After a thousand years of cultivation, he returns at the pinnacle!

Ye Wuhen, Zhou Tianze, Luo Qinghe.

Jiang Chen has probably heard these three names countless times in his life.

Even before the time travel, the names of these three figures frequently appeared in trending searches, and in daily studies, teachers also required everyone to learn from them.

These three are the three awakened beings who stand at the pinnacle of the Dragon Kingdom today, possessing SSS-level talents.

Ye Wuhen is the director of the Dragon Kingdom's Awakened Bureau. Thirty years ago, he went to the Thirteenth Apostle Hall alone and returned alive. He is also the first person in human history to return alive from the Apostle Hall.

Although no one knows what happened inside, he said one thing when he returned.

"Humanity has hope."

This simple sentence ignited the passion of the entire nation.

It's understandable that the capital city is less vigilant in preventing such incidents, given that figures like Ye Wuhen are in charge. But... where are these people who are known as the strongest in the Dragon Kingdom?

One person is absent, fine, but the other two are also absent?!

Jiang Chen's question landed on the mahogany table, like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating silent ripples.

Chu Tianxiong paused slightly in his tea-serving hand, the lid striking the rim of the cup with a soft, crisp sound. He didn't answer immediately, but instead set the teacup down steadily, raising his deep eyes, honed by years and battles, to look at the young man opposite him.

Shen Qingxue also turned her head, her gaze shifting back and forth between Jiang Chen and Chu Tianxiong. She didn't know why Jiang Chen would suddenly ask about those three people—Ye Wuhen, Zhou Tianze, and Luo Qinghe—names standing at the pinnacle of the Dragon Kingdom's Awakened Ones, each representing the pinnacle of an era. But she also wanted to know the answer. Those three hadn't appeared in the public eye for a long time; not in the news, not in official reports, and even the Shen family's intelligence network had only caught a few snippets of information.

"Where are they?" Jiang Chen asked again, his tone still calm, as if asking about the weather today.

Chu Tianxiong remained silent for a moment.

The reception room was so quiet that you could hear the ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock. The clock was framed in mahogany, and a thin crack ran across the glass dial, its age unknown. With each tick of the second hand, it made a crisp, metallic "click," exceptionally clear in the silence.

"Jiang Chen," Chu Tianxiong finally spoke, his voice lower than before—not intentionally, but rather an instinctive softening of his tone when discussing certain matters—"Have you heard of the Apostle Hall?"

Jiang Chen did not answer, but his eyes showed that he was listening.

The existence of the Apostles' Hall is something that anyone who has had even a little bit of schooling experience would know about.

Chu Tianxiong stood up and walked to the bookshelf against the wall. The bookshelf was filled with documents and books, some of which had faded spines, indicating their age. He pressed a button on a spot on the third shelf, and a hidden compartment popped open silently, revealing a thin, unmarked file folder inside.

He took out the file folder, walked back to the conference table, and sat down opposite Jiang Chen. The file folder was sealed with a red stamp—not an ordinary official stamp, but some kind of anti-counterfeiting mark made of special spiritual material, which gleamed with a faint blue light under the lamp.

He pulled a photo out of the file folder and pushed it in front of Jiang Chen.

The photo shows a map of the distribution of the thirteen temples of the apostles. These temples are located all over the world, each marked with a red triangle, along with its number and location. The First Temple is deep in the European Alps, the Second Temple is in the Rocky Mountains of North America, the Third Temple is in the Amazon rainforest of South America… The Thirteenth Temple is marked in western China, deep in the Kunlun Mountains.

"Thirteen Apostle Halls, corresponding to thirteen of the strongest Apostles." Chu Tianxiong's finger traced across the photograph. "After the emergence of human Awakeners, the first generation of Awakeners organized several attacks on the Apostle Halls, attempting to destroy these anchor points and completely sever the Apostles' connection with this world."

"And the result?" Jiang Chen asked.

"We failed." Chu Tianxiong's voice was calm, as if he were recounting a piece of history that he had long since digested. "Nine out of the thirteen Apostle Halls were destroyed. It wasn't because humans weren't strong enough, but because of the rules of the Apostle Halls—each Apostle Hall was shrouded in the power of that Apostle. To enter one was to face the test set by that Apostle. If you failed the test, you died. Only if you passed it were you qualified to see the Apostle in person."

He paused.

"And in the past three hundred years, those who have passed the test... have existed, but very few have returned alive. Even fewer have seen the Apostle in its true form. As for those who have defeated the Apostle—"

He shook his head.

"Not a single one."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Jiang Chen picked up the distribution map and examined it carefully. His gaze lingered for a moment on the marking of the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall—the Kunlun Mountains, western part of the Dragon Kingdom, about three thousand kilometers from the capital.

"Ye Wuhen and the others went to the Thirteenth Apostle Hall?" Jiang Chen put down the photo and looked at Chu Tianxiong.

Chu Tianxiong did not answer immediately. He pulled out a few more photos from the file folder, this time portraits.

The first photo shows a middle-aged man, around forty years old, with a thin face and a sharp, sword-like gaze. He wears a dark gray robe and carries a long sword without a scabbard on his back, standing atop a snow-capped mountain, with a surging sea of ​​clouds behind him. The wind blows the hem of his robe and his hair, but he stands there, like a sword planted between heaven and earth, completely still.

"Ye Wuhen, the Sword Saint." Chu Tianxiong's voice carried a complex emotion. "SSS-level swordsmanship talent. Thirty years ago, he single-handedly stormed into the First Apostle's Hall with his sword and came out alive. He is the only person in the Dragon Kingdom to challenge the Apostle's Hall and return alive. That time, he stayed in the First Apostle's Hall for seven days and seven nights. When he came out, he was covered in wounds and his sword was broken, but he brought out a piece of information—the trials of the Apostle's Hall are not insurmountable."

He flipped to the second photo.

The photograph shows a burly man, around fifty years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His short, silver-white hair stands on end, as if electrified. He is shirtless, revealing his body covered in scars, and holds a short spear in each hand, the tips of which crackle with silver arcs of electricity. He stands in the midst of a thunderstorm, roaring to the sky, as if the surrounding lightning is making way for him.

"Zhou Tianze, the Thunder Emperor," Chu Tianxiong said. "He possesses an SSS-level lightning talent and is widely recognized as the strongest fighter among the awakened beings of the Dragon Kingdom. Ten years ago, he challenged the Seventh Apostle's Hall alone, battling the apostle's projection for three days and three nights on the seventh floor, ultimately destroying the projection and forcing the Seventh Apostle's true form to intervene. Although he was defeated, he escaped alive. From that day on, he lost sight in his left eye, but his lightning talent broke through the SSS-level limit, reaching an unprecedented height."

He flipped to the third photo.

The photo shows a woman who appears to be only thirty years old. Her face is exquisitely beautiful, like an ice sculpture, with cool and aloof eyes, slightly pursed lips, and long, silvery-white hair that reaches her waist. She is wearing an ice-blue dress and stands on a frozen lake. The ice beneath her feet is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting her figure as if two identical people are gazing at each other across the water.

"Luo Qinghe, the Ice Queen." Chu Tianxiong's voice softened. "An SSS-level ice-type talent, recognized as the strongest control-type among the Awakened in the Dragon Kingdom. Eight years ago, she challenged the Eleventh Apostle's Hall alone and set a record on the fifth floor—freezing the Apostle's projection attack with ice-type abilities. That was the first time a human Awakened had achieved 'defense and counterattack' in the Apostle's Hall. She came out alive, but her left arm, from the elbow down, lost all feeling forever. It wasn't broken; it had feeling but couldn't move, as if it had been frozen by something."

Chu Tianxiong placed the three photos side by side on the table, looked at them, and remained silent for a long time.

"The three of them set off for the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall a month ago," he finally revealed the answer. "A team challenge. Three people, three SSS-level talents, thirty years of combat experience, the strongest combination of human awakened beings in history."

"Their goal is to completely conquer the Thirteenth Apostle's Hall!"