The deathly silent conference room grew increasingly eerie.

Only the upper echelons of the base had the qualifications to attend this meeting.

As the head of the Omega Sequence, Chen Bojun naturally sat at the very end of the long table.

To his left, Han Jing, the Deputy Captain of the Night Watchers, sat with her arms crossed, her expression as icy as frost.

Beside her was Wang Taisheng, his face dark and grim.

On the right side sat Councilman Zhang from the Judgement Court, his face cold and silent.

Accompanying him was Deacon Nie, whose expression revealed palpable unease.

Aside from these familiar faces, there were also some new ones—likely family representatives and sect leaders who had hurried in from various regions.

The atmosphere grew stranger after Gu Jianlin's question.

After all, the ones missing were the most core members—the brightest and best heirs nurtured by each faction.

Disappearing without a trace—the situation was indeed odd.

The only one unperturbed was Tang Ling. She sat nearby, wearing a sun hat, a long white hoodie, and denim shorts. Her crossed, fair and shapely legs rested lightly as she wore black sneakers.

Despite the seriousness of the meeting, she was engrossed in her phone—a gacha game to be precise.

Repeatedly topping up one "648" after another, her actions carried a hint of mania.

"What about the traces at the scene? Was there any clue left behind?"

Gu Jianlin's voice was calm.

And when he raised his head, revealing his expressionless face for just an instant, the upper echelons present instantly felt an ominous premonition—as though the skill atop his head was actively charging.

The parrot perched on his shoulder screeched, "Oh my God, those were ten Fifth Rank Ascenders! Ten Fifth Rank Ascenders! If ten chickens had gone missing, you'd at least have some leads, right? But you all have absolutely nothing to show, huh?"

It wasn't intentional sarcasm; rather, this mission was truly absurd.

The first-tier members of the Omega Sequence were mostly above the age of twenty-five—all without exception were Fifth Rank Ascenders, skilled in combat and highly educated. Anyone advancing further in rank could easily become department heads.

Even Lu Zijin was just in her early thirties.

If such individuals couldn't handle the situation, sending in second-tier members would be nothing short of serving them up on a silver platter.

Chen Bojun coughed awkwardly as the high-level executives collectively fell silent.

"Currently, we are working with the divination team to deduce the reason for these disappearances."

Chen Bojun said, "And regarding this mission, we aren't sending the second-tier members to their deaths. Appropriate Mythical Weapons will be provided. In the event of a crisis, you'll be able to temporarily open the gates of a time-space corridor. Our higher-level forces will intervene to ensure your safety."

He paused, adding, "After all, Sixth Rank Ascenders are already near the threshold of the Holy Land. Too much activity within could destabilize the dimensions, leading to a host of problems."

Gu Jianlin asked again, "Why choose me?"

This time, Tang Ling—still staring at her phone—spoke in a cold yet melodious voice: "Because I don't trust anyone else."

Chen Bojun nodded, saying, "That's correct. With Omega's top ten members already missing, the rest mostly lack combat capabilities. Only Thunder wields Fifth Rank combat power, so we need to build a team centered around her. However, she's adamant that if you don't participate, she won't either."

The high-level executives exchanged glances and queried, "We'd like to know—why?"

Gu Jianlin was just about to respond when someone lightly kicked him.

"Help me clear the tower. The team is already set up—you just need to tap a few buttons."

Tang Ling casually shoved her phone in his direction, her porcelain-like face expressionless.

The high-level executives shifted their focus to this young girl.

"First of all, the Omega Sequence operates as a competitive sequence. We aren't a cohesive collective. I have no connection to the majority of people here. If all ten of them were to perish, I would become Sequence One."

Tang Ling said indifferently, "Why should I risk myself to save them?"

For a moment, Gu Jianlin didn't know what to say. Her reasoning was irrefutable.

Bang!

"Outrageous!"

A sharp-faced middle-aged man with white hair slammed the table, roaring, "What kind of nonsense is this? Why did the Ether Association cultivate you? Why did the Omega Sequence train you? To represent all of humanity in fighting against the Ancient God Clan! This is a shared endeavor for humanity, a cause demanding faith, fervor, and even sacrifice!"

"You have no sense of collective responsibility, no ounce of selflessness. People like you have no place on the battlefield. Your disdain for your comrades' lives reveals the selfishness and ugliness within your nature."

Angrily, he continued, "You've already been to the Immortal Palace and witnessed the nano warriors fighting on the front lines. Have you seen their determination to charge in despite carrying broken bodies to rescue their comrades? Have you seen them weep over the corpses of their fallen allies? Indifference toward your companions will only take you so far."

The conference room plunged into silence, save for his outraged shouts.

"If you abandon your comrades today, then when you face danger tomorrow, they will abandon you."

The middle-aged man took a deep breath: "Thunder, I'm deeply disappointed in you."

Gu Jianlin mused that this man's yelling rivaled the class director back at Peak City Second High School.

He then lowered his head, fiddling with the phone as he silently cleared the tower and collected resources.

Tang Ling took the reprimanding in stride, her expression unchanging. She said dismissively, "Instructor Zhu, it's true that I respect those nano warriors I saw within the Immortal Palace. But respect doesn't mean I want to become one of them. If we're talking about contributing to the Human World, I'm more inclined to focus on ascending to Demigod status and killing a Peak Ancestor."

Her sharp, clear eyes turned piercing: "Rather than sacrificing myself for my comrades."

The high-level executives fell into silence.

Instructor Zhu was livid but had no rebuttal.

"To be clear, I understand I'm still young. Even if the top ten were wiped out, I likely wouldn't have enough time to earn the rank of king. But that's still no reason for me to take these risks. As I've said before, this is a competitive sequence."

Tang Ling paused, saying, "I need Gu Jianlin's profile to assess the danger level of this mission. If he doesn't participate, I won't either. The two of us are the strongest among the remaining forces. Moreover, his profile can substantially preserve our safety within the Immortal Palace."

Gu Jianlin lowered his head, continuing to play on the phone. Without making it obvious, he glanced at her.

This woman had sharp judgment.

Total confidence in one's capacity to even subdue a Peak Candle Dragon.

A high-level executive finally spoke up.

"But the divination team can also assess the danger level of this mission."

Councilman Zhang interjected, "They can assist similarly within the Immortal Palace."

Deacon Nie chimed in, "Exactly."

Han Jing crossed her arms, calmly commenting, "Can you really compare profile analysis to divination?"

Wang Taisheng slammed the table, shouting, "This is a major issue—not a game!"

Yet Tang Ling's gaze remained indifferent, her tone flat: "Indeed, they aren't the same. Divination doesn't provide the same reliability as profiles. Furthermore, those auxiliary members—can they fight?"

Gu Jianlin put away his phone, finally grasping her intentions.

This was extortion.

"If you want me to lead the team into the Immortal Palace to rescue people, I'm not entirely opposed. But I need compensation."

Tang Ling stated coldly, "Otherwise, why should we take the risk to save the first-tier members, only to have them survive and compete against us, taking our resources?"

After a long silence, Chen Bojun glanced at the expressions of the high-level attendees.

"What do you want?"

He asked with a faint smile.

Tang Ling scanned the gathered high-level figures, especially those from the Judgement Court and Night Watchers. Her voice carried an icy edge: "I want the SSS-level confidential strategy for Qilin Immortal Palace—the complete report that former Night Watcher member Gu Ci'an compiled during his investigation, as well as the Ether Association's secret archives regarding the history of Qilin Immortal Palace."

Gesturing toward the young man beside her, she said, "Both he and I will share it. The original documents, too."

Gu Jianlin's pupils contracted abruptly as the realization hit him.

Of course.

Old Gu would have had to submit his investigative findings to the Ether Association.

Given its status as the largest Ascender organization worldwide, it was inconceivable that the Ether Association knew nothing about Qilin Immortal Palace. Many secrets buried within the annals of history were likely in their possession.

Including the role Qilin Venerable played throughout history.

What kind of condition had He been in for over two thousand years?

And that enigmatic mask.

The clues—perhaps hidden in those very files.

For a fleeting moment, the temperature in the conference room seemed to drop.

Eventually, Chen Bojun spoke in a clipped tone: "You're saying you want the secrets of Qilin Immortal Palace."

The high-level executives' expressions shifted unpredictably.

Clearly, the initial exploration of Qilin Immortal Palace—presented as an opportunity to share in the spoils—was merely the appetizer.

The real treasure, though, lay in Qilin Immortal Palace's deepest secrets.

Namely, the legacy left by Qilin Venerable!

This was pursued by giants like the Ether Association and You Ying Group, as well as Ascender organizations worldwide.

It was something only a handful—the Peak Transcenders of the world—qualified to vie for.

"True, I might not be suited to compete against you or other Peak Transcenders."

Tang Ling paused, saying, "But even if I can skim just a little soup off the surface, it would still be worth it."

Gu Jianlin was left in awe, thinking, "That's so like you."

The high-level executives exchanged glances.

Ultimately, Chen Bojun spoke: "This matter requires consideration on our part."

"Take your time. But keep in mind, it's not just you who needs to consider—it's us as well."

Tang Ling grabbed the phone back and resumed her gacha game, speaking serenely: "If Gu Jianlin assesses this mission's risk level as overly high, even if you give us the strategy, we'll still abandon it without hesitation."

Gu Jianlin sensed that all eyes were now on him.

At this moment, Tang Ling kicked him lightly once more.

"Xiao Gu, what's your take?"

Chen Bojun locked eyes with him, his pupils subtly oscillating.

The high-level executives failed to notice his subtle signal.

But Gu Jianlin caught it with precision.

Director Chen was suggesting he start negotiation by rejecting.

Understood.

Charging up, process bar filling.

"Sorry—I decline."

Gu Jianlin stood up and said indifferently, "Thinking it over, I've realized that ever since my debut, I've been cleaning up after Ether Association's messes. To some people here, I'm still nothing but a Fallen's son—not exactly deserving to partake in something as honorable as this mission, let alone sacrifice myself for comrades showered in glory, am I?"

With that, he pulled his chair back and turned to leave.

"Unless the Judgement Court is willing to reopen my father's case."

Tang Ling put her phone away, stood, lifted her guitar case, her white hair unfurling, and followed him out.

The atmosphere in the conference room was suffocating.

Bang!

"Outrageous! A pair of absolute scoundrels!"

[PS: Writer's block hit hard on this one, finished yesterday's 10k words—see you tonight at 8:30.]