In the Returning Burial Forest, a pale fog filled the air, with faint, chilling howls echoing through the silence.

Wan Rentu, carrying thirteen alchemy weapons on his back, swaggered through the mist. Watching the nine others dispersed ahead, he held a walkie-talkie and lowered his voice: "Reporting to headquarters, the team has entered the Living Burial Area·Returning Burial Forest. The rescue mission has begun. No anomalies detected so far. Report complete."

The information from the Ancient God Realm cannot be transmitted to the real world.

Thus, the "headquarters" he referred to was the Ether Association's base in the Qilin Immortal Palace.

That was within Dawn City, which had risen from the ground in the past week.

Although the Ancient God Realm is perilous, it isn't entirely unsuitable for human habitation.

Places like the Returning Burial Forest are designated as special zones, regions humanity cannot conquer.

You can venture into such areas.

They offer opportunities for adventure and treasure-seeking.

However, large-scale human settlements are unsuitable here.

Outside the special zones, numerous Ascenders gather in tribes.

Where there are people, there are needs, and thus business arises.

Eventually, this creates the unique ecology of the Ancient God Realm.

"Received."

Chen Bojun's voice came through: "Lao Wan, tone it down. While this rescue mission doesn't require them to fight, don't push them too hard. After all, they're all geniuses; they must have some pride."

"Got it."

Wan Rentu cheerfully agreed on the surface and hung up.

The next moment, a deranged, unhinged grin spread across his face.

"Brats, prepare for hell!"

"Let's see how capable you really are!"

As the chief instructor of the Omega Sequence, he had every reason to find these brats irritating.

After all, people from his generation fought their way through blood and fire, roaring on the battlefield, dragging crippled bodies soaked in blood, carrying the cold corpses of their comrades, rolling in the mud, singing around campfires, sharing a bottle of secret medicine, and splitting half-rations of military food. United in life and death, they shared mutual affection and support.

And now, look at these modern youngsters—there's no sense of unity whatsoever.

Free-spirited and undisciplined.

Chaos and disorder.

Although perhaps the President shoulders some blame here—under her influence, the Ether Association had developed a strong penchant for individual heroism, sprouting countless rebellious geniuses.

There's nothing wrong with geniuses exhibiting personality, but this team is simply outrageous!

The second-tier trio, entering the Immortal Palace for the first time, showed signs of nervousness.

You could scare them stiff with just a fart.

The Little Princess, an absolute Devil who fears nothing, seemed like she was on vacation—looking left, peeping right, bouncing around, yelling loudly.

Then there's that lunatic Poison Master who, upon entering the Gui Cang Forest, collected all sorts of bizarre plants. So far, she's already been poisoned six times, once nearly dying.

Someone once asked her why she persisted, and her answer was that she wanted to become a modern-day Shennong.

One has to admit—impressive.

Damn inspiring.

Crazy!

Then there's Dawn, equally abnormal. Despite being a support character with no combat skills, she insisted on leading the charge in the group. She claimed it was to train her durability and survival ability by absorbing damage for the team.

Crazy!

Nightmare was even more outlandish—he wouldn't even sneeze without first performing a divination. He's absurdly cautious.

Crazy!

As for the final two, they're outright nuts.

Tang Ling, the leader of the rescue squad, showed no intention of setting an example. Her first act in the Returning Burial Forest was to take out bottles of skincare products from her bag.

Sunscreen, insect repellent, and moisture protection—spraying them liberally on her snow-white neck and arms.

She then went to town on her long, fair legs.

"Achoo!"

Gu Jianlin had been engrossed in studying Old Gu's strategy dossier on his phone when he suddenly sneezed. He looked up with bewilderment, his eyes filled with confusion.

A parrot squawked, "What the hell is Li Zai Gan doing?"

Tang Ling, holding her four spray bottles, stepped up and spritzed the boy thoroughly. She said indifferently:

"Boys need to take care of themselves when they're out and about."

She paused for a moment. "I brought you here, so I'll take responsibility for you."

Gu Jianlin thought to himself: Your idea of 'responsibility' is certainly peculiar.

"Focus for now, and search for clues."

He scanned the surroundings.

Rather than a dense forest, this place resembled a burial ground. Each towering ancient tree was decayed, covered in strange, archaic markings, reminiscent of desperate gouges made by fingernails.

The leaves were dry and brittle, seemingly weathered over countless years, crumbling upon the lightest touch.

Unusual vegetation thrived in the underbrush—carnivorous flowers with sharp teeth, glowing gemstone-like fungi emitting eerie light, and red dandelions dispersing airborne wispy fragments that twinkled like fireflies in the breeze.

Countless skulls hung from the crowns of the ancient trees, creating an eerie and terrifying sight.

"For Alchemists, these plants are all rare medicinal ingredients. Because this is a Living Burial Zone, many ancient humans and Ancient Gods are buried here, which has led to the growth of numerous herbs with special properties."

Tang Ling looked up. Dim sunlight pierced through the dense canopy, leaving fragmented shadows on her face. "Look at these skulls—they're linked to a tradition of the Ancient God Clan. After defeating their enemies, they would keep the skulls as trophies. When they fell dormant, they would hang these trophies around their burial sites."