The Ancient Gods' Whisper

At 8:30 PM, a massive luxury cruise ship docked at the West Port Forbidden Zone.

Gu Jianlin gazed out through the car window and saw the deck teeming with social elites, each dressed impeccably in lavish attire. It resembled a grand commercial gathering—an extravagant spectacle of wealth and indulgence.

On the phone, Su Youzhu was still berating him, her cool, melodious voice cutting through like ice: "You said you'd just go out to buy me milk tea, and then you ended up stirring up chaos at East Sea International Airport? Do you even realize how dangerous that was? Why couldn't you wait until I recovered and we go together? It's not like Director Li isn't coming back."

*Cough, cough.*

Gu Jianlin, for once, felt a bit guilty and asked, "You know about that already?"

Su Youzhu said coldly, "East Sea International Airport issued a public statement saying the explosion was caused by a fire-related accident. But any Ascender knows what really happened. Also, given how long you've been gone, no wonder you didn't bring the parrot."

Gu Jianlin cleared his throat. "Okay, how's your injury?"

He wasn't great at dealing with girls and could only awkwardly steer the topic away.

"It was almost healed."

Su Youzhu replied.

Gu Jianlin uttered an "Mm," feeling relieved.

"But now I think I might die from being angry at you."

Su Youzhu's next words made his eye twitch slightly.

"I'm fine. I'm very safe."

Gu Jianlin explained, "Besides, I've already found a lead."

"Next time, don't do something so dangerous on your own. At the very least, have a reliable teammate with you."

No guessing was needed; Su Youzhu was surely pouting angrily, though adorable: "You should know, strictly speaking, I should count as your senior. In terms of precedence or ranking, you're just a baby in understanding the Extraordinary World compared to me."

"I'm capable of acting alone."

Gu Jianlin said helplessly.

Su Youzhu's personality profile was intriguing. Though young, she exuded the self-assured aura of a strong, independent woman.

Their interactions were more akin to the perspective of a nurturing dynamic.

Yes, she was raising him.

"Even so, that won't do!"

Su Youzhu commanded, "Come back soon."

Gu Jianlin thought for a moment and tried a different explanation: "Alright, I'll return as soon as I can since the next investigation indeed requires you. I discovered a secret base of the Order of the Hidden aboard the Bren Hill. It belongs to the You Ying Group, and they possess a special arcane formation that can significantly boost Ascender battle power."

Su Youzhu froze slightly and muttered, "That doesn't surprise me. After all, the You Ying Group is actually a coalition of the six most prominent families in the Dark World, formed to resist the Ether Association's monopolistic rule. This place has always been a chaotic hotspot devoid of order, excessively turbulent and free."

"As for the six directors, they're essentially just spokespersons for the six major families. And among them, the most powerful is the Si Family. With Master Si now deranged, the Si Family has sent out a particularly formidable elder, making the other directors extremely wary."

She paused. "Don't go meddling in this chaos. Just go home."

Gu Jianlin responded with an "Mm." "Got it, I'll head back now."

Su Youzhu sounded satisfied: "Then I'll go take a bath and wait for you. Tonight I'll wear my sheer nightgown for you to see?"

Gu Jianlin nearly had a stress reaction again. "Goodbye."

The call ended.

Thanks to Minister Lu's covert arrangements, their conversation wouldn't be monitored.

In the driver's seat, Tang Ling fiddled with the steering wheel. She glanced sideways at him, her expression suggestive.

She had caught the keywords.

Bath. Sheer nightgown.

"Live-in girlfriend?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Playing it this wild?"

Gu Jianlin solemnly replied, "No, she just doesn't want me to engage with the You Ying Group."

Tang Ling tapped the steering wheel lightly and stared at him. Her gaze was weighty as she said, "Actually, as your friend and teammate, I also don't want you to interact with the You Ying Group people."

Gu Jianlin frowned. "Because I'm the student of the King of Qing?"

"Look at that."

Tang Ling raised her hand and pointed at the two enormous statues on the deck.

Gu Jianlin looked up. The towering sculptures stood opposed on either side of the deck, impervious to wind and waves, like two great deities, radiating majesty and fury.

"Looks like Thousand-Handed Zhujian and Uchiha Madara."

He quipped for once.

"They do resemble them a bit. But these statues actually symbolize the King of Qing and the Red King—the strongest Guardians in human history. That is, solely based on combat power and talent."

Tang Ling said calmly, "These senior brothers competed from childhood, yet their bond was as close as blood siblings. But during the turmoil two hundred years ago, they turned on each other due to ideological differences. I only heard my teacher mention them in passing... It's complicated."

Gu Jianlin frowned. "Go on."

"My teacher said, the King of Qing thought the Red King was an idiot, and the Red King thought the King of Qing was an idiot. Their disagreement on ideology led them to part ways. The King of Qing searched the world for people with 'Ascending Heaven Posture,' though no one knows what that actually entails. On the other hand, the Red King defected to the Dark World."

Tang Ling explained seriously, "The King of Qing is your teacher, so I won't comment much on him. As for the Red King, he's the first to unify the forces of the Dark World—a title known as the First King."

"Perhaps the King of Qing has also told you how insane the Red King's ideology is. Yet, despite its madness, it's garnered significant support, and even today, there are numerous avid followers of the Red King."

She added pensively, "Among them was Netherworld from seventy-five years ago—one of the Red King's believers, who also served as Vice President of the Ether Association alongside President Taihua and Vice President Light in the era of the triad."

"Light is dead. What about Netherworld?"

Gu Jianlin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Netherworld is still alive. He is the actual power behind the You Ying Group."

Tang Ling fixed her gaze on the young man and warned seriously, "Regarding why you shouldn't interact with the Dark World—it's because the King of Qing once had another student who perished at Netherworld's hands."

Gu Jianlin was taken aback.

"In these two-hundred years, the King of Qing has found three individuals with 'Ascending Heaven Posture.'"

Tang Ling said gravely, "The first was Jing Ci. He's often referred to as the Demon and is a completely unreasonable existence. He was born as a descendant of Ancient Ancestors and regular humans, with freakishly immense talent and power. If he weren't deliberately suppressed by the King of Qing, he would already be a Ninth Rank on the Ghost Slayer Path and a Candle Yin God."

Gu Jianlin had profiled his senior for the Extraordinary World before. Compared to Ultraman, it seemed perfectly rational for him to be Ninth Rank.

"My teacher, the Silver King, once said Jing Ci could become a Catastrophe."

Tang Ling said, "But only if he weren't trapped in the past."

Gu Jianlin mulled over her words.

"The King of Qing chose Jing Ci because of his extraordinary nobility."

Tang Ling said, "As for the second student, his name was Milo. The King of Qing chose him for his tenacity. Compared to his senior, Milo wasn't particularly gifted, yet he never gave up and ultimately achieved greatness before dying at Netherworld's hands."

Gu Jianlin pondered for a moment. "So what you're saying is?"

"Every student of the King of Qing is relentlessly targeted by the followers of the Red King. The grudge from two hundred years ago persists to this day. Cause and effect intertwine with each of you. Those two statues on the deck? They serve as constant reminders to all that the ideological battle remains unresolved."

Tang Ling said quietly, "This is why I also don't advocate you involving yourself with the You Ying Group, especially now that you're gaining visibility in the field. It becomes increasingly likely that you'll become a target."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly, "I see."

"If we're investigating this case, we need to set three ground rules."

Tang Ling looked earnestly at him. "First, life is paramount. If you lose your life, everything else is meaningless. Second, if we investigate, you must follow my lead—I'm the senior."

Gu Jianlin mentally sighed—why did they all enjoy pulling rank on him?

"Third, if your true identity is exposed, in any situation, you must immediately flee."

Tang Ling said with a serious expression, "With our talents, if we ever face an undefeatable enemy, we can retreat, train for ten years, and come back to defeat them later. No need to risk dying unnecessarily."

Gu Jianlin nodded in understanding. Then, he reached into his backpack and retrieved a box.

"What's this?"

Tang Ling blinked in surprise.

"Just a little something I made."

Gu Jianlin said indifferently.

The box contained a collection of ancient tokens he had taken from the Qilin Immortal Palace.

Last night, he had experimented with infusing Ancient God's Blood into these ancient tokens. To his amazement, the process succeeded, transforming them into unique artifacts capable of linking back to him.

It seemed they might even enable spatial teleportation.

"Let's go."

Gu Jianlin said.

"Figures—men lie like ghosts."

Tang Ling remarked dryly. "You were lying to that girl just now, weren't you?"

Gu Jianlin replied with a straight face, "No. I said I'd go back soon, and I will. But I didn't specify whether I'd abandon the investigation to return or finish it quickly before heading back."

Tang Ling paused, then laughed. "Respect!"

The two of them exited the car and walked toward the Bren Hill, docked at the port.

Meanwhile, a black Lincoln was parked by the roadside nearby.

A frail old man leaned on his cane and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Hurry! Faster! You go on ahead—don't wait for me! The auction is about to begin. This time, the You Ying Group unearthed a drop of Ancient God's Blood from the Returning Burial Forest… Whatever it takes, even if it bankrupts us, we must secure that drop!"

His bodyguards stood by his side, bowing respectfully and responding affirmatively.

"What's wrong?"

Tang Ling suddenly turned her head.

Gu Jianlin wore an odd expression as he stared at the elderly figure.

He remembered something.

Back when he was fleeing from the living corpse horde in the Returning Burial Forest, he had buried a drop of Ancient God's Blood in the soil, which triggered the living burial area's corpse upheaval, summoning a massive tide of undead.

Had someone dug up that drop of blood?