Most people's impression of Lu Yu was limited to the Battle of the Two Cities' High Schools, the Dragon Mystic Realm, and the Professional Promotion Assessnt.
The Imagination Object Scramble, in particular, was not announced to the public as it involved critical information.
Even if soone tried to post about it, the platform would instantly delete it, followed by a "Friendly Exchange" from certain visitors.
Therefore, it only circulated within a small circle of large-scale adventure groups and powerful Beast Tars, all of whom knew how Lu Yu had fiercely beaten the Imagination Body like a BOSS.
It was clearly the other party's Barrier, yet he could control it at will.
This skill in analyzing and exploiting rules had reached a terrifying level, leading many to remark that this fellow had the potential to beco a Legendary Investigator.
"Quiet!"
The Alliance Military also recognized Lu Yu's identity and began to soothe the agitated Iron Blood Sword Hounds. A person in charge stepped forward, who turned out to be a familiar face.
It was the only female among the four Morning Star Rank Beast Tars who had been in charge of the Red Dragon Mystic Realm, the person in charge sent by the Great Abyss City Alliance—Zhang Li.
She was dressed in a camouflage military uniform.
Although not stunningly beautiful, she exuded a heroic aura. After seeing Luo Qingyue and the Chiyue Honglian sisters next to Lu Yu, she quickly understood the situation.
Lu Yu was likely their shared hired expert.
As for whether there was a deeper relationship, that was unknown!
Zhang Li wasn't interested in prying into others' private lives.
She smiled at Lu Yu and said, "I've heard about what's been happening recently, especially the incident at Border Tomb Village. Well done.
It makes want to drag you into the Alliance."
The Great Abyss City Alliance was very satisfied with how Lu Yu had handled the situation without killing indiscriminately to vent his anger; his thods were mature.
If it weren't for the fact that it was still going through procedural review, the announcent of this news would surely cause a sensation.
Especially that Trump Card, comparable to the Spirituality Transformation Level, would definitely make countless jaws drop.
Although Lu Yu said it was used up, most people remained skeptical.
After all, this kid… was famous for being overly cautious.
He had plenty of trump cards!
Lu Yu gave a shy smile, saying it was just good luck and that he still had a long way to go. This humble attitude earned Zhang Li's admiration, and she led the group toward the edge of the Temple Ruins.
This scene made the hearts of the others sink to the valley bottom.
"As expected, he's here for the Temple Ruins.
This is going to be troubleso!"
"Ruins are different from Mystic Realms and Barriers, right? They shouldn't be so easy to break through…"
"That's what they say, but didn't the last two groups of people think the sa? And what was the result… weren't they left doubting life?"
"You have a point, I'm getting a little nervous. We're not going to leave empty-handed this ti, are we…"
"You guys are getting more timid the older you get. He's just a Silver Rank Beast Tar, nothing to worry about."
"That's right.
The Mystic Realm was because of the remnants of the Red Dragon Tribe, and the Imagination Object incident was because of the Imagination Body. Both were intelligent life with rules that allowed him to exploit loopholes.
The Temple Ruins are nothing but weirdness upon weirdness. They don't follow reason.
It's impossible for him to repeat his past glories…"
"…"
The mbers of several large-scale adventure groups discussed amongst themselves. So were wary, so were disdainful, and so wanted to cooperate or even fish in troubled waters.
Among them was Yue i, the Vice-Leader of the Dark Moon Rose Adventure Group. She was a mature beauty with a hot body, gray short hair, and healthy, wheat-colored skin.
The back of her hand was tattooed with a pattern of an intertwined black moon and rose, making her look a bit like a legendary Dark Elf.
But she was a genuine human, and a Spirituality Transformation Beast Tar at that, only lacking enough Prival Copper to reach the Morning Star Rank.
She looked at Lu Yu's group in the distance, licked her lips, and said playfully:
"So this is the recently popular Lu Yu… Looks like this Temple Exploration is going to be lively. I rember now, you guys seem to be from the sa school.
Do you know him?"
She was speaking to two mysterious figures wearing cloaks. Upon hearing her question, the two lowered their hoods.
One had black hair cascading down, a gentle smile on her lips—it was Yu Xiyan.
Beside her was a crew-cut youth with a defiant look on his face, her pet and younger male cousin—Qi Wei.
Yu Xiyan looked at the three won behind Lu Yu, narrowed her eyes, and said with a smile:
"Of course, I know him. I've had a crush on him for a long ti. I even gave him a love letter a while ago, but unfortunately… I was rejected."
"Eh, rejected… that shouldn't be.
I see this kid brought three little sisters to explore the Mystic Realm. He doesn't seem like such a proper person.
How could he bear to reject you? Could it be that his weapon has overloaded too many tis, leading to insufficient ammunition?
But in all fairness, he's really good-looking. Not one of those effeminate pretty boys, but truly handso.
If I were younger, I'd like him too. It's a sha I'm a Big Grinder now, hahaha…"
Yue i clicked her tongue in wonder.
Looking at the dazed Qi Wei, she teased:
"What about you? Don't tell you have a crush on him too?"
"How is that possible!"Qi Wei's face darkened at her words, and he quickly retorted, "I'm his archenemy."
"Archenemy?"
Yue i glanced at him and smiled without saying a word.
Although Qi Wei's talent was also good, making him an excellent Beast Tar, he was far from being a monster like Lu Yu, who had a chance of becoming a top-tier genius of the Borderlands. But since he was Yu Xiyan's cousin, she would give him so face.
This wordless smile was the greatest contempt, making Qi Wei feel a pent-up frustration with no outlet. The most crucial part was that he couldn't refute it…
After all, the previous Lu Yu was indeed on the sa level as him, almost left in the dust by him.
But after this guy exchanged for the Gold dal, he was soaring up ninety thousand li, reaching a level that he, the forr Number One Archenemy, could only look up to.
As for his dad… he was already suffering from intermittent senile dentia, claiming to have forgotten ever saying things like "you can surpass Lu Yu."
He said that if Qi Wei kept blabbering, he would take him to the hospital for leech therapy to suck the water out of his head, and even threatened to cut off his allowance.
Qi Wei did not yield to this.
He had made a good sum of money making videos about Lu Yu anyway, and he could make a living off that in the future.
The reason he was here wasn't to gather material, but because his cousin had offered to take him to explore the mystic realm to find a fated opportunity to beco stronger and catch up to Lu Yu.
Although it had the suspicion of making empty promises, Qi Wei still believed her. After all, even though he had been beaten badly in the Desert Ant Mound Mystic Realm last ti, his strength had indeed improved a lot, so he obediently followed her.
Then, Qi Wei watched as Yu Xiyan accepted a cat-finding mission. Before his bewildered eyes, she easily found the cat and then discovered that the person who posted the mission was the Vice-Leader of the Dark Moon Rose Adventure Group.
It was a cat she had raised for over a decade, equivalent to a family mber, so she was incredibly grateful.
After a conversation, Yue i found that Yu Xiyan resonated with her on every topic and had great insights into the developnt of the adventure group.
They had a delightful chat, seeing each other as kindred spirits, and she proactively invited her to beco the adventure group's strategist.
Even after Yu Xiyan refused, she didn't give up.
To win her over, she took the initiative to invite her into the Temple Ruins to broaden her horizons and, at the sa ti, display the resources of her adventure group.
Qi Wei watched, dumbfounded.
It was that simple… she had infiltrated the upper echelons of a large-scale adventure group.
This black-bellied woman, through a seemingly insignificant cat-finding incident, had everyone, including a Spirituality Transformation rank Beast Tar, in the palm of her hand.
Utterly terrifying!
And what shocked him the most was that Lu Yu was here too!
Could this also be within his cousin's control?
A yandere chasing a man is so scary!
Qi Wei felt scared, then took out his cara. Since he was already here, he might as well gather so material.
In reality, Yu Xiyan was also surprised by Lu Yu's arrival.
Her ability ca from a trapezohedron she had obtained by accident, which had now beco her innate talent, nad 【Fate ssenger】.
One of its abilities was that it contained the vast information of the real world, allowing her to enter the River of Fate and deduce outcos by calculation, similar to solving a formula.
Like a ssenger, passing letters between her past and future selves.
The reason for this na was that the information she spied on, although based on the vast information of the current world, was on a tiline similar to a parallel universe from the mont the deduction began.
But it had many flaws.
Whenever it involved Lu Yu or other high-rank existences, it would frequently make mistakes. Everything she saw would not be real, or she would even be misled, coming into contact with unnamable information, leading to aberration.
If it weren't for eting Lu Yu and following in his footsteps, where countless possibilities overlapped to reveal a part of the true future, giving her a glimr of hope, Yu Xiyan would have probably gone mad long ago!
But even so, she still felt her own insignificance. In this world, the more you know, the more despair you feel.
The general trend of the real world was still like a rushing river, washing over all living beings. Everything was a chessboard for the Great Existences, a Taboo Domain inaccessible to mortals.
This ti, the ancient ruins were a predetermined result in her deductions, which would appear in the future. Although the specific details to conquer it were unknown, Yu Xiyan could reverse-engineer the information to join in and have a chance to gain many benefits.
She hadn't expected to et Lu Yu again!
'As expected… he is always on the right path!'
Yu Xiyan was pathologically obsessed with his Eternal Truth. As for these won…
They were stumbling blocks!
On the other side, a group of beautiful nuns in clean, white habits were praying in low voices.
Because a temple was involved, to prevent any residual will of an ancient god, the still-present Church of Thorns and a Saintess Candidate were also invited.
However, they were different from ordinary Thorn Nuns.
They belonged to the Thorn Choir under the Tribunal, responsible for offering the Thorn Hymn to their great god. Thus, they had requirents for both appearance and talent, making them the elite of the church.
When they chanted in unison, they could summon thorns to descend upon the world, entwining all living beings and inflicting pain upon all things. Before becoming a Saintess Candidate, Jiang Ji was also a mber of the choir.
However, at this mont, these nuns frowned as they looked at Lu Yu and the three won in the distance.
This man was the person of suffering that Jiang Ji was pursuing?
How was he suffering?
He was clearly playing the field and having a great ti!
If he were to enter the Church of Thorns, the church's population might just double…
Thinking of this, they looked at the dazed Jiang Ji with so sympathy.
Chasing a wild horse… but the Church of Thorns only had thorns, not a grassland.
It would only injure the horse, or drain it dry.
And Jiang Ji, the object of everyone's pity, was actually looking at Lu Yu and thinking… how to drag Lu Yu into the Great Prayer Room for so counseling.
In terms of martial strength, unless she activated the 【Eye of the Sin King】, she would be no match for the current Lu Yu, who had obtained an Imagination Object.
Regarding this, netizens suggested that she could let the other party walk into the tiger's den, the so-called honey trap offensive.
Judging by Lu Yu's appearance, he seed quite infatuated with beautiful won, perhaps even a bit deficient.
At this thought, Jiang Ji glanced at herself. Hmm, her figure was decent.
If it was for the sake of bearing the world's pain, this policy could be considered…
Procreation was the foundation of racial continuation and the world itself, so it wasn't sothing to be ashad of.
Moreover, in the Church of Thorns, apart from the Saintess, the nuns and candidates were not forbidden from marrying.
On the contrary, procreation was encouraged, proclaiming that those with many children would be protected by the Lord of Thorns. This led to persistent rumors that the slightly lewd design of the Church of Thorns' nun habits was to comply with the Procreation Doctrine.
There were even quite a few adult manga about the Great Prayer Room of the Church of Thorns… Cough, cough, cough…
As long as no nas were ntioned, the Church of Thorns couldn't be bothered to pursue the matter. Promoting childbirth was sothing they were happy to see.
anwhile, the closer Lu Yu got to the Temple Ruins, the more he could feel the磅礴 dark spiritual energy within. It had turned into a weird black fog exuding a deathly cold, shrouding the entire ruins, leaving only so dilapidated walls exposed.
"Guji…"
Eggy, however, woke up from its slumber. Its clear and foolish eyes looked at the distant temple, which was built from strange stones and had a corpse-like rotting purple color.
It nudged Lu Yu, revealing a hint of longing.
'Is Eggy also craving sothing in the temple…'
Lu Yu was thoughtful but not too surprised.
After all, Eggy's origin was one of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King's collection items, later forged into a living weapon.
These collection items… originated from this very land.
Perhaps they were related to the ancient civilization that built this temple.
Maybe he could find sothing to accelerate Eggy's growth into its complete form, or even find suitable Secret Food ingredients for it to transform into a Dragon-type pet beast comparable to an Ancient Dragon.
But first, he had to figure out whose temple this was and its connection to the Mother of Dusk.
So Lu Yu asked this question.
Zhang Li had anticipated it but shook her head helplessly and said:
"Actually, we still haven't figured out who this temple is dedicated to. At first, we thought it was the sealing site for the severed limbs of the Incarnation of the Mother of Dusk, worshipped by past creatures.
But later we found that wasn't the case at all. After careful investigation, we couldn't find any trace of the Mother of Dusk's aura.
And according to the appraisal of several archaeologists, these ruins might predate even the Red Dragon Tribe.
It's most likely from so lost age, and its civilization was once glorious, but it was destroyed for so reason, leaving only a corner of the ruins.
The lingering,磅礴 spiritual power caused a mutation…"
At this point, Zhang Li sighed with so emotion. No matter how glorious a civilization or sacred a dynasty, they were but ants in the face of ti, their final destination just a handful of yellow earth.
This was the helplessness of all intelligent life.
Even The Kings were not eternal.
Perhaps after eons, only the Taboo Existences would remain forever.
However, she didn't say any of this to Lu Yu.
After all, coming into contact with taboos too early could easily cause ntal imbalance. Besides, an ordinary person would likely never encounter these existences in their entire life.
"And the Temple Ruins, except for the central temple, are all shrouded in a layer of Cold Fog. It devours all heat.
Any creature that gets close will have all its vital essence devoured, turning into withered bones. So flying in is not an option.
Even a Morning Star Rank can only gaze from afar at this vast sea of Cold Fog. It's best to attack from the ground, clearing this ruin bit by bit.
Therefore, the Alliance has chosen to open up these Temple Ruins. Contributions will be calculated based on the efforts of different forces—the more you work, the more you get.
However, the Alliance needs to transcribe a copy of any records of the ancient civilization. The rest of the treasures are up for grabs…"
Zhang Li sighed.
She also had a headache over this, wondering how long it would take to breach the Temple Ruins.
She had originally wanted to ask Vice President Sikong for help, but he refused on the grounds that "the underground environnt isn't suitable for enjoying coffee."
After all, there was no power left by an Ancient God inside; its developnt was only a matter of ti.
Lu Yu nodded, feeling relieved.
If it were that easy, the ruins would have been conquered long ago, and it wouldn't be their turn.
"Conquering the Temple Ruins, this is the prelude to the legendary chapter of Investigator Luo Qingyue!"
Luo Qingyue, on the other hand, was ecstatic.
As the first discoverer, she already had so contribution points. As long as Lu Yu could carry her a little, even if they couldn't break into the temple core, she could intercept an item for her Ancient Bookworm's evolution at the end.
Then, she would give Lu Yu monetary compensation at the market price.
If she couldn't afford it… she would go to her grandfather and live off him for a bit, raiding his private stash.
That little old man was loaded anyway.
If he refused to give it, she would have no choice but to sell herself to Lu Yu as a maid.
As for whether it would escalate to a hot weapon, that would depend on Lu Yu's integrity.
Lu Yu was handso anyway.
It was uncertain who would be getting the short end of the stick!
'It really is this place…'
Chiyue Honglian and Chiyue ng exchanged a look, a tacit understanding between them. Although they had already gathered so information before coming, they only felt relieved after seeing the ruins, confirming that…
It was indeed That One's temple!
And the thing they needed was also within these ruins.
The group followed Zhang Li to the edge of the ruins. The other adventure groups, the Church of Thorns, and others also drew closer upon seeing this.
In front of them, several white-haired archaeologists stared at the Ruins Mystic Realm, which was shrouded in Cold Fog just within reach. They scratched their heads in frustration, causing their already sparse hair to fall out even more.
In his previous life, archaeology required careful, protective excavation, followed by analysis of various remaining docunts, studying the past bit by bit to present vivid historical figures to the modern era.
But in this world, all things could nurture spirituality.
Especially these ruins, which had been soaked day and night in磅礴 spiritual energy, had long since mutated and gained intelligence.
In short, it had co alive!
It had developed a unique operational law, and everything remaining in the ruins beca a part of it, yet its essence was chaotic and disorderly.
Those who entered rashly would affect the operation of its laws, thus inviting a backlash.
And archaeologists needed to study the laws, unravel them, and dismantle the spirituality of the ruins piece by piece, guiding them from chaos to order, bringing them out from their deep burial underground and placing them in the sunlight.
They were a group of people who soothed history.
But at this mont, due to the lack of relevant docunts, the few archaeologists could only grope around, searching for a weak node in the ruins.
Zhang Li waited for a while and couldn't help but ask:
"How is it, you three experts?"
An archaeologist with a diterranean hairstyle was already irritable. Hearing her question, he glanced at her and said flatly:
"What's the rush? Archaeology is sothing that requires patience. It can't be rushed."
Zhang Li's expression stiffened.
Although she had heard that these old antiques, who were like artifacts themselves, were difficult to get along with, she hadn't expected them to be so short-tempered, scolding her like a student.
But these three were archaeology specialists hired by the Alliance.
Although they were only at the Spirituality Transformation level, it was only because they had been engrossed in archaeological excavation for years and had no ti to improve their strength; they could get promoted anyti they wanted.
In terms of seniority in the Alliance, they were older than her, and they had many Morning Star Rank students.
As for their teacher… he was a magnate in the Archaeology Departnt.
Even if they put on the airs of an elder, there was nothing she could do.
The archaeologist with white hair and a youthful face stepped in to smooth things over:
"Old Wang is just blunt. Don't take it to heart."
"I understand."
Zhang Li nodded, not really minding.
After all, there were guys in the military with even worse tempers. Besides, the other party didn't have any malicious intent; he was just frustrated from being unable to figure out the pattern to enter.
Putting herself in his shoes, it was like doing all the work for a group project by yourself. The others not only didn't help but just watched from the side, constantly nagging you.
At that point, you'd be like a powder keg, exploding at the slightest spark.
The remaining archaeologist with a goatee couldn't help but sigh:
"This Cold Fog is just too thick.
It even conceals the spiritual energy of the Ruins Mystic Realm. It's also too dangerous; even pet beasts get devoured easily if they get close, turning into skeletons.
It seems we can only grind it out with ti. I don't know if we can even get it done today…"
Hearing this, the others also frowned.
After working so hard to clear out the demonic beasts, it would be too frustrating to be unable to explore the ruins and return empty-handed.
But as layn, they couldn't point fingers.
They could only wait quietly, but they were already preparing for a war of attrition.
Luo Qingyue was also helpless.
She had been blocked by the Cold Fog before, and she didn't expect that sending a few industry seniors would be useless either.
Thinking of this, she poked Lu Yu beside her and whispered:
"Do you have a way?"
Before Lu Yu could speak, the diterranean-Haired Old Man, with his sharp hearing, naturally heard her words.
He curled his lips and muttered:
"Do you really think archaeology is like playing house? Anyone can just co and figure out the pattern? Then we might as well be a fart…"
The voice wasn't loud, but all the Beast Tars present could hear it, and they couldn't help but laugh.
This old man not only insulted Lu Yu but also himself in the process.
This was truly railing against Heaven, Earth, and Air.
But what he said was true.
Lu Yu wasn't a professional archaeologist. He hadn't even entered the ruins, so he didn't know the operational law, let alone how to crack it.
Only a little girl would believe in him so blindly.
The other two old n also shook their heads, paying it no mind, and prepared to continue studying how to find the operational law to make the outskirts of the ruins appear.
Only Yu Xiyan narrowed her eyes, having absolute confidence in Lu Yu.
"This old man is way too nosy!"
Hearing this, Luo Qingyue also got a little angry.
Lu Yu was brought here by her, after all. He was her, the future Legendary Investigator's, assistant.
Only she had the right to bully him. How could she let others do it?
Just as she was about to step forward and argue, she was pulled back by Lu Yu.
"Don't be afraid, I'll cover you…"
Luo Qingyue thought Lu Yu had chickened out. Just as she was about to say a few harsh words to show her own might, she saw Lu Yu bend down, pick up a brick, weigh it in his hand to confirm it was heavy enough, and then walk forward.
Seeing this, Luo Qingyue swallowed the words she was about to say.
This guy was simply…
Audacious enough to cover the sky! No, he was about to poke a hole in the sky!
It seed… she wouldn't be able to cover for him!
"Holy crap, he's for real!"
This scene stunned everyone.
This kid Lu Yu, did he have such a short fuse?
Swinging a brick at the drop of a hat, and at three Spirituality Transformation Beast Tars no less.
So ferocious!
Qi Wei was also dumbfounded.
Why did this guy never play by the rules!
"This guy, every move he makes is unpredictable…"
Chiyue Honglian's brow was tightly furrowed. Was soone who would impulsively challenge three Spirituality Transformation level Beast Tars over a single sentence really suitable to join their plan?
No matter how great his potential, he was just a reckless brute!
Thinking of this, she looked at her younger sister, wanting to see if she was also disappointed.
However, the scene that t her eyes almost left her dumbfounded.
Chiyue ng had also picked up a brick and was about to follow him.
Luckily, she stopped her in ti, otherwise, it might have escalated into a malignant diplomatic incident.
If it got serious, it could even trigger a war between the Succubus Race and the Human Race Archaeology Faction.
"Hmm?"
Chiyue ng opened her eyes wide, looking at Chiyue Honglian in confusion. Then, as if realizing sothing, she handed the brick over, preparing to find another one for herself.
I don't want your brick!
(╯－＿－)╯╧╧
What kind of adulterous… bah, what kind of deadly duo are you!
"Did he get triggered or sothing…"
Zhang Li and the three archaeologists also frowned. The youth of today were too much of a glass heart, unable to take even a single word.
Just when everyone thought a huge fight was about to break out, Lu Yu walked straight past the defensive diterranean-Haired Old Man and ca to the front of the ruins shrouded in Cold Fog.
Seeing this, the diterranean-Haired Old Man also panicked.
Although he disliked this short-tempered junior, he didn't want to see him get hurt. He shouted a reminder:
"Don't get close, it's very dangerous!"
However, Lu Yu turned a deaf ear.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he directly smashed the brick down.
Bang!
The mont the brick made contact with the Cold Fog, a muffled sound was heard.
It had actually struck the formless mist, instantly bursting forth with a dark purple radiance.
The light shone, and wherever it passed, the thick Cold Fog, like a sea of clouds, churned and began to rapidly dissipate.
Everyone was stunned, with only one thought left in their minds.
That works?
The three old n's eyes widened, and they couldn't help but wonder if they were really…
A fart?
In the next mont, the Cold Fog dispersed, and the outskirts of the Temple Ruins were revealed.
Disbelief was written all over everyone's faces. The three archaeologists were also horrified.
After seeing the scene before him clearly, Lu Yu's pupils shrank abruptly. Four words appeared in his mind:
"Doll Hell!"
A big 7,100-character chapter, asking for Monthly Tickets.
I've had a bit of writer's block recently, trying my best to co up with a good plot. Also, I'd like to recomnd a friend's book, written under the alternate identity of a great author.
I grew up reading his books (Joking).
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