Gu Jianlin turned his head toward the shattered window. Sea breeze poured in from outside, and the night was as desolate as death.

He had heard some rumors about the strengths and weaknesses of the Overlord Path.

In the official records of the Ether Association, the competitiveness of the Overlord Path has never dropped out of the top five throughout history. With the addition of modern firearms, it has become utterly terrifying in recent times.

Its advantages might not be evident at the low levels.

But those ultra-high-level Overlords are rumored to be able to shoot down enemy machine gunners from 800 miles away.

Of course, what shocked him even more was the capabilities of this resurrected chubby man with small eyes.

No one could explain this heaven-defying ability.

A shattered head, yet he could revive on the spot.

"After all, I'm one of the six shareholders of the You Ying Group, quite a big name in the Dark World. Assassinations are a daily occurrence—I'm used to it. If you eventually make a name for yourself, getting targeted for assassination will be entirely normal. These days, the more advanced alchemy technology becomes, the more heaven-defying the assassins on the Overlord Path are."

Mr. Liu acted as if nothing had happened, looked at his suit, and sighed, "Such a shame about my clothes."

The two Bunny Girls seemed indifferent, walked to the corner of the room where a safe was located, skillfully entered several digits to unlock the code, and retrieved a black metal box with gold edges.

"This weapon is called the Heavenly Evil Spirit. Yes, it's named following the Ying Province style because its core was crafted from the soul of a Yingzhou Mutant. When alive, he was a murderer, so it carries heavy resentment. Not everyone can handle it, but judging by your ruthlessness, you shouldn't have a problem."

Mr. Liu stood up and smiled broadly, saying, "Consider this your reward for surviving the fighting cage. If you want to continue, feel free to use this Golden Card for another attempt."

"Have you ever heard about the Butcher? Back in the day, he also climbed his way up using this Golden Card."

He hinted meaningfully, chuckling, "If you seek the qualifications to enter the Immortal Palace and follow us in pursuit of the Candle Dragon Venerable's inheritance, you need to work harder, young man."

The Candle Dragon Venerable's inheritance.

Gu Jianlin had no idea what the strongest Ancient God might have left behind.

But as the Qilin Venerable, he appeared to be the most likely candidate to seize it!

After all, even the strongest Candle Dragon probably didn't expect the Qilin Venerable, who had been suppressed for two thousand years, would break free from the Immortal Palace in some sense and gain freedom in the outside world!

"Understood."

Gu Jianlin said calmly, "Thank you, Third Master."

Mr. Liu seemed quite satisfied, clasped his hands behind his back, and left with an air of indifference. Before leaving, he said, "Hmm. I need to change into a new outfit and host a guest for a big business negotiation. You can leave on your own later; with the Golden Card, nobody will stop you."

As he finished speaking, the two Bunny Girls swayed their hips elegantly, escorting him away.

Gu Jianlin stood in place holding the black box, watched the man's departing back, then followed him out.

The second-floor corridor was packed with bodyguards.

In the reception hall upstairs, Mr. Liu, arm in arm with the two Bunny Girls, walked ahead.

Facing him came a young man in a white suit, surrounded by an entourage. He seemed harried, his face filled with frustration, vigilance, and unease.

He carried two heavy cash boxes, gripping them so tightly his knuckles appeared slightly whitened.

"Well, isn't this Mr. Yan Hao?"

When Mr. Liu saw him, he broke into an enthusiastic smile, "Honestly, why so soon? I just encountered some trouble over here and was planning to change first before meeting you."

Yan Hao forced a smile and said, "My family's encountered some issues and urgently needs to rent a ship to set sail. My sister-in-law insisted I come here quickly to finalize the deal."

Mr. Liu expressed a look of surprise and asked with curiosity, "Really? What kind of problems has the Yan family run into? If assistance is needed, my side is always happy to help!"

Yan Hao's expression turned strange, and he waved dismissively, saying, "It's not a major issue. We just need a ship. As long as it ensures timely departure, we're prepared to meet any terms you request."

He raised the two enormous cash boxes, "There's five million inside one box, and the other is filled with gold bars, both are solid currencies in the Dark World, considered your down payment."

"Oh, that's unnecessary! Down payments are too polite!"

Mr. Liu protested verbally yet accepted both boxes without hesitation.

At the far end of the corridor, Gu Jianlin stood silently, listening to their conversation.

The Lock of Nonexistence on his wrist shimmered with silvery light, erasing his presence.

·

·

When Gu Jianlin walked out of the underground bar carrying the black box, it was already 4 a.m.

The harbor was nearly deserted. The sound of waves rose and fell in the stillness, and the black ocean stretched endlessly, with only the roaring gales tearing through the gloom of the Sky Dome, scattering faint light among the fragmented clouds above.

A few workers were unloading cargo at the port after working through the night.

Nearby, drunkards lay sprawled on the road, likely stripped of their belongings.

"Supreme."

The Scholar was waiting outside the bar with respect, saying, "You've come out."

Gu Jianlin nodded slightly, glancing at him, "Where are Zhong Guoqing and his daughter?"

The Scholar lowered his voice, "They've already gone back to the shop to rest. The father and daughter are living there—I could still hear crying when I dropped by. Vulture happens to be Zhong Guoqing's elder brother. He fell into the abyss and came here to fight in illegal matches because he's nearing corruption. But I've noticed something strange."

He paused. "I suspect Vulture has been affected by spiritual toxin."

Gu Jianlin narrowed his eyes.

"I asked around. Although Vulture has developed tolerance against suppressive drugs and can no longer control his deformation with medication, his state yesterday during the matches hadn't deteriorated to the verge of mutation yet."

The Scholar explained, "As for Wild Dog, he fought seven matches, of which in six cases, he was inferior in raw strength but managed to drag his opponents into deformation to win. It's hard not to suspect something."

Gu Jianlin responded, "Got it."

"Additionally, I just saw someone, presumably from the Yan family, enter the Black Spade Bar, likely negotiating a deal. Should we secretly capture him, interrogate him about the Yan family's sailing schedule, and administer the soul loss secret medicine? Alternatively, you could directly infuse him with Ancient God's Blood to exert full control."

The Scholar's expression turned savage, and he gestured slicing his throat, "This Yan Hao has decent standing in the Yan family, likely possesses good talent, and has bounty-list experience in the black market. He might handle the power of Ancient God's Blood."

Gu Jianlin considered silently for a moment. It was indeed an appealing plan.

Just as well, he was eager to test the black box and uncover the secrets of the so-called ultimate alchemy weapon.

[ps: First published on the Qidian app. Feel free to check out the official chapters. Next update will be tomorrow at 8:30 PM~]