The man before her was nominally the father of Ning Yu and Ning Xuan.
But rather than a father, he was more like a foster parent, all under the orders of that esteemed figure.
Ning Xuan felt no emotion toward him.
He sought to bind her with false sentiments, but unfortunately, she had never forgotten everything that happened in her childhood.
Following orders and acting accordingly—this was Ning Xuan’s disguise.
When planning something crucial, one must remain composed yet inwardly fervent.
Her mind always recalled the lessons Ning Yu had taught her in their youth.
“That’s utterly impossible.”
The man shook his head, removed his glasses, and carefully put them away.
“Lord Chen Xing is currently overseeing the underground construction for the final ritual on behalf of the esteemed figure. How could he possibly have time for such a thing?”
“What evidence do you have for such an accusation?”
Ning Xuan understood all too well—this was what was about to happen. She unconditionally trusted her sister, but others wouldn’t extend the same faith to her.
“I have no evidence, but doesn’t the esteemed figure possess the magic to discern lies?”
Ning Xuan raised her head and looked at her so-called ‘father.’
His hair showed no signs of graying with age; instead, it was as thick and black as that of a man in his prime, neatly combed back to reveal his sharp, piercing eyes.
“So, I can present my case directly to the esteemed figure. He can determine whether I’m lying.”
“Where did you hear such a thing? Do not speculate about the esteemed figure in private.”
The man narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Ning Xuan, unsure where she had picked up such information.
But Ning Xuan was all too familiar with his reaction. She knew she had hit the mark.
“Moreover.”
The man pointed downward, indicating the vast construction beneath them.
“The preparations for the final ritual have reached a critical stage. He won’t see you, but I’ll relay your message.”
The man stood up, ready to leave the conference room, passing by Ning Xuan.
“Fath... Father! If the mission target dies, the responsibility would fall on us...”
Ning Xuan couldn’t help but speak up, hoping to press her case.
“I’ll take full responsibility.”
The man didn’t believe Ning Xuan’s words, but he began to calculate in his mind, planning to immediately inspect the situation beneath Eden.
“Damn it.”
Ning Xuan watched as he entered the elevator on the second floor. The elevator’s display rapidly changed from -1 to -24 and continued to descend.
Her mind raced as she hurried to another elevator.
Her ‘father’ was likely telling the truth. The final ritual had been in preparation for a long time, and it was plausible that the esteemed figure truly couldn’t spare a moment.
Chen Xing was probably seizing this opportunity to make a bold move against Ning Yu.
But why would Chen Xing do such a thing? Would she dare face the wrath of the esteemed figure?
There must be a compelling reason, one that made her willing to pay such a high price.
Ning Xuan pressed the elevator button, and soon, with a ‘ding,’ the doors opened before her.
She thought of another person and decided to try her luck there.
Pressing the button for the -40th floor, the elevator began its rapid descent, much faster than a typical elevator.
Most people would feel discomfort in their ears at this point, but Ning Xuan had undergone cybernetic enhancements, so she felt nothing.
But something strange happened. The elevator passed the -40th floor without stopping, continuing to descend further.
This horror-movie-esque development didn’t faze Ning Xuan, but no matter how she tried to operate the elevator, it was as if it had malfunctioned.
She raised an eyebrow, her hands spreading open as two gleaming metal blades extended from her arms.
If all else failed, she’d dismantle the elevator.
Just as she was about to lose patience and act, the elevator emitted a ‘ding.’
It had arrived at the -50th floor.
When the doors opened, the corridor outside was pitch black, and a figure in a white robe and mask stood respectfully nearby.
“Miss Ning Xuan, Lady Lacy wishes to see you.”
The figure spoke, yet its lips didn’t move at all.
Ning Xuan frowned. She knew this was a purely mechanical android created by Lacy, who seemed to be researching the fusion of cybernetics and zombie technology.
But this sudden invitation suited her perfectly.
After all, she had been heading to the -40th floor to seek an audience with Lacy. As for why Lacy had brought her to the -50th floor, she’d find out soon enough.
“Lead the way.”
Ning Xuan retracted her metal blades and stepped out of the elevator.
The robed android nodded politely and began moving down the dark corridor, not making a single sound.
Ning Xuan glanced at its feet but couldn’t discern anything unusual.
The dark corridor was eerily silent as the two walked in single file, soon arriving at a door.
“I’ll leave you here.”
The android stopped at the door, bowed again, and then retreated into the darkness.
Ning Xuan reached out to push the door, but as soon as her hand touched it, the door lit up with fractal patterns and vanished into thin air.
“Welcome.”
Behind the door stood a young woman with icy blue hair, standing before a massive glass window and gazing downward. The mechanical device behind her ear flashed methodically with signal lights.
Ning Xuan looked at this masterpiece of cybernetic engineering. Even the cybernetic enhancements she bore were likely derived from Lacy’s technology.
She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of profoundly knowledgeable being had created her.
“Lady Lacy.”
Ning Xuan approached the enormous glass window. Faint sounds of combat echoed from below.
A semi-cybernetic Wrath was battling a dozen cybernetic Gluttons, and with each clash, several Gluttons were reduced to mangled heaps of flesh and metal.
Surrounding the fight were rows of the same white-robed mechanical androids, standing guard and seemingly ready to intervene as needed.
“You’re not surprised I wanted to see you?”
Lacy’s languid voice reached her ears, pulling her attention back into the room.
Ning Xuan noticed that Lacy’s eyes, usually cold and lifelessly icy blue, now gleamed with a golden hue that inexplicably inspired awe.
Just one glance made her soul tremble.
“Actually, I was hoping to speak with you as well.”
“Oh?”
Lacy chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.
“It’s about your dear sister, isn’t it?”
Ning Xuan froze at Lacy’s words.
“You overheard my conversation with ‘Father’?”
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
Heart] Chen Yi traversed the cultivation world for eight hundred years, charging his way to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Just as he was outwitting his 81st Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to immortality, he was suddenly pulled into a chat group called the "Multiverse Transmigrators Support Group." To his surprise, the group was filled with nothing but fresh-faced newbies who had just transmigrated. [Help! I transmigrated into a disgraced concubine in the cold palace, and the tyrant emperor is about to execute me!] [I ended up as a cannon-fodder villain, and the protagonist is still chasing me—WTF!] [I woke up as the protagonist’s father, but I’m about to be sacrificed in a ritual! What do I do? Urgent!!!] Chen Yi stared at the chaotic flood of desperate pleas in the group and fell into deep thought. "Seriously? You drag me into a newbie transmigrator chat group… only after I’m one step away from becoming an immortal?"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
