Chapter 144: Troublesome Matters

Xu Bancheng’s words were heavy with emotion. It was clear that during the time Lin Qiu had been away, he had experienced a great deal, and he now held a pessimistic view of the current state of the Earth.

Otherwise, Xu would not have spoken to Lin with such a tone of weary reflection, which piqued Lin Qiu’s curiosity. Although he had not had much contact with Xu, he could generally gauge his character; if things had not truly reached an irredeemable point, he would never have uttered such things.

"Would you mind telling me specifically what happened?"

Since Lin Qiu had nothing pressing to attend to, he figured he might as well listen and see what had occurred among humanity that could leave even Xu Bancheng so disheartened. He could already make an educated guess—it was nine times out of ten related to the Steel Great Wall project. After all, Xu had previously mentioned to him that someone was keeping a close watch on the initiative.

"Not long ago, there were disturbances in the ocean. A phantom of an oceanic dragon appeared above the sea, and every nation on Earth witnessed it," Xu Bancheng explained slowly. Lin Qiu rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment, as he was well aware that the phantom of the dragon was tied to him.

"After witnessing this, various factions on land felt a sense of crisis, leading to an emergency meeting where a human alliance was formed. There was opposition to the Steel Great Wall project, but after I argued my case, it was decided that over the next month, they would simulate an attack by sea beasts to test whether the project is truly viable."

As he said this, Xu Bancheng rubbed his temples in frustration. He knew all too well that there would be those who would sabotage the test. After all, the Noah’s Ark project, championed by foreign factions, was seen by many as having far better feasibility and success rates than the Steel Great Wall.

"Is that all? I thought it was something serious," Lin Qiu said, a nonchalant smile appearing on his face. In his view, there was no need to worry about such matters at all.

"I will personally oversee the defense when the time comes. With me there, and given the current strength of the land, the idea of breaking through the Steel Great Wall is a fantasy—provided those ancient monsters don't emerge."

Lin Qiu had a very clear assessment of his own strength. As long as those ancient entities remained hidden, he was undoubtedly the strongest person on land. If those people were shameless enough to interfere with the test, he wasn't without ways to deal with them.

"With your guarantee, I feel much more at ease." To Lin’s surprise, Xu Bancheng smiled after hearing the assurance, as if his entire purpose for coming was just to secure that promise.

"You really are something. But it’s no big deal. I heard your sister resigned from the Investigation Bureau?" Lin Qiu shifted the topic. He still hadn't figured out how to face Xu Bing, and she had already resigned from the Bureau on her brother’s advice—a case of "out of sight, out of mind," hoping that time would wash away everything that needed to be forgotten.

"I arranged for her to go to Mount Zhongnan to clear her head. It’s snowing there right now. Don't you dare go stir up any trouble for me again." When answering, a hint of wariness flashed in Xu Bancheng’s eyes. He had finally managed to pull his sister away from the orbit of Lin Qiu’s affairs, and he certainly didn't want Lin interfering again.

"I understand. You don't need to tell me that." Lin Qiu shrugged and then saw Xu Bancheng off.

Just as he was about to shift his consciousness back to the Other Shore King City, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Come to the City God Temple in the east at once."

Lin Qiu was very familiar with that voice. Not long ago, he had sat down for a heart-to-heart talk with the Red-Blooded Golden-Eyed Ape in a cave. Without further hesitation, he left the Investigation Bureau and headed toward the temple.

As he departed, Jiang Feng dispatched a team to tail him, making it clear that they were monitoring his every move. They didn't even try to hide it, which sparked a flicker of anger in Lin Qiu. Even a mud figure has a temper; with Jiang Feng targeting him repeatedly, it was impossible for Lin Qiu not to feel indignant.

As he neared the City God Temple, the voice echoed in his mind once more: "Clear the tails behind you."

Hearing the Red-Blooded Golden-Eyed Ape’s voice, Lin Qiu keenly sensed that the creature seemed to be in an extremely weak state.

"Get lost! If you keep following me, don't blame me for showing no mercy." Lin Qiu didn't hesitate. He channeled the power within him and confronted the team trailing him. A massive, overwhelming pressure radiated from his body, pinning them directly to the ground, despite the enhancement of their exoskeleton armor.

After doing this, Lin Qiu vanished from their sight. About fifteen minutes after he left, the group finally managed to struggle to their feet. They looked at one another, their faces filled with unadulterated panic. As members of the Investigation Bureau, they were equipped with the most advanced exoskeleton armor available, yet in front of Lin Qiu, it had been no more than a joke.

Inside the City God Temple, the surroundings shifted the moment Lin Qiu stepped through the threshold, transforming into the interior of a mountain cave. The once majestic Red-Blooded Golden-Eyed Ape was now weakly leaning against a rock, its wounds still bleeding incessantly. The injuries appeared irreversible; the creature was clearly down to its final breath.

Shock gripped Lin Qiu. Having experienced the strength of the ape firsthand, he couldn't fathom what kind of situation could have inflicted such devastating injuries.

"Senior, what happened to you?"

Lin Qiu moved to help the ape up, but was blocked by a weak gesture. "I know my own condition; there is no saving me. Don't waste your time. Just listen carefully to what I have to say."

As a powerful being, the ape had a clear grasp of the severity of its injuries. The only reason it had summoned Lin Qiu to the temple was because there were things it had to entrust to him.