So You Were That Close to Me

At the top of Deep Sky Tower

Lu Zijin sat in a comfortable office chair, resting her snow-white cheek lazily in one hand as her slender, pale fingers toyed with a ballpoint pen.

A figure in a white martial arts uniform took shape in the holographic projection before her.

He was a middle-aged man with snow-white hair and a stern, imposing face that commanded respect like a lion's.

"Zijin."

He said solemnly, "I've already read the report you sent me."

Lu Zijin narrowed her lovely eyes. "Senior Brother Chen, do you think there's anything wrong with it?"

Minister Chen fell silent for a moment before saying, "Gu Ci'an's son... Gu Jianlin, right? He's an impressive young man. The fact that he nearly managed to kill Joker on his own proves he has more potential than his father did at the same age. Personally, I'd rather see him cultivated than let the Tribunal make his life miserable."

"The report you put together doesn't contain any evidence."

He spoke gravely. "The Ether Association is rife with factional infighting right now. If we can find the crucial evidence in this case, it could very well affect the election of the next Association President. This matter is of great importance. You need to protect that boy."

Lu Zijin licked her red lips. "Senior Brother, you want us to bring down the Tribunal too?"

"I'm staying neutral, but I do dislike the Tribunal's methods."

Minister Chen replied, "So you'll need to work harder and find more clues if you want to resolve this. The person investigating the Blood Moon Massacre is a widely recognized hero."

Lu Zijin fell silent.

That person was indeed a widely recognized hero. Even they, as department ministers, couldn't shake his authority.

"What about the Association President?"

She asked, "What does she think?"

"The old lady has gone into seclusion. I couldn't get her instructions. Her last order was to resolve every problem in Feng City before the Kirin Immortal Palace opens. Nothing else matters."

Minister Chen considered it for a moment. "As for the Tribunal, so many of its people died at Gu Ci'an's hands that it was inevitable they'd go after his son. As a minister, protecting him should be easy enough for you. As for his resources, try to transfer some from other branches and make sure he gets fair treatment."

Lu Zijin pouted. "Is that all?"

"That's all I can do for now."

Minister Chen gave her a long look. "I know Gu Ci'an was close to the Lu Family, and Gu Jianlin has shown exceptional potential. But you need to make him prove his worth on a larger stage—not just in a single jurisdiction. He needs to get on the headquarters' radar and find a powerful backer before he can stand up to the Tribunal."

He stressed, "The Omega Project is a great opportunity."

Lu Zijin rubbed her temples. "I understand."

The call ended.

She stood up and faced the huge floor-to-ceiling window, falling silent for a long while.

If she could choose, the best backer wouldn't be someone at headquarters noticing him.

It would be the Calamity-class Ascender who had already arrived in Feng City.

King of Azure.

The flames in the burning bronze cauldron died out.

As the crimson light shattered into pieces, a thick mass of blood floated up. It churned and twisted like a living thing, countless red bubbles appearing and vanishing as it gave off a rich, sickly-sweet scent.

The Pharmacist watched, fervor rising in his eyes. "It worked! It worked! This is Ancient God Blood, the precious resource every Alchemist dreams of. It's as valuable as the Philosopher's Stone in alchemy. We finally made it!"

Book Elder breathed in its captivating scent and sighed. "That damned sweetness."

"This is the authority of the Ancient God Race. Their minds are lethal contaminants to humanity, but also a chance for us to evolve. Their language is devastating to humans, yet the blood they create is an unparalleled gift. It grants us evolution and breaks the shackles of life."

The Pharmacist closed his eyes and prayed, hands pressed to his chest. He spoke reverently. "They are a race born in the depths of the universe, using the energy of entire planets as the cradle of their lives. If not for that cataclysmic disaster... humanity might still be livestock, kept in pens and enslaved by the gods, serving as their nourishment."

"But this is humanity's age now."

Book Elder suddenly thought of something. "Teacher, if we take the Ancient God Blood, won't that Supreme One be able to control us at will the next time we enter the Kirin Immortal Palace?"

The Pharmacist gave him a look as if he were an idiot and sighed. "The way you put it, you'd think that Supreme One couldn't kill us if we didn't take the Ancient God Blood. Remember, we aren't powerful enough to fight an Ancient God. Strength has never been our advantage."

"So what if that one is a god and we're ants? That one has been imprisoned by an even more powerful Ancient God for thousands of years, unable to reach the outside world. Its spirituality has been parched for millennia."

He smiled. "The Kirin Immortal Palace is about to open. That one can't wait to escape, but first it needs a massive amount of spirituality. Otherwise, it won't be able to stand against the entire human world."

Book Elder understood. "So it won't kill us in the Kirin Immortal Palace. We're just maintaining a pretense of cordiality, even though we both know the truth."

"That's right. The Venerable knows it, and we know it. We're simply using each other."

The Pharmacist said coolly, "The Ancient Records tell of someone who offered an Ancient God his life and soul in exchange for eternal evolution, becoming a Divine Servant and remaining enslaved forever. But after that Ancient God fell asleep in that lost world, the man received no further orders for two hundred years..."

"He was free! Because the Ancient God was asleep in another world!"

"Yes. Everything is under control."

The Pharmacist continued, "As long as we survive the baptism of the Ancient God Blood instead of bursting apart halfway through, we'll finally escape the shadow of death and set foot on the glorious path of... evolution!"

The thick blood in the bronze cauldron cooled, churning silently.

"Complete your evolution as soon as possible. The Sea Siren sent word fifteen minutes ago. The Ether Association has set its sights on this black market, and a full-scale purge will be coming soon," the Pharmacist said.

"Now that we've evolved, what do we have to fear?"

Book Elder sounded dismissive.

"Foolish! Never underestimate the Association! There's much more to it than you imagine."

The Pharmacist warned him sternly, "It's a grave mistake to become blindly arrogant the moment you gain power! We need to retreat and avoid the Ether Association's strength. Don't make trouble for yourselves right now. Understood?"

"Understood, Teacher," Book Elder replied quietly.

But he stared at the scarlet blood, swallowing hard, his eyes entranced.

It was as though he hadn't heard a word his teacher said, captivated instead by the power within reach.

For a moment, Gu Jianlin felt as if he could hear the entire world clamoring around him.

That was an exaggeration, of course. His Life Perception had spread across almost the entire Deep Sky Technology Building, and there were so many people inside that he couldn't begin to count them.

Imagine being trapped in an enclosed space while thousands of speakers played different songs at once.

Or standing on a crowded, noisy street, with countless whispers echoing in your ears.

If he weren't an Ascender, with a will stronger than an ordinary person's, he might have passed out on the spot.

"Damn, what's going on?"

Gu Jianlin remembered clearly: a first-tier Life Controller's Life Perception had a range of twenty-five meters.

Yet his could cover the entire building.

The Ether Association's information couldn't be wrong. The problem had to be him.

"Maybe it's because of the Kirin Venerable! The power I got from the Kirin Venerable has to be more than just the Dual-Core Drive. The Kirin's instincts guided me to choose the Divine Priest Path back then. There must have been a reason."

He considered a possibility. "Could the Kirin Venerable's power be affecting me in my human form, giving me an advantage as I advance along the Divine Priest Path, in addition to Ancient God Transformation?"

He wondered whether any of his other abilities had changed.

Then he suddenly sensed two powerful rhythms of life within his Life Perception.

They weren't in the building, but somewhere far away.

The rhythms were strangely familiar, as rough and deep as the roar of beasts.

Gu Jianlin was taken aback. He turned to look into the distance, suddenly realizing that these rhythms of life were exactly like the Ancient God Blood he'd given away.

Wait!

He suddenly understood.

One of the five people in the ancient tomb had taken the Ancient God Blood!

"I made the Ancient God Blood while in Ancient God Transformation. It can help them truly evolve. Could that be what they mean by... becoming Divine Servants?"

Gu Jianlin pondered for a moment and worked out the gist of it. He murmured to himself, "The Ancient God used its blood to help people evolve, turning them into Divine Servants and protectors of the gods."

Two of those five people had already taken the Ancient God Blood.

Even from this far away, Gu Jianlin could sense them.

Interesting. They were a little far away, but still in Feng City.

"I didn't realize you were so close to me."

Gu Jianlin's eyes flickered. This was getting more and more interesting.

Lu Zicheng and Chen Qing's phones chimed with a notification from the Deep Sky Network.

"Collective Hunting Operation—Immortal Palace Project, officially launched!"

"All team leaders and deputy team leaders, please proceed to the central control room to receive your mission details."

Gu Jianlin's phone repeated Taixu's announcement.

"Greetings, esteemed D-rank Investigator Gu Jianlin. Your team is taking part in this large-scale hunting operation. Please bring your equipment and supplies and report to the lobby of the Deep Sky Technology Building immediately."

Lu Zicheng stood up and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll head over first. You'll be okay, right?"

Chen Qing also stood up, briefcase in hand, and glanced at him with concern.

Gu Jianlin said calmly, "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

The lobby was a spacious conference room, probably used for meetings.

About fifteen investigators sat scattered across the seats.

There were no team leaders, only team members.

Apart from the team leader and deputy team leader, each team generally consisted of three people.

"I heard this mission is to clear out all the Fallen in Feng City."

"The Ether Association rarely mobilizes on this scale. It must be because the Kirin Immortal Palace is about to open, right?"

"Yeah. My father told me I had to make a good impression this time. I made a fool of myself during the hunt for Joker, and got a terrible scolding at home. They almost grounded me."

"That's nothing. When I first got out of the hospital, my grandpa gave me two hard slaps."

The investigators whispered among themselves.

"Wait, weren't there supposed to be seven teams in total? Why are there only fifteen people?"

"Thunder has always worked alone. She's the strongest among the third-tier Ascenders, and might even match a fourth-tier one. She came from headquarters, too. She's a highborn princess. Why would she team up with useless people like us?"

"Then the numbers still don't add up. Isn't there one more person?"

At the mention of it, everyone who had taken part in the Joker incident fell silent.

The Joker incident had been an indelible disgrace for the action team.

The Necro-Gu meant it wasn't their fault, but they had still been wiped out. They'd survived only because a brand-new, zero-tier recruit had turned the tide at the last moment.

Cheng Youyu felt a little embarrassed when he heard it mentioned and scratched his head.

Nie Xiangsi lowered her head, gazing at the photograph from the ruins. Her bright eyes were full of curiosity.

Every so often, she looked up, but the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

"If I were you, after suffering such a humiliating defeat, I'd put a gun in my mouth and end it."

Yan Ye crossed his arms and spoke coldly.

"Yeah," Yan Feng chimed in. "If you hadn't been so useless, you could've held out until we got there."

Mu Ziqing smoothed her blond hair and said nothing.

Yan Ye's expression remained blank. "I don't need to tell you how bad the Blood Moon Massacre was. We still have to clean up the mess."

He continued icily, "Don't screw up this mission."

No one spoke. It was too sensitive a subject.

The Blood Moon Massacre had hit the Tribunal hardest, along with the Ascender families in Feng City. The Yan Family was among them.

Just then, someone pushed open the conference room door.

A black-haired boy walked in, his face expressionless. He wore a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, gray fitted pants, and a pair of white sneakers. He had no accessories at all and looked impeccably clean.

The moment he appeared, the atmosphere changed.

"There he is. D-rank Investigator, Gu Jianlin."

"So he's the one who was used as bait and killed Joker single-handedly while all of you were laid out?"

"That's him."