Chapter 669: Heavenly Lake Plan, Legend of the Immortal Gate!

The competition came to a hasty conclusion. Nobody could discern anything from the battle between Wang Ye and Lin Mu.

Therefore, after the people from the other military regions had left, Kong Lin sought out Lin Mu.

"Instructor Lin, that battle... was truly spectacular!" Kong Lin said, having taken a long moment to find the right word.

In fact, this competition was far from spectacular. It was simply because the Divine Machine Camp was too strong—strong enough to completely crush the other major military regions. But Kong Lin was indeed in high spirits. The Divine Machine Camp had won, which meant they wouldn’t have to be disbanded.

"I told you I would bring a championship back for you," Lin Mu said. "I kept my word."

"To be honest, before today, I didn’t believe a word of it," Kong Lin responded with a wry smile. "But after seeing the Divine Machine Camp’s performance today, I realize just how wildly mistaken I was."

Lin Mu remained noncommittal.

"Speaking of which," Kong Lin said, taking out a box, "this is a reward from the higher-ups. See if it’s of any use to you."

Lin Mu took the box. As soon as he opened it, his eyebrows shot up. Inside was a dark brown stone, and within it, faint flickers of lightning seemed to dance.

Thunderstone!

A flicker of shock crossed Lin Mu’s face. Thunderstones only formed in the heart of concentrated lightning, and such things were incredibly hard to come by, even within the Immortal Realm. But Lin Mu had not expected Kong Lin to produce such an item.

"This is useful to me," Lin Mu said, nodding as he accepted it.

For those who cultivated Thunder Law, a Thunderstone was a priceless treasure one could only dream of finding. Lin Mu could use it to enhance the attributes of the Yulong Sword. Although the effect would be limited, it was better than nothing. The greatest use of the Thunderstone, however, was for setting up formations. Any ordinary formation could have its power doubled by incorporating a Thunderstone.

"I’m glad it’s useful," Kong Lin said with a sigh, seemingly troubled by something he couldn’t bring himself to say.

"If you have something on your mind, Elder Kong, just say it."

Kong Lin hesitated for a moment. "Actually, this stone was found by Leng Feng’s father."

Lin Mu had heard a few things about Leng Feng’s father. Before Lin Mu, Leng Yan had been an instructor for the Divine Machine Camp, but he went missing during a secret mission. The military had searched for a long time to no avail and eventually had no choice but to give up. But Leng Yan had been one of Kong Lin’s most prized soldiers, and the matter had always weighed on his mind.

"Back then, Leng Yan took his team to Heavenly Lake on a classified mission. Three days later, he disappeared. This stone was the only thing his men managed to send back," Kong Lin explained. "At the time, the matter was classified as top secret. The higher-ups also made efforts to study this stone, but aside from extracting some substance to create gene potions, their research made no other headway."

After a pause, he added, "Frankly, the higher-ups were reluctant to part with this stone. They’re giving it to you, first, as a reward, and second..." He took a deep breath. "The higher-ups have a mission for you."

Lin Mu frowned. "What mission?"

"They’re planning to restart the Heavenly Lake Project," Kong Lin said gravely. "They want you to lead a team to Changbai Mountain and investigate the truth of what happened back then! This mission could be just as dangerous as Leng Yan’s, so you have the right to refuse."

The Heavenly Lake Project?

Lin Mu stared at the Thunderstone, pondering for a moment before asking, "When does it start?"

"The sooner, the better!"

Sensing the urgency in Kong Lin’s voice, Lin Mu knew something unexpected must have happened there. But he had pressing matters of his own and realized he wouldn’t be able to go.

"How about this," Lin Mu suggested. "I’ll have the Divine Machine Camp go first. If anything happens, I’ll make a personal trip. How does that sound?"

Compared to the Heavenly Lake Project, Lin Mu’s priority was bringing Qin Luoli back as soon as possible. He didn’t want to delay that matter for even a second.

"That could work," Kong Lin said. "Although the higher-ups are anxious, this project has been shelved for a long time. Even restarting it will require some preparation. I can ask them for a delay and have them wait until you get back."

"That would be for the best." Lin Mu suddenly asked, "What exactly is this Heavenly Lake Project?"

Kong Lin shook his head. "I’m not entirely sure about the specifics." His demeanor suddenly became mysterious as he lowered his voice. "But I’ve heard that Heavenly Lake is connected to legends of the Immortal Gates."

"Legends of the Immortal Gates?" Lin Mu’s heart stirred.

Could it be? Are there other Cultivators in this world besides me?

Kong Lin, however, shook his head and chuckled. "That’s just baseless rumor. How could there be real immortals in this world? It’s all nonsense."

Lin Mu, however, held a different view. In the history of Huaxia, there were the Great Qin Qi Cultivators, not to mention countless myths and legends, like Laozi leaving the pass, the Fengshan Ceremony on Taishan, and the Yingkou Dragon Fall incident. There’s no smoke without fire. Legends only become legends because later generations are too far removed to access that level of reality.

If that’s the case, then I really do need to make a trip to Heavenly Lake.

"Alright, don’t overthink it. Someone from the Military Department will brief you on the specifics when the time comes," Kong Lin said. "If you really want to go, handle your own affairs first. This can’t be rushed."

Lin Mu nodded, said his farewells, and left.

Watching Lin Mu’s retreating figure, Kong Lin muttered,

Immortals? I think you’re the one who acts like an immortal.

「Back at the base.」

The members of the Divine Machine Camp were celebrating wildly. After several years, they had finally won the championship again. For them, it was truly a day worth celebrating.

Lin Mu didn’t join the commotion. Instead, he sat on a reef, staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.

Luo Li, wait for me. I’m coming to get you tomorrow!

Since learning that Qin Luoli had gone to Demon City, Lin Mu had been filled with worry and a rising anger. The Qin Family had dared to force Luo Li’s hand. At the thought of this, a murderous intent stirred in Lin Mu’s heart. He didn’t know how many heads would roll on this trip to Demon City.

"Lin Mu, what are you doing here?" A fragrant breeze drifted by as Kong Ying approached. She smelled of alcohol, and her face was flushed, clearly quite tipsy. She’d obviously had a lot to drink.

"What are you looking at? Come on, have a drink with us!" Seeing Lin Mu looking at her, Kong Ying’s pretty face turned even redder. She pulled on his arm, insisting, "Let’s go! You led everyone to victory, and they all want to have a drink with you!"

Without giving him a chance to refuse, Kong Ying dragged Lin Mu toward the crowd.

The atmosphere at the base grew even more electric with Lin Mu’s arrival. By the end of the night, many of the Divine Machine Camp members were drinking and crying at the same time. Lin Mu didn’t laugh at them. For the men of the Divine Machine Camp, winning the championship again had been their greatest wish. Now that it was fulfilled, they needed to let it all out.

It wasn’t until midnight that most of the Divine Machine Camp members had passed out drunk on the beach. Kong Ying could barely even sit up straight and was half-leaning against Lin Mu.

"Lin... Lin Mu... Will you... will you forget about me someday...?" Kong Ying murmured, completely drunk.