As Bai Jun's voice fell, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense.
All eyes were fixed on the holographic projection floating above the table.
"Is this the ancient ruins?"
"Why does it look so much like a formation used by a sect to conceal its location?"
Shangguan Miaoyin looked at the so-called ruins with great interest.
To her, this place clearly resembled a sect's grand formation.
On the other side, Mei Xue suddenly retorted, "It's said that ancient ruins come in various forms, and ruins shaped like sect formations are not unheard of."
"The key is to confirm whether it's an ancient ruin based on the detected energy fluctuations."
Shangguan Miaoyin was taken aback, then smiled faintly. "That's true."
In her heart, however, she felt a bit puzzled. Huh? Mei Xue rarely participates in such discussions.
But this is good too, at least she's acting well.
After her rebuttal, Mei Xue subtly glanced at Gu Yan, who was smiling faintly.
Tsk, this man...
What kind of scheme is he plotting now? He actually sent her a telepathic message to say such things.
Doesn't he know this could ruin her image?
Gu Yan's gaze swept over the projection, then inexplicably turned to Bai Jun. "Has the Martial Arts Department uncovered something?"
Hearing this, Bai Jun nodded. "Yes, indeed."
"According to our investigation, the energy fluctuations within this ruin have been continuously rising over the past month."
"This indicates that the creatures and ancient artifacts inside are gradually awakening."
"Combined with the celestial phenomena that occurred in the sky above this area half a month ago, we can confirm that this is a sign of the birth of ancient qi."
"Of course, there's another crucial factor, which is the immutable law that has held true from the past until now."
"And that is..."
At this point, Bai Jun looked at everyone present, his voice particularly clear: "Whenever one strand of ancient qi perishes, a new one will be born to replace it."
As soon as these words were spoken, Bai Lian's eyes reddened, and she began to sob softly.
Qin Rong, a member of the Peace Faction within the Martial Arts Department, sighed inwardly upon seeing Bai Lian's sorrow.
She turned slightly and reached out to comfort her. "Bai Lian, don't be sad. We will definitely eliminate the Night King from this world!"
Bai Lian, her eyes red from crying, nodded on the surface and said, "Yes! Thank you, Sister Qin Rong."
Bai Jun knew Bai Lian was heartbroken, but this was a strategy meeting, so he had to continue.
"According to relevant records,"
"Many years ago, every time the Night King appeared, his targets were the various geniuses of the ancient martial world."
"The places he visited most frequently were ancient ruins."
"One month ago, the Night King reappeared and absorbed the Xuanwu qi in Jianghai."
"From this, it's clear that the Night King will definitely be involved in this newly discovered ancient ruin."
At this point, Bai Jun's voice grew solemn. "A month ago, we were unprepared."
"But this time is different. In addition to the Martial Arts Department in Jianghai, members from other regions will also join this operation and support us."
"If the Night King doesn't show up, it's for the best."
"But if he does..."
"This time, we've laid a trap in advance. Even if we can't completely eliminate the Night King, we will surely inflict heavy losses on him!"
"To ensure the plan goes smoothly, we need to confirm the situation within the ruins beforehand."
"The plan is as follows..."
The other members in the room began whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
After all, both ancient qi and ancient ruins were enough to stir their nerves.
Gu Yan, meanwhile, observed quietly.
Leaning back comfortably in his chair, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
Very good, very good~ Everything is going smoothly.
Next, it's time to arrange the setup with my subordinates.
On the other side.
You Xingxue.
She glanced at Gu Yan from time to time, feeling extremely nervous.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Gu Yan seemed oddly familiar.
It was as if he carried the aura of... her master...
Ah, no, no, no, my master couldn't possibly be such a lowly figure.
Definitely not, I'm sorry, Master, this is just my wild imagination, I apologize for overthinking...
And what's with all this talk about ancient ruins and ancient qi?
It all sounds so dangerous and troublesome. Do I really have to do all this?
Is it too late to quit the Martial Arts Department now?
She hung her head, exuding an aura of defeat.
Bai Jun, who was explaining the plan, couldn't help but twitch at the sight of her.
There were many new members, but there were also many problematic ones.
Take You Xingxue, for example. She was undoubtedly a genius, but her personality was quite peculiar.
But that didn't matter. Many martial artists had eccentric temperaments. As long as she could contribute to the department, that was enough!
......
.....
The meeting ended.
Everyone left.
"Tsk, tsk, I never thought there would really be something like ancient ruins."
"This is the first time I've seen something like this."
"What do you think, You Xingxue?"
Li Chuan, a member of the Martial Arts Department, casually chatted with You Xingxue as they walked, his hands resting behind his head.
Ever since You Xingxue joined the department, he had found himself somewhat drawn to this delicate and shy girl.
"Ah... um."
You Xingxue's naturally reserved personality meant she didn't speak much, and Li Chuan's excessive enthusiasm only made her feel more flustered.
She turned her gaze to Mei Xue beside her for help.
But the latter pretended not to notice.
As if she would help! You Xingxue had been brought in to replace her position in the Night Organization. If it weren't for the act they were putting on,
Mei Xue wouldn't even bother acknowledging You Xingxue.
Seeing that Mei Xue wasn't going to help, You Xingxue felt like crying.
At that moment.
"Gu Yan, where are you heading later?"
"Didn't the strategy meeting say we're going to explore the ancient ruins the day after tomorrow when they fully materialize?"
"We need to find the ancient qi before the Night King does."
Liu Jianxing and Gu Yan passed by You Xingxue and the others.
"Huh? Isn't it obvious? I'm going home to spend time with my wife."
"As for exploring ancient ruins... let's deal with that tomorrow."
Gu Yan replied nonchalantly. After all, this was all his doing, so he wasn't the least bit worried.
"...Cough, you're really laid-back, Gu Yan."
"Brother Liu, once you find a partner, you'll understand. Nothing is more important than your wife."
"No, no, the world is in danger. I must save it first!"
"........."
You Xingxue watched as Gu Yan and Liu Jianxing walked past her and continued ahead. For some reason,
she subconsciously called out, "Gu Yan..."
Gu Yan, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped.
His expression unchanged, he turned his head and smiled kindly. "What is it, Miss You?"
"Um..."
You Xingxue felt a pang of nervousness in her heart. Without much thought, she called out to Gu Yan.
Now that she had his attention, she realized she hadn’t actually prepared what she wanted to ask.
Her hands twisted together anxiously, and her voice came out timidly, “Um... that... are you...?”
“No.”
Gu Yan cut her off immediately.
“Really...?”
“Yes.”
“You’re really not...?”
“No.”
After being shut down three times in a row, You Xingxue’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she lowered her head deeply. “I’m sorry... You look a lot like someone I know and deeply respect.”