I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

"Who...who are you?!"

Above the sky, the giant, purplish-black eye's pupils contracted sharply the moment it saw Zero! For the first time, its ancient, hoarse voice revealed an emotion called "shock" and "fear"!

It could clearly sense the aura emanating from the seemingly ordinary silver-haired girl before it—that indifference that transcended all things and looked down upon all living beings, that contradiction that seemed out of place in the world yet perfectly integrated into it.

That's absolutely not something an ordinary person could possess! It belongs to another level of life, an existence of the same or even higher level!

You are not worthy to know my name.

Zero slowly raised her head, her deep, star-like blue eyes calmly gazing at the enormous, purplish-black eye in the sky. Her gaze was like that of someone looking at a slightly stronger insect, filled with utter indifference and disregard.

"You shouldn't be here either." Her voice remained cold, yet it contained an unquestionable, judgmental authority. "This is my 'playground,' and I don't like any fools disturbing my 'game.'"

"so……"

She slowly extended a slender, jade-like white finger and gently touched the enormous, purplish-black eye in the sky.

"Go back."

Three simple words, devoid of earth-shattering power or world-destroying energy. Yet, the instant those three words were uttered, the entire sky of the Northern Territory, the very rules of the world, seemed to be forcibly rewritten in that instant!

"No--!!"

Above the sky, the giant, purplish-black eye let out its most mournful and terrifying roar since it appeared! It sensed an irresistible, incomprehensible, and unimaginable terrifying power that ignored spatial and temporal distances and dimensional barriers, directly impacting its true form deep within the abyss!

"Click..."

A faint sound, like shattering glass, rang out. Without warning, a fine crack appeared on the enormous, purplish-black eye! Then, like a living spider web, the crack instantly spread across the entire eyeball!

"Bang--!!"

With a muffled bang, the projection of the ancient abyss god's will, which had once been invincible and nearly wiped out the entire "God-Making Project" with just a glance, shattered like a punctured balloon, turning into countless purple-black specks of light that dissipated in the wind!

The spatial rift it had forcibly torn open quickly healed and disappeared, as if it had never existed. The entire Northern Territory returned to peace, leaving only an endless blue sky, warm golden sunlight, and a group of mortals completely petrified.

Gu Tianye, Xiang Batian, Mu Bingli, Ye Cang... they just stared blankly at the silver-haired girl in mid-air slowly retracting her finger, feeling as if their brains had completely turned into mush.

What did they just see? A finger? Just a light touch, and it blasted up the ancient god projection that even Lu Yuan couldn't handle? What the hell kind of monster is that?!

They felt that the shock they received today was greater than the total shock of the past eighteen years! First, Lu Yuan, this "divine craftsman," used incomprehensible methods to treat the S-level abyssal calamity as an "anatomy lesson"; now, an even more outrageous silver-haired girl has appeared, instantly killing the ancient god projection with a single finger. Is this even allowed to live?

These so-called SSS-level and S-level geniuses are no different from ordinary cats and dogs on the street in front of these two real "monsters"!

As the person who was "saved," Lu Yuan's feelings were incredibly complex. Looking at the silver-haired girl beside him who remained calm, as if she had merely crushed an ant, the slight pride and smugness he had felt from his sudden surge in strength vanished instantly.

For the first time, he realized with such clarity that there was a huge gap between himself and the world's truly top combat power.

"Um..." Lu Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something to break the awkward atmosphere, such as "Thank you for saving my life." However, before he could speak, Ling slowly turned her head.

Her deep, star-like blue eyes gazed at him silently, then she spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion: "Your 'surgery' was quite good, but it was too slow and too noisy. You woke him up; remember to be quieter next time."

Having said that, she ignored the completely petrified boy, her figure flickered, and she disappeared into the space once more, leaving Lu Yuan alone, bewildered in the wind.

I... I swear... this is my fault?

Lu Yuan stood there bewildered for a full half minute before finally snapping out of Zero's utterly absurd remarks. "Did I wake you up? And you're blaming me for making too much noise? Seriously, are you being reasonable?! I was saving the world! If I hadn't dealt with that patch of [Abyssal Moss], the entire Northern Territory would probably be a mushroom farm by now! And you, without even asking what happened, immediately start berating me?"

Furthermore, what do you mean by "the surgery was well done, but too slow"? My surgery was an ultra-precise spatial rule surgery performed over thousands of kilometers, a divine skill that even that old man Qian Sen praised. In your eyes, it was just "well done"?

Lu Yuan felt as if his self-esteem had been dealt a massive blow, and for the first time, he began to deeply doubt his own skills.

"Damn it, who exactly is this woman?" Lu Yuan muttered through gritted teeth, staring at the direction Zero had disappeared. He vowed that one day he would expose this mysterious woman and see what kind of monster she really was!

"Master Lu...Master Lu..."

Just then, Gu Tianye's voice, trembling with a hint of awe, came from below, pulling Lu Yuan back to reality.

Lu Yuan looked down and saw Gu Tianye, Xiang Batian, Mu Bingli... these "classmates" who had just gone through a life-or-death battle were looking at him with an incredibly complex, respectful, and even slightly pitying gaze. Their eyes seemed to say, "Master Lu, you've had a tough time. You've suffered because you've got such an unreasonable 'powerful backer'."

Lu Yuan: "..."

He felt as if another arrow had pierced his heart.

"Ahem." Lu Yuan cleared his throat, forcing himself to regain his unfathomable "master craftsman" demeanor. "Alright, stop standing there. The crisis is over. Clean up the battlefield and get ready to call it a day."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that instantly brought the crowd, still in a state of shock, back to their senses.

"Yes, Master Lu!"

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian were the first to respond and obey the order. Then, like two mad dogs on steroids, they rushed towards the ruins of the fungal carpet that had turned to ashes and began frantically searching to see if there were any "treasure materials" that had escaped.

The two newcomers, Liu Wuhen and Chi Lian, followed closely behind them, helping out. Their obsequious manner left Lu Yuan speechless.

"It seems that after today's incident, these troublemakers have been completely subdued." Lu Yuan thought to himself as he looked at the figures getting along unusually "harmoniously".

Although the process was full of twists and turns and thrills, and he even almost killed himself, the result was ultimately good. Not only did he solve the natural disaster in the North, but he also gained a more united and loyal team.

as well as……

Lu Yuan looked down at the purplish-black crystal in his hand, which had just been compressed and sealed by Pangu.

【The Sealed Spiritual Singularity (Anubis)】

【quality:???】

[Description: A creation imbued with a trace of the spiritual essence of the ancient abyss god "Anubis." Extremely dangerous, and also extremely precious.]

Gazing at the crystal that exuded a deadly allure, Lu Yuan's lips curled into an excited smile. Although he had been severely impacted by that woman named "Zero," this gain was equally immense! With this, he was confident that in the near future, he could forge a forbidden weapon that could truly rival Zero's unreasonable strength!

……

The news of the resolution of the Northern Crisis spread like wildfire throughout the top echelons of China within just a few hours!

When Su Lie and Qian Sen played the battle video recorded in its entirety by [Pangu] at the emergency meeting of the Supreme Military Council, the entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.

All the generals, councilors, and heads of powerful families present—these seasoned figures who had seen it all—were now like ducks with their necks being choked, mouths agape, unable to utter a single word. Their faces were filled with the exact same shock, horror, and utter incomprehension that Gu Tianye and his group had displayed!

What did they see? They saw the highly anticipated "Divine Craftsman" personally descend upon the battlefield, manipulating an S-class natural disaster capable of destroying the Northern Territory in a manner that was almost "teasing"; they saw him use that mysterious creation called [Pangu] to stage a "miracle" of "mending the sky"; they even saw a terrifying being, suspected to be an ancient god of the abyss, descend, and the even more mysterious and terrifying silver-haired girl's earth-shattering finger strike!

Any one of the events that happened that day would be recorded in history on its own, but now, they all erupted in one day, leaving their brains somewhat overwhelmed.

"Cough cough."

Finally, it was Commander-in-Chief Long, the Supreme Commander of the Chinese Military, who was seated in the main seat, who was the first to regain his senses. His usually cloudy old eyes, filled with iron will and authority, were now filled with deep shock. He looked at the young man standing quietly on the screen, as if he had done something insignificant, and remained silent for a long time before finally uttering four words: "A national hero, unparalleled."

This is the highest praise that this old man, who has protected China for nearly a century, could give.

"I agree." Su Lie nodded emphatically, his voice filled with pride. "Lu Yuan isn't just a 'divine craftsman,' he's a strategic prodigy with limitless potential! I suggest we immediately raise his security level back to the highest level, and all his needs must be met unconditionally!"

"I second that!" Qian Sen immediately stood up, a hint of fanaticism on his face. "This kid's understanding and application of the 'rules' has completely exceeded our imagination! He is humanity's greatest hope in the fight against the Abyss and the Void. We must nurture and protect him at all costs!"

With the statements from Su Lie and Qian Sen, two leading figures in the military and scientific research communities, no one else present naturally raised any objections. Soon, a series of new training programs and resource allocation policies for Lu Yuan were rapidly formulated. The most efficient war machine of China was once again operating frantically around Lu Yuan, its sole "core"!

At the heart of it all, Lu Yuan himself had already returned to his comfortable S-0 villa, soundly asleep in his private "cradle of life." He was utterly exhausted; the events of this day had been more stimulating than the entire past month combined. He needed to rest, process all his gains, and reflect on his future path, as well as the mysterious girl, Zero, who weighed heavily on his heart like an insurmountable mountain.

Lu Yuan slept for three days and three nights straight. When he emerged from the "cradle of life" brimming with abundant life energy, he felt every cell in his body brimming with explosive power. The mental exhaustion and soul fatigue caused by forcibly activating Pangu to perform the "mending the heavens" surgery and resisting the will of the ancient gods had been completely swept away.

He opened his attribute panel and found that his level had surged again after the earth-shattering battle in the North.

Character Panel

Name: Lu Yuan

Codename: Master Craftsman

[Level: 52]

[Mental Strength: 350/350 (Starry Sea Meditation Technique - Level 6)]

Physical fitness: S-

His level broke through the 50 mark, and his mental strength surged to 350 points!

"Awesome!" Lu Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within him, now significantly stronger than before, a look of utter satisfaction spreading across his face. Although the process was thrilling, almost resulting in a disastrous fall, the rewards were simply too great!

It wasn't just the improvement in level and mental strength; more importantly, he successfully recorded and analyzed a portion of the "rules" of the Abyss Gaze through [Pangu]. Although it was only an incomplete part, it was, after all, the power of a true ancient god of the abyss, and its value was immeasurable!

With this firsthand, top-secret data, Lu Yuan is confident that he can forge a defensive artifact specifically designed to counter such rule-based attacks in the future!

"Mr. Lu, you're awake."

Zhao Qingxuan's figure appeared silently beside him like a ghost, his face still bearing that gentle and refined smile, but the look in his eyes as he looked at Lu Yuan was more respectful and fervent than ever before.

"Elder Su and Dean Qian want you to rest well for a few days after you wake up," Zhao Qingxuan said with a smile. "They said you've worked hard this time, and the Supreme Committee has specially approved a week-long paid leave for you."

"Vacation?" Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. That was a new term. Since arriving in this Celestial World, he had been either training, forging iron, or on his way to forge iron; he had never truly rested.

"Yes, Mr. Lu." Zhao Qingxuan nodded. "During this week, you don't need to participate in any training or think about anything related to forging. You can travel anywhere in the Zenith World, such as experiencing the top-notch virtual reality game in 'Sky City,' or tasting delicacies from all over the world in 'Gourmet Capital.'"

"Of course, if you don't want to go out, I can also arrange a top-notch 24-hour spa treatment with beautiful therapists for you..."

"Ahem!" Lu Yuan coughed twice to interrupt Zhao Qingxuan as he spoke more and more outrageously. "Alright, I understand."