223: Ancient Ruins (Part 1)

"The moment we got close, resentment gushed out and injured quite a few brothers."

"Furthermore, that ancient ruin faintly emits an aura that makes even me feel a chill."

"According to the surveyors' estimates, this pressure is likely around the peak of the Sixth Rank, or perhaps even a Demigod-level existence."

You Yu's expression grew solemn.

He knew well that anything capable of making You Lin wary was definitely no small matter.

"When it rains, it pours."

You Yu sighed helplessly. "Things were already troublesome enough, and now we've encountered such a thorny situation."

After a moment of hesitation, he finally decided to let Shang Wan Ning make the call. "Forget it, I'll take you to see Her Majesty. Stop pacing and dawdling around the side hall."

"Hehe, it's not that I'm afraid to see Her Majesty, but what if she exiles me in a fit of pique and throws me straight to Africa to watch lions? That would be tragic!"

You Lin gave You Yu a fawning smile while scratching the back of his head.

"Exile? You've certainly got an imagination, kid."

You Yu glared at him irritably. "With those flashy antics of yours, it's a mercy that Her Majesty hasn't given you a few lashes."

"She just finds you a bit disagreeable, which is already quite good."

"Compared to the past, you're practically living in a honey pot now."

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Yu, you're right." You Lin quickly raised both hands in surrender.

You Yu rolled his eyes again, his lips curling into a forced, mocking smile. "Always playing the clown! Fine, stop wasting time and let's go."

"Oh, okay!"

You Lin nodded hurriedly and followed You Yu toward the main hall.

As soon as they stepped into the hall, You Lin instinctively shrunk his neck.

Shang Wan Ning, whose mind was racing, set down her Myriad Manifestation Pen. Her cold gaze swept over as she sneered, "An old person? What old person?"

You Yu knew things had taken a turn for the worse.

Women were quite averse to discussions about their age, especially those who were mindful of their appearance.

The Empress happened to be among them.

He quickly bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

You Lin followed suit in a panic, bowing his head low and staring intently at the tips of his toes. He didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, fearing he might draw Shang Wan Ning's attention.

The atmosphere in the hall seemed to freeze at that moment.

After a long while, Shang Wan Ning let out a breath.

Her tone remained cold, yet it carried an undeniable pressure. "Speak. What is it?"

Trembling, You Lin wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead. With a shaky voice, he reported the situation of the ancient ruins in full detail.

Shang Wan Ning listened quietly, her brow furrowing as a wisp of divine power seeped from her palm and swirled around her.

The hall suddenly fell into a dead silence.

Only You Lin's voice echoed through the vast, empty space.

When You Lin finished his report, Shang Wan Ning's brow still hadn't relaxed.

"Peak of the Sixth Rank or even a Demigod... how interesting. All sorts of monsters and Demons are daring to crawl out now."

Her attitude revealed a disdain for these evil spirits, as if their appearance was hardly worth mentioning.

Then, her voice suddenly rose an octave as she barked, "Do they think this Empress and the underworld have no one? They even dare to injure the ghost messengers of the underworld!"

Her divine power exploded in the hall like a clap of thunder, making You Lin's ears ring.

His waist shuddered violently, his legs went weak, and with a thud, he slumped onto the floor.

After not seeing her for a long time, Her Majesty's cultivation had actually reached such a profound level!

Just a wisp of divine power had nearly crushed him to death; this strength was truly enough to make any 'ghost' marvel.

You Lin scrambled up from the floor and cautiously stole a few glances at You Yu.

He found that the other's expression hadn't changed at all; he was still as calm and detached as a chrysanthemum.

He couldn't help but mentally give him a double-tap like, as expected of the favorite before Her Majesty, the capable subordinate, and the confidant among confidants.

This state of mind, remaining composed under pressure, was truly powerful!

You Yu noticed You Lin's eager peeking and found it somewhat amusing.

He wondered to himself: who was that "ghost" who didn't even dare to enter the hall just now?

Now that the business was finished, his courage had grown quite a bit—at least by twenty or thirty percent.

You Yu gestured toward You Lin with a tilt of his head.

You Lin immediately understood.

With perfect chemistry, the two cupped their hands in a salute again and said in unison, "Please appease your anger, Your Majesty. These clowns are not worth fearing."

"Appease my anger? Why would I need to appease my anger? I'm not angry." Shang Wan Ning's emotions were a tangled mess—sixty percent stubbornness, thirty percent bitterness, and ten percent annoyance intertwined.

A month ago, the underworld was teeming with talent.

All sorts of matters were handled in an orderly fashion by her considerate and capable subordinates.

Unfortunately, times had changed, and the current Jiaotai Palace was a completely different scene.

Mountains of affairs surged in like a tide, leaving Shang Wan Ning overwhelmed.

The system's main and side quests hadn't been completed at all—how could she not be frustrated?

Ox-Head and Horse-Face were training troops in the Ghost Realm, sustaining war through war; Black and White Impermanence had been dispatched to investigate the entrance to the Demon realm and hadn't returned yet.

Sister Meng had recently entered secluded cultivation, attempting to break through the bottleneck of the Seventh Rank; although the White-Haired Loli had sufficient cultivation, her personality was too flighty.

The Empress was truly worried she would act recklessly and throw her life away for nothing.

As for the 'You' generation subordinates she had summoned first, while their abilities were suitable, their cultivation was still shallow, making it hard for them to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

The Goddess of Desire and Jiao Xiao certainly met the requirements, but unfortunately, these two were more unreliable than the last—a true pair of 'incompetent geniuses.'

She didn't dare let them leave the underworld too far, lest they cause even more trouble.

"After all the counting, does this Empress really have to go herself?" Shang Wan Ning rubbed her chin helplessly, a sense of desolation rising in her heart.

This was truly a sad state of affairs!

Busy with government affairs by day and working overtime at night to go adventuring in ruins—it was truly miserable.

She pressed her palms together and raised an eyebrow at You Lin. "I have taken note. When the Hour of the Pig arrives, I will investigate personally."

You Lin eagerly gave a light wave of his right hand.

A strand of pure spiritual energy struck the desk accurately, displaying the location of the ancient ruins.

As Shang Wan Ning looked at the phantom image of the approximate location, her gaze gradually turned to one of disdain.

"It's a new era; spiritual energy and technology must be combined."

"The surveyor is clearly on-site; couldn't they just send the coordinates through the underworld app? That way, we could ignore formation barriers and be precise down to the millimeter."

She turned her head and glared fiercely at You Lin standing below, her voice full of reproach.

"The Secretary-General told you to communicate more with the ghost messengers in technical positions, yet you've treated her words as wind past your ears, ignoring them completely."

You Lin was so intimidated by Shang Wan Ning's scolding that he didn't dare utter a word; like a failing student being lectured, he could only silently pick at his fingers.

His attempt at flattery had backfired completely.

Shang Wan Ning didn't buy into his eagerness at all.