The light source in the underground space came from several shadowless lamps suspended from the ceiling.
The cold light illuminated the entire space as bright as day, casting its glow on the white silhouette standing with his back to Lin Qiye.
The damp, musty smell mixed with the thick scent of formalin, forming a nauseating stench that permeated the cramped sewers.
Lin Qiye's gaze fell upon that figure.
Wearing a white lab coat, the slender figure moved with focused and steady precision.
Even after a year apart, and even though the other party's aura had become eerie and unfamiliar, Lin Qiye recognized him at a glance.
An Qingyu.
The boy from Cangnan No. 6 High School who had calmly dissected the Nanda Serpent Demon with a small knife.
At this moment, he was holding a scalpel in his hand.
The blade glinted with a chilling light under the lamps, deftly slicing through the skin and flesh of the "Mystical" lying on the ground.
His movements were as precise as the most sophisticated instrument.
With every cut, he perfectly avoided the crucial energy nodes, completely peeling away a piece of tissue containing special power.
Throughout the entire process, not a single drop of blood stained the scalpel.
"You're here."
An Qingyu did not turn around. His voice was calm, as if Lin Qiye's arrival was entirely within his expectations.
Lin Qiye didn't speak, merely watching him quietly.
An Qingyu placed the extracted tissue into a glass dish filled with a green solution before slowly turning around.
His face bore an eerie smile that bordered on obsession.
"Care to see my results?"
He picked up a thick notebook from the table and spread it open in front of Lin Qiye.
It was covered in densely packed symbols and lines, representing a knowledge system entirely unknown to humanity.
"I am utilizing my awakened ability, [Absolute Truth]."
A hint of fanaticism seeped into An Qingyu's voice.
"I can acquire their abilities by dissecting corpses and Mystical substances."
"I have been tracking and recovering these unhandled 'Mystical' corpses with only one goal in mind..."
He raised his head, staring at Lin Qiye with burning eyes.
"To decipher the essence of power."
"This is the only key to unlocking the ultimate mysteries of life."
Lin Qiye listened in silence.
He had to admit that An Qingyu's talent and sheer dedication had far surpassed the realm of ordinary people.
He was a true madman, but also a true genius.
"Join us."
Lin Qiye extended a formal invitation.
"Night Watchman Squad 136 needs a 'technical advisor' like you."
Hearing this, An Qingyu let out a scoff.
His laughter was filled with disdain and mockery.
"An official organization?"
"Don't joke around, Lin Qiye. You people would only restrict my research. You could never tolerate what I am doing."
He shook his head. "I don't need anyone's approval. I only need the truth."
Lin Qiye didn't argue further; words felt pale and powerless at this moment.
He slowly raised his right hand, and an incomparably powerful force radiated from his body.
The smile on An Qingyu's face froze. As a genius with extremely acute energy perception, he could feel an overwhelmingly terrifying power emanating from Lin Qiye.
But that wasn't even the most important part. Beyond that, he actually sensed an aura from Lin Qiye that seemed to transcend the very rules of reality.
"It seems you've had quite a few miraculous encounters these past years."
Lin Qiye didn't answer his question, simply continuing, "Do you know of 'Emperor One'?"
An Qingyu's body jolted violently. Of course he knew that title.
The taboo existence who swept through the foreign divine realms, who hunted gods for sport, and who struck terror into the hearts of countless deities.
"He's my cousin."
As soon as Lin Qiye finished speaking, he flipped his hand and pulled out a glass bottle.
Inside the bottle, a palm-sized humanoid figurine was frozen in a posture of terrified screaming.
It was none other than the "Screaming Edition" limited Whisper figurine.
Lin Qiye handed the figurine over.
An Qingyu subconsciously took it. The moment his fingertips touched the glass, a sealed, faint, yet undeniably real aura of an absolute powerhouse transmitted clearly into his perception.
The despair and terror contained within that aura exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder.
The notebook in his hand dropped to the floor with a smack.
An Qingyu fell into a long silence.
The only sound left in the entire underground laboratory was the faint humming of the shadowless lamps.
A long time passed.
An Qingyu slowly raised his head, the fanaticism in his eyes replaced by a much deeper gleam.
What did it mean to have such an existence as a backer?
It meant he could ignore any rules. It meant he could possess nearly infinite research resources.
More importantly, it meant he would have the opportunity to come into contact with those legendary gods—the absolute highest tier of "experimental materials."
"I won't join the Night Watchmen."
An Qingyu's voice regained its calm.
"But I can serve as your 'private advisor' and provide you with technical support."
He laid out his conditions.
"On the condition that you provide me with sufficiently rare and powerful research samples."
The corners of Lin Qiye's mouth finally curled up into a smile.
"Deal."
...
Time flew by in a flash.
Over the next half month, the lives of Cangnan City Squad 136 returned to a rare state of normalcy.
On this day, the squad members were playing cards in the lounge of their station.
Without warning, the space distorted, and a figure appeared out of thin air.
Ian yawned. "I'm so bored..."
He looked around, his gaze eventually landing on Lin Qiye.
"Come on, little bro. I'm taking you out to broaden your horizons."
Under the astonished gazes of Hong Ying and the others, Ian walked straight up to Lin Qiye.
He reached out, grabbed Lin Qiye, and gave a violent yank.
A shimmering golden phantom was forcefully "pulled" right out of Lin Qiye's body.
The phantom radiated a holy brilliance, faintly revealing the outline of a magnificent structure.
It was none other than the Mortal Divine Realm left behind by Michael.
At the same time, far away in the Lunar Sanctuary, the Seraph Michael snapped his eyes open.
A trace of humiliation and fury instantly surfaced on his handsome face.
He felt the Divine Realm imprint he had left inside Lin Qiye being forcibly stripped away by an incomprehensible, irresistible, and tyrannical force.
Yet, he couldn't even muster a single thought of resistance.
Back at the station, Ian casually tossed the golden phantom aside like a piece of trash.
Then, he grabbed Lin Qiye's shoulder, and the space distorted once more.
The two of them vanished from the spot instantly.
In the next second, the scenery before Lin Qiye's eyes suddenly opened up.
Beneath his feet was a blue-gray cobblestone street, and the aroma of ale and roasted meat drifted through the air.
The architectural style before him was bizarre, with pointed wooden cabins and domed stone castles standing interspersed.
The streets were bustling with people coming and going, extraordinarily lively.
A demi-human girl with fluffy animal ears ran happily past, carrying a platter of fruit.
Tall elves with pointed ears walked out of a tavern.
There were even palm-sized fairies with transparent wings on their backs, playing and fighting in the air, scattering specks of golden stardust.
"This is a plane under the Western Divine Realm system."
Ian's voice rang in his ear.
"It's the perfect place to experience exotic customs."
Lin Qiye looked at everything before him, feeling as though he had dropped into a massive fantasy MMORPG.
Ian, wearing a mysterious smile, led Lin Qiye through several bustling streets.
Eventually, they stopped in front of an exceptionally conspicuous building.
The entire building was painted an ambiguous pink, its walls and windowsills decorated with an abundance of hearts and lace trimmings.
At the entrance, two voluptuous, scantily clad catgirls and foxgirls were seductively waving at the passing pedestrians.
Right above the building, a massive neon sign flashed with an alluring light.
On it, several large characters were written in flamboyant calligraphy.
[Interspecies Exotic Parlor].
Lin Qiye was petrified on the spot.
A rush of heat shot straight to his head, and his cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
Ian patted his shoulder with a wicked grin and, pulling out an exquisitely covered booklet from who knows where, stuffed it into his hands.
Printed on the cover of the booklet was a line of hot-stamped gold text: *Beginner's Guide to the Interspecies Exotic Parlor*.
"Don't be nervous, little bro."
Ian winked, his smile full of wicked intentions.
"We're just here to promote... deep cultural exchange between different civilizations."
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