Global wonders have descended, and only I possess the treasure-hunting radar.

Gu Zhixing quickly raised his hand to signal, interrupting Wang Yan's thoughts.

"Let's go, let's go test it first."

The three passed through two locked doors and arrived at the headquarters testing area.

The testing area is built underground.

The walls are thick and heavy.

Every ten meters or so, you can see the marks of the blockage made of strange objects embedded in the wall.

At the end of the corridor was a large, silver-white door.

There was no name on the door.

There is only one number.

Gu Zhixing swiped his card to open the door.

Behind the door is a spacious testing ground.

Three test chambers of different colors stand in the center of the venue.

Black, gray, white.

Gu Zhixing pushed up his glasses and looked at Wang Yan.

"You should already know about the three tests, right? I won't go into details, but I'll just tell you how the tests are conducted."

"The black testing chamber is for compatibility and stability testing. Once you enter, there is a fragment inside that will simulate the release of the aura of an S-class artifact, in order to test whether you will be affected by the backlash of the artifact's rules."

"The gray area represents the abnormal stress resistance test. Once you enter, it will be the same. It will simulate a situation where you face enormous pressure to see how long you can withstand it."

"The white area is for the loyalty test. This is simple; just answer the questions. However, there is a strange object inside that can detect lies. Remember, you must not lie, or your qualification will be immediately revoked if you are detected."

Wang Yan nodded upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Gu Zhixing and Shen Qingli retreated to the observation area outside the field.

The gate is closed.

After walking a distance, Shen Qingli asked Gu Zhixing in a low voice.

Why did you ask him if he went to the park?

Gu Zhixing shrugged.

"The mud on the shoes is wrong. My strange object tells me that that kind of silt can only form in wells that have been covered by water for a long time."

Shen Qingli frowned.

"A well? There's no well at headquarters!"

"So when you asked Wang Yan if he had gone to the park, were you trying to trick him?"

Gu Zhixing did not answer and continued.

"An unfamiliar transmission signal was detected west of headquarters previously."

"When the crew arrived, there were signs of a struggle at the scene. After confirmation by headquarters, it was suspected that a calamity that had infiltrated the area and a weapon wielder were involved."

"And according to all the times when you parted ways with Wang Yan, the timeline matches up perfectly."

Shen Qingli stopped in her tracks.

"You suspect that the person wielding the weapon was him?"

Gu Zhixing smiled but did not answer, only staring at Wang Yan as he entered the testing chamber.

After quickly confirming some information, the test began.

The first black test chamber opened.

A fragment of a strange, incomplete object hangs inside.

As soon as Wang Yan approached the fragment, it emitted a strong pollutant.

Following the instructions, Wang Yan reached out and pressed it.

When Wang Yan's hand touched that fragment.

The polluted aura emanating from the fragments surged towards Wang Yan like a flood bursting its banks.

Just as the polluted aura was about to enter his body through his palm, several S-level artifacts within Wang Yan's body suddenly unleashed their power.

In an instant, the polluted smell disappeared.

The fragment trembled violently, on the verge of shattering.

Seeing this, Wang Yan, not wanting to cause any more trouble, controlled the situation and prevented the fragment from shattering completely.

Five minutes passed quickly.

Sounds were heard coming from inside the test chamber.

[Compatibility and stability: Passed perfectly.]

In the observation area, a staff member paused for a moment.

"A weapon wielder who hasn't even mastered an S-rank artifact can actually last five minutes? That's human!"

Gu Zhixing didn't speak, he just stared at the data.

The data is perfect, showing that Wang Yan's compatibility with the S-class artifact is almost 100%.

This kind of data has never appeared at headquarters before.

This made Gu Zhixing even more curious about Wang Yan's talent.

The second gray test chamber was soon opened.

Wang Yan was then pulled into a high-pressure space.

Whispers of calamity, identity corruption, illusions of flesh and blood, and simulations of strange backlash constantly appeared all around.

In this environment, it would be considered good if an average candidate could last for ten minutes.

Wang Yan simply stood still in place.

Even the testing space started to vibrate.

Several instruments lit up red lights at the same time.

The staff member's expression changed upon seeing this.

"This won't do! He's not handling any pressure at all. The simulation intensity has already reached its limit; any more and the machine will explode!"

Gu Zhixing's eyes brightened slightly.

"Alright, let's say he passed perfectly."

The second test ended quickly.

[Exceptional stress resistance: Passed perfectly.]

The third white test chamber opened.

This time, nothing went wrong.

After a question-and-answer session, Wang Yan quickly passed the test.

Loyalty test: Passed.

The doors reopened.

Wang Yan walked out from inside.

Gu Zhixing held the data tablet, seemingly lost in thought.

"Passed all three exams."

"The speed was much faster than I expected, and the results were much better than I anticipated."

Wang Yan looked at him without saying a word.

Gu Zhixing smiled.

"Now that the test is over, as the host, I should treat you to a meal."

"And I happen to have something to tell you."

Wang Yan did not refuse.

He definitely needs more information from headquarters now.

The group left the testing area.

We arrived at a restaurant that was packed with people.

After Gu Zhixing entered, the boss peeked out from the kitchen.

"Mr. Gu, don't you usually ask me to deliver things to you? What brings you here for dinner today?"

Gu Zhixing smiled and said, "I brought a friend over for dinner."

He then said to Wang Yan, "The shop owner's unusual item is a wok."

"The stir-fried dishes taste very different from ordinary dishes; you should try them."

Wang Yan's eyes brightened slightly.

Dishes made from unusual ingredients.

He had never eaten it before.

Gu Zhixing pushed the menu towards him.

"Don't be shy, order whatever you like."

Wang Yan nodded.

Then go through the menu from beginning to end.

"This, this, this... and this page too."

The waiter was stunned.

"You mean, you want this whole page?"

Wang Yan said, "Hmm."

Gu Zhixing's expression was subtle.

"Can you finish it?"

Shen Qingli was already very calm.

"Don't worry, this might not be enough for him."

Gu Zhixing looked at Wang Yan with even more interest.

Soon, dishes were served one after another.

It has a strong wok hei (wok aroma) effect.

Each dish carries a hint of the exotic.

It is a gentle force that can stimulate the body and relieve fatigue.

Wang Yan took a bite, and his eyes lit up slightly.

It's really good.

The meal was finished quickly.

Most of the dishes on the table ended up in Wang Yan's stomach.

Seeing his still unsatisfied expression, Gu Zhixing said, "Want to order some more?"

Wang Yan thought for a moment and shook his head.

"No."

Seeing this, Gu Zhixing smiled and got down to business.

"You must have heard what we talked about on the phone just now."

Wang Yan nodded and asked.

"The selection process has been moved up to tomorrow?"

"right!"

Gu Zhixing put away his joking tone.

"I won't mind telling you the reason."

"Because something has happened somewhere, a calamity that hates humanity is very likely to obtain an SS-class artifact soon."

Shen Qingli clearly knew some of the inside information.

He asked in a low voice, "Is that place the [Tianyuan Chess Game]?"

Gu Zhixing nodded.

"Yes."

"That place has been there for almost half a year. All parties have placed their bets there, but no one has been able to obtain that SS-level artifact."

"But the situation has changed in the last two days; one of the calamities is advancing very quickly."

"If we don't stop it, there's a good chance it will get its hands on that SS-level artifact."

Shen Qingli's expression turned serious.

"Won't headquarters just sit idly by?"

"Of course not."

Gu Zhixing picked up the water glass.

"But a key is needed to enter the [Tianyuan Chess Game]."

"The key is the total number of chess pieces that can be placed on the chessboard, a total of 361 pieces."

"It is roughly estimated that 350 have already been used."

"There are eleven left, but headquarters only has three left."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yan pondered to himself.

The chessboard, the key.

Isn't this referring to the pitch-black chess piece in his hand?

Gu Zhixing glanced at Wang Yan and continued, "The biggest problem now is who to select and how to deal with the subsequent backlash of the calamity."

"In addition to Fang Zhixia's death and the injuries of two S-class combatants, the headquarters has been weakened in terms of top-tier combat power."

"That's why the selection of S-class artifact candidates was brought forward, as a precaution."

After saying that, he took out several vials of medicine from his pocket and pushed them in front of Wang Yan.

"Specialized recovery potions and specialized enhancement potions"

Consider this a small gift for passing the test.

"Once you master the S-class artifact, I'm afraid I'll need your help with a few things. Don't worry, it won't harm you, and the reward will definitely be sufficient."

Wang Yan accepted the medicine.

Gu Zhixing then got up and left.

"I have to go back to the lab to do some experiments. See you tomorrow."

After Gu Zhixing left, Shen Qingli looked at Wang Yan.

"Shall I take you home?"

Wang Yan shook his head.

"No need, I can walk by myself."

Shen Qingli glanced at him but said nothing and left first.

After the two parted ways, Wang Yan walked alone on the road in the headquarters living area.

He appeared calm, but in his mind he had already pieced together the information he had just received.

SS-grade rare item.

Tianyuan Chess Game.

And in his hand, there happened to be a pitch-black chess piece.

The Peddler said that the chess piece could take people to a place where they had a chance to obtain an SS-level rare item.

Now it seems the answer is quite obvious.

The place he saw through the black chess pieces earlier was the [Tengen Chess Game]!

According to Gu Zhixing's information, there is indeed an SS-level artifact within the [Tianyuan Chess Game].

More importantly, there are already those who are about to obtain that SS-level artifact.

Wang Yan knew he had to enter immediately, otherwise, if he was even a little slower, the SS-level artifact would belong to someone else.