"In the Sea of Eternal Life, I found the Returning Ruins, glimpsed a fragment of destiny, and saw the person trying to control me. This person holds a very high position in the Order of the Hidden; people call him Mr. Solomon. It seems like an odd alias, but reviewing and profiling my past experiences, I vaguely feel I might know him."
"As part of a trade of information, I shared this revelation with the Think Tank. Unexpectedly, the Think Tank openly disclosed their organization's plan to me. My god, Dusk actually plans to kill the President!"
"Alright, that statement might be debatable. To be precise, the Dusk Organization is steadily draining the President's lifespan. For over a century, this organization has been orchestrating various incidents, all with the goal of forcing the President into action again and again. The Think Tank told me that the President possesses the Heavenly Person's Wedge, an incomprehensible level of power."
"Even Dusk, whose members are all Holy Land Level Evolvers, dare not appear before her. Ha! What a joke. With the Heavenly Person's Wedge in her hands, the President is practically the mother of all Evolvers in the world. Otherwise, the conflict between Qing and Chi from before would have long annihilated this world, how else could it have ended with one death and one injury?"
"But the Think Tank said the President is not invincible. Though she is the pillar of the Human World and immensely powerful, her body is failing. Every time she takes action, it chips away at her lifespan."
"The Think Tank hopes she dies soon; otherwise, their plans may fail. Moreover, the Think Tank said it's not just them who want her dead—even the King of Qing hopes for her demise."
"Madmen! I smell another conspiracy between Qing and Chi. Both of them are lunatics!"
"The Think Tank told me he admires me and was willing to share this intelligence with me. He also warned me that six months from now, someone very important to me would meet with disaster here, and I would be powerless to prevent it."
"Wait a minute, I just realized something. I've already completed the ascension ritual in the Sea of Eternal Life and can break through to the Holy Land at any moment. Zijin's timeline aligns roughly with six months from now. What is Dusk planning? As for that kid Lin Lan staying here, he's so infatuated with Zijin, won't he go mad at that time?"
"To stop all this, I've decided to kill the Think Tank here."
"Damn, there's something strange about the Think Tank—I can't even inflict actual harm on him. My dear apprentice, if you're reading this, remember this well. Beware of the Think Tank—this man is far from normal!"
The cursive writing abruptly ended there.
The bonfire still burned, the crackling of firewood resounding intermittently.
The shelter was actually very warm, yet Gu Jianlin felt as if he had plunged into an ice pit.
"Finished reading?"
Tang Ling asked softly.
Gu Jianlin remained silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod: "It's truly terrifying."
First of all, Old Gu's message confirmed their speculations about the Sea of Eternal Life.
The most horrifying part was that this incident involved three Supremes at once.
Candle Dragon, Qilin, and Vermilion Bird.
This meant that if not for Vermilion Bird holding Candle Dragon in check, the latter would have descended long ago.
At that point, Gu Jianlin might have been in grave danger.
"What about Mr. Solomon—have you ever heard of him?"
Gu Jianlin asked softly.
Tang Ling shook her head silently, indicating she had never heard of him.
"It seems that the waters of the Order of the Hidden run far deeper than we imagined."
Gu Jianlin said calmly: "And finally, there's the Think Tank."
Tang Ling leaned against the Extreme Thunder Great Sword, gazing at the young man resting on her lap. She spoke softly: "The Order World has always been at odds with the Dark World—the President is the Guardian of Order. Dusk wanting her dead is no surprise. That said, this is the first time I've come across information about the Think Tank. Your father really is incredible."
Gu Jianlin responded with an inaudible chuckle.
"I envy you for having such a great father," Tang Ling murmured. "Even though he couldn't protect you by staying at your side, he did everything he could."
Within her eyes, Gu Jianlin saw a deeply concealed envy and longing.
Indeed.
Though he often teased Old Gu, he had always thought of him as the best father in the world.
Or perhaps, every parent who deeply loves their child is the best parent in the world.
Tang Ling, on the other hand, had her freedom betrayed by someone she deeply valued, someone who turned their back on humanity.
"You're changing the subject," Gu Jianlin suddenly said. "But what you really wanted to talk about earlier was Qing and Chi, wasn't it?"
Tang Ling cast him a glance, her eyes unreadable: "I know the King of Qing is your mentor, so I avoided bringing it up in front of you. Because while he seems to lie dormant, he undoubtedly has his own agenda."
Gu Jianlin was well aware of this too.
Every trial, every lesson the King of Qing gave him was an opportunity to make a choice.
But why offer him a choice?
Because the King of Qing was a good person, willing to let him choose his own fate.
Because becoming the King of Qing's student likely came with a heavy burden.
"The President probably knows deep down that many people in this world want her dead."
Tang Ling said softly: "Sitting in that position—betrayal and isolation are her inevitable fate."
A flicker of unease glinted in Gu Jianlin's eyes. "I know why it's Minister Lu now."
Tang Ling froze, puzzled.
"Because Minister Lu once shielded Uncle Mu and the others, and even helped my father's student escape. My father just mentioned something—Lin Lan, that bastard, has feelings for Minister Lu? What's his current status?"
Gu Jianlin whispered.
Tang Ling narrowed her alluring eyes. "A Fallen, a descendant of the Lin Family, the keeper of the Penglai Ascension Array, and a fugitive."
"I now suspect that, since the Think Tank encountered Old Gu here, he may also have run into Lin Lan."
A dark expression overtook Gu Jianlin's face. "The Think Tank clearly knew Lin Lan was here. If, during Minister Lu's pursuit, she happened to meet Lin Lan, wouldn't he intervene to save her?"
The fiercest rivalry within the Ether Association lay between the Night Watchers and the Judgement Court.
Minister Lu undoubtedly supported the former, and this trip was also for her Holy Land Level ascension.
But the issue lay in her vulnerability.
"I get it now—the Think Tank wants to stage this scene, allowing Ether Association members to witness it."
Tang Ling murmured: "This Think Tank wants to throw the Ether Association into complete discord."
Gu Jianlin felt a cold dread spreading within him.
Because the Moon Princess was right next to Minister Lu.
All of this was orchestrated in advance.
Beyond the conflict among Supremes in the Sea of Eternal Life, there was the trap laid by the Dusk Organization.
In other words, it was the Red King's snare.
As for the King of Qing, whether he was aware of this or not, he might choose not to interfere.
Because no one truly knew what his ultimate goals were.
Bang!
The bronze palace doors swung open.
Ah Yue and Ah Lan entered, panting, with large bundles of materials in their arms.
No one followed behind them.
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