Lu Yuan had been to Sum Nation twice before.

The first time Zhou Ling took him, they didn't enter the city. Instead, they only observed the shadow of this grand city from afar under the night sky.

The second time was after the Yellow Bear new blood assessment concluded.

Although he entered Sum Nation, he didn't make any stops.

He left after a hasty meeting with Yu Wentong above the clouds.

He took a bunch of photos before leaving, all still stored on his phone.

This was his third time.

It was also the first time Lu Yuan had truly set foot on the soil within the city of Sum Nation.

He was standing at an asterisk-shaped intersection, curiously taking in everything around him.

Above his head was a metallic firmament composed of countless Fly Shuttles and aircraft.

The dense metallic firmament obscured the actual sky. However, for the people living under this iron curtain, there was no sense of gloom or oppression.

On the contrary, it was brighter and more expansive than any city Lu Yuan had ever visited.

An incredibly brilliant stream of light flowed beneath the metallic firmament, serving as both the track for countless Fly Shuttles and the city's luminous canopy.

It had the function of adjusting and filtering light and air.

Beneath the luminous canopy, a large, pulsating, light-blue alphanumeric code read—"B29843".

This number represented the area code of his current location.

The format and length of the code hinted at the immense scale of Sum Nation.

Below the area code stood buildings brimming with technology and futuristic designs.

Swarms of drones, like busy bees, shuttled back and forth between the buildings, having replaced human city cleaners.

Colorful neon lights, dazzling virtual images, and flowing, leaping electronic musical notes were everywhere.

On the streets, passing pedestrians were mostly young and attractive, their average looks reaching an almost unbelievable standard.

Young men and women wore vibrant clothes, almost every pattern printed on them moved and could even make sounds.

They were the kind Lu Yuan had once purchased in Smokeless City Three.

Occasionally, people could be seen swaggering about in exoskeletons.

Lu Yuan glanced at them. The functions of these exoskeletons permitted in the city were generally ordinary, but their designs were each more outlandish and cool than the last. Their decorative effect far outweighed their actual functionality.

In this respect, there's no fundamental difference from the Old City Circle...

Such scenes were also common in the Old City Circle, except there, exoskeletons were replaced with the latest mobile phones, computers, sports cars, and the like.

Lu Yuan stood calmly at the intersection, under a prominent neon billboard.

"Tea Longevity Technology's Life Source Spring No. 8 New Health Product Launch!" scrolled over his head, accompanied by a dazzlingly cool virtual image.

This seemed to somewhat conceal the out-of-place aura he naturally radiated.

Lu Yuan was now 1.87 meters tall with fair skin, a result of adding two points to Agility on his way here.

After disembarking from the Fly Shuttle, his stature and appearance seemed to have ascended to another level.

He wore a dark blue casual uniform specially supplied by Yellow Bear, his black hair short, neat, and thick.

His eyes were downcast, exuding an inexplicably calm and reserved temperament.

He was reminiscent of a young master from a noble and prominent family.

In fact, the innate sense of nobility he now possessed was a result of his life form's metamorphosis.

These two Agility points seem to have brought about more changes than I expected...

Lu Yuan continued to feel the changes within him; the subtle metamorphoses in his body had not yet ceased.

He even caught a spark of insight related to advancing to the Grandmaster Realm, his mind growing increasingly serene.

CLICK, CLICK—

Someone stood on the opposite side of the long street, holding a camera-like device and continuously snapping photos of Lu Yuan under the billboard.

Lu Yuan neither stopped them nor intentionally dodged, simply watching them quietly for a moment.

At this moment, the person he was waiting for finally arrived.

"Lu Yuan!"

Zhou Ling leaped from a Fly Shuttle that had abruptly stopped. He was still in his combat suit, his hair slightly disheveled, and he waved at Lu Yuan from afar.

"I was temporarily assigned a small task, so I'm late," Zhou Ling explained quickly as he trotted over to Lu Yuan, a hint of awkwardness in his expression.

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered. He smiled faintly and opened his arms to Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling paused, momentarily stunned, then a brilliant, long-unseen smile spread across his face.

They shared a light embrace, and the sense of distance and unfamiliarity from their long separation seemed to vanish completely.

「Five minutes later, in a small restaurant on the corner of the street.」

This was a rare traditional restaurant where both chefs and servers were actual humans, not robots.

"Human labor is very expensive in Sum Nation. Don't underestimate this small restaurant; its prices are more than five times those of comparable establishments," Zhou Ling explained to Lu Yuan after finishing the order and returning the menu to the server.

Suddenly recalling something, he said with a chagrined expression, "I completely forgot! You've always lived in the Old City Circle, eating food cooked by human chefs. Your lifestyle is completely different from people in Sum Nation... Let's go somewhere else."

With that, Zhou Ling immediately stood up.

"No, it's fine."

Lu Yuan stopped him, shaking his head. "Don't bother. Anything is fine."

"Okay... alright then," Zhou Ling saw the determination in Lu Yuan's eyes and didn't insist further, though he still looked regretful.

The server brought two glasses of lemonade, and they chatted casually.

"I think the best decision I ever made in my life... was taking that mission to clear out the Crow God Sect troublemakers in Burnt Rock..." Zhou Ling said with deep emotion.

Lu Yuan chuckled but did not speak.

Zhou Ling, however, seemed to have opened his floodgates.

"You have no idea! When I heard your final evaluation in the new blood assessment was SSS+, I was floored! The intense brainwave fluctuations fried a few circuit boards, and I ended up in the hospital for two days... A Six-Winged... Divine Blood Flying Bear!"

"Consequently, everyone involved who knew the result of that new blood assessment had to sign the highest-level confidentiality agreements. Otherwise, if the news had leaked, the entire Yellow Bear internal network would have erupted."

Lu Yuan listened to Zhou Ling's exclamations, scanned him with his Spiritual Power, blinked a few times, and then asked, "Your modifications... how were they removed?"

"You noticed?"

Zhou Ling picked up his lemonade, took a sip, and chuckled. "I rode your coattails and joined Great Elder Song Cong's Gold Bear team."

"And I'm highly regarded too. The Great Elder intends to guide me in the New Martial Uranium Light Knife inheritance."

"My previous modifications weren't systematic and were quite crude, so I had them all removed."

"I only kept some basic physical enhancements and am now undergoing Knife Skill training with the Great Elder."

Gold Bear... Uranium Light Knife...

Although Lu Yuan hadn't heard of this Gold Bear before, anyone at the Gold Bear Level was undoubtedly an expert in the New Martial lineage.

For Zhou Ling to have earned his favor signified a meteoric rise—a far better situation than before.

"...Gao Qing also joined the Supervisory Team because of you. She knew you were in Sum Nation and originally planned to come with me."

"But something came up at the last minute, and she couldn't make it. She asked me to send her regards..."

"Mm."

Lu Yuan nodded noncommittally.

Zhou Ling had been his guide into Yellow Bear, and Lu Yuan valued their connection. Gao Qing, however, was a different matter; her presence or absence was inconsequential to him.

"Oh, right."

Zhou Ling picked up the pitcher on the table, refilled Lu Yuan's glass with lemonade, and asked curiously, "Why the sudden trip to Sum Nation? Weren't you always roaming the Old City Circle before?"

Zhou Ling knew a bit about Lu Yuan's recent movements since they occasionally kept in touch.

"I plan to enter an Evil God's Secret Realm," Lu Yuan replied, making no effort to hide his intentions.

Zhou Ling raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"Lament Ruins."

Zhou Ling lowered his head slightly, presumably searching the Yellow Bear network.

Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"My clearance isn't high enough. What level is this Secret Realm?"

"S-rank."

"No wonder."

Zhou Ling regarded Lu Yuan with a complex expression, then after a moment's thought, asked, "Have you arranged for anyone to go with you? I know you're very strong now, but it's best to have a guide for your first trip into an Evil God's Secret Realm..."

Then, Zhou Ling added hesitantly, "The Great Elder I'm with, Song Cong, is part of the Secret God Group, which specializes in Secret Realm exploration missions."

"No."

Lu Yuan shook his head.

He knew only a few people in Yellow Bear: Yu Wentong, Lan Chen, and Xiao Rui.

They were all quite powerful, but none were suitable as a guide for his first Secret Realm expedition.

"Perhaps... I could ask Great Elder Song Cong?" Zhou Ling asked tentatively.

"Great Elder Song knows many Gold Bear-level experts in the Secret God Group."

"Perhaps he can help arrange something..."

Lu Yuan hadn't expected Zhou Ling to suggest this; frankly, he hadn't thought a guide was necessary.

But seeing Zhou Ling's good intentions... After a moment, Lu Yuan replied, "If it would cause trouble for you, or for Song Cong of the Uranium Light Knife, then let's forget it."

"What are you saying?" Zhou Ling chuckled, then deliberately lowered his voice and leaned in close. "You don't get it. Great Elder Song has hinted to me several times that I should introduce him to you if I got the chance."

"So, you needing a guide for the Secret Realm? This isn't me asking him for a favor for you; it's me doing *him* a favor..."

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but chuckle.

With Lu Yuan's consent, Zhou Ling immediately and enthusiastically began working his communicator.

Meanwhile, the food they had ordered arrived.

They ate and chatted, with Zhou Ling occasionally pausing to reply to messages.

As their meal neared its end, Zhou Ling suddenly grinned and said excitedly to Lu Yuan, "Great Elder Song replied!"

"He found out that a top-tier Secret God Group squad is preparing to enter the Lament Ruins soon."

"It's an all-star lineup of Gold Bears, all S-rank or higher, and every one of them is a veteran of at least five S-rank Secret Realm explorations."

"Great Elder Song has already negotiated with them and secured an extra spot for you on the team."

"However, you'll need to discuss the specific details with them yourself..."

"Oh?"

Lu Yuan put down his cutlery, picked up the napkin beside him, and gently wiped his mouth, feeling somewhat surprised.

He had not expected Zhou Ling's spur-of-the-moment idea to actually yield results.

Truthfully, Lu Yuan hadn't been particularly desperate for a "Secret Realm guide."

But if one was available, it would undoubtedly be better, saving him much of the trouble of exploring on his own.

So he asked, "What team is it? Do you have their information?"

"Yes." Zhou Ling replied quickly. "I've already sent it to you."

Lu Yuan received a message notification from Zhou Ling and looked down to check it.

A large block of information appeared before his eyes.

The first line of the information read: "Team Leader: Xie Jun. Strength: S+. Ability: S-rank New Martial—Thunder Magnetic Flying Sword..."

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