For a fleeting moment, Gu Jianlin almost felt his heart stop, the veins on the back of his knife-wielding hand bulging.
Tang Ling stared at him with a look as if she'd just seen a ghost. Moments ago, she had merely thought he possessed an ethereal beauty, almost otherworldly. As a man, he bore an unparalleled, breathtaking appearance, one that could make any self-assured beauty feel completely overshadowed in his presence.
What truly sent chills down her spine was that an ancient Ancestor had actually addressed him as "Lord"!
It was like a tale straight out of a ghost story.
"You've actually succeeded already?"
The boy's otherworldly slit pupils were filled with bewilderment, his hand, poised to crush their throats, freezing midair and trembling slightly. His voice was desolate: "Why have you become so weak? Is this the price you had to pay? If that is the case, why didn't you just use the Stairway to Immortality to reincarnate? After Xu Fu completed the array, we have been awaiting your arrival."
He paused: "Using the legacy left behind by the Qilin Venerable, the Stairway to Immortality has already been perfected for your needs."
A surge of immense dread exploded in their minds.
Tang Ling seemingly realized something, her beautiful eyes filled with horror.
Because, in the foreseen future she once described, she claimed to have seen a ladder ascending to the heavens, seemingly endless.
And with a single sentence, this Ancestor unraveled the great secret.
The so-called Penglai Ascension Array was nothing more than a prototype.
This was not something meant for human use.
Rather, it was designed for the needs of an Ancient Supreme!
The Candle Dragon Venerable!
Gu Jianlin's thoughts were like a raging storm, countless revelations crashing through his mind in that instant.
The Ancient Supremes had always been trying to break the rules of the mortal reality, and the Divine War at the East Sea over two millennia ago had hidden truths. The Candle Dragon and the Qilin—two supreme beings—had been locked in a game all along.
The Candle Dragon Venerable won, but where exactly lay their victory?
The answer was now clear.
They had been preparing a way to shatter the rules of reality.
And Xu Fu was chosen by them—an unrivaled Alchemy Master in human history.
Alchemy itself was not the focal point.
The key was that he was human!
As for why the location was chosen to be the Sea of Eternal Life, the answer was even more apparent.
This place had always served as a prison crafted by the Qilin Venerable to punish sinners.
Countless lives of the Ancient God Clan had been entombed here over the ages.
And the authority held by this Ancient Supreme happened to be—life itself!
In the beginning, the first five Supremes journeyed across the depths of the universe in search of a place to reside. At that time, open warfare had not yet broken out between them. Even when skirmishes occurred, casual visits among them weren't uncommon. Thus, it wasn't impossible that every Ancient God Realm would contain its own Sea of Eternal Life, as the Primordials and Ancestors of the Qilin Clan also wielded the authority of life.
However, the most powerful authority undoubtedly rested in the hands of that Black Supreme.
Two thousand five hundred years ago, the Qilin somehow acquired the Candle Dragon's Dragon Bone.
And drained the entire East Sea of its life, scheming for something monumental.
The Candle Dragon Venerable decisively abandoned their confrontation with humanity and descended upon the East Sea in full force to declare war.
In the aftermath of the war, the Candle Dragon seized the Qilin's achievements!
Thus, the Penglai Ascension Array was born.
The Lin Family had misunderstood something all along. The so-called human transmutation was never meant for human use.
Both were mistaken for old monsters, yet as a Primordial, Kui's reaction was entirely different compared to this boy before them!
"Kui betrayed me."
Gu Jianlin spoke with detached indifference; his voice was cold and mechanical, carrying an ethereal yet unnervingly rigid quality.
The Jiuyin in his grasp let out a faint resonance.
At that moment, profound anger and an uncontrollable sorrow flashed across Kui's eyes.
"Do you wish to punish them?"
The entity murmured softly: "Please, offer me as a sacrifice. I am willing to slumber once more, becoming your power."
How to sacrifice…
Gu Jianlin found himself genuinely clueless, even contemplating a return to the Qilin Immortal Palace to consult his good sister for guidance.
Tang Ling's gaze toward him brimmed with terror. She didn't even know who he truly was.
It was as if he were possessed by the Candle Dragon Venerable!
"No, that's not right."
The Ancestor seemed slightly disoriented, perhaps because they had just awakened. They muttered to themselves: "You aren't the Venerable. You're a man! You're an impostor—how dare you wield that blade, and how dare you wear that face? Who are you? You despicable usurper of divine semblance; you deserve to be buried at the end of time!"
Suddenly, they drove a hand through their own heart, their face contorting into an insane grimace as terrifying Dragon Scales began to sprout, their mouth grotesquely protruding, blood-stained fangs erupting hideously.
"Return!"
The Ancestor's entire skeleton cracked and shattered, as though they were both destroying and recreating themselves simultaneously!
They were actually attempting to revert to their most Original form.
No longer a human body.
But a colossal, ancient god's form!
And yet, golden light erupted from their body, scattering in every direction.
They roared in agony, powerless to halt the corrosive invasion of this force.
The Heavenly Realm suppressed this transformation!
Such was the might of the Heavenly Realm, capable of reducing an Ancient God to their weakest!
In that moment, a strange rune flickered to life on the boy's forehead, an eerie halo spreading forth.
With a thunderous boom!
The icy, snow-covered world vanished.
What replaced it was an eternal night shrouded in shadow, with only a sinister red glow piercing the darkness.
Tang Ling realized the severity of the situation the moment she saw the red light. Her gaze turned hollow, her lips trembling: "This is bad. It's consciousness invasion! This Ancestor holds a high status—such abilities are within their grasp!"
As a Princess of the Headquarters, she naturally possessed ample knowledge about the Ancient God Clan.
Gu Jianlin didn't know what "consciousness invasion" meant but sensed an overwhelming mental force erupting from the boy, rushing forth like a raging sea tide to engulf their minds.
So, that's it.
Back in the Ancient Tomb, the Pharmacist Old Thief had remarked on the formidable learning capabilities of the Ancient God Clan.
Apparently, they could directly invade consciousness, pry into memories, and comprehend one's thoughts.
He couldn't allow that to happen.
Neither his thoughts nor the girl's beside him.
Without hesitation, Gu Jianlin grasped the girl's hand, and within his mind, the Black Qilin suddenly snapped open their slit pupils!
At that instant, the Ancestor—with those sinister slit eyes—raised their hands to clutch their own head.
Gu Jianlin mimicked them, lifting his hands to the entity's head in turn.
Bloody-red slit pupils locked onto golden ones.
Boom!
A searing pain erupted in Gu Jianlin's mind as the Black Qilin roared, breaking through the darkness!
The boy's blood-red slit pupils began bleeding profusely, and he released a howl of rage, as though it were the roar of a dragon: "Who are you? You're a usurper! How can you usurp such immense power? You are so vile… No, that's not right."
They stopped mid-roar, their anger and madness giving way to sudden clarity. In a soft tone, they said: "What exactly are you? So insignificant, yet so magnificent. How could this world produce a creature as strange as you?"
Bang!
Gu Jianlin successfully invaded their mind, extracting fragments of the Ancestor's broken memories.
[Recommendation Ticket]
[Monthly Ticket]