Gu Jianlin had never seen such a peculiar expression on a young girl before. He tried to reach out his hand but couldn't do it.
Tang Ling sighed faintly and raised the handwritten script with both hands.
This gesture even seemed a bit innocent and cute.
"What ugly handwriting."
Gu Jianlin commented with a blank expression. Yet when he quickly scanned the contents of the script, his pupils contracted like a cat struck by blinding light, his body tensed abruptly, and a chill ran down his spine.
Because the first sentence on the script read: "My dear disciple, if you've found your way here one day, then I regret to inform you, you're in serious trouble. I hope you haven't come here in your true form, because chances are high you won't make it out alive. The reason is, I've uncovered an earth-shattering secret."
"Based on my investigation, I'm almost certain I wasn't among the first batch of cheaters to enter here. After the Gatekeeper completely vanished, two individuals arrived here before me. These two must be from the outside world, from modern society. I'm not sure whether they're Ancient Gods or humans, but they are far stronger than me."
"If my guess is correct, one of them might have even reached the deepest part of the Qilin Immortal Palace."
Those three sentences were enough to send Gu Jianlin's blood running cold.
At this point in time, he had yet to become the Second Generation Qilin.
The Pharmacist and the others hadn't yet ventured into the depths of the tomb.
However, some unknown existence had already reached the deepest part of the Qilin Immortal Palace ahead of time.
That person must have witnessed the true Qilin Venerable!
What on earth had transpired back then?
Who was that individual, and with what purpose did they arrive there?
And what was the state of the Qilin Venerable at that time?
How had that mysterious mask ended up in his possession?
He had always believed that the person who gave him the Qilin Mask was his father.
Yet, upon further thought, something seemed off.
After all, if Old Gu had truly orchestrated all this, why would he remain completely silent about it?
They had at least several hours during their escape.
Moreover, that mysterious delivery had been addressed to Old Gu.
It didn't make sense.
The more he thought about it, the more it felt like tumbling into an abyss, his body turning ice-cold.
"Though I couldn't identify the first individual, I am certain of the second person's identity. This is why I must explicitly warn you—because that individual turned out to be the enigmatic strategist from Dusk! This person entered the Qilin Immortal Palace as a cheater, just as I did, to explore the Sea of Eternal Life." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NoveIＦire.net
"As for how I know this? Haha. Because I encountered him. I initially wanted to capture him, but the dimensions here simply wouldn't allow for any physical confrontation. Although he seemed frail, I wasn't confident about winning."
"This strategist is incredibly mysterious. No one knows when he first emerged; there had never been any mention of such a person before. Yet, the feeling he gave me wasn't inferior to the Netherworld."
"This strategist wasn't hostile toward me and even sat with me to discuss many things. He told me he had returned from the Sea of Eternal Life, where time and space remain frozen. Candle Dragon Venerable had established a time-space domain lasting over two thousand years, one impenetrable even for Ninth Rank Zhu Yin Gods."
"I understood, of course. Candle Dragon Venerable commands the authority of time and space, a domain under His sovereignty, impossible for anyone to violate. We spoke further, and I found him immensely knowledgeable, his insights into the Ancient God Clan on par with mine. We both agreed that Candle Dragon Venerable is conducting an experiment capable of shattering the rules of the real world."
"And the key to this experiment lies within the Sea of Eternal Life."
"Logically speaking, Candle Dragon Venerable should have already reached the Qilin Immortal Palace, given He is the master of time and space and could open a temporal tunnel in an instant. Could it be that He is wary of something? If it's the Qilin Venerable He fears, that wouldn't make sense. After all, Candle Dragon remains at His peak, while Qilin has been in slumber for a thousand years."
"Just as I was pondering, the strategist suddenly smiled with an air of mystery—and solved the riddle for me!"
"Because of the Vermilion Bird! Candle Dragon Venerable foresaw the awakening of the Vermilion Bird and became extremely vigilant! The Vermilion Bird has already returned, nearing its ultimate Nirvana, yet the Fusang Divine Palace and the real world remain silent. This is simply absurd; hasn't the Vermilion Bird already been exiled?"
"It's been just a few decades, so how could the Vermilion Bird Venerate return so quickly? I am profoundly uneasy, for the curse upon our clan originates from the Vermilion Bird Clan."
"In other words, Candle Dragon Venerable feared the Vermilion Bird Venerate, which is why He has yet to descend upon the Qilin Immortal Palace. Could this imply that Candle Dragon Venerable is particularly vulnerable during His metamorphosis?"
"Thus, Candle Dragon Venerable is making preparations, ensuring nothing goes wrong!"
"That was all the strategist shared with me. Then, to my surprise, he asked if I wanted to join Dusk. Naturally, I declined. Though I'm an Evolver myself, the last thing I want is to associate with these secretive individuals."
"I asked him why he'd invited me, and he merely laughed, saying it was because I was investigating the Order of the Hidden and had nearly uncovered the truth. This sent a chill down my spine, as even I had no idea what I'd discovered. During this visit to the Qilin Immortal Palace, I indeed encountered control from the Order of the Hidden, though I managed to resist."