The sequence is too involutional, luckily I am too.

Chapter 203 A Cunning Plan, The First Guest

The news that Lu Yan had defeated Zhou Tianqing, one of the Five Elders, and that Xiang Ling had personally come to redeem Lu Yan spread like wildfire throughout the Primordial Sanctuary.

In just a few days, the news swept through every corner of the shelter. From the top leaders of various forces to the homeless on the streets, everyone knew the name Lu Yan.

In no time, Lu Yan's fame soared, and praise poured in. Various exaggerated rumors circulated among the people.

The most talked-about statement was that Lu Yan might become the seventh presiding judge of the court, making him the youngest presiding judge in the court's history!

"This is an attempt to flatter you to your death."

Inside the Divine Tree Palace, Xue Jiansheng slowly put down the intelligence scroll in his hand, his gaze falling on the composed Lu Yan before him. He asked with a smile, "Lu Yan, how do you plan to deal with this?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan simply shook his head slightly, his tone calm and unwavering: "It doesn't matter, let them do what they want."

He was already used to this kind of tactic of using praise as a pretext for suppression in his previous life.

Throughout history, there have been countless individuals and even nations that have perished due to such excessive praise.

But in this world where strength reigns supreme and the strong prey on the weak, mere words of praise are of little significance.

If we must pinpoint the true motives of the mastermind behind this, there are only three: first, to elevate his own status and make him the target of public criticism.

This has attracted the fear and hostility of various powerful forces, isolating the court.

Secondly, they deliberately spread rumors that "Lu Yan will become the seventh presiding judge," completely pushing him to the opposite side of the believers in the evil god.

After all, the Tribunal is the mortal enemy of the God of Evil. A "future Chief Judge" will only make the followers of the God of Evil even more fanatical in their desire to get rid of him and eliminate this major threat through the God of Evil.

Third, it was to test the court's attitude and see if the court would really promote Lu Yan, which might even cause problems within the court.

After all, the six presiding judges are not all on the same side.

But in Lu Yan's eyes, all these calculations were ultimately meaningless.

"Even if no one flatters me, the followers of the cult have long regarded me as a thorn in their side."

He added casually, "When I killed the followers of the Demon God last time, I was already on the opposite side of the Demon God. The added title of 'future Inquisitor' only intensifies their killing intent; to me, it makes no difference."

Instead of wasting time investigating the masterminds behind the scenes and trying to defend themselves, it's better to focus on honing one's own skills.

In this world, only those with sufficient strength can ignore all rumors and gossip, and calmly deal with all open and covert attacks. This is the safest way to deal with such situations.

"Very good, that's the mindset we need."

A hint of approval flashed in Xue Jiansheng's eyes. He was very satisfied with Lu Yan's insight and composure. He then took out a gold-embossed scroll from the side and handed it to Lu Yan.

Lu Yan reached out and took it, slowly unrolling it. After seeing the contents of the scroll, he raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with surprise: "Grandmaster, you're not joking with me, are you?"

The scroll was none other than an appointment letter for the head of the court, appointing him to the border branch as its head.

"Of course not."

Xue Jiansheng smiled and waved his hand, patiently explaining, "According to the rules of the court, to serve as the presiding judge, one must meet two conditions: first, have experience as a branch manager, and second, have personally killed a member of the Ghost Saint."

"You have already met the second condition, but you are still missing the first one. According to the normal procedure, you should go to the branch office for training."

Hearing this, the surprise in Lu Yan's eyes faded, and he instantly understood Xue Jiansheng's intention. A knowing smile appeared on his lips: "Grandmaster, are you two going to fish again?"

He knew in his heart that his strength was undeniable, and mere flattery posed no threat to him. However, the mastermind behind the scenes would never let the matter rest.

Putting aside his own strength, if the other party really wants to provoke the followers of the Demon God to attack him, they must make him leave the Original Sanctuary.

The best reason would be to send him to serve as a branch manager and to give him the necessary experience to be promoted to chief judge.

"Whether we fish or not is another matter, but we do intend to support you as the presiding judge of the seventh court."

Xue Jiansheng stroked his beard and chuckled, saying, "It would be best if you caught a fish. If you didn't, you can just be a good minister for once."

"While you're at it, clean up the surrounding area too!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan suddenly realized that this meant both overt and covert schemes were being plotted together.

Furthermore, the location of the shelter arranged for him is also worth studying.

"Shelter 749, this must have been one of the first shelters built, right?"

Lu Yan recalled carefully that, in order to resist the gray fog, humans had built a large number of shelters, with their numbers once approaching four digits.

But these ordinary shelters were no match for the attacks of strange beasts and even bizarre creatures, and were destroyed one after another.

It wasn't until humanity rediscovered the power of sequence from the hidden realms that they were able to gain a foothold and rebuild their home.

Most of the shelters that exist today are rebuilt, and their serial numbers have been recalculated.

However, a small number of shelters, like the original shelters, have stubbornly survived, preserving their original numbers and heritage.

This 749 shelter is one of them.

However, the 749 shelter is located in a border fortress, and beyond that lies a vast, uninhabited area.

The place had long been completely occupied by strange creatures and beasts, and was desolate and extremely dangerous. Even believers of the strange god dared not easily set foot there.

The master sent him to 749, not to gild him, but to throw him into a raging fire to refine him into real gold.

"The situation at 749 is dangerous; you definitely can't handle it all by yourself."

Xue Jiansheng seemed to have anticipated his thoughts, and took out four blank appointment scrolls and pushed them in front of him.

"You can decide on the specific people accompanying you; I won't interfere."

He paused, then added, "But don't bring Qing'er along. She's currently on the verge of a crucial promotion, so it's best for her to focus on her seclusion. Don't let her run around and get distracted."

"I understand, thank you, Master."

Without any formalities, Lu Yan put away the blank scroll and then told Xue Jiansheng everything he had encountered in the Emerald Dream, including the truth about the extraterrestrial civilization and the origin of the gray fog.

"Extraterrestrial Civilization—The Truth Behind the Gray Fog—"

Xue Jiansheng sighed deeply, his expression full of regret.

Whether it's Mu Yun or my Tribunal, we have been searching for traces of extraterrestrial civilizations all these years.

They thought they could resolve the Gray Fog crisis with the help of extraterrestrial forces, but now it seems it was all in vain.

Even upon hearing such devastating news, Xue Jiansheng's gaze remained firm, unwavering in the slightest.

It's better to rely on yourself than on others. Ultimately, humanity's destiny depends on our own efforts and survival.

"Alright, go back and focus on your cultivation to prepare for your departure. If you need any resources or equipment, just ask Wan Zhuliu. The Tribunal will fully support you."

"Alright, then please take care, Master."

Lu Yan nodded slightly, then turned and left the Divine Tree Palace.

As soon as he left, Xue Hanyi emerged from the shadows of the palace, her voice tinged with worry.

"Father, are you really going to send him to 749? It's too dangerous there; he could be in grave danger if he's not careful."

"Um."

Xue Jiansheng nodded slightly, his expression solemn.

"I've been worried about the situation at 749. It'll be a good opportunity for him to go and gain some experience, temper his character, and see what he's really capable of."

He looked at Xue Hanyi and added, "You should come along too. Although this kid is quite strong now, it's always safer to have an extra layer of protection."

Xue Hanyi frowned slightly and asked, "Then should we stop keeping an eye on Chu Sheng and Shen Chuan?"

"After Chu Sheng regained consciousness, he went straight to Jiangnan Dao and then stayed at home. I was worried that he was plotting something in secret."

"Don't worry, there's no need to keep an eye on them anymore."

Xue Jiansheng spoke calmly, and as soon as he finished speaking, a long sword that was pure white and surrounded by a holy halo appeared out of thin air in front of him. His aura also became ethereal, as if he had merged with heaven and earth, exuding a terrifying pressure.

"Father, you—you succeeded?"

Xue Hanyi's face lit up with surprise, and her voice was filled with excitement.

"We're just one last step away, and we can take it anytime."

Xue Jiansheng smiled slightly, a hint of caution in his eyes.

"However, I will not rush to break through until I am certain that the advancement sequence 3 will not be corrupted by the evil god."

"I see."

Xue Hanyi nodded slightly: "Then I'll trouble Father to keep a close eye on Qing'er's seclusion."

After leaving the Divine Tree Palace, Lu Yan looked at the prompts flashing on the panel in his mind and couldn't help but chuckle: "Master has actually recovered. No wonder he was so confident in letting me go to 749 and even thought of lending me his fishing spot."

Ancient wizards sensed the aura of the gods and were eager to capture and study it in depth!

[Bloodblade Berserker sensed the aura of a god, his battle lust surged, and he craved a thrilling and exhilarating fight!]

[The one who reported the death sensed the fluctuations of a high-level divinity and began to stir.]

Such prompts flashed one after another, each confirming a fact.

Xue Jiansheng not only regained his strength, but also made further progress, only one step away from Sequence 3!

No, he even felt that Xue Jiansheng could break through at any time if he wanted to!

"Hopefully, the Five Elders of Muyun won't do anything reckless lately."

Lu Yan muttered to himself, "I'm counting on collecting all five of their elemental seals; I hope they don't ruin my plans."

After muttering to himself, he calmed down and began to consider who would go to Shelter 749 with him.

Yin Shuo and Ning Ran were undoubtedly the best choices. They had originally planned to travel and help Yin Shuo find a promotion opportunity, but they hadn't decided on a destination yet.

Today, Shelter 749 has a clear objective, and as an ancient shelter that retains the essence of its original form, it is bound to be full of exploration value, which perfectly matches their needs.

But the remaining two spots presented Lu Yan with a dilemma.

"Senior Sister Yao Qing is going into seclusion to break through her cultivation, and Xiao Yiren has to guard the First Judge's residence, so she can't spare the time at all—" Lu Yan rubbed his chin, his brows slightly furrowed.

He wasn't sure how long he would be staying on this trip, so it was best if the people accompanying him could help with managing the branch's affairs, rather than just providing combat power.

"How about we ask Qian Xin?"

A thought flashed through Lu Yan's mind. Qian Xin had already completely integrated into his camp during this period, and was reliable, meticulous, and performed exceptionally well in all aspects.

Managing a branch of a court requires someone like Qian Xin, who excels at overall planning and resource allocation.

As for the last spot —

Suddenly, Lu Yan's soul trembled slightly, and a vague sense came from the darkness.

A knowing glint flashed in his eyes, and a hopeful smile appeared on his lips.

"Pawnshop Zero, finally a customer?"

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