A beam of holy light fell on the teenager's forehead, dazzlingly bright.

Everyone fell silent, feeling awkward to the point of tingling scalps.

Only Da He Wang roared angrily: "Even though we've just met, don't underestimate the power of our friendship, you bastard!"

Boom! Countless explosions erupted, completely collapsing the passage.

A moment passed.

Gu Jianlin felt the gentle holy light emanating from his forehead, alleviating his intense headache to a significant degree. And of course, there was the soft sensation on his cheek, equally sublime, pulling him from the abyss of despair.

"Are you okay?"

What met his eyes was the worried gaze of a young girl.

Su Youzhu gently caressed his hair. Six months ago, on that rainy night, she had been the first to arrive at his side. Seeing him covered in blood almost broke her heart. She knew all too well the deep shadow this incident had cast on him.

"I'm fine."

Gu Jianlin vaguely recalled that he'd been held this way before, with faint calls echoing in his ears.

In truth, this girl had appeared by his side long ago, but he had been too gravely injured to remember.

"Ghost Car, Vermilion Bird."

He held his forehead with his hand, enduring the agonizing headache, and murmured, "What happened back then wasn't as simple as it seemed. Old Gu wasn't just facing the Ghost Car Ancestor; the Vermilion Bird Venerate also appeared. I even suspect that Old Gu was in such a hurry to escape, not because he found out he was wanted after leaving, but to avoid the Vermilion Bird."

Su Youzhu trusted his abilities completely and didn't doubt him for a second.

However, the matter was beyond absurd.

"How's that possible? The Vermilion Bird Venerate was thrown into the dimensional chaos decades ago. Even if they've returned to Earth, how could such a Supreme Level entity appear in the real world without causing any commotion?"

Lu Zijin, incredulous, muttered under her breath: "Not even a Catastrophe sensed it."

Mr. Liu listened to the young ones discussing Supreme entities and Catastrophes. He felt his scalp go numb and advised, "Figure out what to do after we leave. You didn't hear anything, I didn't hear anything either."

Whether it was Yuuki Yocchi or Da He Wang, both understood the gravity of these taboo topics.

But this teenager before them was truly astonishing.

Possessing both the President's signature forbidden spell, All Heavens Divine Thunder,

and freely discussing the Vermilion Bird Clan,

he was likely a super genius cultivated by the Order World—undoubtedly an Omega Sequence talent, second to none.

Gu Jianlin knew the situation was indeed bizarre; what he'd seen earlier was undoubtedly the Vermilion Bird Venerate.

Yet, how could the appearance of an Ancient Supreme escape even his teacher's notice?

"In the past, Bai Ze warned the Candle Dragon to be cautious of the Vermilion Bird. Youzhu's destiny projection also mentioned that the Vermilion Bird is the ultimate terror. The battle at the Fusang Divine Palace at the end of the last century might not have ended the way humanity imagined." Gu Jianlin's thoughts spiraled in turbulence. He forced himself up, ignoring the pounding headache, and examined the sacrificial ground at the end of the underwater palace. The door ahead likely led to the main hall.

Something within the main hall seemed to have been activated, causing the entire world to feel as if it were on the brink of collapse.

For some reason, even though this realm was created by Qilin and the Candle Dragon,

Vermilion Bird's power lingered ominously in the air.

He mustered the strength to stand, staggering while surveying the sacrificial ground. His gaze fell upon shattered pill furnaces and skeletal remains scattered on the ground.

The bones were relatively small, seemingly belonging to individuals who hadn't reached adulthood, yet they all bore traits of the Ancient God Clan. Some had grown dragon tails, others had immense horns, and still others had scales lodged within their bone seams.

Their bones shimmered like jade—clearly not in a normal state.

With no Divination Masters or Spirit Mediums present, their profiles were the only way to deduce their characteristics in life.

Fortunately, their bones were surrounded by jade ornaments and even scattered strands of gold thread.

Likely embroidery from the garments they wore a thousand years ago.

Each pill furnace contained a single skeleton, creating an eerie and unsettling scene.

"Child Boy and Girl."

Su Youzhu, as a Cheater herself, instantly recognized the origins of these corpses and softly spoke: "These are the boys and girls who accompanied Xu Fu on his eastern expedition. The empty coffins found at the entrance to the underwater palace originally belonged to them. For some unknown reason, they abandoned their duties as Gatekeepers and came to Penglai Fairy Island."

Lu Zijin looked up with a stern expression: "Look over there."

At the end of the sacrificial ground stood a massive bronze sculpture, undoubtedly crafted in the Ancient God Clan's style. It radiated a profound religious mystique, depicting a figure draped in a divine robe seated cross-legged, head bowed, eyes filled with compassion.

"Xu Fu, this is Xu Fu!"

Da He Wang grew excited, falling to his knees before the statue, hands clasped together as he exclaimed, "We've seen sculptures like this in ancient Shintoist texts. The ancestors did not deceive us! The legend is true—Xu Fu truly reached Penglai Fairy Island and uncovered the Mystery of Immortality. It's all real! There's treasure here!"

Yuuki Yocchi, skeptical, asked: "Wasn't Xu Fu the Gatekeeper? Why would he be here?"

The answer was clear: Xu Fu was indeed the Gatekeeper.

But he abandoned his duties to enter this place.

"Because Xu Fu was practicing alchemy."

Gu Jianlin looked up at the two frescoes painted above and instantly understood everything.