That group of people had an unusual background, and killing Wang Xuan was merely a small task for them? Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan lightly swiped his right hand, and the yellow leaves that floated before him were instantly sliced in half, falling to the ground.
At noon, he was walking outside, preparing to grab lunch. Because he was out, he didn't say much, only informing Qingmu that he would participate in the upcoming operation.
Though their conversation was brief, Wang Xuan had a rough understanding of the situation: the group belonged to an organization called "Gray Blood," which took on contracts, explorations… and even killings. According to Qingmu, this organization was quite powerful, primarily active in New Star, and had once hijacked a major discovery from Qingmu's exploration team.
Upon learning of their arrival, Qingmu immediately reported it upward, and soon, several formidable teams would be dispatched to hunt them down, seeking revenge for past grievances. Moreover, even without any prior animosity, this time they had pinpointed the location of the Immortal Tomb, which was enough to stir up a significant uproar in the Old Land.
Anyone who got wind of this news wouldn't likely remain indifferent and would surely want to get involved.
"To hire the Gray Blood organization to kill me? They must have ample funds and prefer not to expose themselves. No worries, I'll uncover you bit by bit."
Having been attacked unexpectedly, nearly killed in the city, Wang Xuan couldn't remain calm. He had to find the mastermind behind the scenes; otherwise, he couldn't guarantee that trouble wouldn't arise again.
Quickly, he was captivated by the shocking news of the Immortal Tomb—discovering such an important site in the Old Land. Yet he was unsure if this time it was genuine; over the years, there had been several claims of discovering the Immortal's burial site, but they all fell far short of expectations.
The previous tombs that had been excavated were confirmed to be just the burial sites of top-tier practitioners from the pre-Qin period.
"If this time it's real, unearthing relics or texts related to the Immortal Beings would likely send shockwaves through the world."
Wang Xuan pondered that in an era where ancient techniques were increasingly declining, if such items were to emerge, they might change this downward trend.
After lunch, he got a fresh, sharp haircut, ensuring that the strands cut near his ears were unnoticeable because he would be starting work the next day.
While he was contemplating the Immortal matter, ready to head into the deep mountains to participate in the action, he was also preparing for work. This stark contrast in experiences and thoughts made Wang Xuan feel rather odd.
Fortunately, Qingmu didn't seek him out the following day. Wang Xuan managed to start his first day of work without needing to take leave.
This was a branch of a design institute under the Interstellar Group, which sounded impressive but was far from it. Nowadays, anything related to deep-space exploration and interstellar travel relied on New Star; the technology groups in the Old Land were simply insufficient.
The design institute had produced no significant results in many years, nearly overgrown with weeds. As for the branch Wang Xuan joined, it had become a place for retirement, with a very slow daily pace.
On his first day, Wang Xuan found several desks in the office empty, with only five or six people present. When he greeted one of them, a guy with black-framed glasses, he nearly fell asleep while staring at the computer screen, reading the news.
The only person who seemed energetic was a young woman applying lipstick in front of her small mirror. She noticed Wang Xuan's arrival and greeted him warmly.
Looking at his lethargic colleagues, Wang Xuan felt speechless. He had chosen this place for its reputation for being laid-back, but he hadn't expected it to be this slow-paced. By mid-morning, two of the women were already discussing their plans to play mahjong after work.
The other senior colleague, over fifty, spent more than half an hour on the phone arranging a fishing trip for the weekend.
However, these people were quite friendly and showed no signs of rejection. It was rare to have a new face, so they decided to welcome him over lunch instead of waiting for dinner.
Thinking that as a newcomer, he should leave a good impression, Wang Xuan offered to treat them. However, he was unanimously opposed and told to forget about it.
In the morning, he wanted to find something to do but was told to familiarize himself with the work environment first; nothing was urgent.
He realized this place was indeed a retirement home.
The only person younger than him was a girl named Liu Xue, who loved to dress up and was the most lively in the office. She claimed she chose this job for its leisure, having joined in July, a few months before Wang Xuan.
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During the morning, Wang Xuan made good use of his time, researching ancient texts on the computer. He thought this kind of work wasn't too bad; many people would probably envy such a relaxed environment.
A small incident occurred during lunch: Liu Xue eagerly helped Wang Xuan get his heavy coat, but it slipped from her grasp and almost landed on her foot, causing her to scream in shock.
She was astonished—how could a coat be so heavy? Staring at Wang Xuan like he was a monster, she picked it up and confirmed that its weight was indeed outrageous.
The others soon gathered around, all lifting the coat to try it out, exclaiming in surprise.
Wang Xuan hurriedly explained that he had been working out recently and that the coat was specially made for him to carry extra weight while commuting.
Everyone was impressed, complimenting Wang Xuan on his dedication, saying his lifestyle was worth emulating.
When Liu Xue offered to fetch him a baseball cap, Wang Xuan quickly put it on, as it was made from special materials that were bulletproof and weighed two kilograms!
The atmosphere during lunch was warm, and Wang Xuan initially intended to humbly ask for work advice, but he ultimately lost that urge. They simply told him to take it easy.
After lunch, the already sparse office lost three more people. The guy with the black-framed glasses said he was too hungover to continue and left, while the other two had similar excuses.
Wang Xuan felt speechless; there was no clocking in, no face scanning, and no attendance checks—this was truly a free environment.
He sighed, realizing that although the "environment" was quite good and suitable for him to research ancient techniques, he knew he couldn't stay for long. A practitioner of ancient techniques would eventually attract attention.
Fortunately, he was aware that he would soon be heading to New Star, so he wouldn't expose himself in the short term.
This laid-back atmosphere allowed Wang Xuan to take leave just two days into his new job, and his older colleagues seemed entirely unfazed, treating it as a normal occurrence.
Wang Xuan was picked up and returned to the estate outside the city to receive equipment. He donned a human-skin mask and set off.
Of course, he didn't remove the three layers of reinforced bulletproof clothing; he simply swapped out the coat for protective gear, as most people couldn't bear its weight.
This time, he was going out to actively hunt, and it would likely be much more perilous than the last time at Qingcheng Mountain, so he paid special attention to his protection.
On the way, Qingmu revealed their destination: the Greater Khingan Range, where the Immortal Tomb had been discovered deep in the mountains.
This was different from Wang Xuan's expectations; he initially thought they were heading to a famous mountain or a location tied to mythological legends.
The destination today was merely an ordinary mountain area in the Greater Khingan Range, which appeared inconspicuous on the surface, yet somehow, someone had pinpointed the location of an Immortal's body.
As before, Old Mu was piloting the ship while Black Tiger and Kite sharpened their blades and checked energy guns.
"Qingmu, have you ever experienced heightened senses or intuition?"
On the way, Wang Xuan started chatting with Qingmu. He didn't dare reveal to anyone that he had entered the "Inner Landscape," as it was hard to predict what might happen if the wealthy and those research institutions found out.
However, Wang Xuan hoped to indirectly suggest to Qingmu that he should give it a try.
Before Qingmu could respond, Black Tiger interjected, recalling that he had experienced such sensations a long time ago, feeling his senses sharpened, with a sense of ascension.
Wang Xuan was surprised and asked when that happened. If Black Tiger had indeed triggered a heightened state, perhaps he could help guide him.
"That was about ten years ago, when I was with my first love. After that, it never happened again. Once you've seen the ocean, nothing else compares; I'll never find true love again!" Black Tiger sighed.
Wang Xuan was momentarily stunned and almost wanted to slap him. This guy, so serious, was discussing his sage moments?
Seeing Kite also wanting to share his thoughts, Qingmu smacked him on the back of the head, saying, "While it's good to relax before a big battle, don't stray too far off-topic. Wang Xuan, did you have any insights while practicing ancient techniques?"
Qingmu's perception was keen; he noticed Wang Xuan seemed different upon their reunion, as if his strength had significantly increased!
"Last time, I think I entered a special state where my vision, hearing, sense of smell, and instinctive intuition were extraordinarily sharp and powerful…"
Wang Xuan was still organizing his thoughts, trying to figure out how to explain his experience in the Inner Landscape, but Qingmu interrupted him, sounding somewhat astonished, yet ultimately he sighed.
Qingmu said, "That kind of experience is extremely rare. Normally, even a master finds it hard to trigger such a state. Different ancient sects have their unique names for it; some call it the ‘Clear Wisdom Bodhisattva Realm,' while others refer to it as ‘Unity with Heaven and Man.' It's said that in ancient times, if a powerful practitioner guided or a sect's founder led one, they could potentially gain tremendous benefits. But nowadays, unless under incredibly rare circumstances, no one can activate that state; it's a realm that even masters pursue. And nowadays, where can we find pre-Qin practitioners? All religions have long lost their founding figures—who can guide or provide help?"
After Qingmu finished speaking, he looked at Wang Xuan with some sympathy, feeling he had missed a great opportunity without guidance.
Otherwise, according to legends from ancient sects, this would have been quite a significant opportunity!
Wang Xuan was somewhat taken aback; he gleaned valuable information from this. In ancient times, triggering a heightened state required a supremely strong figure to guide one into the Inner Landscape? This meant he was indeed experiencing something different this time.
For now, he felt he shouldn't discuss it any further, and he could talk to Qingmu more about it later.
Soon, they arrived in the original forest of the Greater Khingan Range, closely monitoring a mountain area.
Before long, other members of the exploration organization were also in position, and far more than during the Qingcheng Mountain expedition.
At the very least, Qingmu had brought twelve of his own teams this time.
The other teams were all elite and experienced.
"Look, something's happening over there! It's eerie!" Old Mu called out.
In the mountain area ahead, an inexplicable glow rose, and the entire region appeared distorted and hazy, giving off an eerie yet divine atmosphere.
"Could there really be an Immortal here?!" Qingmu felt a chill, sensing strong unease from afar.