The Ancient Gods' Whisper

The shattered world reassembled, the fractured rifts silently melding together as the crimson glow faded away.

Gu Jianlin once again traversed back into the dark, eerie Ancient Tomb, the cold desolation engulfing him.

When his consciousness returned from a brief daze, he suddenly realized he was lying once more in that golden coffin, wrapped in deathly pale mummy cloth and bound by chains as dark as dragon bones, resembling a devil trapped in a prison.

Having experienced this once before, he was already accustomed to it.

What truly shocked him, though, was that he underwent Ancient God Transformation again!

Grotesque qilin horns, fearsome bone spurs, black dragon scales covering his entire body, and chillingly sharp claws.

However, this time, the transformation seemed to be mere appearance only.

It had only given him the physical form of a Qilin, but the tearing sensation inside his body persisted.

Nor did he feel that divine fury-like power surging throughout him.

Ever since his transformation in the school cafeteria last time, Gu Jianlin remained in a cooling phase.

During this period, he couldn't use any Extraordinary Abilities, as he lacked spirituality.

Unexpectedly, after entering the Qilin Immortal Palace, he had so effortlessly transformed again.

This time, he hadn't even lost consciousness, nor did he feel the pain of evolution.

"Wait a moment."

Gu Jianlin suddenly became aware, instinctively getting up, causing the chains binding him to clink loudly.

Even though his Ancient God-transformed body was still very fragile, he could clearly perceive the chaotic, void-like aura of life saturating the darkness. It was as vast and profound as the ocean, yet as hazy and diffusive as fog.

Compared to the life force within the Joker, it bore some resemblance, but the distinction was worlds apart!

If the former was merely a drop in the ocean,

then the latter was like a tsunami capable of engulfing worlds.

In both quality and quantity, the disparity was as stark as fireflies versus the full moon—unimaginable.

This chaotic, void-like aura permeated the tomb like oxygen, ever-present and omnipresent.

"No wonder. So it was the difference in the rules. In the real world, I needed to rely on the warped life force within the Fallen to complete the transformation. Yet here in the Qilin Immortal Palace, it's unnecessary because it's everywhere!"

Gu Jianlin finally understood. If he wasn't mistaken, transforming in the Qilin Immortal Palace carried no side effects.

Even if he expended all his strength, at most, he'd merely deplete his spirituality.

Unlike in the real world, where the transformation would only last for a few seconds before utterly incapacitating him.

At the same time, as he bathed in this aura, he could even feel the aftereffects of his previous transformation fading!

The recovery speed here was at least ten times that of the real world!

"This means the next time I transform, I could accelerate the cooldown while in the Qilin Immortal Palace..."

This discovery genuinely delighted him.

From now on, each time he entered the Qilin Immortal Palace, Gu Jianlin wouldn't be caught off guard like before.

He'd have a trump card in hand.

As long as his spirituality was sufficient, he could still unleash that strange syllable to annihilate his enemies with a roar.

The weakness caused by using that alien syllable last time was simply because his inner spirituality reserves were too low. After all, he had only just awakened, without even having chosen an Inheritance Path!

Of course, this time, enemies were unlikely to be present.

The five-person group in this tomb had a greater purpose.

After all, within Gu Jianlin, there was already a drop of Ancient God's Blood.

This drop alone could serve as a bargaining chip.

With a heavy rumbling sound, the tomb door opened once again, projecting the silhouettes of five people.

"The Ancient Supreme."

The mentor knelt on the ground, respectfully saying, "Thank you for your audience."

His four students imitated him, kneeling with reverent sincerity: "Thank you for your audience."

The five were exceedingly cautious, their voices altered, their entire beings shrouded in hooded cloaks.

This time, however, Gu Jianlin was no longer the fledgling newbie who had just stepped into the world of Transcendence.

As a Zero-tier Divine, he possessed a passive ability: Life Perception!

In the world unique to his perception, the rhythms of life were extraordinarily vivid.

The mentor's life rhythm sounded as if someone was playing a decaying erhu, coaxing out sorrowful tunes that occasionally broke into the sharp sound of snapping strings—a desperate struggle for survival from someone nearing death.

The corruption level was intensely severe.

Next came the Butcher and the Scholar—both their conditions were similarly poor. The former echoed like the muffled groan of something about to explode, while the latter was akin to nails scraping against a blackboard, producing an ear-piercing screech.

Among the group's two women, the Sea Demon's corruption level was relatively low. Her life rhythm resembled the gentle flow of a mountain stream, albeit tinged with a faintly muddy, chaotic quality.

Finally, there was the Moon Princess.

Gu Jianlin discreetly shifted his gaze to her, attempting to listen to her life rhythm, but heard nothing at all.

He was momentarily stunned, as this was the first time he encountered such a phenomenon. With the rhythms of the other four excluded, what remained in the tomb was utter silence, devoid of any sound.

The Fallen known as the Moon Princess exhibited no discernible life fluctuations.

"Ever since becoming an Ascender, my Life Perception has never failed, even with the grocery store's master-disciple pair, whose hollow resonance I could feel—unless they were dead."

Gu Jianlin was startled, as the kneeling girl before him clearly displayed breathing and a heartbeat.

She was alive, not a corpse.

This was truly bizarre.

Gu Jianlin withdrew his gaze discreetly, towering over them as he looked down, gaining some understanding in his heart.

Among the five, the mentor was the most severely corrupted, his life rhythm chaotic beyond measure, as though sustained by drugs. Without them, he would have likely already lost his sanity or undergone deformation.

Then there were the Butcher and the Scholar, both teetering on the edge of breakdown.

The Sea Demon, while still affected, seemed comparatively safer with a low corruption level.

As for the Moon Princess, she was the most enigmatic of all.

Gu Jianlin speculated that she might have employed some method to completely conceal her life rhythm.

Interesting.

"I summoned you not to have you kneeling here."

Gu Jianlin remained composed, speaking with cool indifference, "Stand and speak."

In the silence, the mentor gestured subtly for his four students to rise alongside him, and respectfully replied, "Understood."

He kept his head lowered, sneaking glances at the distant golden coffin—the sacred resting place of the god.

To humans, Ancient Gods were forbidden, devil-like beings.

Throughout history, countless princes and generals had lost themselves to the lure of evolution and power, meeting tragic ends.

The mentor was well aware of the dangers of bargaining with devils, but he had no path of retreat left.

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, knowing this was his final chance and determined to seize it.

Still, the Ancient Supreme's mannerisms were becoming increasingly human-like.

This only deepened their fear.

If he entered the Human World, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"The duration of this traversal is relatively generous; there's still time before dimensional fluctuations occur."

The mentor respectfully said, "What I bring before you is detailed intelligence and the composition of our current world."

Gu Jianlin thought to himself, These people aren't foolish. A Supreme who had been imprisoned for two thousand years would indeed long to know about the outside world.

"Since the unification of the six states by Emperor Qin, and your legendary battle with the Candle Dragon Venerable at the East Sea, humanity has gradually gained the upper hand in the war against the Ancient God Clan.

In the present day, the Ether Association stands as the largest Ascension Alliance, led by its President—a peerless figure in human history who has lived for over four centuries. Under her guidance, humanity achieved its first-ever Golden Age."

The mentor continued, "In the Human World, there exists a power equivalent to the concept of 'catastrophes,' capable of rivalling Ancient Gods in combat strength within the real world. The Ether Association collaborates with these catastrophic forces to maintain world order and repel incursions from the Ancient God Realm."

"Buzhou Mountain, Yun Mengze, the Gate of Hell, Fusang Divine Palace, and your Qilin Immortal Palace."

He explained, "These Ancient God Realms have mostly fallen into slumber. In the past two centuries, large-scale wars have been scarce. Even the ancient ancestors who worshiped the Ancient Gods rarely appear in the real world anymore. The traces of the Ancient God Clan have grown even scarcer."

Gu Jianlin mused silently, No wonder the real world is so peaceful, with not even a hint of turmoil.

"Of course, aside from the Ether Association, there exist many other organizations across the globe; however, they either operate under the Association's banner or hold little influence. The only other significant player is the You Ying Group,"

the mentor elaborated, "The relationship between the Ether Association and You Ying Group is one of intense hostility."

Gu Jianlin remained silent.

"However, when it comes to defending against Ancient God Clan invasions, some factions within the You Ying Group can align with the Ether Association."

The mentor cautioned, "Currently, the dimensions of the Qilin Immortal Palace remain unstable, preventing humanity from entering en masse. Once the dimensions stabilize, Ascenders from around the world will rush in, seeking fortune and treasure. If an Ancient God Clan emerges within the palace, it will undoubtedly trigger the largest-scale war in two centuries."

He paused briefly, "No more than a month remains until the dimensions of the Qilin Immortal Palace fully stabilize."

Gu Jianlin felt a tingle of unease creeping down his spine.

He realized the mentor was indirectly warning him that the Ether Association was preparing to invade.

"My rank is too low to access higher-level secrets."

The mentor admitted, "But please grant me more time."

Gu Jianlin stared at him coolly. He suspected the old man knew more than he was letting on but chose to withhold it.

"Oh great Supreme, I humbly present to you the fruits of humanity's research in alchemy over the past two millennia."

The mentor bowed slightly, spreading his hands as if offering a gift, "Please accept my sacrifice."

At some point, an ancient stone altar had been erected at the tomb's entrance. From a cauldron-like vessel, streams of deep, radiant Spiritual Secret Medicine flowed, shimmering with vibrant hues.

BOOM!

The mentor snapped his fingers, and flames erupted from the cauldron, shooting skyward!

At the same time, Gu Jianlin felt an intense spiritual essence filling the tomb, thick as mist.

The Qilin deep within his consciousness opened its golden eyes.

Immersed in the abundant spiritual essence, Gu Jianlin felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

The Qilin once again devoured voraciously. The spiritual energy pervading the darkness was consumed entirely in an instant!