The Ancient Gods' Whisper

Gu Jianlin couldn't tell what kind of emotions he was feeling as he pushed open that door.

The dilapidated room had unpainted walls, where red bricks and the mud wedged between them lay bare. Evidently, no one had entered in a long time, and as the air began to circulate, dust surged toward him.

Inside the room, there was only a worn-out wooden desk, a ballpoint pen, and scattered documents.

Beyond that, there was a world map with black circles drawn on it pinned to the wall, along with a chair with broken legs.

Gu Jianlin reached out and ran his hand over the coarse surface of the desk, gathering a good amount of dust on his fingertips.

Those circled places on the map might be the locations that man had once visited.

His footsteps stretched across the globe, even to some unfamiliar and obscure small countries that Gu Jianlin had never even heard of.

He then shifted his gaze to the scattered documents on the desk—only three sheets in total, all covered in dust.

The handwriting was undeniably ugly, fitting the man's style, so sloppy that the average person might struggle to decipher it.

"July 13th, the corpse at the Kunlun Hell Gate was confirmed to belong to one of the three major pillars of the Ether Association, codenamed Light. The suspected culprit… is a Supreme! The Ether Association's power structure is about to change; Rhein has become the new pillar, overseeing the East."

"I know that from now on, life for all Fallen across the world is going to get tougher. Although Fallen, once polluted, exhibit extreme aggression and bloodthirsty brutality, some of them—even after falling—have never done anything truly malevolent. Like Brother Mu, who'd rather take Heavenly Born Grass than harm others…"

"I think I must do something for them, at least try to find a way for them to survive. This might completely ruin my prospects, but Brother Mu brought me into the Night Watchers back then—he's my benefactor. A man must not forget his debts."

"Brother Mu's daughter, Wanwan, is so adorable. It reminds me that I haven't seen my son in ages, and I miss him. Even though I know when I go back, all I'll be greeted with is his poker face, and he might even scold me—but still, I miss him dearly."

"But I can't go back. The logic of the curse still eludes me; there's just one last thread I haven't figured out. If simply not becoming an Ascender could circumvent the curse, then I must avoid appearing before him as much as possible."

"It's such a shame—over the years, I've journeyed far and wide, collecting many treasures. But no matter; even if I can't send them to him directly, I can leave them with someone else. If one day I am no longer around, they can protect him for me. That kid would never guess what I've left for him, hahaha."

"Knowing his personality, he probably wouldn't need anyone's protection. I still remember when he was bullied back in elementary school, and I rushed in a rage to avenge him, only to learn the next day that the kids who picked on him had been ambushed in an alley. Haha, I was truly amazed by that little schemer!"

"Oh, I seem to have strayed from the topic while writing. Old habits from my days as an author—always padding the narrative without realizing it. I must really be getting on in years, increasingly nostalgic for my son and my ex-wife."

"Back to the point, my investigation has finally confirmed what we've been suspecting all along."

"The Ancient God Clan is a unique race originating from Deep Space within the universe. The Ancient Gods we Night Watchers have encountered thus far are merely ancestor-level beings. Above them are the primordial-level Ancient Gods. And beyond that, the Supremes. They reign supreme!"

"We've consistently underestimated the abilities of the Ancient Gods. At least when it comes to the Supremes, their power far exceeds what we previously imagined. They're seeking refuge only because their original worlds have been annihilated—leaving them no choice but to search for new habitats."

"Each Supreme likely possesses the capability to devour entire planets. If any of them were to regain their full strength, humanity's resistance would be utterly meaningless. Not even Catastrophe-level Ascenders could stand against such power."

"Light seemingly met his end at the hands of a Supreme. His corpse was fragmented into countless tiny pieces; my apprentice and I spent seven full days and nights putting him back together. Based on my profile, at the moment of Light's death, the time-space he occupied shattered completely. This is the Authority of the Candle Dragon Venerable—the Ghost Slayer Path stems from Him."

"The bad news is that, within the human world, there's currently one Supreme still alive."

"The good news, however, is that the human world doesn't contain the type of energy the Ancient God Clan requires. Consequently, they cannot unleash their full power within our reality, nor can they materialize their true forms."

"Humanity isn't without hope, because even a Supreme cannot exert their full strength here on Earth."

The first document ended abruptly—it was likely a discarded draft.

To formally report to his superiors, he wouldn't include so much redundant detail.

For Gu Jianlin, though, the sheer amount of information here was overwhelming.

In the world of Ancient Gods, there are three hierarchical levels:

Ancestor, Primordial, and Supreme.

And the Supremes possess unparalleled power, capable of devouring planets!

Only now did Gu Jianlin grasp the nature of the power he had acquired.

Of course, due to the suppression by another Supreme, the Qilin Power inside him was severely weakened.

It would take a long time to fully develop.

But its upper limit was indisputable.

After all, the Candle Dragon Venerable was capable of slaying a pillar of the Ether Association.

If his assumptions were correct, the three major pillars of the Ether Association must represent humanity's strongest individuals.