Gu Jianlin found it hard to imagine that one could fish out a Mythical Weapon from the artificial lake in the neighborhood.

He didn't quite believe in such absurdity but decided to give it a try. He grabbed the fishing rod and cast a few lines. Within just ten minutes, he had caught several large fish, stuffing the basket completely full.

How strange—this artificial lake was teeming with fish! How could it be possible to not catch anything?

As soon as the basket was full, the grocery store suddenly vanished just as eerily as it had appeared, as though it had never existed at all.

Blind guess: maybe the old man was angry.

"If you're still holding up after using the Symbiotic Lock, come to the store at ten tomorrow morning. I'll teach you Forbidden Spells... the Qilin Forbidden Curse."

A new text appeared on his phone.

"Qilin Forbidden Curse? I am the Qilin Venerable—how could I not know it? But at this point, my strength should be considered formidable. By wielding the authority of the Qilin Venerable, I've acquired two different Inheritance Paths, an unimaginable advantage."

Gu Jianlin pondered for a moment: "The only pity is that the two Inheritance Paths cannot be used simultaneously. Otherwise, my combat strength would exponentially increase. I wonder if this problem can be solved. If I could use both paths at the same time, it would be ideal."

Regarding the issue of combat strength, he wasn't particularly concerned. Among peers, there was no competition; the only differentiation was how many levels higher the opposition was.

It's worth mentioning, though, that after devouring the Dragon Bone, he awakened the second Inheritance Path. Despite this, his core setup remained Dual Core Drive, and the output of his spirituality did not increase to threefold as expected.

This meant that his so-called dual core setup wasn't Qilin paired with Divine.

It was Qilin and human!

As for the Inheritance Paths, they seemed like separate systems outside the core.

And he had two systems.

Now, he couldn't help but anticipate the so-called Qilin Forbidden Curse.

What kind of chemical reaction would take place after this Second Generation Qilin Venerable learned the Forbidden Spell?

Near eleven o'clock, the lights in the yard on the first floor were completely out, and everyone at home had retired for the night.

But at that moment, his Life Perception picked up a violent rhythm—a turmoil of distress.

Su Youzhu's true intention was to find an excuse to send him away.

However, Gu Jianlin now understood her deeply. Her personality resembled that of a sly little fox pretending to be aloof but secretly mischievous. The slightest twitch of her tail gave away her scheming.

And this reservoir of sharp wit? Eight out of ten had likely been learned from Old Gu.

How ominous.

He opened the door to his home and entered the girl's room.

On the soft pink bed, Su Youzhu had wrapped herself tightly with the blanket, leaving only her short pale-blue hair and her exquisitely frosty face exposed. Her delicate brows were furrowed, her forehead drenched in cold sweat.

On the surface, she didn't seem to be in too much pain.

But Gu Jianlin, equipped with Life Perception, could clearly feel the chaos brewing within her—a tormented rhythm as if being cut into a thousand pieces, as though living through a hellish nightmare.

The intensity of her pain? No one knew.

Unless you experienced it yourself.

"Keep this bracelet on for the next three days. Do not take it off."

Leaving behind a note, Gu Jianlin uncovered the blanket, gently pulled out her slender wrist, and fastened the Symbiotic Lock.

In her sleep, Su Youzhu suddenly grasped his hand tightly.

Her pale knuckles revealed the intensity of her grip.

It dawned on him—this insecure girl grew up in a fractured family. Her birth mother had inexplicably abandoned her and her elder sister, leaving only her father behind to care for them while juggling his work.

It wasn't until later, by sheer accident, that she stumbled into the Qilin Immortal Palace, embarking on a new life.

Old Gu was profoundly significant to her.

Which explained her unwavering pursuit of truth.

Including her feelings toward him.

Gu Jianlin reached out and gently touched her hair.

This girl had silently accompanied him for the past eight years, though he had previously been oblivious to it. Reflecting now, her presence illuminated his once-lonely memories, filling them with warmth and vibrancy.

In a way, she was the person who had stayed by his side the longest in this world.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Old Gu had placed this girl in his life.

She was, undeniably, the most precious gift in his life.

But precisely because she was precious, she was cherished.

And because she was cherished, he hesitated.

After all, only by not possessing something could one never fear losing it.

But reality doesn't grant such luxuries.

Gu Jianlin wasn't oblivious to the fact that this girl harbored feelings for him. Even if she masked it well before, the moment she took off her disguise, everything became transparent. Her emotions surged like the ocean beneath the ice, turbulent and unrestrained.

Each glance, each gesture, and every word.

All conveyed the same message.

I like you.

This emotion, whose origins were unknown, might have stemmed from guilt over robbing him of parental love. Or perhaps it was sympathy and compassion for his loneliness, and pity after the car accident.

Of course, liking someone sometimes requires no reason.

Back in school, there had been girls who liked him, too.

But Youzhu was different.

Hers warranted careful consideration—and treasuring.

At times, Gu Jianlin felt a pang of fear.

If he hadn't inherited the Qilin Venerable's power, would everything have simply fallen apart?

Such as her first incursion into the Immortal Palace, and now this experience in the underground ruins.

Too risky.

Gu Jianlin didn't believe he needed protection, nor would his pride allow him to rely on a girl to risk her life for him.

"Rest well. Leave everything to me from now on."

He tied a Symbiotic Lock around his own wrist as well.

For a brief moment.

The darkness in Gu Jianlin's mind began to spread, and countless distorted monstrosities flashed before his eyes. Images of gunfire, the cold glimmer of passing blades, pain akin to his body being torn apart by sharp tools—his bones shattering, organs displacing.

In that instant, he nearly collapsed under the pressure, almost passing out entirely.

How much suffering has this girl endured over the years?

Gu Jianlin held himself steady, tremors coursing through his body.

This was pain from the depths of the soul, utterly unavoidable.

The agonizing sensation multiplied tenfold, almost forcing a scream from him.

But he ultimately managed to suppress it, not making a single sound.

Nor did he disturb the sleeping girl on the bed.

The Symbiotic Lock not only transmitted pain but also the memories tied to those wounds.

Scattered, broken fragments flickered before his eyes in fleeting flashes.

Countless blurry, fleeting lights surged like a flood.

Most of these were fresh injuries, all sustained within the past three months.

In other words, Youzhu had been carefully protected by Old Gu over the past eight years.

Only during these three months without him did she endure untold hardships to uncover the truth.

Once the Symbiotic Lock connected, the fine wrinkles on Su Youzhu's brows softened, her long curled lashes gently quivering. Curling up in a small ball, she seemed visibly calmer.

Seeing her recovery, Gu Jianlin felt the weight in his heart finally lift.

Supporting himself against the wall, he carefully restrained against the searing pain of countless blades, silently left her room.

From beginning to end, he uttered no sound.

Nor did he intend to tell her.

Because it didn't matter in the least.

·

·

Deep within the underground caves, molten lava cascaded like waterfalls, fiery embers bursting forth.

The earth was parched and cracked, with scorching magma flowing across it. Jagged spires jutted out like thorny brambles, spanning across a barren wasteland. The burning wind whipped through the landscape, incinerating all in its path.

Tang Zijing walked through the desolate and dry terrain, sweat streaming down his forehead as he endured the oppressive heat.

Beneath the molten falls, there loomed a massive throne.

Beyond the lava, a pair of massive crimson vertical pupils ignited, blazing with intense flames.

Tang Zijing dared not meet those enormous pupils, dropping to his knees.

"Primordial Lord."

He murmured respectfully, "I've returned."

Boom!

The Ancient Times' immense pressure rippled outward, akin to resounding thunder.

This was ancestor-level force—a power mighty enough to incinerate the entirety of the cavern.

——Kui Dragon Ancestor.

The colossal crimson vertical pupils blazed fiercely, glaring down at him.

"The fragment?"

A voice that reverberated like an ancient bell yet carried dignified majesty spoke.

However, upon careful listening, it sounded eerily like a woman's.

"I couldn't find it."

Tang Zijing admitted plainly, "It's very likely that You Ying Group's Master has taken it."

Crash!

The molten waterfall quivered, and the entire underground cavern rumbled, sending shards of rock tumbling down.

"An ordinary human snatched it from you?"

Behind the cascading lava, a shadow faintly condensed. "When I entrusted the Venerable's scales to the external world, what did you and Meng Hebo promise? How has it come to this?"

Tall and voluptuous as the most bewitching femme fatale, yet with a chilling intensity.

Tang Zijing hesitated for a second before responding calmly, "Master might have become a Divine Servant. I suspect he has secretly allied with the Qilin Venerable and joined the Qilin Clan as their Divine Servant."

"I will continue investigating this matter. Please grant me more time."

He paused, "Meng Hebo is a Gu Master—causing disasters is his forte, not mine. However, I do excel in frontal combat and can return to the real world to uncover the truth."

A dead silence ensued.

After a long while, the Kui Dragon Ancestor spoke coldly: "Then go. Confirming the status of the Qilin Venerable is of utmost importance. Otherwise, even if we obtain other fragments, it would merely serve to elevate the Venerable instead."

"Understood."

Tang Zijing suddenly added, "Primordial Lord, I just received news from the real world that the Candle Dragon Venerable has returned to Buzhou Mountain and merged with the Candle Dragon Wedge, initiating a Primordial Return."

For a fleeting second, the massive crimson vertical pupils concealed behind the molten lava flickered with a profound terror.

"Previously, when you informed the entity about the Qilin Venerable's possible escape, it didn't react this drastically. Something must have occurred last night... something intolerable."

Tang Zijing remarked.

"Do not ask what you should not inquire. Proceed with your duties. If the Candle Dragon Venerable has indeed undergone Primordial Return, it signifies that the transformation is complete, and the entity is poised to return in its full might. Our time is limited."

The Kui Dragon Ancestor said coldly, "Once the Candle Dragon discovers I am also seeking the Dragon Bone, my demise is assured. Nevertheless... if it executes me, both you and Meng Hebo will perish as well."

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