The thunderstorm had far exceeded the building's capacity, causing a complete blackout underground.

Only the creatures in the sealed boxes emitted a fluorescent glow, peering maliciously at the mortals who had trespassed into their domain.

Sensing the weakening of the seal, the dangerous creatures began to stir, emitting a sound that only ordinary people couldn't hear.

Dan Lin pressed her earpiece and said, "Levels ten to thirteen underground are all sealed with living creatures. Before we manually activate the emergency lockdown, we need to count and transfer them. Let's use a two-pronged approach - the power users stay behind, while the rest of us go downstairs!"

The underground part of the building has an emergency lockdown mechanism. The central control room that activates the emergency lockdown mechanism is located on the 29th floor underground.

In the event of irreparable damage to the building, to prevent dangerous items from escaping and leaking, the ultimate mode can be activated - ultra-low temperature.

On the 29th floor underground, there is an extremely cold snow lotus seed. It is a fossil that emerged after a high-altitude avalanche and is said to have been left behind during the era when the ancestral dragon and qilin flew across the sky.

With just one snow lotus, it can freeze the low-latitude green mountains into snow-capped mountains and directly change the local climate. Unfortunately, due to its age and global warming, it is estimated that the snow lotus seed has become inactive after the fourth mini ice age.

After twenty years of research, the institute extracted the super low-temperature characteristics from the snow lotus seed, which became the core of the ultimate underground protection mode. Once the super low-temperature mode is activated, it can separate the underground from the ground and complete the overall freezing within twenty minutes.

Unless a special thawing agent is injected, the super low-temperature mode can freeze everything forever, as long as Xuan Ji does not betray them and use the Vermilion Bird's fire to burn it down.

"Once the super low-temperature is activated, more than half of the sealed objects will suffer irreversible damage," a storm whispered, "Director, the loss is immeasurable."

"I'll take responsibility," Dan Lin said without looking back, "Hurry up and follow the Wind Gods."

Due to the power outage, the elevators, electronic locks, and various remote control devices were all out of service. The special agents could only take the stairs and use keys to open manual locks. The emergency passage was narrow and dark, with no daylight in sight.

The building kept shaking and sand and gravel kept falling.

It felt like being buried alive at any moment.

Suddenly, there was a soft 'bang'. A mithril bullet, like a match in the dark, was fired by Gu Yuexi who was leading the way.

"Level 16 underground, there is a leakage of sealed anomalies." Gu Yuexi's voice was dry and tense.

All the protective formations were damaged, and the energy monitoring equipment was basically malfunctioning, making a lot of noise. Some sealed anomalies could even avoid infrared glasses.

In this environment, only she with her X-ray vision could move freely. With only one pair of eyes, she had to make sure there was no negligence or omission, otherwise, someone would lose their life behind her.

And this was only level 16.

The deeper they went, the more deadly the sealed anomalies became.

Dan Lin said, "Little Gu, avoid it and don't confront it head-on. We don't have time and we don't have enough manpower. Let's go directly to the negative 29th floor."

"Avoid the right side," Gu Yuexi tightly gripped the mithril gun and lowered her voice, "there's something in the wall on the right side..."

Before she could finish her sentence, a large axe suddenly protruded from the wall on the right side of the emergency passage. If it weren't for the heavy rain and her quick reflexes, she would have been beheaded by this unexpected foreign axe.

Through her perspective eye, she saw that there was a spirit device in the wall.

Because a small part of the wall had collapsed, the local "no trespassing charm" had already failed. It was like a ghost, wandering back and forth in that small space with a blank, pale face, driven only by its instinct to kill and thirst for blood.

Gu Yuexi looked down the emergency spiral passage and felt a chill run down her spine.

Deadly traps seemed to be everywhere.

She couldn't help but ask, "Director Dan, why do we store so many dangerous things underground?"

"After the activity of the Chiyuan has decreased, most of the recent mutated species are only at level two or three, the ones we usually encounter. These are mostly ancient relics," Dan Lin explained. "Just like the landmines left in the ground after a war, our mission is to quietly control these dangers scattered everywhere and bring them back for safekeeping."

A member of the Wind God Team Two asked, "Why not just destroy them on site?"

"Mainly for research purposes. There is too little existing information, and we are still too ignorant," Dan Lin said. "And also..."

"And also what?"

Dan Lin paused, but didn't continue speaking. "The underground 23rd level formation is severely damaged. I can feel the level of abnormal activity here. Everyone should be cautious - whoever has good signal, stay in contact with the outside at all times."

And also...to remember.

Before the world was called the world, there were countless spiritual creatures. They could summon wind and rain with a wave of their hand, and then disappear without a trace.

Despite having blood feuds with humans or ultimately losing in a tragic battle against the heavens, they fought and died for what they believed in. Their bloodlines mixed with the surviving groups of people, and were passed down from generation to generation, with their grudges and friendships fading away with the passage of time. They became a unique color in this world, like fallen flowers blending into the spring mud.

Those traces were their history.

Xuan Ji's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it. The feathers on his wings were ruffled, and his limbs felt almost numb.

The person who emerged from the sacrificial text in front of him had plain features, a gentle bone structure, and a shallow and scattered appearance. His face bore the unfortunate look of someone who had suffered many hardships, like a consumptive, impoverished scholar who had failed the imperial exams.

To appear in the ruins amidst thunder and lightning, he seemed like a character from "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" who had stumbled onto the set of "Godzilla," eerie and bizarre...

Especially since Xuan Ji had personally chopped off this wretched head and watched it roll eight meters away.

"Jiu Xun..."

"Although Jiu Xun is not a good person, his bones have already turned cold," Sheng Lingyuan interrupted him. "You shouldn't speak ill of him like this."

The man in the green robe, who seemed to be the demon king, chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, it's been a long time. No wonder your human race says that the hardest illusion to break in this world is not the Heart Demon Poison, but self-deception. They weren't wrong. It seems that even if you recognize the Return to One Formation, you have no intention of acknowledging me. Even if I stand in front of you personally, you can still deny my identity with your eyes wide open."

"Oh?" Sheng Lingyuan's black mist condensed into a long sword in his palm, his voice becoming even softer. "Why wouldn't I dare?"

"You are just a pawn, a tool of the human race. The only thing that truly belongs to you in this world is that sword. You were sent by the humans to climb the Hook Moon Tower and reach the summit, but you lost the Heaven Demon Sword.

"You know deep down that no matter what, your sword will never return to you. So, you have to find a noble 'just cause' for yourself and for him to be buried with. 'For the greater good', 'to save the people', 'to endure humiliation and sacrifice for the world'... how noble!"

The man in the green robe said. "Sheng Xiao, in front of me, dare you say that if you had to do it all over again, you would still sacrifice yourself for the human race?"

Sheng Lingyuan looked at that face thoughtfully for a moment, then smiled meaningfully and remained silent.

The man in the green shirt laughed heartily and said, "You can deny it all you want, but how were you awakened by the Yin Sacrifice ritual?"

Suddenly, Xuan Ji felt a chill run down his back.

He had previously analyzed the situation from a technical standpoint. The other party had used the Yin Sacrifice ritual to summon the emperor's puppet made of the Heart-Piercing Grass.

This was because the Heavenly Demon was like a lightning rod, able to withstand the thunder and allowing the three great demons of greed, anger, and delusion to run rampant.

In any case, Sheng Lingyuan was afraid of alarming Chiyuan, and the only power he could use was about one-tenth of his power when he was alive. If he restrained himself, the Heavenly Demon, who was tied up and powerless, would be no more than an ordinary human cultivator.

But... Xuan Ji realized that he had been deliberately or unintentionally ignoring one thing - why did Lingyuan respond to Bi Chunsheng's ritual?

When mortals offer sacrifices, it's not necessary for the demons to respond. If they get annoyed, they might even turn against the sacrificer and retaliate with the very same ritual.

If Sheng Lingyuan really wanted to rest in peace, he would have buried Bi Chunsheng, who danced on his grave, long ago.

In the Dongchuan Forest Park, Aluojin suddenly realized something and spoke in the language of the witches, "Brother Lingyuan, you're just like me."

This statement is now terrifying to ponder.

Was Sheng Lingyuan only awakened by the Yin Sacrifice ritual for "technical" reasons?

His first half of life was a scam he believed to be true, and the second half was a lie he told himself while turning a blind eye.

When he hadn't remembered his past and hadn't put on the crown of the emperor, were his eyes that shot out from the Heart-Piercing Grass puppet really benevolent?

Xuan Ji turned his head in a panic and looked at Sheng Lingyuan.

"What's that expression on your face?" Sheng Lingyuan sneered at Xuan Ji, his voice cold.

He made a sword from his pitch-black demonic energy, yet it glimmered like lightning as it pierced through the white mist towards the figure in the green robe.

"Jiu Xun is the last demon king born of the Jiao clan, destined to bring an end to the dwindling fate of the demon race. It was because he refused to accept his fate and seized control of the Chiyuan that I was forced to become a heavenly demon, to suppress the demonic hordes and slaughter all living beings, in order to restore order to the human race. We were all born as pawns in the game of fate, known as the 'Three Stars and Nine Paths' - a bunch of nonsense!"

The last four words were as resolute as a sword intent.

The figure in the green robe, who claimed to have devoured three heavenly demons, was unable to withstand the sharpness of his sword and quickly retreated, his thick white mist almost completely dispersed by the emperor's strike.

"I am the Emperor, not a lowly servant who relies on rewards and salaries. I earned my position, I did not buy it. If the constellation of Canopus were to appear, we would break the star chart and forge a new path in the heavens. Who would bother with petty calculations on a chessboard? Even if I were to defeat the Jiu Xun, it would still be a glorious defeat. No one is worthy enough to challenge me!"

As for why he responded to the madman Bi Chunsheng's sacrificial text?

It was all because of a self-proclaimed scoundrel who had lost his wings and had no idea who he was.

That wretched creature woke him up from the Chiyuan, but he was so confused that he couldn't remember his own identity. He was literally lured out of his coffin by a certain person who smelled like a bird.

Otherwise, Bi Chunsheng's Mandarin words would have been incomprehensible to him!

"Little demon," Sheng Lingyuan's words had a double meaning, and he cursed everyone present, "You don't know anything."

Lightning struck, perhaps because the man in the green shirt had swallowed three heavenly demons, he was able to compete with Sheng Lingyuan in summoning thunder and lightning, and the lightning struck between the two of them - also igniting the emblem on Xuan Ji's forehead.

Xuan Ji racked his brain to try and decipher the old demon's every word and action, wishing he could see through his every breath and gesture to understand his true intentions.

But this old demon was always shrouded in mystery, even more so in death.

Everything, from life to death, was decided by the emperor's stubbornness and control, and his way of showing affection was through "it's for your own good" and "you don't know anything."

The constant cycle of separation and reunion, life and death, was all controlled by the emperor's whims.

Being his so-called 'beloved' is not worth it. It's better to be mortal enemies and have a good fight with each other. At least then you can be considered fated friends who have been separated by three thousand years!

"I don't know anything, and no one has ever told me," Xuan Ji sneered.

He formed a long bow with the flames in his palm, and the lightning wrapped around it like flower vines.

He let it go, saying, "After all, I'm just a pet parrot on a perch. You can rub me however you want, just give me a sunflower seed and my feathers will be smooth, and I can still sing well!"

The two of them were united in their actions, but verbally they were arguing so fiercely that their only enemy in the field couldn't get a word in.

The wispy white figure who claimed to be the demon king could no longer maintain its human form. It was wrapped in a white ribbon-like garment.

The demonic energy on his body surged, and the three types of energy from the witch people, Mountain people, and Shadow people intertwined into a mess.

Just then, a loud buzzing sound drowned out the thunder, piercing through the ears.

Wang Ze must have used some kind of powerful amplifier because his voice boomed at a volume that could be heard throughout the entire country: "Director Xuan!"

Xuan Ji's hand trembled and his arrow almost missed the target. "Are you crazy? Carp, which side are you on?"

Wang Ze didn't hear him cursing and continued to shout: "Be careful! Your shoelaces are untied!"

Xuan Ji was wearing short boots with decorative shoelaces, the knots could not possibly be untied.

In the midst of his confusion, he inexplicably looked down and suddenly shuddered - that's right, there was a highly explosive warehouse for special artifacts underground.