The Ancient Gods' Whisper

The Pharmacist said indifferently, "The Ancient Chronicles once recorded that someone, in pursuit of eternal evolution, sacrificed their life and soul to an Ancient God, thereby becoming a Divine Servant, forever enslaved. However, after that Ancient God fell into slumber in that forsaken world, for the next two hundred years, they never received a single command again..."

The Scholar said, "Then they were free! Because the Ancient God fell into slumber in another world!"

"Indeed, everything is in our grasp."

The Pharmacist said, "As long as we survive the baptism of the Ancient God's Blood and avoid exploding midway, we will completely escape the shadow of death and embark on the glorious... Evolution Path!"

In the Copper Cauldron, the thick blood cooled and surged silently.

"Complete the evolution as soon as possible. Fifteen minutes ago, the Sea Demon sent word that this black market has been targeted by the Ether Association. A full-scale purge is coming soon," the Pharmacist said.

"Since we've already evolved, what do we have to fear?"

The Scholar appeared dismissive.

"Foolishness! Never underestimate the Association! The depth of the forces behind them far exceeds what you can imagine."

The Pharmacist sternly warned, "Blind arrogance right after obtaining power is a grave mistake! What we need to do now is retreat, avoid confronting the Ether Association head-on. Do not cause complications at this critical moment, understand?"

The Scholar murmured, "Understood, teacher."

But his gaze lingered obsessively on the crimson blood, gulping involuntarily, his eyes filled with fascination.

It was as if he hadn't heard his teacher's words at all, utterly enraptured by the power so tantalizingly close.

·

·

For a brief moment, Gu Jianlin seemed to hear the cacophony of the entire world.

Of course, this was an exaggeration. It was primarily because his Life Perception now nearly encompassed the entire Deep Space Technology Building, where so many people were present that he couldn't even begin to count them.

Imagine being in a confined space where thousands of speakers blast different music simultaneously.

Or standing on a noisy, crowded street corner, the murmuring conversations swirling endlessly around you.

If it weren't for the fact that he was an Ascender with a mental will far beyond ordinary people, he might have fainted on the spot.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

Gu Jianlin clearly remembered that the Life Perception range for a First Order Fate was twenty-five meters.

Yet he could cover the entire building.

This clearly wasn't an error in the Ether Association's data but rather an issue with him.

"Perhaps it's due to the Qilin Venerable! The power I received from the Qilin Venerable goes far beyond just Dual Core Drive. When the Qilin's instincts guided me to choose the Divine Path, there must've been a reason."

Gu Jianlin considered a possibility: "In addition to the Ancient God Transformation, could my human form also benefit from the influence of the Qilin Venerable's power, gaining advantages in advancing along the Divine Path?"

He also pondered if his other abilities had undergone any changes.

At that moment, within his sphere of Life Perception, he suddenly detected two immense rhythms.

These were not within the building but rather far away.

The life rhythms were eerily familiar, rough and primal, like the roar of a wild beast—majestic, deep, and resonant.

Gu Jianlin was stunned and quickly turned to look into the distance, suddenly realizing that these life rhythms were identical to the Ancient God's Blood he had recently given away.

Wait!

He suddenly understood.

Among the five individuals in the Ancient Tomb, someone had consumed the Ancient God's Blood!

"The Ancient God's Blood was something I created during my Ancient God Transformation. Its purpose was to aid them in achieving true evolution—what they referred to as becoming a... Divine Servant!"

Pausing to reflect, Gu Jianlin worked through the implications and murmured to himself, "The Ancient God uses the Ancient God's Blood to help people evolve, transforming them into Divine Servants, guardians seated at the feet of the Gods."

Currently, two out of the five individuals had already consumed the Ancient God's Blood.

Gu Jianlin sensed this connection despite the distance separating them.

How interesting—the distance was vast yet still within Peak City.

"I didn't expect you to be that close to me."

Gu Jianlin's gaze flickered. Things were growing increasingly intriguing.

Meanwhile, both Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing's phones buzzed with alerts from the Deep Space Network.

"The Collective Hunting Operation—Immortal Palace Plan has officially commenced!"

"Captains and Deputy Captains are requested to report to the central control room to receive mission details."

Gu Jianlin's phone also repeated Taixu's announcement.

"Dear Investigator of D-Rank, Gu Jianlin, your team has been assigned to this large-scale hunting mission. Please ready your equipment and supplies and promptly assemble in the front lobby of the Deep Space Technology Building."

Lu Zicheng stood up, patting Gu Jianlin's shoulder. "I'm heading out. Will you be alright?"

Chen Qing also got up, grabbing her handbag, and shot him a concerned glance.

Gu Jianlin said calmly, "Don't worry, I'll manage."

·

·

The lobby was a spacious conference hall, likely used for meetings on ordinary days.

Scattered across the seats were investigators, a total of fifteen individuals.

None of them were captains, only team members.

Aside from the captains and deputy captains, most squads operated in groups of three.

"Word is this mission focuses on purging the Fallen across all of Peak City."

"The Association rarely mobilizes on such a large scale—probably because of the imminent opening of the Qilin Immortal Palace, right?"

"Definitely. My father told me to perform well this time. I goofed up hunting the Joker last time, got torn into at home, and almost got grounded."

"That's nothing. When I got out of the hospital, my grandpa gave me not one but two resounding slaps."

The investigators chattered in hushed tones.

"Wait, isn't this supposed to involve seven squads? Why are there only fifteen people here?"

"Did you forget? Thunder always works solo. There's no captain, no deputy, no teammates. She's the strongest among the Third Rank—she can even rival the Fourth Rank. She counts as an entire squad by herself."

"Still, the numbers don't add up. Isn't one person missing?"

When the topic came up, those involved in the Joker incident fell silent.

The Joker incident was an unshakable disgrace for the operation team back then.

Although the Death Spirit Gu was to blame, it remained an undeniable failure.

They had been annihilated until a Zero-tier rookie miraculously turned the tide and survived.

Cheng Youyu scratched his head awkwardly when it was brought up.

Nie Xiangsi, meanwhile, lowered her head, poring over a photograph of ruins, her lively eyes filled with curiosity.

From time to time, she glanced up, looking for a familiar face but didn't see it.

"If I were in your shoes and suffered such a humiliating defeat, I might've swallowed a bullet by now."

Seated, a young man in a white suit with a stern, cold demeanor spoke with indifference.

Beside him were a man and a woman, evidently his teammates.

"You survived thanks to the son of a Fallen. Where's your dignity?"

The youth in the white suit remarked frostily, "If I recall correctly, his father didn't kill himself after Falling but instead succumbed to desire, ruining years of the Association's plans and projects."

He sneered, "Those comrades of yours who Fell—who's to say it wasn't tied to him? And thinking back, that person's ability to kill the Joker? Likely something left by his father."

No one spoke; the topic was simply too sensitive.

At that moment, the doors to the conference hall swung open.

A black-haired boy walked in expressionlessly. He wore a black shirt with rolled-up sleeves, gray tailored trousers, and white sneakers. He had no accessories, his look neat and clean.

His presence caused a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.

"Look, that's him, D-tier Investigator, Gu Jianlin."

"Wait, he's the bait you used during an all-hands-down fiasco to single-handedly kill the Joker?"

"That's right, it's him..."