Tang Ling let out a soft "oh," her delicate, porcelain face showing no expression: "Teacher is thinking of…"
"After all, he happens to be at the Third Rank—this is the only opportunity for him to transition."
Bai Simu said, "If he's willing to switch to the Sword Sect Path, Teacher can take him in as the final disciple."
Tang Ling's gaze was doubtful: "Even Teacher can have a change of heart."
Years ago, when Teacher took her in as a disciple, he'd said she would be his last student.
But she wouldn't mind having another junior disciple.
The boy seemed to be three years younger than her.
"If you knew how long it took him to meditate, it wouldn't seem strange."
Bai Simu said in a haunting tone, "Ten seconds."
The fingers gripping the iron rail of the balcony tightened instinctively.
"Is he worth bringing in?"
She frowned and asked.
"It's not entirely without hope, considering the King of Qing… is known to be a lunatic."
Bai Simu said, "That boy likely doesn't yet know what the King of Qing has truly done."
Tang Ling went silent for a moment, then murmured a sound of acknowledgment.
"However, we don't fully understand the boy's character yet."
Bai Simu said softly, "What did you see in his memories?"
Tang Ling didn't answer. She recalled the scene she had witnessed during synchronization.
Desolate moonlight casting shadows across the bed.
The boy sat on the edge, staring blankly out the window.
"Nothing much. I'm leaving."
Since Teacher had already confirmed matters on his end, she needed to submit the sketch to the higher-ups.
She left the apartment, brushing past diverse investigators and nano warriors, heading toward the base's office building.
However, upon reaching the first floor, she was stopped.
Councilman Zhang sat on the sofa with a stern expression, dressed in a white suit, his gaze sharp.
Nie, the Deacon, stood by his side, his face serious.
There was also a vaguely familiar member of the Omega Sequence.
A young man with blond hair and blue eyes wore a black wizard's robe and held a crystal ball in his hand.
Omega Sequence, codename: Nightmare, ranked twelfth.
Behind him stood three Guardians, all Spirit Medium Path users.
Among them was Li Yijie, the investigator who was toyed with the substitute poison during the Yan family's cleanup mission.
"Something you need?"
Tang Ling said expressionlessly.
Councilman Zhang raised his head, fixing her with a cold gaze: "Thunder, I'm here for one reason only—to inform you. The divination group's results are out. As you mentioned, it is indeed dangerous, but not dangerous to the extent that death is guaranteed. If you're willing to participate, we will do everything possible to ensure your safety."
"Including the demands you raised; after deliberation, we've agreed to compromise."
He said, "You'll be given access to the strategy and the Destiny Mud Tablet, but the condition is you must be alone."
Nie, the Deacon, added, "Don't get too close to Gu Jianlin. It will only hinder your future. You need to understand, his father was the orchestrator of the Blood Moon Slaughter Incident. To this day, we don't know what secrets he carries. Moreover, with the King of Qing's protection, our hands are tied in investigating further. And, as a descendant of the Sword Tomb, you should know what kind of person the King of Qing is and the dangerous ideologies he might instill in him."
To put it simply, countless buffs had already stacked on that boy.
A loud *snap* echoed.
A painting unfolded before them—a canvas smeared with red paint.
Red mist, indistinct shadows, and an elusive gaze.
Tang Ling recognized it—it was the same blood mist she had once seen in the Immortal Palace.
"The divination results are in."
Nightmare smiled. "According to Taixu's assessment, the mission indeed reaches S-rank danger levels, but it's far from being beyond our capability to handle, isn't it?"
Tang Ling stared at the painting, suddenly lost in silence.
"Gu Jianlin said one thing that's quite accurate."
She replied coolly, "Trash should stick to doing what trash does best."
Her words stunned Councilman Zhang and Nie, the Deacon, with a sudden change in expression.
Nightmare froze: "What did you say?"
The Guardians behind him also showed signs of displeasure.
"Sixth Rank, Sword Sect Path, a Divine Servant from the Candle Dragon Clan."
Tang Ling slapped a copy of the sketch onto the table with a sharp tone: "This is the profile Gu Jianlin created. Tell me, does this sound like an S-rank mission? Who among you will take this person on? And with what resources do you plan to protect my safety? Anyone can draft grand promises—can you follow through? As I've said before, I have only one condition."
She added firmly: "My team must include Gu Jianlin. Without him, I won't go."
It wasn't because she particularly liked the boy.
Rather, compared to him, the people before her seemed utterly unreliable.
Alright, perhaps it was also because he was exceptionally competent.
In short, comparisons were brutal.
Councilman Zhang and Nie, the Deacon, turned their gaze toward the painting, their pupils contracting sharply for a moment.
Nightmare stared in disbelief: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! We couldn't divine anything, so how could a mere profile reveal such information? This isn't real—it's fabricated! It's nonsense!"
The Spirit Medium Path Guardians were equally shocked and furious.
After not sleeping for forty-eight hours, all their divination efforts had only yielded a vague silhouette.
Now they were told someone's profile had directly confirmed the rank and clan of the opponent.
It was an outright insult to them.
"If I were you, I wouldn't make a spectacle of myself here. It's disgraceful."
Tang Ling pointed at the person depicted in the sketch and said icily: "The person in the painting is my great-grandfather. Gu Jianlin has never seen him, let alone knows of his existence. Tell me, how could such details be forged?"
Councilman Zhang and Nie, the Deacon, looked visibly uneasy.
Because they too recognized the man in the painting.
The crucial point was—this was derived from profiling!
Gu Jianlin's profiling turned out to be terrifyingly precise?
Moonlight cold and bleak, ocean winds howling.
Taihua stood on the shoreline, gazing at the pitch-black sea in silence.
A sketch flew away in the wind, flipping midair.
"Meng Hebo, Tang Zijing… they've both become Divine Servants of the Candle Dragon Clan."
She spoke softly: "How fascinating. It seems the speculation from back then wasn't wrong. Eight years ago, the Nightmare Master defected, and someone surely aided them from the shadows. If that's the case, let's investigate further."
Chen Bojun responded respectfully, "Understood, Teacher."
He asked, "What about Xiao Tang and Xiao Gu's requests?"
Taihua chuckled coldly: "Approve them."
[ps: After much stumbling, I finally finished writing. Before entering the Immortal Palace, there are things that need to be set up, so the pacing is slow. Apologies…]