The small wooden house was as warm as spring, with a roaring fire burning in the fireplace, sending smoke out through the chimney.
Gu Jianlin drank a bottle of Blue Blood, raised his hand to ignite the Divine Sacrificial Fire, and pressed it against a fluffy snow porcupine, forcibly extracting its life force to heal his own wounds.
"This is a snow porcupine from near the Sea of Eternal Life, a rare and extremely valuable creature."
Lin Lan inspected the tightly bound porcupine and gestured for the Charming Ladies to take it away: "Fortunately, this species, which originates from the Ancient God Realm, has an exuberant life force. Even after being drained, it hasn't died; otherwise, it would have been catastrophic for our livestock industry. This is, after all, a prized breeding boar."
Gu Jianlin, sitting on a handmade wooden chair, raised an eyebrow and said, "Breeding boar? Are you talking about yourself?"
Since arriving in this tribe, his worldview had been continuously shattering.
Because with his ability of Life Perception, he discovered one thing.
Almost all the Charming Ladies in the tribe were pregnant.
The fusion of civilization and primitivity, the overlap of modernity and antiquity, and the conflict of traditional beliefs.
It made him feel utterly bewildered.
"What do you understand, child? The Charming Lady species is : once they encounter human males, they must try to mate. Otherwise, their population would face a severe lack of labor, which would eventually lead to extinction."
Lin Lan said sternly, "The consequences are very serious."
Gu Jianlin gave him a sidelong glance and said, "So you volunteered for the important task?"
Lin Lan said seriously, "This is humanitarian aid. Let's not talk about this anymore. How is my sister? Has she had a better life these years? Did she achieve her dream?"
Gu Jianlin frowned and asked, "What is Lin Wanqiu's dream?"
Lin Lan froze for a moment and then said, "My sister's dream is to become a good doctor."
Gu Jianlin was slightly surprised upon hearing this. After a moment of silence, he said, "Did you know? Your sister sacrificed a lot for you. She risked being discovered by sneaking into the dimensional rift and becoming a Cheater. She's only a Priest, and it's extremely dangerous in the Qilin Immortal Palace."
Lin Lan instinctively gripped the Tachi at his waist.
"And she's also been corrupted."
Gu Jianlin said calmly.
The actions of the Sea Demon, although labeled as manipulative by many.
In truth, he bore no ill will towards her.
On the contrary, when Lin Wanqiu treated the injured in the shelter with such focus and dedication, it left a profound impression on him. Follow current novels on novel•fire.net
For this reason, Gu Jianlin believed that her true nature wasn't bad; she merely relied on a manipulative appearance to protect herself.
Flattery and submission were simply survival mechanisms.
Everyone has their own rules for survival.
Lin Lan stood there, frozen.
After a long pause, he gripped his hair and muttered in a daze, "How is that possible? My sister? Corrupted? She has been corrupted? How could this have happened? This is all my fault..."
Gu Jianlin paid no attention to his emotional turmoil and continued to probe: "It seems like you have a good relationship with your sister. But as far as I know, it was your sister who exposed the Lin Family's actions, leading to the extermination of the Lin Family. Don't you hate her for that?"
Lin Lan was silent for a long time before replying in a low voice, "No, I don't hate her, because I know she did it to protect me. This matter can be traced back nearly a thousand years. Peak City is an island city, and there have always been legends about the Qilin Immortal Palace. Your Old Gu Family was originally an Ascender Family guarding this place. You were the authorities."
Gu Jianlin raised an eyebrow, "And then?"
"As for our Lin Family, we were thieves."
Lin Lan pointed at himself, "Tomb robbers."
Gu Jianlin was quite surprised.
"Back then, your Old Gu Family relentlessly suppressed our Lin Family, to the point that we couldn't even breathe. But later, due to a curse, your family gradually withered, losing the status of Order Guardians."
Lin Lan sighed and said, "Meanwhile, one of the ancestors of our Lin Family took advantage of a period when the Gatekeeper disappeared to enter the Qilin Immortal Palace. From it, we gained some hidden legacies."
Gu Jianlin caught onto a keyword: "What did you say? A period when the Gatekeeper disappeared?"
"Yes, the Gatekeeper doesn't always stay at the Underwater Palace's entrance. That place is just a massive array eye, controlling the entry points to multiple dimensions. As for Xu Fu himself, he often ventured into the depths of the Qilin Immortal Palace."
Lin Lan said gravely, "Or rather, into the Sea of Eternal Life!"
Gu Jianlin nodded and said, "When the Ether Association's vanguard reached the vicinity of the Sea of Eternal Life, they also discovered many Ancient Ruins and numerous Pill Furnaces for alchemy."
"Those are just the outer edges. They didn't reach the real Sea of Eternal Life, because once you enter, it's almost impossible to return. You'll inevitably be trapped inside."
Lin Lan suddenly pulled open his fur-lined coat, revealing markings of a Child Boy and Girl on his chest: "Look."
Gu Jianlin squinted, "Penglai Ascension Array!"
Lin Lan was startled, "Well, well, the young man has some knowledge. No wonder you managed to find your way here."
Truly worthy of being Old Gu's son, he was not to be underestimated.
"I've already fought someone with this ability."
Gu Jianlin said calmly, "The Order of the Hidden."
On hearing that name, Lin Lan's pupils contracted sharply.
"If you've come across Old Gu in the Qilin Immortal Palace, then you must have heard of this organization. Let me tell you clearly: after the Lin Family was exterminated by the Judgement Court, the legacy of the Penglai Ascension Array was seized by the Order of the Hidden. This organization is active across the world, infiltrating various groups and manipulating the course of history."