The Mingzhu Hotel was one of Jiangcheng's venerable five-star establishments—twenty-eight stories high, opulently furnished. In recent years, however, it had been eclipsed by newly built international chains, its business no longer what it once was.
Lu Chen paid the fare and stepped out. As he passed through the revolving doors, the receptionist's gaze lingered on him for a moment. His appearance was indeed wretched: tattered clothes stained with blood and dust, a pallid complexion, his steps unsteady.
Yet his spine was straight, his eyes serene, and he headed directly for the elevators.
Twenty-fourth floor.
As the elevator ascended, he leaned against the cabin wall and closed his eyes, regulating his breathing. His injuries were worsening. The medicinal effects of the Rejuvenation Powder were fading; internal bleeding had begun anew.
[Warning: Internal hemorrhaging intensifying]
[Recommendation: Immediate surgical intervention or "Cellular Repair Pod"-grade equipment]
A cellular repair pod… the Ghost Organization might possess one.
The elevator arrived on the twenty-fourth floor.
The corridor was carpeted thickly, footsteps swallowed by silence. Room 2408 lay at the far end—a presidential suite, its gilded numbers gleaming.
Lu Chen stopped before the door, in no hurry to knock.
[Aura Perception] activated, scanning the interior.
Four life signatures, all between level 25 and 35. Three clustered in the living room, one in the inner chamber. No sign of an ambush—unless their concealment exceeded his perception.
He raised his hand and knocked.
Three long knocks, two short, then two long—the contact code he had seen on the Ghost Organization's tablet.
Silence for a few seconds. Then the lock clicked open.
A young woman answered the door, twenty-seven or twenty-eight, clad in a hotel attendant's uniform. Her eyes were sharp—level 28. She glanced him over and stepped aside. "Come in."
Lu Chen entered the suite.
The living room was spacious, its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking half of Jiangcheng. Two men sat on the sofa. One was bald, in his fifties, wearing a white lab coat—clearly a researcher, around level 30. The other, early thirties, lean and hardened, dressed in black combat gear, a scar cutting across his face—level 35.
The inner room door stood ajar. A middle-aged man in sleepwear sat at a desk, his back to the entrance, studying something. He was the fourth presence Lu Chen had sensed.
"Sit," the man in the lab coat said, gesturing to the opposite sofa.
Lu Chen sat.
The young woman closed the door and stood behind it, one hand resting at her waist—where a weapon was undoubtedly concealed.
"You're Lin Xiao?" the scarred man spoke, his voice hoarse. "We've reviewed your file. Didn't expect you to come knocking on our door yourself."
"I need treatment," Lu Chen said bluntly.
"And why should we help you?" The man in the lab coat adjusted his glasses. "You wiped out one of our outposts last night, killed Scarblade, and stole our assets. Sparing your life already counts as mercy."
"Because I have something you need." Lu Chen pulled the stone formed from the Devouring Entity from his pack and set it on the coffee table. "This—and the intelligence I possess."
All three sets of eyes sharpened.
The man in the inner room finally turned around and walked over.
He was in his forties, utterly unremarkable—the sort who vanished into a crowd. Yet his aura was steady, around level 40, and he exuded an unfathomable depth—not of power, but of calculation.
"I am 'Hive,' the head of this site." He picked up the stone, examining it carefully. "This is… the core of a Devouring Entity? Where did you obtain it?"
"A docklands secret realm," Lu Chen replied. "More precisely, from a sunken ship. Alongside it, there was this—"
He produced four fragments of the Demon-Suppressing Stele, laying them loosely on the table without assembling them.
At the sight of the fragments, Hive's composure finally wavered.
"The Demon-Suppressing Stele…" he murmured, then looked up sharply. "You came out of the secret realm alive? The Association didn't catch you?"
"I escaped."
"How?"
"That's irrelevant," Lu Chen said evenly. "What matters is that I know what lies within the realm, the Association's plans—and certain matters concerning Ark Laboratory."
Hive studied him for several seconds, then laughed softly. "Interesting. A discarded scion of the Lin family, level 24, gravely wounded and on death's door—yet you dare negotiate with us alone. Do you think we won't kill you, or that your bargaining chips are sufficient?"
"Both," Lu Chen replied calmly. "Kill me, and you gain neither the stele fragments nor accurate knowledge of the realm. Keep me alive, and I can help you obtain the Ark Core—if it truly exists."
"Help us?" the scarred man sneered. "Why should we trust you?"
"You don't need to." Lu Chen looked at Hive. "We make a deal. You provide medical equipment and medicine, heal my injuries. In return, I guide you into the realm and help you secure the Ark Core. As for the Demon-Suppressing Stele fragments—they can be lent to you for research, but ownership remains mine."
"Lent?" The man in the lab coat frowned. "Kid, you're in our hands. These items already belong to us."
"Do they?" Lu Chen lifted one fragment. "Then feel free to try taking it."
Before the words had settled, the scarred man moved.
Blindingly fast, he appeared before Lu Chen, hand shaped like an eagle's talon, snatching for the fragment.
Lu Chen did not dodge.
He did not even look at the scarred man—his gaze remained fixed on Hive.
At the instant the hand was about to touch the fragment, Hive spoke. "Stop."
The hand froze midair.
"Stand down," Hive said.
Grinding his teeth, the scarred man withdrew and stepped back.
Hive regarded Lu Chen anew. "You're bold."
"I'm gambling," Lu Chen said. "That you need me alive—at least for now."
"Why?"
"Because the Association has sealed the realm's entrance, and Director Wang has activated the 'Purge Protocol.' You know what that means." Lu Chen paused. "Without me, you can't get in. Even if you do, you won't come back out."
"Purge Protocol…" Hive's eyes turned icy. "Those old Association bastards truly are ruthless."
He retrieved a document from a drawer beneath the table and handed it to Lu Chen. "Read this."
Lu Chen took it.
An encrypted intelligence file, titled: Association 'Purge Protocol' Implementation Guidelines.
The contents outlined the policy: whenever a secret realm or critical asset risked falling into hostile hands, the Association could initiate a purge—destroying the entire realm or area and eliminating all who possessed knowledge of it, including their own personnel.
Several case studies followed, all within the past decade. Each purge had resulted in massive casualties, some even claiming civilian lives.
"Director Wang activated the purge for the Jiangcheng secret case early yesterday morning," Hive said. "The entire docklands area is sealed. Heavy weapons have been deployed, along with three retainers above level 60. If we force our way in, it's suicide."
"So you need another entrance," Lu Chen said. "Or rather… knowledge of the realm's spatial structure, its weak points."
"You know them?"
"I obtained a map within the realm," Lu Chen said, half-truthfully. "It marks three auxiliary passages. One lies within the Yunling Mountains."
He placed the dragon-patterned jade pendant on the table. "This is the key."
Hive picked it up, sensing it carefully, then nodded. "A spatial token indeed. But how do you prove the passage is still usable?"
"I can take you there," Lu Chen said. "But first, I must be healed."
Hive was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Lao Bai, take him to the medical room."
The man in the lab coat—Lao Bai—stood. "Follow me."
Lu Chen gathered the fragments and jade pendant and followed him into the inner room. It was no bedroom, but a compact laboratory, bristling with instruments. At its center stood a silver-white, coffin-like machine—the cellular repair pod.
"Get in," Lao Bai said, opening the lid. "Undress. There will be a scan."
Lu Chen complied.
As the lid closed, pale green fluid flooded the chamber, submerging him entirely. It did not choke; it could be breathed. Warm, enveloping—like a hot spring.
[Advanced medical device detected: 'Biological Repair Pod (Modified)']
[Commencing host injury repair…]
[Estimated completion time: 6 hours]
Lu Chen relaxed and closed his eyes.
Outside, Lao Bai operated the console. The screen displayed Lu Chen's data: internal organ damage 68%, skeletal damage 42%, energy depletion, minor genetic-level impairment…
"This kid's luck is absurd," the scarred man muttered, staring at the screen. "With injuries like these, anyone else would be dead."
"He's no ordinary man," Hive said, entering with Lu Chen's pack. "Escaping an Association and Chen family encirclement alone, then wiping out one of our outposts… the Lin family's castoff is anything but simple."
"Should we take advantage of this?" the scarred man made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Not yet." Hive shook his head. "He's right—we need him. At least until the Ark Core is secured."
He placed the stele fragments beneath a scanner.
Blue light swept across them. Complex rune structures and energy flow diagrams blossomed on the screen.
"So this is the Demon-Suppressing Stele…" Lao Bai's eyes shone. "Its construction is exquisite—far beyond this era's technology. Each rune contains power at the level of laws."
"Can it be replicated?" Hive asked.
"Unlikely." Lao Bai shook his head. "Unknown materials, lost forging techniques. Even with schematics, we couldn't reproduce it."
"Then analyze its functions," Hive said. "Especially its spatial attributes. If it can resonate with other fragments, can it be used to locate additional spatial nodes?"
"I'll try."
As Lao Bai resumed work, Lu Chen lay in the pod, eyes closed yet fully conscious.
[System, monitor their actions and record all data.]
[Monitoring…]
['Ghost Organization' analyzing Demon-Suppressing Stele fragments]
[Analysis progress: 7%… 12%…]
[Warning: If analysis completes, the opposing party may gain partial control over the fragments]
He could not allow full analysis.
With a thought, Lu Chen covertly resonated with the fragments.
They trembled faintly; the surface runes slipped into disorder—he deliberately disrupted the energy flow.
"Hm?" Lao Bai frowned at the suddenly chaotic readings. "The energy field is unstable… damage-related, perhaps?"
"Record what we have for now," Hive said. "Proceed slowly."
"Understood."
The analysis halted.
Lu Chen exhaled silently.
Six hours passed swiftly.
The pod opened. Lu Chen sat up.
His injuries were largely healed—fractures mended, organ damage reduced to 15%, energy restored to level 24. More importantly, the pod had optimized his body at a deeper level; cellular activity had increased by about five percent.
[Injury repair progress: 85%]
[Current status: Capable of high-intensity combat (recommended duration ≤ 30 minutes)]
[Cellular activity +5% (permanent)]
He donned the clean clothes prepared beside him—a fitted black combat suit of specialized material, offering mild ballistic protection.
When he emerged, only Hive remained in the living room.
"How do you feel?" Hive asked.
"Much better," Lu Chen said, taking a seat. "Now we can discuss business."
"No rush." Hive poured tea and slid a cup toward him. "First, tell me about yourself. You're the Lin family's legitimate grandson. Ill-reputed, perhaps, but hardly destined to work with an organization like ours. Why?"
"Because I have no choice." Lu Chen sipped the tea. "The Association wants me dead. The Chen family wants me dead. Even within the Lin family, there are those who want me gone. I need allies—even temporary ones."
"Candid," Hive chuckled. "But aren't you afraid we'll turn on you afterward?"
"I am." Lu Chen set the cup down. "That's why I've left myself a contingency."
"Oh?"
He produced a small black device and placed it on the table. "I installed this inside the repair pod. If my heart stops—or if I'm separated from it by more than five hundred meters—it triggers. Not an explosion, but a virus I planted in your database. All data related to Ark Laboratory and the Demon-Suppressing Stele will be automatically erased."
Hive's gaze sharpened.
Then he burst into laughter. "Excellent. This is how it should be. Had you spoken of trust, I'd have thought you a fool."
His smile faded. "Since we both have contingencies, we can speak frankly. Your terms?"
"First: during treatment, you do not move against me, nor attempt to control me."
"Agreed."
"Second: after entering the realm, ownership of the Ark Core belongs to me. I will, however, provide you with a full data copy."
Hive frowned. "We want the physical core."
"You can't take it." Lu Chen shook his head. "According to my intelligence, the Ark Core is bound to the realm. Forceful removal will collapse the space and bury everyone with it."
"Proof?"
"The stele fragments contain records," Lu Chen said, half-truthfully. "A thousand years ago, the Demon-Suppressing Sect was destroyed precisely because it attempted to extract an 'otherworldly object.' That object was likely the Ark Core's precursor."
Hive fell silent, weighing the claim.
"I can take you to see it first," Lu Chen added. "If I'm lying, you can kill me on the spot."
"…Fine," Hive said at last. "But if it's true, we want a complete data copy—every technical parameter and manufacturing principle."
"Deal."
"And the third condition?"
Lu Chen met his gaze. "I want to know who 'the Doctor' is."
The air froze.
Hive's eyes turned lethal. "How do you know about the Doctor?"
"A guess," Lu Chen replied evenly. "An organization like Ghost doesn't form without a top-tier scientist behind it. Your obsession with Ark Laboratory suggests your leader is either a survivor of the original lab—or closely connected."
Hive stared at him for a long time before speaking slowly. "You're very clever. But the more you know, the faster you die."
"I've brushed death more than once already," Lu Chen said. "One more makes little difference."
Hive rose and stood before the window, his back to Lu Chen. "The Doctor… was one of Ark Laboratory's founders—and the sole survivor. Thirty years ago, an accident wiped out the lab. Everyone died. Only he escaped. But what escaped… may not have been wholly human."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Hive turned back. "The Doctor is now half man, half… something else. He seeks the Ark Core not for research, but to complete himself."
Lu Chen's pupils contracted.
"This mission is more than a task for us," Hive said, resuming his seat. "It is the Doctor's lifeline. If you dare deceive us, I promise—you'll regret ever being born."
"I understand," Lu Chen nodded. "When do we depart?"
"Tomorrow before dawn," Hive replied. "You'll stay here tonight. Lao Bai will prepare equipment—and brief you on the realm."
He clapped his hands.
The scarred man and the young woman entered.
"Introductions," Hive said. "Ahu—level 35, close-combat specialist. Aque—level 28, reconnaissance and communications. They're part of this operation. A long-range support will join us tomorrow."
Ahu shot Lu Chen a cold glance, saying nothing.
Aque smiled. "Mr. Lin. A pleasure to work together."
"Likewise," Lu Chen nodded.
"Aque, take him to the armory," Hive said. "Ahu, prepare vehicles and weapons."
"Yes."
They departed.
As Lu Chen turned to leave, Hive added, "Remember—we are allies only for now. Once the Ark Core is secured, we part ways. Should we meet again, we may be enemies."
"I know."
Lu Chen followed Aque down the corridor to another room.
It was a compact armory. Weapons lined the walls; tactical vests, helmets, and communicators lay arranged on tables.
"Choose what suits you," Aque said. "Light gear is recommended—the realm's terrain is complex."
Lu Chen selected a tactical pistol, spare magazines, a combat knife, night-vision goggles, smoke grenades, and flashbangs. He donned the vest and secured the gear.
"You've used firearms before?" Aque asked, surprised by his fluency.
"Some," Lu Chen replied vaguely.
She handed him an earpiece. "Encrypted channel. For tomorrow. And this—"
A black wristband. "Vitals monitor and tracker. Don't try to remove it. It will self-destruct."
Lu Chen accepted it and put it on.
"You'll stay in the adjacent room tonight," Aque said. "Don't wander. The Association may have eyes outside."
"Understood."
In the adjoining room, a simple standard suite, Lu Chen locked the door and swept it carefully—no surveillance.
He lay back on the bed.
[System, analyze the information obtained.]
[Analyzing…]
[Integration complete]
[Key Point 1: Ghost Organization leader 'Doctor' is an Ark Laboratory survivor with abnormal physiology]
[Key Point 2: Ark Core likely bound to the secret realm; forced extraction may collapse the space]
[Key Point 3: Hive and others display loyalty to the Doctor, but not unreserved trust]
[Recommendation: Exploit potential rift between Ghost Organization and the Doctor]
Lu Chen closed his eyes, thinking.
They clearly feared the Doctor, yet were bound to him. If the Doctor truly was something "half-other," then after obtaining the Ark Core, might he silence Hive and the rest?
Very possible.
Which meant opportunity.
Cooperate first. Secure the core. Then sow discord—ideally let Ghost tear itself apart.
And reap the spoils.
As he plotted, Aque's voice suddenly sounded in his earpiece. "Mr. Lin, are you awake?"
"I am."
"Come to the briefing room. There's something to discuss."
He rose and went.
Only Aque was there, studying a satellite map of the Yunling Mountains, several red points marked.
"I just received intel," she said. "The Association is also mobilizing toward Yunling. Chen Jing is leading them, along with two retainers above level 40."
"How did they find out?"
"A leak from the Chen family," Aque sneered. "Chen Zhenghao was played by you, lost his temper, and sold the information to the Association—hoping to kill you by proxy."
Lu Chen frowned. "Then we need to move faster."
"Exactly." She pointed to the map. "This should be the realm's entrance—here." A valley. "The terrain is treacherous, with natural迷阵 and likely mutated beasts. We depart at 3 a.m., aiming to reach the entrance before dawn."
"Mutated beasts?"
"Since the resurgence of spiritual energy, many animals have changed," Aque explained. "Deep in Yunling, there are beasts above level 30—possibly even Earth-tier."
"Understood."
"One more thing." She looked at him. "Hive wants to know if the stele fragments can pinpoint the Ark Core's exact location."
Lu Chen produced the fragments and infused them with energy.
Five pieces assembled. Golden light flared, projecting a three-dimensional map of the Yunling Mountains. A red point pulsed deep within—over ten kilometers beyond the marked entrance.
"The core is here," Lu Chen said. "But between the entrance and that point, there will be trials or restrictions."
"As expected," Aque noted, recording the coordinates. "A thousand-year-old sect wouldn't lack defenses. Rest well. Tomorrow may be brutal."
Lu Chen nodded and returned to his room.
Sleep eluded him.
He opened the system store. Points: 1750.
Too few.
Scrolling, his gaze halted on an item:
[Combat Previsualization Module (Basic)]
[Cost: 1500 points]
[Function: Simulates imminent combat scenarios in the user's mind, projecting possible outcomes (70% accuracy)]
[Note: Simulation based on existing intelligence; incomplete data or unforeseen variables may cause deviation]
Useful.
Tomorrow would be chaos—Ghost operatives, Association forces, mutated beasts, and unknown restrictions. A pre-simulation could tip the odds.
"Redeem."
[Redemption successful. Points -1500]
[Current points: 250]
[Combat Previsualization Module activated]
Lu Chen closed his eyes.
The terrain of the Yunling Mountains unfolded in his mind, along with countless branching possibilities…
At the same time, elsewhere in Jiangcheng.
Chen Zhenghao sat in his study, face dark.
"Lin Xiao entered the Mingzhu Hotel? Confirmed?"
"Confirmed," his subordinate replied. "Our people saw him enter Room 2408 with a young woman. He hasn't emerged since. That floor is booked out—no access."
"The Ghost Organization…" Chen Zhenghao clenched his fist. "He dares collaborate with them!"
"Young master, should we inform the Association?"
"Already done." Chen Zhenghao sneered. "Director Wang has men watching. But Ghost will likely act tomorrow. We can't wait—we must move first."
He turned to the elderly man beside him. "Third Granduncle, are preparations complete?"
The old man's hair and beard were white, his gaze keen, aura unfathomable—level 55, one of the Chen family's hidden retainers.
"All personnel are ready," he said calmly. "Six above level 30, and a formation-breaking artifact. Once we find the entrance, we can enter."
"Good." Chen Zhenghao stood. "Tomorrow before dawn, we move. This time… Lin Xiao will die."
"And the stele fragments?"
"They belong to the family," Chen Zhenghao replied. "As for the Ark Core—if it's truly as vital as the intelligence suggests, then the Chen family deserves its own trump card."