The night grew deeper.

In the parking lot, cars started one by one, their lights illuminating the dark, and drove away.

Only a red bull car remained, parked under the shadow of trees in the night.

Inside the dark cabin, Bai Mo sat quietly with his disciple Moon Belly, occasionally glancing at Su Yaoyao from the Fire Toad’s perspective, or watching the live broadcast on his phone.

"Are there no more spectators on site?"

From the Fire Toad’s viewpoint, the area around the North Suburb Base was desolate, with no vehicles on the roads. At a road junction, a barrier was set up, enforcing traffic control, prohibiting any vehicles from entering.

The already sparse residential area was lit up but deserted, with no one to be seen.

In the Puppet Arena where Su Yaoyao danced, the music still echoed through the night. However, the staff who installed and debugged the equipment were already packed into vans and left in haste.

At the lowest point, at the very center of the arena’s stage, the white-haired Su Yaoyao and the spreading, flying Peacock Red Treasure continued their dance immersed in the music, yet there were no more spectators present.

Only cameras remained, filming from distant stands, transmitting the spotlight stage to short-video live broadcasts, reaching countless mobile screens, drawing dense flurry of excitement and joyous bullet comments.

[666]

[Hahaha, so thrilling, witnessing a master ascend for the first time]

[Though it’s too far to see clearly, I can feel the beauty]

[Recorded it, I’m going to watch it every day]

...

Several kilometers away, in a towering building.

The top-floor room was in complete darkness without a single light on.

Standing by the window, one could faintly hear the music of the Puppet Arena and see the arena, the massive pit lit up by the lights.

Professor Zhang stood in front of this window.

"Such a high-profile broadcast provides enough attention, enough Immortal Qi for the Immortal Beast Peacock to succeed in its ascension."

Behind him stood Wu Qingyun, as always, with a blank expression.

"Will the Sequence Seven of the Dark Side really come?"

Professor Zhang nodded.

"They will!

"They will definitely come!

"They resent this factory to the core.

"Tonight, with Su Yaoyao’s ascension and this nation-stirring live broadcast, they will surely come!"

So, Su Yaoyao was also meant to be a timely bait tonight?

Professor Zhang grinned, his eyes flickering with a five-colored blaze.

"As long as they come, they can’t leave!

"We’ll annihilate them all in one stroke! 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"And procure another period of peace for human society!"

He turned around, looking at the dark room and the other nine sitting in the shadows.

They varied in height, build, age, and gender.

They had secretly arrived from various cities.

Like Professor Zhang, they were all part of Sequence Seven!

After Professor Zhang successfully ascended, validating the path, it was Sequence Seven’s turn to swiftly ascend through technology!

Tonight, they gathered in this unlit top-floor room, overlooking the distant Puppet Arena!

Including Professor Zhang, ten members of Sequence Seven were set to stage a "praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind" scenario!

...

The factory at the North Suburb Base did not cease operations.

The workshops were brightly lit, continuing with the subtle sounds of metal cutting and the bubbling sounds from the Medicine Furnace reaction.

The experimental building, however, was desolate.

The scholars, experts, and technical elites from the factory had long departed through reserved secret paths, unnoticed and quiet.

Only the brightly lit building was left, to deceive others.

In the Puppet Arena, with resounding music and dazzling lights, Su Yaoyao and the Red Treasure continued dancing their loneliest dance under the spotlight.

...

Several kilometers away, in a tall building, Professor Zhang’s eyes flickered with a five-colored blaze, extremely excited!

"After tonight, the Dark Side will suffer a devastating blow, our days will be much easier!"

In his mind, the Qing Lu Ancient Immortal burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent!

"Why must it be fair for my disciple to reach the end while theirs can continue onward?

"This is unfair, slaughter all their disciples for me!"

Sitting behind Professor Zhang, a giant bat with folded wings and closed eyes, its head reaching the ceiling, body filling half the room.

Beside him, an elderly man with white hair laughed out loud.

"Just give the word, Professor Zhang; I’ll instantly take everyone over!"

In the corner, a chubby little boy fiddled with a Bronze Trigram Disc, his face full of smiles.

Regardless of how the bronze sliders on the disc were manipulated, they always showed a great fortune sign!

Both of his ears had hearing aids, indicator lights flashing in the darkness. On his nose rested a pair of highly nearsighted glasses, lenses as thick as a finger.

"Everyone, don’t worry; today we’ll win, definitely win. I’ve already cast seventeen hexagrams, each indicating great fortune.

"In my opinion, the Sequence Seven from the Dark Side might just not come at all..."

Bang!

Before he could finish his sentence, a small bronze slider shot off from his disc.

Tap tap tap tap...

The sound of the bronze slider rolling on the ground was exceptionally clear.

Everyone in the room turned to him.

He too looked stiffly at the disc, at what the missing slider’s position had now formed.

"Eh?

"This... a... great misfortune?"

Professor Zhang took out his phone, looking at Su Yaoyao’s live broadcast scene.

On the stage, Su Yaoyao’s body became increasingly withered, her appearance becoming ever more aged, yet her dance movements were growing more intense, more fervent, like a leaping flame!