The Ancient Gods' Whisper

At 7:30 in the evening, the hospital room was brightly lit.

Gu Jianlin leaned against the headboard of the hospital bed, took a sip of cola, and looked down at his phone.

On the official interface of the Deep Space Network, a maid in black lace holding a broom appeared once again. With her usual gentle and sweet smile, she spoke in a seductive voice: "Official confirmation from the Ether Association: You have successfully hunted a Second Rank Fallen, codename Joker. Assessment task officially completed. Your personal information is being updated. Please wait a moment."

With a ding, the information was updated.

Gu Jianlin's personal profile popped up.

"Name: Gu Jianlin."

"Gender: Male."

"Blood type: O."

"Date of Birth: August 13, 20xx."

"Talent Category: Self-Ascender."

"Inheritance Path: Divine."

"Rank: Zero-tier."

"Merit: 3100."

"Position: D-Level Investigator."

At this point, he finally felt relieved.

Gu Jianlin was well aware that because his father had been branded as a Fallen, he might be targeted by certain people within the Ether Association.

At least for this assessment task, someone had deliberately made things difficult for him.

Normally, a rookie wouldn't be assigned to such a mission.

But it didn't matter.

Danger often meant opportunity.

With the shadow of a cursed death looming over him and his father's mysteries to unravel, he had to grow stronger quickly.

When the chance came, he would take down those petty schemers.

"Although your injuries have already been healed by the Priests, it's still safer to take a glucose injection. Don't worry about school; we've already applied for leave on your behalf."

Chen Qing inserted the needle into the back of his hand, carefully sticking down the tape. She hesitated for a second and said, "Why does this scene feel so familiar? The last time I treated your injuries was... the last time."

The cold and elegant older sister revealed a helpless expression.

Gu Jianlin felt a bit awkward. Ever since he stepped into the Transcendent world, getting injured had become a routine occurrence.

Chen Qing said softly, "You know, sometimes you really don't need to push yourself so hard. I heard you were the one who tracked down Joker. And before the operation team arrived, you were already tangled in a fight with him for a long time. That's very dangerous."

Gu Jianlin replied calmly, "I just don't want to entrust my own and my family's safety to others. Besides, wasn't there a reward for taking Joker down personally? I need that."

Moreover, facts had proven that the operation team members were completely unreliable.

Even though the Ether Association undoubtedly had contingency plans in place, he wanted to finish the target himself.

After all, Joker dying by his own hands was the best outcome.

Gu Jianlin looked down at his right hand.

Silver-white chains coiled around his wrist, a black bell hanging from the end.

The Lock of Nonexistence, the Soul Comforting Bell.

Two Mythical Weapons.

One was stolen, and the other was also stolen.

He felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

According to the Deep Space Network's data, every Mythical Weapon had passive effects.

The Lock of Nonexistence's passive ability allowed it to mask the Transcendent traits of anything or anyone it came into contact with.

The Soul Comforting Bell's passive ability provided early warnings in response to mental perception or attacks.

As soon as his spirituality connected with the two Mythical Weapons, he intuitively understood their functions as their wielder.

The Lock of Nonexistence required no explanation.

As long as Gu Jianlin wished, to others' mental perception, he would appear as an ordinary person with no Transcendent traits.

His two Mythical Weapons could be seen by others, but in their eyes, they were just ordinary objects.

The Soul Comforting Bell, on the other hand, offered an effective deterrent against many assassination methods.

"But you don't seem like the kind of person who's purely driven by personal gain."

Chen Qing remarked casually, "I assume it's because of your father, right?"

Gu Jianlin froze. "That obvious?"

"Not entirely. Other than being less cheerful than your father, you're quite similar to him in many ways."

Chen Qing gave him a deep look. "Seeing you push yourself so hard reminds me of how he was back when he was trying to break the family curse. Every time I saw him during those years, he was always battered, bruised, and on the brink of death."

Gu Jianlin's heart stirred. "When was that?"

Chen Qing thought for a moment. "Probably before the divorce."

Gu Jianlin seemed to understand the reasons behind his parents' divorce back then.

Although the exact mechanics of the Gu Family curse remained unknown, under such hopeless circumstances, divorce seemed like the logical choice.

And it wasn't a fake divorce—it was a genuine separation. Perhaps his father had intended to use this method to shield his mother from the curse.

"Did you find the answers you were looking for from Joker?"

Chen Qing asked, "Don't be swayed by Joker's words. No matter what he said, we don't believe Professor Gu would ever do such a thing. He's a Sixth Rank Heavenly Master and has even fought an Ancient God Clan head-on—he wouldn't be easily corrupted."

Gu Jianlin thought for a moment. "Got it. Thanks."

As for Joker's matter, he had the Soul Comforting Bell in his possession, so he could interrogate it anytime.

"Good."

Chen Qing's usually aloof expression softened slightly, a hint of meaningfulness in her gaze. "As a Zero-tier Divine and D-level investigator, you're actually quite wealthy now. Not only do you have over 3,000 merit points to exchange for countless resources, but those two Mythical Weapons are also your spoils of war."