Chapter 508 — Through the Era of the Empress

In this way, it could free itself of the Undying Infernal Phoenix's influence while inheriting only Mu Huiyin's talent, becoming itself once more.

As for the phoenix clone, Shi Jin and the others planned to nurture it toward the Vermilion Bird. Whether that would succeed remained to be seen. Beyond their existing methods, Shi Tan was also about to go back and learn from the Undying Infernal Phoenix's elder sister—was she not the one hailed as the Solar Divine Phoenix, mistress of the starry Vermilion Bird's power, the demigod closest to the Vermilion Bird?

And so Crimson Pupil's form had now become a humanoid sword spirit, standing atop the phoenix clone, sword in hand—the Phoenix Swordmaiden!

Its next evolution would be the Vermilion Bird Swordmaiden, wielding the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.

…………

"Off we go!!!" After two months of grueling training, Shi Jin was brimming with excitement—at last, he could travel through time and space once more.

They picked an auspicious day and set out at once.

Shi Jin flew by psychic power rather than riding on a beast, savoring to the fullest the vastness of the sky.

But no sooner had Shi You passed through the Demon Capital than he slammed to a sudden halt, ceasing his flight toward the Island of Time and Space.

He stared at his phone, astonished.

Someone had sent a message to the entire Bureau Eleven group chat.

The sender: Gu Yun.

The one person absent from the last Bureau Eleven meeting.

That elder of Bureau Eleven—a man who could well be called its director, the greatest archaeologist the former Eastern Radiance ever had.

Through ruins alone, this senior had secured for the ancient kingdom of Eastern Radiance two mythic-tier resources and more than ten legendary-tier ones—a truly legendary figure.

Unfortunately, he had reportedly gone to explore a mythic ruin and had not emerged for five years.

At the same time, he had forbidden anyone to disturb or seek him out—otherwise, far from helping him, they would only do harm with good intentions.

An expert of his caliber was indeed entitled to keep others from meddling.

And now the old gentleman had sent a group message—which meant… he had cracked the mythic ruin and come out???

The message had been sent mere seconds ago. After years in the ruin, his phone still had battery—remarkable; it must be a mechanical lifeform.

Gu Yun: [I'm out. I'm right outside that ruin now. My beasts and I haven't eaten in ages and can't move anymore. I'm starving—anyone, please, send some food over…]

The group chat: "!!!!"

Lu Heng: "Senior Gu?!"

Li Lianping: "Who's near the Demon Capital?"

Qixia Sect: "Don't worry, Senior Gu. I'm contacting the Demon Capital Association's chairman now, but food for seven overlords may take a while to prepare."

Fang Lan watched the chat, a trembling newbie.

Shi Qi checked the coordinates, fell silent a moment, and said, "I happen to be near the Demon Capital—very close. I'll go bring Senior Gu some food first."

Lu Heng: "Shi Jin, are you there? Please."

Shi Jin had never expected to run into a Bureau Eleven senior emerging from a cracked ruin on his way.

Six years in a mythic ruin… the resources he'd brought at the start must have long since been utterly insufficient to sustain his activities.

Now that he had finally emerged, he must be starving.

Shi Jin's whole team could understand that kind of hunger.

After checking the coordinates, Shi Jin sped toward the location of the Demon Capital mythic ruin recorded in the Bureau Eleven archive.

It took him almost no time at all to arrive.

There, Senior Gu Yun lay sprawled on the ground with his seven overlord-tier beasts, utterly spent, in surroundings like a primeval jungle. The aged senior was now nothing but skin and bone, and his overlord beasts were each in just as wretched a state.

It seemed he had used his last strength to send the message; Shi Qi saw that his overlord mechanical beast, which resembled a codex, had powered off completely and entered dormancy.

Seeing the senior in such a state, Shi Qi immediately produced a sachet and released its fragrance.

In the next instant, the white-haired Senior Gu Yun and each of his beasts visibly improved; color returned to their faces, and they slowly opened their eyes.

"Senior Gu, food." Shi Jin took out some spirit food from the team's usual rations—the milder, gentler kind—and floated it before the senior and the others with his psychic power.

Catching the aroma, they seized it like starving ghosts and devoured it madly.

Gulping it down, the pale-faced Senior Gu Yun quickly regained a flush of color. He was astonished—he had only taken a few sips of milk tea and eaten a few dried fruits, yet his body had instantly grown warm and was racing back toward health?

What food was this?

Gu Yun knew full well how bad his condition had been. What food could restore him so rapidly, so gently?

"Roar!!!" At the same time, he could feel that each of his overlord beasts, though they had eaten only tiny portions, had instantly perked up—simply unbelievable.

"You are…" Now that he had recovered somewhat, the senior Gu Yun, sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, finally noticed Shi Jin before him.

A young man just past twenty.

With Shi Ying's support, he rose to his feet.

"Senior Gu, my name is Shi Jin, a newcomer to Bureau Eleven. Lu Heng invited me to join. I happened to be near the Demon Capital, and when I saw the message, I was the first to rush over," said Shi Li.

Senior Gu Yun looked at Shi Jin. "A newcomer…"

"Yes, six years now."

"Shi Jin, those rations you gave us earlier must be precious indeed. Thank you."

The old man's gratitude was sincere.

Shi Zhuo smiled. "Think nothing of it. Just ordinary food—very gentle nourishment, suited for those who are weak."

"Qingyi has gone and invited quite the remarkable talent," Elder Gu Yun said kindly. How could such things be ordinary food? Anyone who carried provisions like these on his person—this new recruit of Bureau Eleven was likely no ordinary sort either.

Surely a archaeologist of legendary caliber, one the Association was cultivating with special care.

Come to think of it, he wondered whether, after six years, Lu Heng had broken through to Legendary.

"Elder Gu, are you feeling better?" Shi Tang said. "I have more food here."

Old Gu Yun waved his hands hastily. "No need, quite enough. Tell me, boy—do you even know what this place is...?"

"Haha—a mythological relic!" The old man burst out laughing.

"And I've cracked it! From within, I even obtained a mythological-tier resource! Haha—six years of Time Imprint, one mythological resource. A fine trade!!!"

Elder Gu Yun looked at Cen Yu. "But this relic was truly perilous—I very nearly didn't make it back. Only by great fortune did I carry out this mythological resource. You young ones must never court such risk in the future."

Gu Yun had already anticipated Shi Jin's astonished expression. A mythological-tier resource—an archaeological haul like that was enough to shake the whole archaeological world.

"A mythological resource?!!" Yet, to Gu Yun's surprise, this new recruit Shi Jin had remarkable composure—only a flicker of mild astonishment.

Old Gu paused. Good, good. Sound psychological constitution.

This new recruit of Bureau Eleven was really quite excellent.

With Bureau Eleven short on talent, at this lean juncture, that was rare indeed. Gu Yun sighed inwardly—after this, he intended to retire. He truly had no energy left for running about relics; better to pour it into these new-generation members of Bureau Eleven and cultivate them.

This Shi Jin who had been the first to bring him food—that one looked good to him.

"Elder Gu!!!!"

Just then, the sound of a helicopter suddenly came from the sky, and a loudspeaker voice like a broadcast rang out as a helicopter-type mechanical lifeform abruptly descended toward them.