Forbidden Zone!

On the projection screen, Chen Bojun looked over the assembled rookies once more and said calmly, "I'm sure you all know the Kirin Immortal Palace is about to open. To ensure Feng City remains stable and maintain order between the super ancient world and the real world, we'll be conducting a thorough cleanup across the entire province."

Someone noticed the key phrase.

The entire province!

"Thanks to the Kirin Immortal Palace appearing in the present day, whether you crossed over in consciousness or your physical body, you've all experienced the other world's wildness and vastness from different perspectives."

Chen Bojun continued, "From that point on, your souls were elevated, and you entered the supernatural world."

Gu Jianlin noticed that nearly everyone looked shaken when they heard this.

The only exception was Tang Ling, sitting in a corner on the other side. She kept her head lowered, her face hidden from view.

Gu Jianlin could now be certain that almost all Ascenders had entered another world before awakening.

He had no idea what the others had seen in that world.

He himself had ended up in a tomb chamber as soon as he entered, and still hadn't gotten out.

"This mission will bring you closer than ever to entering the Immortal Palace again. We'll head to the east coast of Feng City and conduct a large-scale sweep of the Forbidden Zone. Six team leaders and six deputy team leaders will lead the operation, with all seven teams deployed. Your target is the survivors of the Blood Moon Massacre."

"After extensive investigation, we've identified an organization known by the codename Grave Diggers."

"This Forbidden Zone was also the site of the Blood Moon Massacre. Due to what happened back then, it has undergone a certain degree of mutation, and there are many unknown dangers. Beneath the sea in the Forbidden Zone lies the Undersea Palace Xu Fu built two thousand years ago. It is also the dimensional entrance to the Kirin Immortal Palace."

"This operation carries significant risks. The slightest misstep could cost you your lives. There's still time to withdraw."

Gu Jianlin was taken aback. The Ether Association had a keen nose; they'd caught the scent of that Ancient God, too.

Good. It seemed the Grave Diggers organization was in this so-called Forbidden Zone.

He still didn't know what a Forbidden Zone was, but it was where the Blood Moon Massacre had happened!

Gu Jianlin wasn't particularly worried. He had two Mythic Armaments. If he couldn't win, he could run.

And he could transform, too.

With the Ether Association's combat strength on top of that, he could practically see the Ancient God Blood waving him over.

Chen Bojun had made it quite clear: this mission was dangerous.

But whether it was meant as a show of force or a warning, no one withdrew at this stage.

Some weren't afraid of dying. Others didn't think they would.

And some were simply too thick-headed to realize the danger.

Still, after hearing about the Blood Moon Massacre, many people turned to look at the black-haired boy in the corner.

Gu Jianlin's face remained expressionless. What the hell did that have to do with me?

A moment later, a notice from the Deep Sky Network appeared on everyone's phones: the Death-in-Duty Confirmation Agreement.

Everyone signed without hesitation.

Gu Jianlin did, too.

"Good."

Chen Bojun looked pleased. A photograph appeared on the projection screen.

"This is the leader of the Grave Diggers. He was also one of the frontline investigators for the Immortal Palace Project."

"Hasegawa Shinichi, from Yingzhou. Thirty-two years old, on the Samurai Path, a third-tier Wandering Warrior. He survived the Blood Moon Massacre and possesses highly mutated abilities. He has since founded the Grave Diggers organization and is engaged in criminal activity within the Forbidden Zone. His threat level is comparable to Joker's, though we can mostly rule out the possibility that he carries a Mythic Armament."

"His rank isn't high, but he has a strong background in archaeology, so he once served as a supervisor for the Kirin Immortal Palace Project. He's committed seventeen murders in a short time and is in a severe state of mental instability."

"Your mission is to assist the team leaders in wiping out all the Grave Diggers members in the Forbidden Zone."

"Especially Hasegawa Shinichi. If circumstances allow, capture him alive."

Gu Jianlin stared at the photograph on the projection screen.

The man had the stereotypical face of a Japanese soldier: small eyes, a Fu Manchu mustache, and disheveled hair.

Gu Jianlin committed his face to memory. He was the main target of the operation.

A survivor of the Blood Moon Massacre.

Joker's accomplice.

Perhaps he knew more about Gu Jianlin's father.

"C-rank investigator Yan Ye is hereby appointed leader of this operation."

Chen Bojun said evenly, "Can you take responsibility for the success or failure of this mission, as well as the safety of every team member?"

At the center of the seats, Yan Ye slowly rose, placed a hand over his chest, and saluted. "I'm up to the task."

No one objected. It seemed only natural for the second-ranked rookie to lead the team.

But Gu Jianlin noticed the white-haired girl in the corner shake her head.

Hasegawa Shinichi's portrait disappeared.

Chen Bojun's face reappeared on the projection screen. Looking satisfied, he said, "Good. I'll send you the details of the operation now. There's one thing you must keep in mind: you're going into the Forbidden Zone, so keep a low profile. It's a chaotic place, crawling with wild Ascender organizations and criminal gangs."

"There's a defector organization you need to watch out for. It's made up of former Association personnel, and its leader is a fourth-tier Alchemist. He stole ancient documents and fled six months ago, and he may well have entered the depths of the Kirin Immortal Palace. He's most likely hiding in the Forbidden Zone and staying in contact with the various wild Ascender organizations."

"I'll send you everything we know. Stay alert."

"If you spot him, report to your superiors immediately. Don't act alone. The Alchemist Path may lack combat abilities, but its practitioners can easily recruit powerful allies. They're beyond your ability to handle."

Gu Jianlin froze when he heard that.

A fourth-tier Alchemist, formerly with the Association.

Wasn't that the old man he'd met in the ancient tomb?

Sometimes,

fate was truly wondrous.

·

·

The top floor of the Deep Sky Tower.

Lu Zijin toyed with an ancient copper coin, a strand of hair wrapped around it. Her red lips parted slightly. "With this thing to divine good or bad fortune, nothing should go wrong, right? That kid doesn't look like he's destined for an early death, and he's not some brainless idiot, either."

"Zijin."

Chen Bojun raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing."

Lu Zijin rested her chin in her hands and slumped listlessly in her office chair. She said coolly, "This operation should be enough to drag out the filth hiding inside the Association, right?"

"Let's hope so."

Chen Bojun clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the twelve team leaders and deputy leaders opposite him. "Then I'll leave it to you."

"Understood."

All twelve team leaders nodded slightly and turned to leave.

This cleanup operation wasn't as simple as it seemed. Besides the twelve team leaders and seventeen rookies, the higher-ups had plenty of work to do to ensure nothing went wrong.

As long as the Tribunal hadn't designed the operation, plans drawn up by the ministers were usually reliable and well organized.

Take this cleanup operation, for example.

The rookies were in the open.

The team leaders were in the shadows.

The higher-ups controlled the whole operation.

As for combat strength, they had more than enough.

The seventeen rookies aside, the six team leaders and six deputy team leaders made for an overwhelming force.

When the mission began, the central system of the Deep Sky Technology Building went on full alert.

Red light swept across the top floor as its immense computing power covered the entire city.

Lu Zicheng waited for the elevator and glanced at the time. "They should be heading out soon, right?"

"Yes. They've already boarded a bus, disguised as Forbidden Zone contraband traders, and are on their way there."

Chen Qing looked down at the red markers on his tablet and spoke softly. "We need to get our disguises on, sort out our equipment, and prepare to leave, too. Young Master, are you all right?"

Lu Zicheng gave a quiet hum and gazed into the distance beyond the glass curtain wall, his expression dim.

Seeing his expression, Chen Qing gently comforted him. "Young Master, you want to help him and bring him in for more than just repaying a debt, don't you? You want to prove something. You want him to see the Forbidden Zone with his own eyes, right?"

Lu Zicheng instinctively reached for his cigarette pack and lighter, but found nothing. He gave a bitter smile. "Something like that. My path has come to an end. But he has talent, and he's clever enough. If he wants to clear Professor Gu's name, he'll never be able to avoid the Forbidden Zone. One day, he'll have to see it for himself. I'm just showing him the way."

A hint of warmth passed through Chen Qing's eyes. He stood quietly by his side.

Just then, a burly man in a long trench coat appeared behind them.

"Well, well, Team Leader Lu."

He kept his hands in his pockets, looking flippant as he spoke in a mocking tone. "Long time no see. You spent years abroad, and I thought I'd never see you in Feng City again."

At the sound of his voice, Chen Qing instinctively knitted his brows.

Lu Zicheng turned around and said evenly, "Wang Bolin. Long time no see."

The burly man was currently the leader of the first-ranked team. He was also on the Ancient Martial Arts Path, a fourth-tier Mad King.

With the Tribunal behind his family, he was a person of some standing in the Feng City jurisdiction.

"I hope you'll look after me during this mission, Team Leader Lu."

Wang Bolin grinned. "Especially since we're heading into the Forbidden Zone. I hope you won't go soft on those Unclean like you did a few years ago. After all, when you show mercy to the enemy, your teammates are the ones who suffer."

Lu Zicheng narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

Chen Qing's eyes turned icy. "Wang Bolin, do you want to die?"

"I'm just speaking the truth."

"All right, Chen Qing. Let's go."

Lu Zicheng didn't say anything else. He turned and walked into the elevator.

Chen Qing shot the burly man a cold glance and followed him inside.

As the elevator doors closed and it descended, the meeting room fell silent.

Wang Bolin lit a cigarette and exhaled. "I never thought he'd come back. I figured he'd stay abroad for good. And now he's brought a rookie with him—one whose father was a Fallen."

The sound of high heels striking the floor rang out.

With both hands in the pockets of her white coat, Lin Wanqiu hurried past him and said coldly, "He's Minister Lu's younger brother, after all. Stop provoking him. If you anger Minister Lu, she won't care who you are."

Wang Bolin was momentarily at a loss, then smiled ingratiatingly. "All right, Sister Wanqiu. By the way, didn't you try to recruit that Fallen's son earlier? How'd he end up on Lu Zicheng's team?"

Lin Wanqiu shot him a sideways glance. "Just some brat who didn't know what was good for him."

With that, she turned and entered the armory.

The other team leaders prepared their weapon cases, occasionally letting out a contemptuous laugh.

"Zhang Shiheng, keep an eye on Lu Zicheng during this operation. Since it involves the Forbidden Zone, I don't trust him."

Wang Bolin licked his lips and gave the order. "I'm the overall team leader for this mission. I won't tolerate any mistakes."

Zhang Shiheng was the leader of the third team, a cold-faced middle-aged man with a huge iron bow strapped to his back.

"Understood."

·

·

A white bus drove across the sea bridge, cutting through the hazy mist.

The entire team of seventeen was aboard, heading for the Forbidden Zone on the east coast.

Before boarding, everyone had received a supply box from the Association.

But they'd been instructed not to open it until they reached the designated location.

As far as Gu Jianlin was concerned, most members of the task force were nothing special and hardly deserved to be called elites. Still, at least the ability they showed on the surface wasn't too bad.

The rookies were young, but no one treated this mission like a spring outing. They were taking it seriously.

After all, this really was a matter of life and death.

Gu Jianlin sat alone in the last row of the bus, looking over the mission briefing.

The Deep Sky Network's artificial intelligence was indeed powerful. When it issued the briefing, each person received a different version, tailored to their circumstances so they could understand it better.

"The Forbidden Zone is an area polluted by the super ancient world. It hides in the shadows of the real world, a paradise for wild Ascenders and Fallen, and a breeding ground for evil."

"It's a chaotic place, teeming with countless dangers. Since the Kirin Immortal Palace appeared, the number of polluted Forbidden Zones has continued to grow. We still haven't figured out why, and we have no way to eradicate them."

Gu Jianlin still didn't understand much about the Forbidden Zone, but he had figured out the purpose of this mission.

Assume a false identity, infiltrate an area rife with crime, and wipe out the targets.

"What the Forbidden Zone is will become obvious once we get there."

Gu Jianlin thought for a moment. "But the problem is..."

He felt that this mission was unsafe.

The reason was that everyone was entering the Forbidden Zone under an assumed identity.

The Ether Association's higher-ups were probably hoping to catch their enemies off guard.

The problem was, the five people from the ancient tomb were probably in the Forbidden Zone, too.

And the Sea Siren seemed to be a mole planted inside the Ether Association.

That meant this operation could very well be leaked.

"Lin Xuecheng, codename Pharmacist, on the Alchemist Path, a fourth-tier Spirit Gatherer. Seventy-four years old. Formerly employed by the Ether Association's drug research group as a division head. Confirmed to have been polluted by an Ancient God. He stole ancient documents and fled six months ago."

"Zhou Ting, codename Book Elder, on the Celestial Master Path, a third-tier Mind Master. Twenty-nine years old. Formerly employed by the Ether Association, where he served as deputy leader of the fifth team. Confirmed to have been polluted by an Ancient God and defected alongside Pharmacist."

Gu Jianlin looked down at the two photographs, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.

After all this scheming, he'd finally found them.

The two of them were in Feng City's Forbidden Zone.

Gu Jianlin had already sensed them earlier. They'd taken Ancient God Blood; he had no idea how far they'd evolved.

"And there's the Sea Siren."

He thought, "I don't know who she is, but I'll assume she's already leaked the information."

Someone sat down beside him and held out a phone.

Its screen displayed a WeChat QR code.

Gu Jianlin was startled. He looked up.

At some point, Tang Ling had taken the seat beside him.

The girl kept her head slightly lowered, her black sun hat hiding her exquisitely beautiful face, pale as frost and snow. A huge black instrument case hung from her shoulder, and a faint, cool fragrance drifted from her, with the crystalline chill of ice.

Gu Jianlin saw that she had no intention of speaking, so he opened WeChat and scanned her QR code.

"You've added Thunder as a friend."

Her profile picture was a slightly silly-looking cat head.

After adding him, Tang Ling turned and walked away, taking the other side of the back seat and lowering her head to tap at her screen.

Ding.

A new message appeared in Gu Jianlin's WeChat.

Tang Ling: "You're not Tier Zero, are you? If you were only Tier Zero, you couldn't have killed Joker."

Gu Jianlin looked up. She was still looking down at her phone, fiddling with it, with no intention of communicating verbally.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He replied.

Ding.

Tang Ling: "Are you an Evolutionist?"

Gu Jianlin was startled.

Tang Ling glanced up at him, then put away her phone.

Gu Jianlin couldn't make heads or tails of what she meant. She suspected he was an Evolutionist too, yet didn't plan to probe further or confirm it.

He instinctively grew wary.

He remembered that this woman ranked first in the Feng City jurisdiction.

She had been the one behind the emergency plan during the operation at Fengcheng No. 2 High School.

Cold, proud, severe, and efficient.

Detached from the world, solitary, and taciturn.

That was the first impression he had formed of her. This woman was decidedly unconventional.

The bus left the sea-crossing bridge, then suddenly slowed and turned as thick fog rolled toward them.

The sky abruptly darkened, plunging everything into blackness.

But it was daytime, only eleven in the morning. It was impossible for the sky to be dark.

Gu Jianlin looked up and saw dark clouds blanketing the sky, with not a single ray of light breaking through.

"Look! What's that up ahead?"

Someone cried out.

Gu Jianlin looked up and saw a desolate, eerily quiet city come into view beneath the dark clouds.

Feng City was a major metropolis, famous for its picturesque scenery of blue skies and clear seas. This ruined city looked like some abandoned relic from the last century, like a rusted dagger jutting abruptly into a painting.

A chime sounded from his phone.

"Welcome to the Forbidden Zone, Black Cloud Stronghold."

This was where the Grave Diggers organization was hiding.

Five thousand words. An hour late.