5:30 AM, Returning Burial Forest.

The barrier of the Lock of Nonexistence unfolded, concealing the presence of three individuals.

This move wasn't used earlier because the Lock of Nonexistence can only shield presence; it can't make you completely invisible. If the living corpses encounter you, they'd still gnaw at the air.

This could even lead to a stampede.

It can only be used to mask presence when the number of living corpses is relatively small.

Gu Jianlin sat under an ancient tree to rest. As long as he crossed the ridge ahead, he should reach the entrance to the ruins.

Although there were intermittent encounters with mercenaries and attacks from hordes of living corpses along the way, as the Second Generation Kirin Venerable, his protection ensured that neither the Female Sacrifice nor the Tiger General would face any issues.

At this moment, he silently held the pink box in his hand.

The box felt cool, yet emanated warmth upon touch.

Because it carried the intentions of a young girl.

Moon Princess sat beside him. Taking advantage of his inattention, she turned slightly and gestured in sign language.

It meant: "You didn't let it slip, did you?"

Butcher also gestured, meaning: "Absolutely not. I said everything according to what you instructed, Boss. I even specifically stressed that you told me not to tell him, just to say I picked it up by chance."

Moon Princess was visibly satisfied.

Gu Jianlin glanced at the two of them, his face devoid of expression.

Ha, these little tricks couldn't escape him.

He had figured it out long ago but had no intention of exposing them. That girl had truly put effort into finding advancement materials for him, a genuinely touching gesture devoid of ulterior motives.

The little scheming afterward only made her seem even cuter.

Listening to the gunfire erupting in the distance, Gu Jianlin suddenly asked, "You two are both candidates funded by Third Master, aren't you? Why aren't you by his side protecting him? Isn't it risky?"

Moon Princess shot him a glance and said, "I'm quite free in the You Ying Group; he doesn't have control over me."

Butcher scratched his head and said, "I'm just out here looking for reinforcements."

Gu Jianlin strongly suspected that the 'reinforcements' referred to were himself.

Judging by the looks in the eyes of these two, he confidently removed the word "suspected."

"The You Ying Group is chaotic and unlike the Ether Association. The six directors never get along, and their various struggles spill over from the real world into the Ancient God Realm. If anyone suddenly gains power, they would definitely consume the others. Master Four has been collaborating with a mysterious organization to try and activate these ruins."

Moon Princess explained, "Master Four might be a lunatic, but his methods are ruthless and resourceful. As for Master Three… you'd just think he's an ordinary fatty with powerful backers protecting him."

Butcher sneakily added, "It's rumored he's at least at the Holy Land level, or possibly even the top-tier Holy Land level."

Top-tier Holy Land? That would mean Ninth Rank.

Gu Jianlin frowned and asked, "Then what is the You Ying Group's ultimate goal? The six directors fighting each other—it wouldn't just be for ruling the Dark World, would it? There must be someone behind it."

Moon Princess nodded slightly, "There are rumors that the true ruler of the Dark World is Dusk, and the You Ying Group's nurturing of various candidates is to supply fresh blood for Dusk. But these are just rumors, never confirmed, and very few have seen them."

She continued, "Dusk and the You Ying Group aren't in a hierarchical relationship; rather, they cooperate. Actually, at the Ether Association's peak—around two hundred years ago during the Golden Age—the Dark World didn't have any large-scale organizations, since no one could unify the Dark World under the kings' violent reign."

Gu Jianlin pondered for a moment, "Two hundred years ago?"

That seemed to be the era of the King of Qing.

"The first ruler of the Dark World eventually appeared—the legendary Red King."

Moon Princess whispered, "That king, for some unknown reason, suddenly fell into self-destructive madness. He believed humanity should neither wield powers from inheritance paths nor chase Ancient God Power. He betrayed the Ether Association and fled to the Dark World, single-handedly uniting its forces."

Gu Jianlin hesitated and asked, "What was the relationship between the King of Qing and the Red King?"

Moon Princess said with a peculiar expression, "Allegedly, they were senior and junior brothers."

Gu Jianlin's pupils contracted, suddenly recalling the words Uncle Mu had once spoken to him.

Back then, there were proposals within the Ether Association to collaborate with the You Ying Group.

Taihua could hardly resist this momentum.

Ultimately, it was the King of Qing who decisively intervened and stopped it all.

It seemed the brothers might harbor enmity against each other.

"I heard from Master Three that the Red King initially established the You Ying Group to unify the Dark World, but in the end, it was forcibly shattered by the King of Qing. It caused massive upheaval, spanning both the real world and the Ancient God Realm, with untold casualties. That was the first time people truly witnessed the combat power of Catastrophe-level beings."

Moon Princess said softly, "The Golden Age of humanity came about because the King of Qing and the Red King—not to mention their battles in the Ancient God Realm—possessed the ability to confront Supremes. These brothers were humanity's strongest weapon ever, specifically cultivated to counter the Divine Race."

The ability to confront a Supreme didn't mean defeating one.

Still, it was indeed terrifying.

No wonder the Candle Dragon Venerable hadn't destroyed the world yet.

After all, the King of Qing was still alive.

"These secrets aren't even known inside the association."

Gu Jianlin commented jokingly.

"That's normal because the Dark World is rife with gossip, and the news travels wider."

Moon Princess leaned on her hands and added without concern, "The previous President, Taiqing, alongside the current President, Taihua, were the founders of humanity's peak era. The two students they trained were supposed to carry the mission of defending the Human World, but the outcomes… weren't entirely satisfactory."

Hold on.

Gu Jianlin picked up on a key phrase: "Weren't satisfactory?"

Moon Princess shot him a suspicious look, "No one's ever told you?"

Gu Jianlin shook his head.

"Alright, maybe nobody dares to criticize the King of Qing casually."

Moon Princess cleared her throat and spoke softly, "To the world, the King of Qing contributed greatly to humanity. But his destruction of the Human World was even worse than the Red King's. While no one knows what the Red King intended, one thing's clear—he didn't succeed."

She added with a meaningful tone, "As for the King of Qing, he's the one who personally released the Devil from its prison, opened the forbidden Pandora's Box for the first time, pushing the Human World to the edge of a cliff—extremely dangerous."

Gu Jianlin massaged his brow, somewhat overwhelmed.

Honestly, he couldn't wrap his head around what had transpired back then.

But in this moment, he started to understand.

If the King of Qing was truly so revered, he would have long been crowned the Crown Prince within the Ether Association.

Even though he hadn't formally accepted apprentices yet.

Many in the association, upon hearing he was favored by the King of Qing, only exhibited unease.

Intense unease.

Nightmare Master once said the King of Qing might not be a good teacher.

Even Old Gu referred to him as a madman.

That explained why a meteorite bound him overhead, limiting his movements.

After some thought, Gu Jianlin reached a conclusion: "So, the King of Qing has a strained relationship with this world, yet the world must rely on his existence. What on earth did he do?"

"I don't know either, but it must have been extraordinarily insane."

Moon Princess murmured, "The King of Qing believes humanity's true enemy isn't the Divine Race but an even greater threat lurking in the shadows. Almost everyone alive is clueless, with very few people historically spotting hints."

"Even the Supremes are looking for answers."

She explained, "Sounds terrifying, doesn't it? The Red King, on the other hand, insists on not responding to spirituality's call. He argues that's a power humanity should never touch. Don't respond, don't respond, don't respond!"

Gu Jianlin muttered softly, "No wonder."

He didn't know how to evaluate the Red King.

As for the King of Qing—no wonder the old man said the third lesson was about choice.

After teaching him so much, he left the final decision to him.

If he didn't take him as a mentor, then everything taught so far would count as mere gifts.

If he accepted, he'd likely bear the old man's Karma.

Just carrying that title was dreadful enough.

"In summary, after the battle two hundred years ago, Taiqing, the former President, perished. The Red King also fell, and the King of Qing was gravely wounded, bound by a meteorite, monitoring his every move."

Moon Princess revealed, "That's as much as my teacher told me."

Gu Jianlin thought: So that's it.

"Old Gu is indeed a gossip."

He sighed, "Too bad he never told me any of this."

Moon Princess agreed wholeheartedly, "Yes, definitely a gossip."

Just as she spoke, her body abruptly tensed, her pupils contracting slightly.

"You let it slip, Miss Moon Princess."

Gu Jianlin said coldly.

He could tell the girl had been subtly passing him information all along.

Without exception, it all came from Old Gu.

In essence, she was acting on Old Gu's behalf to train him.

Moon Princess hastily covered her face, "I wasn't! It's not true!"

Butcher, who had been eavesdropping with gusto, curiously asked, "What did you let slip?"

Foolish brute!

Moon Princess retorted icily, "Anyway, that's the gist of things. Master Four's goal is to become the next ruler of the Dark World. He's highly ambitious and has the backing of a particularly mysterious organization. This group isn't as powerful as Dusk but operates with even greater secrecy."

"I've already had dealings with them."

Gu Jianlin remarked casually.

Moon Princess's expression shifted. She quickly grasped his arm, "Are you alright?"

Gu Jianlin looked into her eyes calmly, "My father went through this too, didn't he?"

Moon Princess's gaze turned deep, silent for a moment: "Probably."

"Seems you're not entirely sure either."

Gu Jianlin sighed, "Alright, let's drop it. About Master Four—did he ever send people to hunt you down?"

Moon Princess puffed out her cheeks and said softly, "No."

"I know you quite well now. Let's not lie in front of me."

Gu Jianlin tapped on her feline mask, "Don't do it again."

Just then, a deafening roar shook the forest!

The entire Returning Burial Forest seemed to be trembling.

As the echoing sound erupted, countless living corpses below the hill began roaring and surged upward en masse.

In Gu Jianlin's mind, the Black Qilin suddenly lifted its golden eyes, blazing gold light flashing forth.

"Done resting?"

He dissolved the barrier of the Lock of Nonexistence and said firmly, "Let's move."

Moon Princess and Butcher exchanged glances and quickly followed.

Between the massive rocky walls lay a bottomless gorge, where swirling mist obscured everything.

Suddenly, the mist was blown apart by a fierce wind.

In that instant, whether it was the Female Sacrifice, the Tiger General, or the Second Generation Kirin Venerable.

All wore expressions of shock.

For deep within the gorge was a lost ancient city.

A city that was definitely not made by humans.

But… built by the Ancient God Clan!