48: Chapter 48 Divine Mission!

Xiao Wanguo's breathing noticeably quickened.

He looked around, and after confirming that no one was paying attention to them, he spoke in a low voice.

"Follow me."

He turned and walked toward an encrypted meeting room deep within the information center, with Lu Yin following closely behind.

The metal door slid open and closed silently, isolating everything from the outside world.

"Show me the divine relic you obtained."

Xiao Wanguo turned around, his expression solemn.

Lu Yin opened his palm, and the simple, ancient badge lay quietly in his hand, emitting a faint, mysterious aura.

Xiao Wanguo's gaze locked onto the badge, and only after a long while did he let out a long breath.

"It really is a divine relic. I didn't expect a Professional to actually gain a deity's favor at this level."

Generally speaking, even for a Mythic-level Professional, it was absolutely impossible to attract a deity's attention at this level.

Xiao Wanguo himself, for instance, was a Mythic-level Professional.

But he clearly remembered that the first time he obtained a divine relic was only after his second turn.

And by the time he actually completed the mission given by the deity, he was already an Awakening Level expert.

Specifically, the mission Lu Yin had obtained was clearly several times more difficult than his own divine mission.

He even suspected whether the deity behind Lu Yin was deliberately sending him to his death.

A one-year time limit.

No matter how ridiculous Lu Yin's class strength was, how far could it go?

The depths of the Wailing Land were a death zone where even a Second Awakening Expert like him had slim chances of survival.

Xiao Wanguo was silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yin's calm face.

"Lu Yin, do you know what the depths of the Wailing Land signify?"

"There was once a human Third Awakening Expert who wanted to enter the core area to investigate."

"However, in less than seven days, he fled in a wretched state, covered in blood."

"It was as if he had seen some unspeakable horror inside."

"And he never spoke a single word about anything he saw in there."

Lu Yin looked up, his gaze not wavering in the slightest.

"I know, but once a divine mission is accepted, there is no option to back down."

Xiao Wanguo stared at him for a long time before finally sighing, his tone slightly complex.

"You're right. Once a divine mission is accepted, it cannot be abandoned... otherwise..."

"You will lose the deity's protection and become an ordinary mortal."

He paced to the terminal in the meeting room and tapped it lightly, causing a holographic projection of Neptune to appear.

In it, large areas were marked in deep red, especially the region around the Wailing Land, which was almost red to the point of being black.

"The military hasn't given up on exploring the depths of the Wailing Land over the years."

"In fact, we have sent several elite reconnaissance teams, but..."

He paused, his voice carrying a hint of heaviness.

"Not even one in ten survived, and even those who came back alive suffered complete mental breakdowns."

"Only that one person, that top-tier human Third Awakening Expert."

"Although he didn't mention what he saw inside, his mental sanity is no different from an ordinary person's. If you want to know more about the Wailing Land..."

"Perhaps you can find that person and ask."

Lu Yin narrowed his eyes. "Is that expert from the military?"

Xiao Wanguo replied, "He used to be, but after the incident in the Wailing Land, he left the army and turned to teaching at the Holy Hall Academy."

"Holy Hall Academy?"

Lu Yin's eyes shifted slightly, and Xiao Wanguo continued.

"That's right. His name is Chen Yuan. He was once a legendary figure in the military, my instructor back then, and later my teacher."

"He currently serves as the Dean of the Hidden Dragon Academy, one of the eight major colleges in the Holy Hall Academy."

"It just so happens that your plan is also to go to the Holy Hall Academy, so you can try to find him then."

"If you can get a little more information, or even obtain his help..."

"I believe the success rate of your divine mission will increase greatly."

"Chen Yuan... Hidden Dragon Academy..."

Lu Yin murmured to himself.

This piece of information from Xiao Wanguo was quite important to Lu Yin.

After all, the current Solar System no longer belonged to humanity.

Neptune was already a planet on the outskirts of the system, and even at such a distance from the home planet, Earth, such terrifying crises still lurked.

The true home planet would only be more terrifying than Neptune.

If he couldn't even complete this one mission, then there was no point in talking about going to the home planet to search for news of his parents.

"If you've decided to find him, then this item might be of some help to you."

"This was the reward Teacher Chen Yuan gave me when I completed my first independent mission."

"Upon seeing this, he might be willing to talk to you."

Seeing that Lu Yin had made up his mind, Xiao Wanguo took out a Metal Amulet.

"Thank you, Chief Xiao."

Lu Yin took the Metal Amulet; it was cold to the touch, carved with complex patterns, and had a faint flow of energy.

"No need to thank me."

Xiao Wanguo shook his head. "The future of humanity still depends on your younger generation."

His gaze was deep, his tone carrying a bit of expectation mixed with a trace of imperceptible worry.

"Go on. The National Examination starts in a week. You need to prepare in advance."

Lu Yin nodded and carefully put away the Metal Amulet.

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the encrypted meeting room.

As he walked, Lu Yin quickly processed the information he had just received.

The depths of the Wailing Land were something even a Third Awakening Expert was tight-lipped about.

And a one-year time limit was actually not as generous as it seemed.

"Before the examination, I should try to increase my level as much as possible."

"If I become the National Top Scorer then, I should be able to catch the eye of someone like Chen Yuan."

With a heavy heart, Lu Yin headed toward the Elite Trial area Wei Xiaoxiao had mentioned earlier.

The Elite Trial was completely different from a Dungeon; it was a building similar to a palace.

Moreover, compared to the bustle of the Dungeon area, not a single person could be seen at the trial area.

This was because these recruits had only just arrived and didn't have enough merit points to undertake this kind of challenge.

Arriving in front of the palace gates, there stood a control console.

Following the instructions, Lu Yin placed his Identity Badge into the slot, and a cold electronic voice immediately sounded.

[Identity verification passed. corporal Lu Yin, welcome to the Elite Trial.]

[Please select trial difficulty: Normal, Hard, Nightmare]

[Enter Nightmare difficulty?]

"Enter."

Lu Yin did not hesitate at all.

The teleportation light flared, and when Lu Yin could see his surroundings again, he found himself standing on a massive bluestone arena.

A bone-chilling cold instantly swept over him.

A hundred meters in front of Lu Yin, the air began to distort, and countless ice crystals condensed out of thin air, making a tooth-aching cracking sound.

A three-meter-tall giant ice sculpture slowly took shape.

It was a humanoid creature composed of deep blue ice, with two ghostly blue crystal eyes embedded in its head, and a storm of rotating ice blades surrounding its body.

The arena floor was covered in a thick layer of frost, and even the air began to fill with drifting ice crystals.

"Is this the Elite Trial BOSS?"

Lu Yin looked at the ice monster before him and couldn't help but open its attribute panel.