BOOM!
A rumbling thunder roared across the icy expanse, as rolling black clouds surged forth, countless searing and fierce streaks of lightning interweaving, like a womb brewing disaster, radiating an overwhelming presence.
Mythical Weapon·Extreme Thunder, unleash!
Tang Ling's fiery red hair danced wildly in the wind and snow, with pristine white horns sprouting atop her head. Her vermilion eyes shimmered with bloody flashes of lightning, and her raised hands seemed to hold the boundless brilliance of thunder.
The radiance illuminated her exquisite, graceful silhouette.
So beautiful it took one's breath away!
"Evolver!"
Even Lin Lan, a Sixth-Rank Ghost Slayer, couldn't help but feel a chill from the sheer terror of this presence. He instinctively unsheathed his blade, preparing to go all out and behead this formidable foe in one decisive slash.
"Don't panic."
Gu Jianlin said calmly, "She's an ally."
Ah Lan and Ah Yue were both stunned, seemingly entranced by this sharp yet alluring young maiden they had never encountered before.
In an instant, countless streaks of blood-red lightning fell from the sky, inundating the area like a tidal wave. It wasn't just a violent release of energy—it carried an overwhelming aura of death. Touch it, and you perish!
The blizzard was ripped apart.
The scarlet lightning drowned scores of the living dead.
"Gu Jianlin!"
High in the sky, Tang Ling descended while shouting, "Divine Sacrificial Fire! Press it to the ground!"
Without hesitation, Gu Jianlin unleashed his Evolutionary State. Savage and majestic Qilin Horns emerged atop his head, sinister black tattoos appeared on his cheeks, and even without an Ancient God Transformation, he pushed his output to the max!
There was no delay, no need for explanations, as trust was absolute.
His hands crossed, conjuring an argent Ghost Fire, which he pressed onto the frozen ground!
Priest!
BOOM!
The frozen ground trembled as intricate, blood-like threads pulsing with surging vitality emerged from the ice, only to be completely absorbed by him, forming two drops of Ancient God's Blood within his body!
So that's what it was—whatever these blood threads were composed of, they seemed to encapsulate the essence of life itself.
In the depths of the storm, countless flickering shadows ceased their motion, freezing in place.
A piercing sound came from above; a lithe and graceful shadow plummeted from the sky.
Without hesitation, Gu Jianlin reached out, catching her securely.
Another princess carry.
Silence.
Lin Lan widened his eyes at the sight of the man and woman, stunned at their Evolutionary States. "Evolvers—you're both Evolvers! My God, when did Evolvers become so common?"
Ah Lan and Ah Yue also opened their eyes wide, scrutinizing their forms.
Gu Jianlin silently looked at the girl in his arms. In her combat form, she exuded an intoxicating blend of charm and sharpness, like roses and swords dancing together. Her cashmere hat had long been blown into the air, and her crimson hair cascaded like petals, half-concealing her eyes.
Sadly, her layers of clothing hid her snow-white, shapely legs from view.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind. He turned expressionlessly and said, "See? I have one too."
Lin Lan was dumbfounded, replaying the moment of the Heavenly Divine Thunder in his head, unable to deny that this girl's allure was downright mesmerizing, outshining his own Charming Ladies by far.
Both in combat prowess and beauty, as well as presence.
Even with her figure wrapped in a fur coat, her elegance and balance were evident.
"What do you have as well?"
Still in the boy's arms, Tang Ling felt oddly snug and warm.
Though he looked so frail.
"Oh, nothing."
Gu Jianlin had just been feeling annoyed at that clueless goof earlier, so he decided to flex a little by comparison.
In terms of beauty among the thunder-wielders, only the Moon Princess could rival her so far.
Everyone else? Step aside.
Old monsters don't count.
"Why are you here?"
He asked out of curiosity.
Tang Ling lifted her bewitching vermilion eyes and gave him a long, lingering look, her voice soft: "Next time, don't do something this dangerous again—at least wait for me. To be honest, the truth doesn't really matter that much to me anymore. But if you end up losing your life over it, I'll feel guilty for the rest of mine."
Her voice carried a rare tenderness, likely a reflection of her being genuinely moved.
Earlier, she had felt like nothing more than a tool to him.
Gu Jianlin didn't care about her at all, simply forming a team with her out of necessity, not even treating her as a friend.
Now she understood.
This boy was a doer, not one to waste words lightly.
Someone who would charge into the Sea of Eternal Life for you without a word couldn't possibly not care.
Gu Jianlin froze for a moment, unsure what she was referring to.
He had killed four Twilight Candidates to secure his own advancement.
To ensure Minister Lu's safe escape from Balensa City.
And most importantly, to vent Youzhu's grievances.
Oh. He figured it out.
"Was it because of Tang Zijing?"
Gu Jianlin blinked.
Tang Ling gave a faint "hmm."
In the thunderous girl's imagination, this boy must have followed clues about his great-grandfather into this place.
When in reality, Gu Jianlin had been beaten here by the Kui Dragon Ancestor.
But since neither of the two liked talking much, they didn't delve deeper.
Just then, Lin Lan stared intently at the red-haired girl and then at the Extreme Thunder Great Sword in her hand, suddenly struck by realization: "Extreme Thunder, heir of the Sword Tomb—you… you're the Princess?"
His face turned pale with shock.
Ah Lan and Ah Yue could clearly sense their man's mental state collapse.
Tang Ling leaped from the boy's arms, a wary expression crossing her face. She drew her sword and asked, "Who are you?"
Gu Jianlin explained, "Lin Lan, former Night Watcher member, a key witness."
He briefly recounted what had happened earlier.
Tang Ling listened and nodded in understanding, remarking, "Quite the unexpected gain."
Lin Lan seemed metaphorically to taste lemons, not expecting this boy, normally so quiet, to snag the Princess.
The designated successor of the President, no less.
"Jealous?"
Gu Jianlin glanced at him and smirked.
Lin Lan gritted his teeth. No, he wasn't envious—he was jealous!
The kind of green-eyed jealousy that makes you want to roll on the ground.
"I was a bit late getting here—are you hurt?"
Tang Ling brushed off the snow from the boy, inspecting his arms and abdomen to make sure he was unscathed. After confirming all was well, she adjusted his collar and softly said, "You're not wearing enough. Hold on."
She pulled a scarf from her backpack and wrapped it around the boy's neck.
Then drew out a rabbit-ear muffs headpiece, placing it snugly on his head.
"Hmm, no taking them off."
She nodded approvingly at the boy. "Or you'll catch a cold."
Feeling awkward, Gu Jianlin suddenly noticed frost on the girl's lashes, her delicate pale hands reddened from the cold, her fur coat soaked with snow. Clearly, she had been through an arduous journey.
The buttons of her coat weren't even fastened in her hurry.
Lin Lan looked like his soul had left his body upon witnessing this scene. That was the Princess!
Years ago, he had seen this girl once at headquarters. Back then, she was a cold, doll-like figure of perfect art.
When he tried to greet her, she had shot him a glare and said one word: "Scram."
Who would've thought that the Princess would one day act like this, dusting snow off a man and tying his scarf?
"If someone captures this scene, you'll single-handedly become the number one public enemy of the association's men!"
He thought bitterly: "You're doomed!"
"Thanks."
Gu Jianlin touched the earmuffs and scarf, feeling a wave of warmth, but couldn't help doubting: "How did you find me? You didn't run into danger, did you?"
For the Sea of Eternal Life to be this large, her being able to track him down was uncanny.
"I have a unique ability."
Tang Ling's crimson hair gradually turned snow-white, and she said softly, "The power of the Bai Ze Clan."
Gu Jianlin froze. "An evolution?"
Tang Ling hesitated before responding, "No, it's from the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion, the power of the Bai Ze Venerable. According to legend, the Bai Ze Clan can speak, understand the will of all things, and comprehend the affairs of gods and spirits. Unlike the divination methods of Spirit Mediums or Divination Masters, Bai Ze's innate ability is foresight—to peer into the future and unravel all things."
Gu Jianlin felt it was incredible that this girl possessed the abilities of the Bai Ze Clan.
"Didn't the King of Qing tell you?"
Tang Ling's gaze turned strange. "I thought you'd met them—the Ancient Gods from the Tiyan Pavilion often visit the King of Qing."
Gu Jianlin was stunned, recalling that his senior brother had mentioned these people.
The black-robed, otherworldly beings he once saw.
Claiming they had come to collect the President's remains.
Those bizarre individuals were actually of the Ancient Divine Race.
"The previous President was a Sword Sect member. The current President is a Sword Sect member. The Golden King is from the Sword Sect. The Silver King is from the Sword Sect. Even Rhein and Lin Dong belong to the Sword Sect. The Sword Sect is the most prevalent path within the Ether Association, as only members of the Sword Sect can become President. Understand?"
Tang Ling, noting his genuine lack of knowledge, patiently explained, "And all of this traces back to the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion."
"Wait."
Gu Jianlin fell silent for a long while, sensing how bizarre this was. "You're saying the Lishan Tiyan Pavilion was established by the Bai Ze Clan and that these Ancient Gods are actually on humanity's side?"
Tang Ling shook her head. "Not exactly. The true Bai Ze Venerable remains slumbering in Yun Mengze, but two thousand years ago, he took an experimental step—splitting off a part of himself imbued with human emotions. He believed humans and the Ancient Gods could coexist peacefully, and only then could the solution to the apocalypse be discovered."
"Two thousand years ago, Emperor Qin was a close confidant of Bai Ze, so Bai Ze continues guarding the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum in Lishan to this day."
She paused. "Humanity's ability to infiltrate the Ancient God Realm owes much to the Bai Ze Clan."
Gu Jianlin found it surreal, though, moments later, he seemed to grasp something.
"So that's why you were chosen to be the next President's successor?"
He asked curiously, "If you're so important, why would they let you enter this place?"
Tang Ling's vermilion gaze carried a tinge of irony. "You can never guess what the Ether Association's higher-ups are thinking. If they let me in, it's all part of another scheme."
She gazed into the stormy blizzard. "After all, the Sea of Eternal Life harbors the legacy of an Ancient Supreme, containing secrets of ascension and eternal life. No faction would miss this miracle, even if it means confronting a Primordial."
Gu Jianlin understood. "Is humanity planning to take action against the Kui Dragon Ancestor? To seize the legacy of the Supreme?"
"Exactly."
Tang Ling responded calmly, "This is the future I foresaw."
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