Yu-Gi-Oh!: This isn't a duel!

Soon, the slum redevelopment plan was officially launched, and the site was filled with the hustle and bustle of groundbreaking.

Many old houses have been sprayed with bright red "demolish" signs on their exterior walls.

The small house in Youyang was no exception.

However, Xie Wan'an's offer of demolition compensation was exceptionally generous, far exceeding everyone's expectations.

In the words of this young lady in her private, nonchalant manner:

"Anyway, it's not my money being used."

Yes, all the costs of this so-called "Heaven-ordained Tournament" and its subsequent renovations were not paid by Xie Wan'an personally, but were fully funded by her unfathomable family.

That's why she spends money so lavishly and doesn't care at all.

"Do you really have nothing better to do?"

Looking at Tian Daolian, who had once again appeared at his door on time with a bright smile, You Yang felt truly helpless.

Ever since that deep conversation at the restaurant that night, he has seen Tiandao Lian's figure appear in front of him almost every day, like a persistent stalker.

"Nothing much," Tiandao Lian replied matter-of-factly, even leaning forward slightly. "My main mission here is to prevent and seal that god of the underworld, but he hasn't made a move yet, so I have plenty of time."

You Yang couldn't help but slap his forehead, realizing he had asked a really stupid question.

Meanwhile, inside a high-end coffee shop.

Chapter 144 Surging and Violent Power! Crimson Lotus Demon Dragon!

Xie Wan'an was startled when he saw Ling Shiyao, who looked extremely haggard and had dark circles under her eyes.

"What have you been doing? How did you get yourself into this state while doing research?"

Ling Shiyao listlessly lifted her eyelids, pulled a rather heavy-looking black metal disc from the inside pocket of her white coat, and casually tossed it to Xie Wan'an, her voice hoarse from staying up all night:

"He went to research this..."

Xie Wan'an subconsciously caught the cold-to-the-touch disc and examined it carefully in his hand.

The disc is made of a peculiar material, with incomprehensible fine lines engraved on its surface, and it faintly emits a strange energy fluctuation.

"This is... an elven creation?" She looked up in surprise.

“Yes,” Ling Shiyao rubbed her throbbing temples and affirmed.

"It's man-made, though."

"Man-made?!"

Xie Wan'an's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, filled with disbelief.

The so-called "spirit creations" are special objects that contain the power of the card spirits.

It is also another place for the card spirits to reside, besides the cards themselves.

Generally speaking, the creations of an elf are the origin of the world in which that elf resides.

There are even rumors that the creations of the elves are the key to unlocking the elf world.

However, this has not been verified by anyone.

But one thing is certain.

That is, the creations of the elves are the best offerings for the elves to descend into reality.

It could even be said that the creations of the elves are necessary items for certain elves to descend into reality.

Therefore, the number of elven creations is extremely small.

Only certain powerful spirits can create spirit artifacts on their own.

True elven creations typically contain immense and pure elven power.

When carried by someone, it often produces a variety of amazing effects beyond imagination.

The silver necklace that Xie Wan'an always wore around her neck was a precious creation of an elf.

It is also the rarest and most powerful type of defensive artifact among elven creations.

But the key point is that only elves can create physical entities.

Although the black disc in front of us has a strange shape, the unique aura it exudes is undoubtedly a "creation of the elves".

This thing... is actually man-made?!

"Who did this?" Xie Wan'an hurriedly asked, his fingers unconsciously gripping the cold and heavy black disc tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"Su Xiaolan?" The image of that person who was always in the laboratory immediately came to mind. This was a major discovery that could shake up all forces.

If humans could actually replicate something similar to a spirit item, regardless of its actual effectiveness, the very concept of "artificial spirit items" would be incredibly impactful and sensational.

Xie Wan'an's keen business sense was immediately triggered; she could almost imagine the huge business opportunities and potential value hidden within.

"No."

Ling Shiyao shook her head wearily, raised her hand to rub her bloodshot eyes, and then briefly recounted the ins and outs of the black disc.

The narrative naturally includes You Yang, indicating that the items were originally obtained from him.

It turned out that after obtaining the black disc from You Yang, Ling Shiyao did not notice anything unusual about it at first, and then handed it over to Su Xiaolan, who specialized in this field.

This falls within her area of ​​expertise.

Su Xiaolan has been dedicated to researching and trying to recreate the "elf creations" that belong to humankind.

It was only after Su Xiaolan's series of precise and rigorous tests that Ling Shiyao realized the strangeness and inconsistency of the internal structure and technical approach of this thing, which was completely beyond her current understanding.

Xie Wan'an suddenly realized that this was the strange prop that You Yang had mentioned to her before, which was seized from the attackers.

"So, have you come up with any specific results?" Xie Wan'an pressed, his eyes burning with interest.

Ling Shiyao shook her head heavily, her voice hoarse from staying up all night: "There's been no breakthrough. Otherwise, why would I have time to come all the way here to see you?"

She paused, then added, "Actually, it's not like we're completely without clues."

After confirming that this thing was extremely unusual, Ling Shiyao interrogated Senye You, who was in custody, for several days in a row.

But after regaining consciousness, that guy became insane, his eyes unfocused, and he would only repeatedly mutter broken words like "for the greater good," "everything we do is for the future of humanity," and "long live the Eastern Alliance," without being able to extract any valuable information at all.

Even after using the brainwashing machine that Su Xiaolan had privately developed, which could directly use cards, they still got nowhere.

However, during a more thorough autopsy and examination of the other two attackers' bodies, Ling Shiyao discovered some disturbing signs.

"So, why did you specifically ask me to come here?" Ling Shiyao steered the conversation back on track.

Based on the strange findings on the two corpses, she is currently investigating the possible organization behind Morino Yu, and has already made some vague progress.

So when Xie Wan'an was attacked that day, she brought the situation under control and, after confirming that Xie Wan'an was not in any danger, she immediately left.

"This is a big deal!"

Xie Wan'an leaned forward, lowered his voice, and quickly recounted in detail Tian Dao Lian's prophecy about the "God of the Underworld" and his own concerns.

As Ling Shiyao listened, her brows furrowed more and more, and her fingertips tapped unconsciously on the table.

God of the Underworld?

Unlike You Yang and Xie Wan'an, Ling Shiyao, as a member of a special official department, has higher authority.

They have access to a large amount of sealed confidential information, which naturally includes various vague records and danger assessments about "gods".

"A bizarre attacker who came back from the dead..."

"The inexplicable, eerie energy stripes on those two corpses..."

"And the latest leads obtained from the investigation..."

Countless fragments of information rapidly combined and collided in Ling Shiyao's mind, and a terrifying conclusion gradually emerged.

"I have an urgent matter to attend to and must leave now!"

Ling Shiyao's expression changed drastically. She stood up abruptly, almost snatching the black disc from Xie Wan'an's hand, hugging it tightly to her chest, and then hurriedly walked towards the parking lot.

The discovery was so shocking and far-reaching that she didn't even dare tell Xie Wan'an at this moment.

Watching Ling Shiyao's hurried retreating figure, Xie Wan'an's smile gradually faded, and his gaze became deep and sharp.

It seems her earlier guess was correct.

As expected, there were officials secretly involved in this series of events, and the situation was far more complicated than imagined.

"Ring ring~"

Just then, Xie Wan'an's phone rang, the ringtone sounding particularly clear in the empty laboratory room.

She immediately composed herself, pressed the answer button, and her tone returned to its usual calm.

"Goodnight, it's me."

An aged yet robust voice came from the other end of the phone, "Regarding the construction project of that competition venue, I'd like my people to take over. What do you think?"

"Several of my juniors insisted on taking this opportunity, and I really couldn't persuade them otherwise."

"What are you saying, sir?" Xie Wan'an immediately put on an impeccable, slightly respectful smile, his tone straightforward.

"This event was originally prepared for you, so of course, I have absolutely no problem with whoever you want to use, it's completely fine."

Xie Wan'an was not surprised to hear the news, as such exchanges of benefits and favors were common in the industry.

Building a large-scale professional dueling arena requires astronomical amounts of manpower and resources, and the profits and kickbacks that can be made from it are naturally enormous.

If Xie Wan'an were to manage everything herself, she could indeed reap a considerable profit from it.

However, Ling Shiyao's unusual reaction just now also indirectly confirms that the prophecy about the "God of the Underworld" is not unfounded.

With the situation so dire, even Xie Wan'an, who has always loved money, has temporarily given up on making money.

On the contrary, it would be better to contract out this hot potato, so that she could free up her precious time and energy to search for the whereabouts of the so-called "God of the Underworld" and find a solution.

Upon hearing Xie Wan'an's quick agreement, a hearty and satisfied laugh came from the other end of the phone.

"Okay, in that case, I'll arrange for my people to go and make contact."

Xie Wan'an hung up the phone, but her slender fingers still unconsciously rubbed the cold phone case. She felt an invisible but heavy pressure quietly emerge and press down on her shoulders.

On the other end of the phone, in a brightly lit, secret room filled with sophisticated instruments.