50: The Gates of the Temple: The Shining Star of a Top Student

Day 18 of the spaceship calendar, morning.

A massive metal pyramid floated silently in the center of a nebula vortex.

It was too big.

So big that when the silver-rank destroyer slowly approached, it looked like a firefly flying toward a towering mountain.

The surface of the pyramid was not a smooth plane, but was pieced together from countless massive black metal plates. Each metal plate was engraved with complex patterns, with streams of golden light flowing through them.

Those streams of light seemed alive, wandering, intertwining, and converging across the metal surface, eventually flowing toward the invisible void at the top of the tower.

An aura that was ancient, desolate, and full of oppressive pressure rushed toward them.

"Is this... the Mechanical Divine Court?"

On the bridge, everyone held their breath.

Even Gu Pingsheng, who had seen his fair share of grand scenes, couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly at this moment.

A creation of this level was definitely not something that the current human civilization could comprehend.

It stood like a silent giant, looking down upon this group of audacious intruders.

"Prepare for landing." Gu Pingsheng withdrew his gaze, his voice calm and powerful.

"Lin Qinghan, Gu Nian, Su Ruan, An An, come with me. Everyone else stay on the spaceship and initiate Level 1 alert."

"Yes!"

A few minutes later.

A small landing craft flew out from the belly of the silver-rank destroyer and slowly descended onto an extended platform at the base of the pyramid. The hatch opened. Gu Pingsheng was the first to walk out.

The metal ground beneath his feet was cold and hard, making not a sound when stepped upon.

The surroundings were very quiet. Only the low humming sound emitted by the rotating nebula vortex in the distance could be heard, like some kind of ancient breathing.

"So... so magnificent..." Su Ruan hugged her mechanical rabbit, looking up at the tower body that soared into the clouds, her mouth agape in an O-shape.

The rabbit in her arms seemed to feel some kind of resonance, its red eyes blinking on and off.

"Don't space out." Lin Qinghan reminded her coldly. The high-frequency vibration blade in her hand was already unsheathed, and she scanned the surroundings vigilantly.

An An, meanwhile, turned directly into a black shadow and merged into Gu Pingsheng's shadow.

Gu Pingsheng did not speak. He walked straight toward the massive alloy door ahead.

It was a door that stood a hundred meters high. There were no handles or keyholes on the door, only countless complex geometric figures and ancient scripts arranged densely.

Golden streams of light shuttled rapidly through these patterns, as if performing some kind of complex calculation.

"Is this the entrance?" Gu Pingsheng reached out and touched the door surface.

It was cold and smooth. The sensation was like touching a piece of ten-thousand-year-old black ice.

He took out the [Relic Opening Key Fragment A]. The fragment was heating up and trembling. But the door showed no reaction at all.

"It seems that having the key alone is not enough." Gu Pingsheng turned his head and looked at Gu Nian behind him.

"Strategist Gu, it's time for you to perform."

Gu Nian pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her attire today was very professional. A white shirt, a black pencil skirt, and a tactical vest worn over it. She held a specially made tactical tablet in her hand.

Hearing Gu Pingsheng's words, she took a deep breath and walked forward. "I'll give it a try."

She took a data cable out of her backpack, found an inconspicuous port in the corner of the door, and plugged it in. Countless waterfalls of green code instantly popped up on the tablet screen.

Gu Nian's fingers tapped rapidly on the screen. Her eyes were focused and sharp, as if she had become a different person. No longer the calculating Queen of Finance, she was now a scholar unraveling the ultimate secrets of the universe.

"This is... a dynamic encryption lock based on prime number matrices." Gu Nian said in a low voice while operating.

"The password changes every second. Moreover, it is connected to the entire defense system of the relic. Once an incorrect entry is made three times, it will trigger the self-destruct program."

Hearing the words "self-destruct," Su Ruan shrank her neck in fear.

"Can... can it be unlocked?"

"Yes." Gu Nian's answer was concise and confident. "Give me three minutes."

Her fingers turned into a blur on the screen. That confident glow made her exude an intellectual charm.

Gu Pingsheng watched her, the corners of his mouth curling into an appreciative smile. A woman who is serious is indeed the most beautiful.

However, just at this moment.

Hum— A subtle mechanical humming sound suddenly came from overhead.

Gu Pingsheng's eyes narrowed. He looked up sharply. He saw dozens of black spheres suddenly flying out from the shadows above the door.

Those were... [Patrol Drones (Tier 2 · Elite)].

They were only the size of a fist, but each was equipped with a miniature laser cannon. Red electronic eyes instantly locked onto the group below.

"Enemy attack!" Lin Qinghan shouted sharply, her figure erupting into action.

The long blade in her hand turned into a stream of light, instantly shattering the two leading drones.

Su Ruan also reacted. With a wave of her hand, the mechanical rabbit in her arms suddenly grew larger, turning into a two-meter-tall steel beast, blocking in front of everyone.

"Da-da-da—" The Gatling gun on the mechanical rabbit's shoulder began to roar. Tongues of fire spat out, and shell casings flew everywhere. The battle erupted instantly.

Although those drones were small in size, they were extremely fast and numerous. They were like a swarm of annoying wasps, circling the group and firing wildly. Red laser beams intertwined in the air, forming a web of death.

"Ignore them! Continue decrypting!" Gu Pingsheng shouted.

He did not join the battle, but instead retreated directly to Gu Nian's side. At this moment, Gu Nian was at the critical moment of decryption.

A layer of fine sweat had seeped onto her forehead, but her finger movements did not pause in the slightest. However, the intense gunfire and explosions around her still made her somewhat distracted.

Especially when a few laser beams grazed her scalp and hit the door wall, sparking, her hand couldn't help but tremble.

"Don't be afraid." A low voice suddenly sounded in her ear.

Immediately after, Gu Nian felt a broad chest press against her back. Gu Pingsheng held the infinite desert eagle in one hand, while his other hand braced against the door wall beside her.

His whole body formed a semi-enclosing posture, firmly protecting her in his arms.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The gunshots exploded right by her ear. Each shot precisely downed a drone attempting to get close.

Gu Pingsheng did not look at her, his gaze coldly fixed on the front. But the heat from his body, along with that faint scent of tobacco, was clearly transmitted to her.

Gu Nian's heart skipped a beat instantly. This posture... was too close.

So close that she could even feel the vibration of his chest when he spoke. So close that his breath sprayed onto her earlobe, bringing a tingling itch.

"Focus on your work." Gu Pingsheng's voice was very steady. As steady as a mountain. "Leave the rest to me."

At this moment, the fear in Gu Nian's heart miraculously disappeared. Replacing it was an unprecedented sense of security. It was as if as long as this man was behind her, even if the sky fell, there would be nothing to fear.

Her face was burning, and her earlobes were as red as if they were dripping blood. But her eyes became even more determined. The speed of her fingers on the screen accelerated once again.

"The last... layer..." She muttered in her heart.

The surrounding explosions and laser sounds seemed to have faded away. In her world, there was only the dancing code before her eyes, and that warm embrace behind her.

Bang! The last drone attempting a sneak attack was blown up by a single shot from Gu Pingsheng.

At the same time, Gu Nian's finger slammed down on the Enter key. "Done!"

Click—!!! A dull, loud noise came. The alloy door, which had been tightly shut for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, slowly slid open to both sides.

A stream of stale air rushed out from the door gap, blowing Gu Nian's long hair.

"Success!" Gu Nian turned around excitedly. But she forgot how close the two of them were right now.

With this turn, she crashed directly into Gu Pingsheng's arms. Her soft body pressed tightly against his hard tactical vest. She could even feel the hard holster digging into her thigh.

Gu Nian froze. She looked up, meeting exactly Gu Pingsheng's pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling yet not.

Their faces were no more than a few centimeters apart. Their breaths intertwined. Time seemed to stop at this moment.

Gu Pingsheng looked at the pretty face in his arms that was flushed with excitement, and those eyes shimmering behind her lenses. He lowered his head, leaning close to her ear. His voice was low, carrying a hint of playfulness.

"Well done." "My... strategist."

Heat drilled into her ear. Gu Nian felt like she was going to burn up completely. She pushed Gu Pingsheng away in a panic, stepped back two paces, and scrambled to tidy her somewhat messy hair and clothes.

"Cough... well... the door is open..." She lowered her head, not daring to look into Gu Pingsheng's eyes. Like a frightened little rabbit. She had completely lost that queen-like aura of being in control of everything from just a moment ago.

Gu Pingsheng watched her in this state, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepening. He didn't tease her anymore, but turned around and looked at the door that had already fully opened.

Behind the door was a deep, bottomless, deep-blue corridor. On both sides of the corridor stood two rows of tall metal statues.

Those statues had peculiar shapes; some looked like people, some like beasts, and others were simply indescribable. They stood there silently, holding various strange weapons, as if guarding something.

Deep blue light shone from the depths of the corridor, casting a mysterious and eerie veil over everything.

"Let's go." Gu Pingsheng put away his gun and was the first to step into the door. "Let's go see what secrets this so-called 'Divine Court' is hiding."

Lin Qinghan sheathed her sword and followed closely behind. Su Ruan patted the mechanical rabbit's head, letting it shrink back to rabbit size, hugged it in her arms, and followed.

Gu Nian took a deep breath, calmed her wildly beating heart, and also followed quickly. An An took one last look at the starry sky outside, then silently slid into the shadows.

Just at the moment everyone entered the corridor.

Rumble— The alloy door behind them suddenly activated again, slowly closing. The last trace of light was shut out.

The entire corridor instantly fell into dead silence. Only the deep blue light appeared even more eerie.

Suddenly. Click— Click— A harsh mechanical grinding sound rang out. It was like rusty gears being forced to turn.

Everyone stopped abruptly. They saw that on both sides of the corridor, those metal statues that were originally motionless.

Their eye areas. Suddenly lit up with scarlet light. Dozens of red eyes appeared exceptionally creepy in the dim corridor.

Immediately after, a cold, mechanical, emotionless voice echoed in the empty corridor.

"Intruders... detected..."

"Defense protocol... initiated..."

"Purge... commencing."