Studying the methods to discern the path

The woman lit a cigarette and took a drag, supporting the elbow of her smoking arm with her other hand. "What do you want to do, boss?"

The burly middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "The simplest, most direct method would naturally be to eliminate him physically. But what happened before was an internal affair of the Purity Faction. If we did something like that now, even if we succeeded, they wouldn't let it rest. So the best approach is a fair duel, with the loser withdrawing. That way, it won't turn into a struggle between the two factions."

The woman said bluntly, "Not to criticize, boss, but you're taking far too much for granted. Why would Manager Chen give you the time of day? Even if he agreed, the Purity Faction wouldn't."

The burly middle-aged man was about to speak when the Domain Field screen in front of them suddenly flickered. The woman said, "Interference again. Go out and have a look."

A security guard immediately lifted the curtain and stepped outside. A gale laden with dust and sand surged in, but upon entering the room, it seemed to strike an invisible barrier, failing to disturb anything inside.

Outside, a gigantic lizard-like creature crawled beneath them, carrying their house on its back—a towering wooden building three stories tall. All around it stood masses of red sandstone amid dust and sand swirling through the air.

They were in the Convergence Zone.

Farther away, banks of mist shimmering with multicolored light drifted toward them. Wherever they passed, solid rock shattered without warning, instantly turning into loose grains of sand that scattered across the ground.

The woman saw the seven colors reflected in the security guard's goggles, and all four of her pupils abruptly contracted. Turning toward the room, she said,