The ancient return was exposed by his sister's live stream.

As Chen Siyao watched the videos, the more she thought about them, the more familiar they seemed.

She thought of Shushan City, the cats and dogs in Fujia Village that could cultivate, and the few Flame Spirit Stones in the Bear Cave. The situation in Laoshan was exactly the same as in Shushan.

"Brother!" she called out as she turned to the balcony.

Chen Hao walked into the living room, saw Chen Siyao's expression, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Chen Siyao handed him her phone: "Something happened in Laoshan, just like in Shushan."

Chen Hao took the phone and looked at the videos and posts, his gaze lingering on the face of "General Pan Feng." There were remnants of Flame Spirit Stone energy on that person.

"Brother, will you go?" Chen Siyao asked.

Chen Hao's expression remained calm and unwavering. "When the opportunity arises, I will naturally go."

Looking at her brother, Chen Siyao already knew the answer in her heart.

At a guesthouse at the foot of Laoshan Mountain, Tan Xiaoyu, Ye Chendong, Ying Wenjie, and Wu Tian sat around an octagonal table. A map was spread out on the table, marked with several red circles.

They met in Chen Siyao's live stream and were from various powerful families. They had already started interacting privately after Chen Siyao arrived in Shenzhen.

Tan Xiaoyu, with her hair in a ponytail and wearing a windbreaker, held a pen in her hand and drew a line on the map: "Based on the current information, the area with the most severe mutations is in the Jufeng area deep in Laoshan."

She put down her pen. "My grandfather said that this mutation is related to the power stone. The closer to the energy source, the more obvious the mutation."

Ye Chendong, wearing a light blue down jacket, crossed his arms and frowned slightly: "We've analyzed Xu Yunda's strength. He's at the True Realm at thirty-three; it's impossible for him to have achieved that through arduous training."

He recalled the information his family had received: "The news says the gem he obtained should be a product from near the energy source. The matter of Mount Shu has been confirmed."

Ye Chendong paused for a moment, then said, "The God Chen Hao was invited by the Special Affairs Bureau to break the formation and took away several larger gems from under the Xuantan Hall."

Wu Tian leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table: "The changes in Laoshan are quite obvious, indicating that the energy source is larger, or there is more than one."

He wasn't wearing a suit, but a black windbreaker, and looked more energetic than usual. "My grandfather said that no matter the cost, we have to get one piece. This isn't just about money; it's about the future of the family."

Ying Wenjie was sitting in the corner, scrolling through his phone. He looked up and said, "Laoshan has been sealed off. The local military and intelligence agency are here. Ordinary people can't get in."

Tan Xiaoyu smiled: "Leave this to me." Ying Wenjie was not from an ancient martial arts family, so he didn't know that most of the members of the Special Affairs Bureau came from various ancient martial arts families.

Ye Chendong stood up, drew back the curtains, and saw Laoshan Mountain in the distance, its peaks shrouded in white mist, barely visible above the waist. "We'll go into the mountains first thing tomorrow morning."

Ying Wenjie walked to the window, looked at the mist, and whispered, "I hope I'll have the chance to see the Supreme God."

The next morning, at the campsite outside Laoshan.

Qin Xiaoyu pushed open the conference room door, followed by Ye Chendong, Wu Tian, ​​and Ying Wenjie.

In the conference room, Qin Zheng stared intently at the topographical map of Laoshan Mountain projected on the screen, which was densely covered with red markings.

Qin Zheng stood by the window, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold. When he heard the door open, Qin Zheng turned around.

"Second Uncle," Qin Xiaoyu greeted first.

Wu Tian and Ye Chendong also called out "Uncle Qin".

Although Ying Wenjie had never met Qin Zheng before, he knew that he was the director of the East China Division of the Special Affairs Bureau, and greeted him respectfully: "Director Qin."

Qin Zheng nodded: "Oh, it's the Ying family's son. No need to be so polite, just call me Uncle like Chen Dong and the others. Please give my regards to Grandpa Ying."

Ying Wenjie bowed slightly: "Okay, Uncle Qin."

Qin Xiaoyu walked up to Qin Zheng and asked in a low voice, "Second Uncle, is the situation in Laoshan the same as in Shushan this time?"

Qin Zheng shook his head and put the teacup on the table: "Currently, our in-depth investigation shows that the animal mutations indicate the existence of an energy source, but we have not found a Taoist temple similar to the Xuantan Hall."

Ying Wenjie's heart skipped a beat, and he asked from the side, "Uncle Qin, will you be inviting God Chen Hao this time?"

Qin Zheng shook his head resolutely: "No."

Qin Zheng paused for a moment, then glanced at him: "Shushan is locked down by an array, making it impossible for us to enter. We were helpless and had no choice but to ask Mr. Chen Hao for help."

"But the core problem of Laoshan is not that we can't defeat the strange beasts or break the formations, but that the casualties caused by the leak of information, loss of order, and ordinary people blindly venturing into the mountains. The nature of these issues is completely different."

Qin Zheng's gaze swept over the four people. "Our Special Affairs Bureau is a specialized department for handling these kinds of incidents. We can't just push Mr. Chen Hao out as a 'henchman' every time there's trouble. He has no obligation to clean up our messes time and time again."

A hint of regret flashed in Ying Wenjie's eyes, but he didn't ask any more questions. In his mind, however, he was thinking that if he sent Chen Siyao the real-life videos and exclusive inside stories of the giant beasts and exotic flowers and plants in Laoshan, he could pique her curiosity and perhaps entice her to come.

Cao Shoujun, standing nearby, gave instructions: "You few will be temporarily assigned to Wu Qingya's third team, responsible for energy detection and vigilance. Once you enter the mountains, follow orders."

Wu Tian's eyes lit up when he heard the name "Qingya": "Big Brother is here?" Qin Zheng nodded.

Since the casualties at Mount Shu, Cao Shoujun has invited members of the Special Affairs Bureau's ancient martial arts families from various places to join the force, in case they encounter mazes, strange formations, or other situations requiring professional knowledge.

Wu Qingya is Wu Tian's cousin and also the captain of the Special Affairs Bureau's operations team. He is the most powerful among the younger generation of the Wu family.

The forests of Laoshan were denser than I had imagined. The canopy blocked out the sun, and sunlight could only seep through the gaps, casting dappled shadows on the mountain path.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which rustled underfoot, as if something was whispering beneath your feet.

Wu Qingya walked at the front, followed by several team members, all wearing dark blue combat uniforms from the Special Affairs Bureau and equipped with firearms.

Following them were Qin Xiaoyu, Ye Chendong, Wu Tian, ​​and Ying Wenjie. Ying Wenjie held a tablet connected to an energy detector. The detector's pointer swung slightly, pointing in a direction deep within the dense forest.

"The signal is getting stronger." Ying Wenjie looked down at the screen. Wu Qingya nodded and quickened his pace.

A buzzing sound came from deep within the dense forest, like countless bees flapping their wings simultaneously. The sound grew louder and louder.

"Watch out!" Wu Qingya stopped and reached out to stop the person behind him.

A giant mosquito swooped down from the tree canopy, its body larger than a human head. Its mouthparts were like black steel needles, gleaming coldly in the dim light. Just imagine how much worse it would be to get pricked by one!

Its compound eyes were dark red, and its wings made a piercing buzzing sound as it flew straight at Ying Wenjie's face.