Xiahou Aotian lay down for a few minutes, then flipped over, sat up, opened the refrigerator in the living room, and took out a high-sugar drink, which he gulped down heartily.

After finishing a 600ml bottle of drink, he let out a satisfied burp, feeling dopamine rapidly being produced, his brain becoming excited and joyful, washing away the fatigue and suppression brought by the S-level dungeon.

"I'm never entering a dungeon again, not this year! Even if Yuanshi Tianzun cries, begs, and kneels, don't even think about getting me to enter a dungeon again!" Xiahou Aotian vowed secretly in his heart.

After clearing the Shu Mountain Nanyuan dungeon, he developed a psychological shadow regarding high-difficulty dungeons, but the stubbornness and pride of being the protagonist made him resolutely choose to solo the family dungeon!

"Regret, regret, regret!"

He tossed the drink bottle into the trash can a few meters away, then walked to his computer desk, pushed a half-meter-tall speaker towards the window, and pressed the power button.

From the speaker's protective grill came a deafening roar:

"I, Xiahou Aotian, have come out of seclusion!"

"Xiahou Aotian is out! He's out!"

Amidst the noise spreading throughout the Xiahou family's villa area, Xiahou Aotian picked up his phone and dialed Yuanshi Tianzun's number.

Looking at the Demon Eye Heavenly King, who had lost his fighting spirit and whose eyes were filled with unwillingness, Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly, unsure how to comfort him.

The dignified Demon Eye Heavenly King certainly didn't need comfort, but since he had invested so much effort and time in him, Zhang Yuanqing would still feel guilty upon suddenly telling him that the project was a bust.

So he said, "The situation now is that we can only take it one step at a time. The Sun dungeon really can't be opened, but since Hui Zhang asked me to act according to the plan, it means he doesn't want to give up either."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King looked gloomy: "But he didn't leave any way to enter the Sun dungeon. He doesn't know what to do either. He's just struggling because he's unwilling to give up!"

He seemed very pessimistic.

Zhang Yuanqing was just about to say a few words of encouragement when he suddenly remembered that Demon Eyes were inherently pessimistic, evil professionals, and encouragement would likely be ineffective. If he allowed this pessimistic emotion to brew and ferment, he might take advantage of the gap when the demigods entered the dungeon to cleanse the world.

With the Demon Eye's current level, if he really stirred things up, the orderly faction would lose many Sovereigns, and might even cause the death of a Peak Sovereign.

"I need to stabilize his emotions first." Zhang Yuanqing poured a glass of wine for the Demon Eye and talked about Fu Qingyang and Xiahou Aotian's recent situations, deliberately mentioning great goals and "good partners on the road," using the Illusionist's abilities to slowly guide his depressed emotions.

At this moment, his phone on the glass table rang. The caller was Xiahou Aotian.

"The protagonist is back?" Zhang Yuanqing perked up and quickly answered the phone.

To be honest, when he learned from Xiahou Patriarch that Xiahou Aotian had entered the S-level dungeon "Anshi Rebellion," he was prepared for Xiahou Aotian not to be able to make the appointment.

War-type dungeons usually took a lot of time, and it was not uncommon for people to drift around in the dungeon and lose contact. The White Tiger soldiers had such an example.

An elder once fought north and south in a dungeon for half a year, and the dungeon strategy he wrote after returning was all in classical Chinese.

Unexpectedly, the protagonist actually returned right on schedule.

As soon as he answered, an ear-piercing noise came from the speaker: "I, Xiahou Aotian, have come out of seclusion!"

"The half-month period has arrived, Yuanshi Tianzun. I have returned to reality and will help you become the Lord of the Sun and establish an immortal feat, creating a glorious enterprise." Xiahou Aotian's tone was filled with proud arrogance.

"In the future, don't call yourself a dungeon-clearing genius. If you have to brag, please add me."

What an honor it was to clear an S-level dungeon solo? It was equivalent to getting a perfect score on the civil service exam. Yuanshi Tianzun had become an official star and a world-renowned genius precisely by clearing S-level dungeons.

Xiahou Aotian felt that he could be ranked alongside Yuanshi Tianzun as one of the orderly faction's twin prides!

Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously, "Have you been promoted to Level 8?"

"That's not important. What's important is that I cleared an S-level dungeon solo." Xiahou Aotian said that he was different from Yuanshi Tianzun. The latter used A-level dungeons as leveling bases, while he would only try S-level dungeons after accumulating enough experience points and having enough props from B-level or even C-level dungeons.

His current experience points were 86%. To be promoted to Level 8, he still had to go through an A-level dungeon.

"Oh, you're not Level 8 yet? But I am Level 8."

"That's not important. What's important is that I cleared an S-level dungeon solo." Xiahou Aotian's voice was filled with gritted teeth.

"Demon Eye also cleared an S-level dungeon solo. Demon Eye is Level 9."

Xiahou Aotian suddenly wanted to enter a dungeon again. He couldn't stand this grievance.

"Prepare yourself, enter the Mo Sect Mechanical City in sixty seconds." Zhang Yuanqing said and hung up the phone.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King leaned lazily on the sofa and said indifferently, "It seems that it's a common entertainment project for your gang to beat up the arrogant Xiahou Aotian."

Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. "There's also mocking Red Rooster Bro, and watching Red Rooster Bro mock the Shame of Fire Masters, which are known as the two great joys of the Return of the Dead."

He picked up a slice of ham and threw it into his mouth, chewing as he said, "I've already lost my qualification to participate, and I'm likely to have no chance with the Lord of the Sun. But I've worked hard for so long and don't want to give up. I'll keep going until the birth of the Sun."

After speaking, he made a waving gesture with his Demon Eye and disappeared from the study.

In the woods at the foot of the Mo Sect Mechanical City dungeon, Zhang Yuanqing held a brush and painted the last stroke of the Spirit Rune formation. A golden circular array with a diameter of three meters took shape.

Golden light flashed, and even the temperature rose several degrees!

A three-legged bronze furnace was placed in the center of the array. The golden sword-colored patterns on the furnace's body perfectly matched the formation "underneath."

Zhang Yuanqing took out the Jade Bottle and asked, "Refine all three together, or one at a time?"

The handsome Xiahou Aotian raised his chin. "My alchemy is like my military strategy: the more, the merrier."

"Amazing! Amazing! As expected of the pillar of the Return of the Dead. I, the gang leader, am just a background board. You, Xiahou Aotian, are the protagonist. Hmm, is the success rate high?" Zhang Yuanqing clapped his hands.

Xiahou Aotian scoffed. "When you need me, you call me the protagonist. When you don't need me, you show off your superiority as Yuanshi Tianzun. You're even more treacherous than Yang Guozhong."

Zhang Yuanqing pretended not to hear and pulled out the Jade Bottle, pouring out three sleeping figures in black robes.

Their images were of an old man, a middle-aged man, and a young man, corresponding to "Mountains and Rivers Forever," "Surgeon," and "Shaman Wizard."

The three were sleeping peacefully, breathing evenly. Xiahou Aotian examined them for a few moments and said, "Their minds are calm, their essence, energy, and spirit are balanced. No need for medicine."

He pointed with his fingers like a sword.

"Rise!"

The lid of the alchemy furnace under his feet flew into the air. Xiahou Aotian manipulated more than a dozen auxiliary medicines, allowing them to fly into the alchemy chamber, and then sent the three Day Tour Gods into it.

During the process, the three Sovereigns' clothes automatically tore, leaving them naked.

"Clang!" The furnace lid fell, tightly sealed. Xiahou Aotian spread his palm and summoned a ball of white-cored, red-haloed flame, which he flung at the alchemy furnace.

The Samadhi True Fire flickered, condensing at the bottom of the furnace. Then, he stepped into the array, extending it to the bottom of the furnace, and the array rotated clockwise, causing the Samadhi True Fire to blaze higher.

Stimulated by the raging fire, the three Day Tour Gods in the alchemy chamber immediately woke up and frantically attacked the furnace, trying to escape.

Bang, bang, bang, the sound of violent impacts on the furnace wall came. The furnace lid was like a boiling teapot, nearly being lifted. Whenever this happened, the furnace body and the array on the ground would emit golden light, forming a seal and stabilizing the furnace.

Zhang Yuanqing, worried about safety, soared into the air and stepped on the furnace lid with one foot, preventing it from being lifted again.

"Yuanshi Tianzun has arrived! You will not die a good death! You are actually using such insidious means to advance. Ah, you are unworthy of being orderly!"

"Yuanshi Tianzun, I will kill you, kill you!"

From the alchemy furnace came the roars of the three Protectors of the Dark Rose. As experienced Spirit Realm professionals, and at the Sovereign level, they had naturally come into contact with the evil art of cannibalism practiced by ancient cultivators, and were closely associated with the Dark Rose. The Pure Yang Master was a living example.

Therefore, when they found themselves in the cramped alchemy chamber, feeling the pain of the blazing fire, they immediately guessed Yuanshi Tianzun's vicious plan.

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes narrowed, and the corners of his mouth curved upward. "There is no distinction between good and evil in the means of obtaining power. It is the people who control the power who are divided into good and evil, right and wrong. Gentlemen, what are you talking to a subjectivist like me about morality? Do you know me the second day?"

The three men's angry curses came to a halt.

Yuanshi Tianzun was a fanatic like the Demon Lord, so fanatical that he would perish together with a Peak Sovereign for a group of unrelated people.

Xiahou Aotian worked hard to operate the array, and blood-green substances appeared from time to time, which was in line with the plan.

The pointer rotated faster and faster, and the Samadhi True Fire blazed higher. The rising flames almost enveloped half of the alchemy furnace. Zhang Yuanqing's shoes and pants on the top of the furnace were instantly incinerated, and his skin suffered severe burns. He had to activate the Blazing Sun War God to withstand the flames and high temperature.

Time passed quickly, and the angry curses in the alchemy chamber grew softer and softer, eventually becoming inaudible.

After another half an hour, blood-red mist spewed out from the air holes of the furnace, accompanied by a strong, fishy fragrance.

Seeing this, Xiahou Aotian quickly extinguished the Samadhi True Fire. After waiting for the golden Spirit Rune array to fluctuate and dissolve the mental pollution in the pills, he revealed a happy expression: "It's done!"

Refining a pot of pills and refining an item were both very fulfilling things for a Scholar.

Zhang Yuanqing, unable to wait any longer, kicked open the furnace lid. He saw a layer of mud-like black and red impurities deposited in the alchemy chamber, and three egg-sized, deep golden-red blood pills were embedded in the impurities.

Rich spiritual power dissipated, containing powerful vitality and the power of the Sun.

Zhang Yuanqing carefully took out the pills one by one, storing them in a pill box.

Looking at the pills, Xiahou Aotian thought for a while and tentatively asked, "Sooner or later, the old man in the position of Patriarch will tell me, the demigods have all entered the Sun dungeon, are the Taiyin and Star Lords fighting so hard that their brains are coming out?"

He was just about to call Yuanshi Tianzun when his uncle came to him.

Xiahou Aotian chatted with the old Patriarch for a long time before contacting Yuanshi Tianzun.

Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes. "Did you ask the old man for his opinion before arbitrarily adding a long string of prefixes to the Xiahou Patriarch?"

After complaining, he tried to make the best of it. "My account hasn't been fully leveled yet, and over there they've already started playing peak matches."

Xiahou Aotian neither felt proud nor took the opportunity to mock him, but stood there silently.

"Wasn't it pretty good at the beginning!" Xiahou Aotian suddenly shrugged. "I don't have to go to dungeons anymore. I can just take a vacation, study alchemy, and if the world hasn't been destroyed by the time I come out of seclusion, that's great. If the world has already been destroyed, then I'll activate the protagonist mode and secretly level up in the apocalypse to turn the tide."

He waved goodbye to Zhang Yuanqing and withdrew from the gang's dungeon team. Zhang Yuanqing didn't leave Mo Family Mechanical City. After thinking for a few seconds, he opened his inventory and began to set up a summoning ceremony.

He wanted to summon the Three Dao Mountain Goddess to ask about the specific situation.

Since the Goddess had already entered the Sun dungeon, he would return to reality and consult with the Peak Sovereigns one by one, asking them if they had any way to enter the Sun dungeon.

He would only give up if all the Peak Sovereigns in reality gave a negative answer.

Soon, in the sky above the Zong Mechanical City, a picture of golden feathered clothes rippled, and the graceful Three Dao Mountain Goddess descended into the dungeon on golden light.

Zhang Yuanqing bowed to the ground: "Master, above!"

The Three Dao Mountain Goddess scrutinized him, her beautiful eyes revealing undisguised appreciation. "Your cultivation speed is faster than I expected. You don't need to perform such a great ceremony in the future. With your level, you can serve me."

Zhang Yuanqing insisted on bowing, saying, "A teacher for a day is a mother for life. The disciple will always be below."

Seeing a smile on the face of the Three Dao Mountain Goddess, Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "This disciple has heard that the strong from the Human Immortal realm are gathering in the Sun dungeon, and Taiyin and Star are competing for the Sun. Master, your ambition is to become a Human Immortal, why didn't you participate?"

The Three Dao Mountain Goddess revealed a trace of helplessness on her fair face: "At first, although the Sun dungeon was at its peak, it prohibited any strong below the Human Immortal realm who were not Night Tour God professionals from entering. Later, a purple light broke through the Spirit Realm, opening the Sun dungeon's ban."

"The Human Immortals in the world swarmed in. I know my own limitations. The struggle for the Human Immortal is beyond my reach."

That's right, Old Bangzi was indeed at the peak Sovereign, but against Human Immortal, she would undoubtedly die, not to mention the Human Immortal melee!

Zhang Yuanqing was not convinced: "Master, is there a way to open the Sun dungeon? You have mastered the creation, you can play guerrilla warfare and fish in troubled waters."

The Three Dao Mountain Goddess shook her head regretfully: "The Sun dungeon seems to have changed, and the ban is becoming more and more solid. Before the birth of the Lord of the Sun, no one from the outside can enter again."

Although Zhang Yuanqing had expected it, he couldn't help but feel disappointed when he heard this.

"What is the origin of that purple light?" he asked.

The Three Dao Mountain Goddess said: "It's very similar to the professional of the Jue Ming Poison Master I saw in the First District dungeon last time."

As soon as she said this, Zhang Yuanqing understood, the Demon Seed had taken action!

It was the Demon Seed, this god, who opened the ban on the Sun dungeon and sent the demigods of the evil faction into the Sun dungeon, and the orderly demigods took the opportunity to borrow the road to follow.

In other words, it was the god-level powerhouses who opened the dungeon. The Demon Seed's level was higher than that of the demigods. It didn't exist in reality, and it didn't exist in the Spirit Realm either. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head in disappointment again.

"Master, what are your plans for the future?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

The Three Dao Mountain Goddess said: "When the Lord of the Sun is born, I will leave the Spirit Realm and return to the present world, personally ending the cause and effect with my master and supporting the righteous path."

"Master is righteous!" Zhang Yuanqing bowed to the ground.