The Ancient Gods' Whisper

The bus driver was a Deputy Captain from the Second Squad.

His name was Chen Chen.

He was a slightly chubby young man with a friendly face, who smiled and said, "This is your first time coming to Black Cloud City, right? Be careful and don't act alone. For now, we're heading to a motel to rest, and we'll complete the cargo handoff while we're at it."

Everyone nodded slightly, put away their phones, and started looking around.

Gu Jianlin was also curiously scanning his surroundings. Whenever he entered a new environment, the first priority was always to gather information.

According to the Deep Space Network, the Black Cloud City Forbidden Zone had formed eight years ago, at a time when the Qilin Immortal Palace had yet to descend completely. However, dimensional fissures had already opened, allowing the aura of the Super Ancient World to flood in.

Back then, Ascenders on Peak City's East Coast could simply look up to see a massive rift appear in the sky. Black clouds poured forth like a devastating flood, stirring towering waves in the sea below, as if heralding the apocalypse.

Afterward, the areas shrouded in dark clouds experienced time-space overlaps.

Time once lost to history reset itself against reality.

If an ordinary person drove across the sea bridge and turned a corner, they would enter a newly developed district.

However, those attuned to spirituality would see an area shrouded in black clouds, a cluster of dilapidated buildings from the 1950s. In recent years, an influx of wild Ascenders had transformed this area into a chaotic and lawless city fortress.

Hence the name, Black Cloud City.

As the bus entered the fortress, a sense of an abandoned era immediately enveloped them. The roads were riddled with potholes, bordered by sidewalks overgrown with wilted old trees. Sand covered the ground, and not a single intact brick could be found. The streets were lined with weathered, broken tube-shaped apartments, their corridors cluttered with random objects and clothes, as if they could collapse with a single gust of wind.

Nearby were small shops, their signage crooked and unsteady, and walls stained with grease.

There were also rundown garbage dumps, reeking of filth.

And peddlers pushing carts, selling various snacks.

Some alleys were relatively lively, with food vendors gathered here and there.

Gu Jianlin looked around, observing the traces of life, especially the passersby.

A child crouched by the roadside playing marbles.

A beggar on the street clutched a dagger hidden inside their ragged coat, glaring coldly at the passing bus.

A tattooed man drinking beer at a street stall bore a grotesque scar on his back, resembling a giant serpent.

A mother pushing a stroller had only one hand, her empty sleeve flapping, while two handguns were holstered at her waist.

An old man selling fried chicken skewers seemed to be wielding some inexplicable ability, as a massive ancient Samurai materialized behind him.

This was clearly the Ancient Martial Path.

This was the face of humanity.

Gu Jianlin never anticipated that the so-called Black Cloud City would look like this—like stepping into the 1950s. Yet most of the people here were far from ordinary.

Currently, his Life Perception could reach up to 100 meters, allowing him to hear countless melodies.

He could sense the myriad people around him.

Those people, those traces, each carrying hidden tales.

The bus stopped in front of a decrepit motel.

"The mission begins. Stay sharp."

Chen Chen reminded them, before leading the group off the bus.

A clerk emerged from the motel, exchanged a few murmured words with him, and made a phone call.

After that, several burly men appeared from inside the motel and silently went to the back of the bus to unload cargo.

The so-called Taboo Items were actually materials from the Extraordinary World. Some had been excavated from Super Ancient Ruins worldwide, while others were artificially manufactured drugs or alchemical products.

Throughout the process, no one spoke.

Yan Ye's sharp, cold eyes swept over everyone before he followed from behind like a shadow.

Upon arriving in the fortress, the group was visibly startled and remained vigilant, constantly scanning their surroundings.

Just then, Gu Jianlin received a new WeChat message.

"Take a good look, soak it all in, and make wise choices. Your father spent many years here back in the day."

——Lu Zicheng.

Gu Jianlin froze. He glanced around, amazed that the man had once been here.

For some reason, the thought of this being a place his father had stayed changed his perception of it.

Initially, he had viewed the city fortress with wariness and even a trace of dread.

But now, while still cautious, there was also a newfound sense of curiosity and familiarity.

For the first time, he felt so close to the traces left behind by the man.

The path Gu Jianlin now walked was the same one his father once tread.

"What does it mean to make wise choices?"

He surveyed the surroundings, silent for a long moment.

Suddenly, Cheng Youyu scuttled over with an overly curious expression and asked in a hushed tone, "Brother Lin."

Gu Jianlin turned to look at the chubby man.

"What's your relationship with Captain Lu?"

Cheng Youyu asked inquisitively, "Why did he suddenly decide to lead the team?"

Gu Jianlin looked at him, puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Cheng Youyu seemed startled and said, "Brother Lin, don't you know? Captain Lu wasn't supposed to lead the team. This time, he returned because the Lu Family wanted him to recuperate, letting his sister care for him. It's said he suffered severe injuries during a mission years ago, with heavy casualties. Since then, he's found it nearly impossible to ascend to the next Order."

Gu Jianlin paused for a moment.

Having spent time with Lu Zicheng, he'd already gotten the sense that this was someone with a story.

As for the rest, Lu Zicheng hadn't shared much, and Gu Jianlin hadn't pressed.

After all, although Lu Zicheng had shown him care, their interactions were still quite limited.