Cold fog enveloped Balensa City as fierce winds howled through its streets.
A massive military helicopter hovered in mid-air. Chen Bojun, wrapped in a heavy military uniform, swept his sharp Eagle Eye across the surroundings. In his hands, he gripped an enormous bow seemingly formed entirely of flowing water, which emitted a furious roar.
This seasoned veteran of Holy Land Level strength had personally mobilized, surveying the area.
The Judgement Court had dispatched three Saints simultaneously, meticulously scanning the area for any potential risks.
The cause? It had been confirmed that an Ancient Ancestor had appeared, prompting the arrival of an Eighth Rank Divine General who had been urgently sent from Dawn City to Balensa City to prevent any unexpected incidents.
This Divine General's codename was Xuan Shui. Upon arriving in this frozen city, he immediately deduced the corresponding Authority and forecasted that this cold fog would continue to drop in temperature. No one knew how low it might go, but it would certainly render the area uninhabitable for humans. Even the physical resilience of an Ascender wouldn't suffice to endure it.
The cabin of a transport aircraft had been temporarily converted into both a medical ward and a meeting room.
The Profound Yin Saint listened to admonishments from his superior, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain: "Yes, Lord Rhein, I understand. This was my oversight; I will do my utmost to rectify it and ensure I do not burden you further."
Around him, alchemical holographic projections flickered to life, showing several high-ranking members of the Ether Association watching on.
The crowd silently observed him.
Even the Saints present were quiet, let alone the Omegas seated nearby.
"We should've listened to Gu Jianlin."
Nightmare—who had participated in the rescue mission in the Returning Burial Forest—stated plainly. Despite being trained under the Judgement Court Faction, he had to admit that the young man was reliable: "A student of the King of Qing, how could his perspectives not be taken seriously? I have reminded you all time and again—even though I couldn't divine the outcome, his insights must be heeded!"
He, too, was gravely injured, his complexion pale: "And now, look what's happened!"
Dawn casually released a beam of Holy Light, speaking wearily: "Calm down. Now is not the time for mutual blame. The priority is to tally up the number of injured and to address…"
Poison Master added, "The Third Squad is almost entirely missing—only one person made it back."
Li Hanting, with a sword box strapped to his back, turned to the pale-faced man lying on the stretcher and asked calmly, "Zhou Yiming, what exactly happened? Why is the You Ying Group relentlessly targeting you? What did you encounter in Balensa City? And why did Gu Jianlin suddenly warn us not to approach?"
The pressure on him was immense.
Because of this matter, he would also bear collateral responsibility.
Especially since the Third Squad included several members of significant importance.
Zhou Yiming lay on the stretcher, struggling to open his eyes, forcing himself upright.
He didn't look at anyone else; his gaze landed instead on the young girl in the farthest corner.
Tang Ling, carrying a massive guitar case on her back, crossed her arms and met his gaze coldly: "Why are you looking at me?"
"Gu Jianlin was right."
With an expression of deep regret, Zhou Yiming murmured, "It's all my fault. We should've listened to him. I never expected things would actually go wrong. Throughout this journey, his every judgment was saving our lives while we kept doubting him. The You Ying Group sent their Twilight Candidates to hunt us, forcing us to retreat into Balensa City."
"Gu Jianlin sensed the abnormality here ahead of time through some method—even detecting a ritual being performed by the Ancient God Clan to awaken the dead Ancient God Seeds to attack us."
He emphasized, "And the You Ying Group's Twilight Candidates had methods to evade the attacks of the Ancient God Seeds."
Upon hearing this, the Profound Yin Saint felt his face burn with humiliation.
The Omegas, led by Li Hanting, remained silent.
No matter how unwilling they were to admit it, the King of Qing's student undeniably had exceptional skills.
While the rest of the Eastern Combat Sequence remained oblivious, he had already foreseen the danger.
"To cover for us, Gu Jianlin single-handedly drew away four Fifth Rank Twilight Candidates, endured a brutal battle, killed them all, and prevented the Ancient God Seeds from initiating a riot." Zhou Yiming spoke softly.
Everyone was stunned by what they heard.
Alone, he had killed four Twilight Candidates!
Keep in mind—Twilight Candidates were of the same tier as the top echelon Omegas!
Li Hanting challenged, "Unless the opponents were complete amateurs, such a feat isn't achievable."
Nightmare's pupils glimmered with pure white as he declared, "He's not lying."
Dawn and Poison Master exchanged uneasy glances.
The Profound Yin Saint's face twisted further. Although Gu Jianlin was the King of Qing's student—an undeniable super-genius—he was also a member of the Ether Association. That this had occurred in the region under his jurisdiction was a disaster.
If the President pursued accountability, even Lord Rhein would face scrutiny.
As for the Profound Yin Saint himself, he could be certain his head would roll.
Tang Ling's beautiful eyes flickered with a hint of surprise as she murmured softly, "Has he grown this strong?"
Zhou Yiming pulled out a bloodstained folding photograph from his pocket, speaking in a low tone: "This is what Gu Jianlin risked his life to capture while stopping the Ancient God Seeds from rioting. Before he entered the cold fog, he entrusted me to deliver this to you. No one else is allowed to view this photo—not even the President."
Tang Ling froze slightly, instinctively accepting the photo.
The Profound Yin Saint, sensing its importance, stepped forward to take a look. For original chapters go to novel•fire.net