137: Chapter 137 Killing a god is fine, who's afraid of who!

Director Li's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, catching the subtle shift in Chen You's expression.

"Something wrong?"

Chen You nodded, then quickly shook his head, lowering his voice.

"They are all fine. Their aptitude is excellent; they've basically made the cut."

He paused, glanced at Academician Qian Zhonghua, who was passionately discussing something with his Assistant nearby, and added, "Director Li, a word, if you please."

Director Li's eyes narrowed, and without another word, he led Chen You to the far edge of the platform.

The night wind, carrying the coolness from the depths of the Qinling Mountains, brushed past, making the hems of their clothes flutter.

In the distance, the White Jade Capital was hazy in the night, its jade-like stones shimmering faintly, like the breath of a slumbering giant beast.

"It's Old Qian," Chen You stated directly, skipping the pleasantries.

Director Li's brow instantly furrowed into a deep crease.

Qian Zhonghua was the towering authority in the nation's field of materials science. Without him and the team he led, the White Jade Capital would never have moved from concept to reality. He was a true national treasure.

"His physical indicators are checked regularly; everything is normal," Director Li said in a deep voice.

"It's not a physical problem," Chen You organized his words, trying to explain a phenomenon that lay beyond the scope of modern scientific understanding.

"I don't know how to describe it. It's a kind of... aura. Or perhaps, destiny."

He looked at Director Li's serious profile and gave a wry smile.

"This might sound like something a street fortune-teller would say, but in my vision, the aura above Old Qian's head is deathly gray, intertwined with ominous black threads."

"This is absolutely not the state a healthy person should be in."

If these words had come from anyone else, Director Li would have dismissed them as nonsense.

But the person speaking was Chen You.

The man who single-handedly shifted the Age of the Extraordinary and brought mythology into reality.

Director Li remained silent for a full dozen seconds, the only sound being the wind.

He didn't press for the underlying principles, nor did he question the veracity; instead, he immediately switched into decision-making mode.

"How serious is it? Is there a way to resolve it?"

"I don't know," Chen You admitted frankly.

"Gazing at Qi to See the Heart can only see the 'effect,' it cannot see the 'cause.'"

"It's like an alarm, telling me there’s a lightning strike here, but I have no idea when the thunder will crash or how to dismantle it."

"I can only confirm that this omen is extremely bad, carrying the meaning of finality and withering."

"I understand," Director Li nodded heavily, his eyes turning incomparably resolute.

Better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.

Especially regarding a matter significant enough to shake the nation's foundation, any sliver of risk must be crushed with the highest level of contingency planning.

"The candidates for this batch of 'Dragon Scales' will undergo their subsequent training and live within the White Jade Capital."

"I will arrange their quarters directly adjacent to the Materials Research Institute," Director Li spoke rapidly.

"They possess spiritual energy, however faint, giving them a far superior sense of perception toward anomalies compared to ordinary people."

"I will issue an order for them to make protecting Old Qian one of their highest priority missions."

That wasn't enough.

"Additionally, I will dispatch another special protection detail for 24-hour close-quarters security."

"Publicly, we will say it is to strengthen the protection of our core experts."

A combination punch was delivered swiftly and precisely.

Chen You felt a slight easing in his heart.

He had only raised the problem, and Director Li had instantly provided the most comprehensive solution.

"Good."

With the matter settled, the two returned to the brightly lit command hall.

The atmosphere there had shifted from the earlier solemnity to the tension and excitement of a post-battle debriefing.

The screens of the various expert teams were filled with data analysis regarding the 'House of the Sea King' and that 'Abyssal Whisper.'

"Comrade Chen You, you're back," Sun Feng adjusted his glasses and handed over a briefing document.

"The first battle was a decisive victory, its significance is immense. We have preliminarily established a database for the 'Deep Sea Civilization,' although it is just the tip of the iceberg."

Chen You took the briefing, glanced at it, and cut straight to the chase: "The post-battle settlement is out."

One sentence made the entire command hall fall instantly silent. Everyone's gaze focused on him.

"The final evaluation is SSS-grade. The Guild received a reward of three thousand points." Chen You paused, dropping the main news.

"The most crucial part is the spoils of war—they also gave us an 'Abyssal Blind Box' with a drop rate of one in a million."

"A Blind Box?" Zhang Yunhai was stunned. "One in a million?"

"I opened it," Chen You said slowly, facing the expectant eyes of the crowd.

"I pulled a Unique Building Blueprint—the demon suppressing pagoda."

"Unique Building!"

A chorus of gasps echoed through the command center.

The biological expert, Zhang Ping, was so excited his face turned red.

"What are its functions? Can it affect the real world?"

"It's not entirely clear yet; its core ability requires unlocking," Chen You's expression turned serious.

"The condition for unlocking is an item called a 'god core.'"

He recounted the conversation he had with Hill at the Supreme Tower verbatim.

When the words 'Slay a God' left Chen You's mouth, the entire command hall fell into a deathly silence.

These two words seemed to carry the sense of mortal presumption.

After a long while, it was Director Li who broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness: "The only way?"

"At least that NPC said so," Chen You nodded.

"This is troublesome," tactical team leader Zhang Yunhai frowned.

"We know nothing about the combat power of 'Gods.' Acting rashly carries too much risk."

"No, perhaps there is a breakthrough."

Chen You suddenly spoke up, synchronizing the information about the previous 'Tattered Map' and the 'shadow contract emblem' as well.

Before he finished speaking, Data Team Leader Sun Feng's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Ancient God!" He slapped his thigh. "An Ancient God is also a God! You mean..."

Chen You met everyone's gaze and stated deliberately, word by word: "If we kill it, will it drop a 'god core'?"

A statement that awakened the dreamers!

The epic mission, previously treated like hot potato and shelved due to the lengthy time commitment, instantly transformed from a dispensable side quest into the only hope they currently had, thanks to the appearance of the 'demon suppressing pagoda' and the 'god core'!

"The feasibility is extremely high!" Zhang Yunhai immediately offered his advice.

"The clue is still in your hands. Even with just one day, I think we can give it a try!"

"The newbie protection period has seventeen days left," Director Li paced in front of the main screen, his brain working at high speed.

The sound of his footsteps 'da-da-da' was exceptionally clear.

His gaze finally fixed on Chen You, and he made his decision.

"I agree. We still have a time window. Instead of waiting passively, we should take the initiative."

"Prepare yourselves. Enter the Source Realm immediately," Director Li's voice was decisive.

"Regarding the 3000 Guild Honor points, execute the first contingency plan."

"Also, go scout out what kind of caliber that so-called Ancient God truly possesses!"

"Remember, safety first. It is better to fail the mission than to take unnecessary risks."

"Yes!" Chen You accepted the order.