Lu Yu glanced at the Peach Blossom Forest beside him. The tall peach trees stretched out, their blooming flowers like clouds of rouge.
A pink mist drifted through the air, the temperature was pleasant, there were no flies or insects, and the air wasn't dry.
Moreover, because the Peach Pigs rubbed against the trees every day, their bark was smooth.
Even leaning against them wouldn't scrape your hands. It was indeed a good place to fight a guerilla war through its shady trails.
Especially since Luo Qingyue's attire today leaned toward a mature beauty style. There was still a lot of Spider Silk clinging to her, and her Black Hair danced in the wind, giving her a bewitching aura.
Her figure wasn't slender, but well-proportioned. She was full where she needed to be and slim where she should be, outlining beautiful curves.
Her skin was lustrous and hydrated, brimming with a girlish, youthful vigor.
And most notably, she had the Godly Attack Speed Equipment—Black Stockings, also known as Lethal High.
Although her looks didn't change after putting them on, her Charm Value shot straight up.
Well… although he didn't know how a cultured person would praise it, Lu Yu was uncultured and only wanted to say one thing.
Very Smooth!
Truly, the local environment shapes its people!
The last three words of the previous line was Lu Yu's nickname.
But although he was good at getting along with people, he wasn't the type to just look for any opportunity to stick his oar in.
Being too impulsive could easily give others leverage against him. He had to first figure out Luo Qingyue's true intentions.
After all, just look at how high this honey… trap was leaping!
"Ahem…"
Lu Yu coughed lightly. It would be awkward if he developed one of the Three Great Illusions of Life about the senior sister who had helped him, so he took the initiative to ask:
"Senior Sister Luo, what are you trying to say?"
Luo Qingyue glanced around, leaned her head in, and whispered conspiratorially like a thief:
"Are you proficient with your professional skills?"
"?"
Lu Yu slowly typed out a question mark in his mind.
Before, he could say he was just letting his mind wander, but now the wheels of the car were rolling over his face, even preparing to reverse and run him over a few more times.
If this continued, wouldn't she be climbing on top of him, forcing him to suffer the Humiliation of Crawling Between the Legs?
But since it concerned his personal abilities, Lu Yu answered very honestly:
"I can wield it with ease and always get straight to the point."
"That's great!"
Luo Qingyue's eyes lit up, and she seemed quite satisfied with his answer.
Even Lu Yu felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't help but take two steps back.
This senior sister looked like she was about to eat someone!
His Kidneys… were faintly aching.
"Ying?"
Little Spider tilted its head, greatly puzzled. Although it recognized all the words and had even studied idioms, it couldn't understand what they were talking about.
Human culture was truly vast and profound…
"This bad woman has ill intentions!"
Little Mouse poked its head out of the Cultivator's pocket, its eyes warily fixed on Luo Qingyue. Its words were soft on the surface but sharp underneath, hiding a deeper meaning.
It vaguely remembered seeing this kind of content on some unsavory little websites back at its previous little master's house. It was so embarrassing it was hard to watch, but thankfully…
It was a Hamster, so it read the whole thing and could even recite it backward.
Thus, it was well-versed in this area.
Therefore, Little Mouse could tell at a glance that there was something wrong with this woman.
If this continued and she really managed to trick the Cultivator, wouldn't they have another person lording over their heads?
It better not be like in those novels, where they even had to give a push at the critical moment!
"This future is absolutely unacceptable!"
Little Mouse made up its mind. When they got back, it would team up with Sister Spider to brainwash the Cultivator a little, to make him understand that only pet beasts are good in this world, that a man with pet beasts is like a treasure, and that all the women out there are Jackals, Wolves, Tigers, and Leopards, only out to swindle money and sex…
Just as Lu Yu was contemplating whether to venture into the tiger's den and feed himself to the tiger, Luo Qingyue pressed her advantage, extending an invitation:
"Do you want to go do some Archaeology together?"
"Archaeology?"
Lu Yu was stunned for a moment, then realized he seemed to have misunderstood her meaning.
He had almost suffered Social Death.
Feeling a mix of regret and confusion, he asked:
"Does this have anything to do with my professional skills? My major is in combat!"
In this world, there was an Archaeology Major, and it was one of the mainstream professions.
After all, throughout the long history of the Human Race, not every ancient period was a taboo. There were also dynasties and civilizations that were destroyed by accident or died out on their own.
Some possessed knowledge that surpassed the current era in certain aspects. With the fall of their kingdoms, a large number of secrets and precious Secret Arts were buried.
After a long period of time, some of these ruins had a chance to evolve into special Ruins Ecosystems, giving birth to a large number of unique pet beasts.
For example, some Super Ancient Dolls gained intelligence through spiritual collisions over long periods of time.
There were also Spirit Figurines and Jiangshi transformed from corpses, as well as Primeval Puppets and Special Experimental Specimens.
There would even be some rare, special lifeforms, like the History-type Pet Beasts such as Luo Qingyue's Ancient Bookworm.
Anything related to time was never trash!
In addition, there were many Super Ancient Relics and Civilization's Inheritances. It was rumored that the reason the Machine King Domain's technology was able to develop so rapidly was that they had excavated Super Ancient Civilization Ruins and inherited everything within.
Standing on the shoulders of the ancients and combining it with modern technology, they created the current Transcendent Technology System. They even innovated and have already begun to create Mechanical-type Pet Beasts with infinite energy.
Once successful, the strength of the Machine King Domain would experience explosive growth. Especially for Mechanical-type Pet Beasts, which, unlike pet beasts that needed to grow slowly, could be mass-produced through laboratory technology.
It could completely overturn the situation on the Border Battlefield.
They could even go a step further, open up new territories, obtain vast resources, and become the number one domain of the Human Race!
This was the charm of the Archaeology Department.
One could unearth treasures left behind by history, but it was also easy to dig up some sealed secrets of Ancient Existences, inviting Calamity.
Moreover, the death rate in the Archaeology Department has always been high.
A single misstep could lead to the Whole Family to the Crematorium, resulting in a shortage of people for several consecutive years.
There was one year when enrollment exploded, much to the relief of the Archaeology Department's teachers.
They thought their department was about to have a second spring. But they later found out that someone had deliberately used the department's low admission threshold to get into the university, only to transfer to another major the following year.
This led several top universities to quickly implement a policy prohibiting Archaeology majors from transferring, which curbed this unhealthy trend, but then no one applied anymore.
After all, no matter how great the Benefit, you had to be alive to enjoy it.
Especially since archaeology was a boring job, often requiring one to camp out in the wilds for months on end. If you didn't truly love it, you couldn't do it at all.
"I know!" Luo Qingyue nodded matter-of-factly and continued, "But you first conquered the Dragon Mystic Realm, and then forcefully bull-dozed your way through the Imagination Body's Barrier. You've long since become famous in the Beast Tamer circles of Great Abyss City.
People have nicknamed you the Mystic Realm Stud… I mean, God of War.
Many large Pioneer Companies and Adventure Groups have already heard the news and want to hire you as a Special Advisor to conquer mystic realms together.
Because they don't have your contact information, the calls have all gone to my grandfather.
But he was worried you wouldn't be able to outwit these Old Sly Dogs and would lose your autonomy, so he helped you fend them off.
He announced publicly that everything would be discussed after you graduate. By then, you'll be a Gold Beast Tamer and have the strength to make your own decisions."
To be able to block these Important Figures for him, and with the surname Luo, there was only one person…
Principal Luo Zisong.
'So she's the Principal's granddaughter. No wonder she hasn't been fired.
'
Lu Yu had no objection to this. After all, he didn't want to be harassed by those adventure groups every day.
Rather than playing mind games with them, he'd rather explore the surrounding mystic realms himself.
Once he was strong enough, he would go directly to Imperial Capital University or the Border Battlefield.
He took the initiative to show concern, "How has the Principal been lately?"
Luo Qingyue complained, "He's in good health. It's just that the Old Man has been acting strange lately, constantly fawning over the Five-Bone Bountiful Bird.
And he looks at everyone as if they're a thief. Is someone really going to steal his pet beast? The older he gets, the weirder he becomes…"
Lu Yu said thoughtfully, "Could it be because of the Carrion-Eating Cult?"
He had looked up information before and found that this cult had once been one of the Orthodox Churches recognized by the Alliance.
However, they later betrayed the Alliance for unknown reasons and became wanted criminals.
But because of their great strength, they were never eradicated.
Their main area of activity was in several large domains in the south of the Alliance, while the borderlands where Lu Yu was located belonged to the Far East.
The distance was too great, so their reputation wasn't well-known here.
But according to the information displayed by the Eye of Truth, the Five-Bone Bountiful Bird's incorrect evolution seemed to be related to the Carrion-Eating Cult. And Luo Zisong's ambiguous attitude was clearly intertwined with it.
Could it be that the Five-Bone Bountiful Bird held a great secret of the Carrion-Eating Cult?
Did it attract an attack from the Carrion-Eating Cult?
"Grandpa even told you about this? It seems he really admires you…"
A trace of surprise appeared on Luo Qingyue's face. After all, this was considered a secret.
But she didn't mind and continued:
"It's not impossible, but he's very strong, so don't worry. Why don't you consider my proposal? If we team up, we can definitely unearth the treasures of the Ancient Era with ease.
We can even form a duo, let's call it Gaga Rampage!"
'Your name is Gaga, is it?'
Lu Yu really wanted to retort, but he held his tongue. Not because he couldn't win the argument, but because he was afraid his senior sister would get angry from embarrassment and suffocate him with her Black Stockings.
If it were an invitation from anyone else, Lu Yu probably would have already agreed.
After all, as long as it didn't involve an Ancient Existence, there was a high chance of digging up good things in an unexplored ancient ruin, maybe even finding functional pet beasts like the Ancient Bookworm that could see into the past.
For Lu Yu, it was an even greater opportunity to harvest some rare materials to make Secret Food.
But the one inviting him was Luo Qingyue…
A woman who was simultaneously a Mythology Scholar and an Alliance Intern Investigator, carrying two Team-Wipe Engine attributes, and also a Golden Truant.
She possessed all the attributes of a foolish side character in a horror movie. Coupled with her unreliable personality, Lu Yu deeply suspected that the archaeology she spoke of was most likely…
Tomb Raiding!
However, Lu Yu didn't want to judge people with prejudice, so he asked:
"Which unexplored ruin are we going to this time?"
"Are you kidding me? A ruin? Am I that unoriginal of a woman? I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve.
This time, I have a big surprise for you. We're going to…"
Luo Qingyue's gaze was profound as she said, word by word:
"The Temple of an Old God!"
The moment her voice fell, the world around the two of them suddenly dimmed.
A weird aura filled the air, the temperature plummeted, and goosebumps couldn't help but form on their skin.
There was even a strange feeling, as if…
Countless eyes were hiding in every dark corner, spying on them with malicious intent.
"Sorry, goodbye, never see you again!"
Lu Yu decisively executed a three-part combo and turned to run.
This woman really wouldn't stop until she said something shocking.
He thought Tomb Raiding was already overestimating her, but he never expected she was going to dig up an Old God!
Although he wanted high-level materials, it didn't mean he was tired of living.
Old Gods, meaning deities of the Old Era.
Most of them have been buried, a few sealed, or slumbering in the past.
The new era no longer has a ship to carry them.
Even if they wanted to return, they would be ruthlessly suppressed.
But… they just couldn't come back, they weren't dead.
Some were still hiding in temples, waiting for the day to reclaim their glory.
If he willingly went to a living Old God, wouldn't that be like Serving oneself up on a platter?
Although he had the Taboo Memory and stank, he was afraid the other party wouldn't be a picky eater!
"Wait!"
Seeing this, Luo Qingyue acted quickly and grabbed his arm, pulling it into her Impressive chest.
A blush appeared on her face.
It wasn't because it was her first time being so close to a guy, but because she was anxious!
If she missed out on such an excellent God of War for clearing dungeons, he'd be gone for good.
If she asked her grandfather for his contact information, she would definitely get a scolding, maybe even be grounded.
Luo Qingyue quickly made an offer, "I'll let you play with my legs for half a day!"
'Anyway, Lu Yu is a rising star, and Grandpa likes him too.
At worst, after he's done touching, I'll just make him take responsibility and drag him home to be a house husband.'
'Mainly, he's really handsome!'
So, boys should protect themselves when they're outside.
"Sorry, I just realized that I don't seem to like women anymore!"
Lu Yu decisively refused. Not Courting Death was an excellent traditional virtue of modern Beast Tamers.
In the face of life, even Black Stockings seemed so mundane.
Although Luo Qingyue was very beautiful, she was still slightly inferior to Little Spider.
He might as well go home and watch Little Spider wear them; she had more legs!
With that, Lu Yu prepared to pull his hand out, but Luo Qingyue held on tightly, looking like she was about to play dirty.
"Heh…"
Lu Yu, who was quite experienced in this, just sneered.
Not letting go?
Then I'll just be Shoveling Snow on a Snowy Mountain and perform a Manual Sliding Tackle.
When the enemy advances, I retreat; when the enemy retreats, I scratch!
"Ah!"
Luo Qingyue cried out in alarm, her face bright red as she let go.
"Roar!"
The Lion-faced Deer at the side was a little angry seeing its master being bullied like this. It was about to take a step forward, but then it saw the Little Spider behind him, reflecting a corner of the Chaos Spider Nest and Nightmare Dream Prison.
Its Silver Flame Dreamscape burned fiercely, its might overwhelming.
Just by standing there, it became the center of the world.
Although the opponent's strength was only at Peak Elite, the Lion-faced Deer knew its own limits. If it made a move, it would definitely be crushed!
Thinking of this, the Lion-faced Deer turned its head away, feeling that the world was so beautiful, and it shouldn't be so irritable.
Fighting and killing were bad. As for its master… it was good for her to suffer a little.
To suffer a loss is to gain a blessing!
"Bye-bye!"
Under the other party's resentful gaze, Lu Yu flexed his slender fingers and left with a light laugh.
Seeing this, Luo Qingyue suppressed her shame and anger and said calmly, "I've already investigated this temple with special means.
It's long been abandoned, and there are no Old Gods. It's just that some mutations have occurred due to the glory of an Ancient Existence, and it has even given birth to a Ruins Ecosystem Environment.
I'm not stupid, I won't go to my death for nothing. Its danger level is not high, definitely not exceeding the level of Spirituality Transformation.
The reason I want to explore it is because I want to get something inside that can help the Ancient Bookworm evolve.
As for the rest of the recorded history and knowledge, I just need to copy it down.
Also, all the other rewards will be yours. If there are none, I will compensate you with money."
Her grandfather had once told her that Lu Yu's personality was very pragmatic.
Instead of talking about feelings, it was better to explain the situation clearly and exchange with tangible benefits.
Hearing that there were benefits, Lu Yu stopped in his tracks, somewhat interested.
But he still had a question:
"Since it's an Abandoned Temple, why did you make it sound so mysterious? And it even attracted weird changes…"
Seeing Lu Yu stop, the corners of Luo Qingyue's mouth turned up as she explained, "Don't you think it creates a tense atmosphere? Back when I was studying at the university in the Imperial Capital, whenever it was hot and we still had to go to class, a senior of mine liked to use this method to cool down…"
'To actually use the secrets of the Old Era as an air conditioner, to cool down anytime, anywhere, this method sounds pretty good!'
Old God Brand Refrigerator, top-notch quality!
If it worked, he could even save on his summer air conditioning bill in the future.
So Lu Yu asked curiously, "How is that senior doing now?"
"He's doing great!"
Hearing this, Lu Yu nodded.
The Archaeology Department indeed had a long history and a profound foundation. They were bold and had backing.
This person might have already become an Important Figure in the Alliance.
However, the next moment, the cowlick on Luo Qingyue's head swayed gently as she thought for a moment and said:
"The last time I went to see him, his Tombstone was quite clean.
After all, we often go as a group to sweep his grave. The grass on his grave mound was lush and green, but the senior seemed to know I like watermelon and even grew a watermelon there.
I split it with a few classmates, and it was so sweet…"
"…"
Lu Yu held his forehead with his hand, his mood complicated. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
'Your Archaeology Department has already developed to the point where junior sisters form groups to sweep their senior's grave and offer incense?'
This could also be considered a kind of inheritance in a sense.
This also reminded Lu Yu that he really couldn't be too reckless.
Ancient Existences weren't lonely housewives; you couldn't just flirt with them casually. Even if they were happy, people would still die.
But once he was stronger in the future, he could go and test the waters, for example, go wild at the Mad God's place on the Frenzied Plateau.
Next, after Lu Yu got some general information, he also learned that Luo Qingyue wasn't really Courting Death, but because the Ancient Bookworm sensed something that could help it evolve.
Once a pet beast from the History-type, a sub-branch of the Time-type, evolved, it was very likely to transform from a support role directly into a top-tier combat power. This was an irresistible temptation for any Beast Tamer.
And after Luo Qingyue went to investigate, she discovered that it was an Abandoned Temple, in an extremely hidden location, and the danger level was not high.
Originally, she wanted to ask her grandfather for help, and Luo Zisong had agreed at first.
But recently, he seemed to be busy with something else and couldn't find the time, so she could only try it herself.
At first, she wanted to go alone, but she happened to run into Lu Yu and was completely crushed by his absolute strength.
Coupled with the recent rumors of him conquering mystic realms one after another, she was moved.
This was the perfect assistant!
Just like how every Legendary Investigator had a Straight Man (Comedy Duo) by their side, it was the perfect setup.
So she wanted to drag Lu Yu along on an adventure and get rich with him.
Hearing this, Lu Yu remained noncommittal on the surface, but he was indeed a little tempted.
After all, it was a temple. Even if it had been abandoned, the fact that it still contained items that could help the Ancient Bookworm evolve meant that everything inside was untouched.
It was very likely to hold a complete treasure trove!
However, whether it was dangerous or not was not up to Luo Qingyue to decide; it was just her side of the story. Lu Yu would send his own Slave Beasts and Curse Ravens to investigate.
If it wasn't dangerous, he would explore it. If it was dangerous…
He would knock Luo Qingyue out, drag her back, and throw her to the Principal to discipline her himself.
It could be considered saving her dog's life.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu asked the last question:
"As a Mythology Scholar, you should have some understanding of these ancient deities.
Who was the original owner of this temple?"
And since it was related to the Time-type or History-type, it was probably not some nobody.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.
"Although most of the temple's outer walls have weathered away and the corresponding marks are no longer visible, that's no challenge for me, a future Legendary Investigator. I have successfully locked down its identity.
It's most likely…"
Luo Qingyue's eyes twinkled with a wise light as she said in a confident tone:
"The Primeval Shadow!"
"Oh… Primeval… huh???"
Lu Yu was about to nod when he froze, a look of astonishment on his face.
Luo Qingyue thought he didn't believe her and quickly explained:
"Do you remember what happened last time, when the Ancient Bookworm's peeking into history caused a mutation? I went back and thought about it later and found a lot of things that didn't add up.
I didn't touch the entire River of History, I was just looking back at the past hour of the Peach Blossom Forest. Why would that attract the descent of the Primeval Shadow's Servitors? I couldn't figure it out for a long time.
But now, I finally understand. It turns out it's because the temple of the Primeval Shadow exists beneath this land.
Since there's something inside that can help the Ancient Bookworm evolve, it means the Ancient Bookworm has some connection to this Taboo Existence. The fact that it recently sensed the temple's existence further verifies my guess.
Perhaps it was because of this connection that when I was looking back in time before, I accidentally synchronized with it, touched a trace of the time remnant left by that being, and invited disaster…"
Luo Qingyue's analysis was logical and well-founded. If Lu Yu didn't know the truth, he would have almost believed her.
If he remembered correctly…
The Primeval Shadow was the result of the Backlash from the Key of Truth, which was triggered when the Ancient Bookworm peeked into the past. After Lu Yu intentionally leaked a trace of its aura, it became an anomaly that distorted time and the River of History.
He didn't know if Luo Qingyue had reported it to the Alliance and if it had been entered into the taboo files.
But in reality, it, like the Collector, was one of Lu Yu's Vests.
I'm doing archaeology on myself? Raiding my own temple?
What kind of Dark Humor Joke was this!
A 6,000-word chapter, please give me your Monthly Tickets.