Gu Jianlin raised his head and saw the woman's face filled with panic and alarm.

He immediately turned to look out the window, his expression growing grave.

After a long trek, the temperature had already dropped significantly.

The barren wilderness was devoid of any vegetation; faintly visible in the distance was an ancient city shrouded in icy winds. The architecture of the Ancient God Clan was marked by a profound sense of mysterious religious fervor. Massive pyramids could be glimpsed, surrounded by countless towering stone statues, and decayed ancient trees suspended mid-air with their roots plunging into the ground.

Balensa City—its name meant the Land of Eternal Life and Rest.

Chen Qing adjusted her headset, pressed down on the accelerator, and sped forward, speaking coldly, "The Eastern Front has issued orders to all units. We are to rendezvous at coordinates 469.125. This location is on Balensa City's outskirts, where the terrain is open and unobstructed, ideal for the Dawn Combat Sequence to sweep through. It's also within the coverage of the Heavenly Person Realm."

She paused for a moment: "Director Chen has also approved this plan—to annihilate the You Ying Group in one decisive strike!"

Upon hearing this, it seemed like there really were no issues.

Lu Qingqing and Zhou Yiming both nodded in agreement with this plan, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

After enduring so many setbacks, they needed to vent their frustration with a fierce counterattack.

Lu Zijin stroked the drowsy Little Princess in her arms, but her gaze shifted to the young man: "What do you think?"

Gu Jianlin couldn't find any flaws in the plan either.

But the next moment, Lin Wanqiu leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Something's wrong. Something is very wrong here. Can we avoid this city and enter the Sea of Eternal Life from somewhere else?"

Gu Jianlin instinctively frowned. This was the fastest shortcut—by passing through Balensa City, they could reach the Ice Field and, deeper still, the Sea of Eternal Life.

If they took a detour, it might take more than half a month.

By then, even if Minister Lu completed his promotion, it would already be too late.

Lin Wanqiu could tell from his expression that the answer was no. She, too, felt urgent. She continued whispering in his ear, "Four months ago, this place wasn't like this. While the temperature was low back then, this area should have been a tundra. This city used to be encased in ice."

Gu Jianlin froze, turning to glare intently at the city.

At that moment, the tablet's display screen lit up with dense clusters of red dots.

The warriors of the Dawn Combat Sequence had already begun to gather.

Units from every direction were converging on the location.

With a thunderous roar,

The transport truck rushed over the hillside and charged into Balensa City, the howling cold wind cutting like blades.

Roar!

The Black Qilin in Gu Jianlin's mind seemed to sense something, its golden slitted pupils cracking open slightly.

Although Gu Jianlin himself felt nothing yet,

The instincts of an Ancient Supreme had already been triggered.

That meant there was something wrong with this city!

"Captain Lu, what was the temperature the last time you were here?"

Gu Jianlin asked in a deep voice.

Lu Qingqing was locking onto a distant helicopter with her scope. Startled by his question, she hesitated before answering, "It was around minus ten degrees. Eh, it's true—this time it feels much warmer."

Zhou Yiming, positioned atop the truck, felt it most directly. He shouted, "It's just five degrees now—why?"

Gu Jianlin's suspicions were confirmed. This frozen city was gradually warming up.

Lin Wanqiu was right—something was indeed wrong here.

"Quick, stop them immediately! Don't let them fight in this city!"

Gu Jianlin's face shifted between light and dark as he bellowed, "Sister Chen Qing, contact Director Chen at once! If it's already irreversible, they must prepare for the worst, because something will definitely happen tonight!"

Lu Zijin narrowed her beautiful eyes, her gaze heavy: "Is it really that bad?"

Even the Little Princess lifted her head, staring blankly at him.

For the first time, Chen Qing saw him this agitated and unhesitant as she relayed the message.

A moment later, her face darkened as well. In a low voice, she said, "Director Chen has yet to recover, and the Eastern Front has refused our request. As expected, the units here have suffered severe losses from attacks, and the higher-ups are determined to retaliate. Moreover, this operation is being commanded by someone from the Judgement Court."

Gu Jianlin took a deep breath as the Stone Bead on his wrist quaked violently.

Youzhu was getting closer.

This meant that a large number of Twilight Candidates were also approaching.

A parrot stuck its head out from his backpack and cursed, "These idiots!"

At the same time, a stone pillar began trembling violently.

"Not good!"

Zhou Yiming shouted, "Abandon the truck! Run!"

Lu Qingqing's expression changed abruptly—her Eagle Eye had clearly spotted it: a burning helicopter was diving toward them!

"Shit!"

Without hesitation, Gu Jianlin's forehead ignited with pale Ghost Fire as four Ghost Hands emerged behind him.

In an instant, both Lu Zijin and Ji Xiaoyu—the taller and smaller of the lolis—were grabbed by his Ghost Hands.

Chen Qing and Lin Wanqiu were too stunned to react to the miraculous scene before them. Suddenly, they felt themselves being hoisted up, as if carried by invisible ghosts, vanishing from the truck's interior in the blink of an eye.

"The rest is up to you! Retreat!"

Gu Jianlin growled in a low voice.

With a loud crash, he broke through the truck's cabin, carrying four women as he charged out.

Whether it was Lu Zijin, Ji Xiaoyu, Lin Wanqiu, or Chen Qing,

Each of them felt an unprecedented sense of safety.

"What about us?"

The remaining Guardians were stunned into paralysis.

The next moment, Lu Qingqing and Zhou Yiming grabbed the collars of their companions and sprinted, leaping off the truck to escape.