom he personally slew. All aspects, from personality and mannerisms to short-term memory, would be intact, and even the weakened powers of their Stigma could be retained.

As long as he did not engage in intense combat, no one could see any flaws.

It was precisely with this unique property that he was able to infiltrate the Social Security Bureau, altering his appearance step by step and accessing core secrets.

"Apart from the undercover agents, there are fourteen Sublimators, all Third Stage. Records of their Stigmata are in my pocket," he gasped intensely. "The rest have all gone to the Central District... They've quickened their pace. If not stopped soon, Xiematai will completely fall into the hands of the Social Security Bureau."

"Where did they get the power?" the middle-aged man frowned. "The rookie competition is limited to the Third Stage. Third Stage Sublimators cannot possibly breach the Central District's core blockade. At best, they can only leverage the rookie contest for an advantage, not seize full control."

"I don't know, but they have a trump card, located on the lowest level of the Mitsukoshi Great Building." The Weak Magician shook his head. "For a long time, they have been preparing a Border Relic inside; it seems they are remelting and reassembling it. The three Scholars who entered have not come out since. I prepared for several days. The moment I showed the slightest intention of prying, I was suspected. According to speculation, it probably won't be long before that Border Relic is completely assembled. By then, we will most likely have no chance to stop the Dongxia Genealogy."

These past few days, he could feel terrifying Source Fluctuation emanating from underground every day. Yet this immense power was firmly suppressed within by Ye Xueya's Legion, without the slightest leak.

He didn't know what that thing was, but it undoubtedly possessed the power to determine victory or defeat. It must be seized or simply destroyed...

"We must hasten our pace." The middle-aged man's expression turned ugly as the Shan Lao mask emerged on his face. Turning to look at the person beside him, he asked, "Is there any news from the Kunlun Eight Immortals?"

His subordinate shook his head. "The Joyful Framework's seal is difficult to breach for the time being. Communication from the outside world has been intermittent, but last time he said he was ready, as long as..."

Before he could finish, his expression froze. A mask involuntarily surfaced, its ferocious Yaksha phantom face constantly changing, actually cracking.

Right behind him, an invisible vortex of intertwined cloud-like energies slowly spread out. It instantly and faintly opened a crack in the Joyful Framework's sealing rules, but this crack was too narrow, allowing only a wisp of Source Substance to pass through.

Shan Lao was overjoyed. He looked at his subordinate beside him and waved his hand. Immediately, two men threw themselves into the vortex, becoming part of it. Thunder burst forth, and the vortex expanded.

A volume of Source Substance that could already be called oceanic emerged from the vortex. It cascaded like a waterfall from the sky, pouring into the Yaksha's face and causing the Sublimator to kneel and roar, unable to withstand the enormous power.

Until a bright light flashed through the vortex, and a thread of thunder entered his body.

The Yaksha suddenly exploded into a cloud of blood mist.

Immediately after, the blood mist contracted, reforming into a blurred figure of flesh and blood.

As the vortex gradually dissipated, the kneeling figure lifted its face. Pitch-black wings on its back slowly spread out, shaking off the blood.

"Lord Shizhou!" All present Sublimators knelt to greet him.

In just a few seconds, with the force from outside the vortex pouring in and using the Yaksha's Stigma as a coordinate, a powerful being from 'Seat' broke through the Joyful Framework's seal and descended into this ancient city.

A pair of wooden clogs stepped onto the rooftop, and a pure white ascetic robe fluttered in the wind.

The newcomer lifted a mask resembling a Flying Bird. His voice was deep as he spoke words that made those present ecstatic, "I have now abandoned my former surname. Just call me Tianshi'ao."

The support was far more extravagant than anticipated.

The Yingzhou Phylogeny, sparing no expense, had actually sent a fully-fledged Fourth Stage Sublimator into Xiematai.

The one who had come here was no longer the Third Stage Yaksha Shizhou, but a Fourth Stage Sublimator, a legend walking among mortals—the Crow Tengu!

Under the gaze of those eyes, the illusion and reality of the entire city were instantly penetrated. Sensing an aura not far away, the Sublimator who called himself 'Tianshi'ao' raised an eyebrow.

Ye Xueya?

He murmured in contemplation, No wonder the Left Minister is so anxious; that woman is indeed no easy opponent... Just right, let me vent this frustration!

As a Sublimator also active along the Border, Yaksha Shizhou had once garnered great renown and boasted numerous victories, yet he was always overshadowed by that vixen Ye Xueya.

For years, not a day had passed when he didn't think of avenging his past humiliation. And ironically, he, the one who had been suppressed, was the first to break through, fusing his Soul and Stigma to become the Crow Tengu.

Meanwhile, Ye Xueya, due to the incompatibility between her Soul and Stigma, had always struggled to advance. She possessed an accumulation hailed as the foremost in the Dongxia Genealogy, yet remained stuck at the final step...

Between the Third Stage and Fourth Stage, there was only a difference of one number.

But wasn't the qualitative difference between 'Ether' and 'Star Antimony' as vast as that between clouds and mud?

The disparity was immeasurable.

However, upon seeing his opponent was Ye Xueya, Tianshi'ao still focused his entire being. After all, she was his former adversary. Moreover, legends on the Border told that woman reportedly had a record of a Third Stage defeating a Fourth Stage!

Even if it was just a legend without any foundation, it still proved Ye Xueya's ferocity. Otherwise, how could she have been acclaimed as the leading figure of the Dongxia Genealogy's new generation?

He had to give it his all; he had to resolve this quickly.

Not just for victory, but also as a mark of respect for this formidable former opponent.

From his hand, a crimson Great Bow slowly materialized. The moment it appeared, everyone present felt a sting in their eyes, awed by the pure Divine Nature coursing through it, unable to stand steady.

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