Mr. Qin finished speaking, and the five directors stood together, offering a thunderous applause for Li Yu.
The enthusiastic applause lasted for a full minute before fading, and amidst the applause, Li Yu vaguely heard the sound of a horse neighing.
At first, Li Yu thought it was a hallucination, but the next mont, the large White Ash Wood before him suddenly split open, and a white steed leapt out.
"This is a gift prepared for you by the board of directors," Taylor said, "Its na is Trahill, a piece of Five-star Equipnt. If you share your blood with it, it will beco your mount, loyal only to you.
"No matter where you are, just whistle and it will appear before you."
Following Taylor's advice, Li Yu used a small knife to make a cut on his palm, then dabbed a bit of blood on the forehead of the white horse.
The horse then extended its tongue and affectionately licked Li Yu's palm.
At this point, Taylor spoke again, "You previously ntioned wanting to know more about the company's salvation plan, but I told you the ti wasn't right. Now, the ti is finally ripe.
"You have proven your loyalty to the board, and we can continue on to delve into the true core.
"Co, we will take you to the company headquarters."
"Company headquarters?"
"Not the one you've been to; that is just a façade to assist candidates like you. The real headquarters is elsewhere."
"Where?"
"Buzhou Mountain," Mr. Qin said, "Beyond the Northwest Sea, at the corner of the great wilds, stands a mountain nad Buzhou."
"Is this from the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas'?"
Mr. Qin nodded, "We found it based on ancient texts, said to be an intersection between the mortal world and the Heavenly Realm. In ancient tis, people ascended through Buzhou Mountain."
"So, the Heavenly Realm really exists?"
"It depends on how you define it," Mr. Qin said, "We haven't found gods or an Immortal Palace there, but it's truly a pri location for dinsional travel.
"At Buzhou Mountain, you can feel the rging and drifting of dinsions without any instrunts. Have you heard the story of Gonggong and Buzhou Mountain?"
"You an the legend of Gonggong breaking Buzhou Mountain?"
"Exactly. Legend has it that in ancient tis, the Water God Gonggong and the Fire God Zhu Rong had a conflict and fought fiercely. In the end, Gonggong accidentally broke Buzhou Mountain, leading to a catastrophe.
"Interestingly enough, in that myth, Buzhou Mountain served as a pillar supporting the heavens. When it broke, the Heavenly River poured down, which later led to Nuwa refining stones to nd the sky.
"We don't know if it's because a 'hole' was torn in the 'heavens' that causes dinsional intersections to be so frequent there, but it aids our research and the subsequent salvation plan."
At this mont, Windsor interjected, "It might also be the landing point for otherworldly visitors to our universe."
"After everything you've said, where exactly is it?" Li Yu asked.
"The Pamir Plateau, specifically in southeastern Tajikistan, shrouded by a mysterious barrier, where ordinary ans of transport can't reach,"
Taylor pointed to the White Ash Wood behind him, the tree's crack remained unsealed.
"Fortunately, we now have a faster way to travel."
With that, Taylor was the first to step into the White Ash Wood, followed by Windsor and Bernard, then Sergei.
Mr. Qin gestured invitingly for Li Yu, who also stepped inside.
The white horse he had just acquired, lacking orders, remained at the Red Leaf Manor, nibbling on an expensive-looking potted plant.
As Li Yu entered the White Ash Wood, he caught a faint whiff of grapefruit fragrance and watched as the lighting around him gradually dimd.
The tree's interior was more spacious than Li Yu had imagined, and underfoot was a pathway extending forward, though he could no longer see Taylor and the others, nor was Mr. Qin following closely behind.
Li Yu proceeded along the pathway for about three to four minutes, hearing rustling sounds as if the giant tree were still growing.
The light around him dimd significantly, making visibility nearly impossible, but at the next mont, his vision suddenly cleared as he ca upon another crevice.
Li Yu exited through the gap and imdiately felt the temperature drop by over ten degrees compared to before, with a cold wind sweeping through, causing his suit to flap noisily.
His breathing beca labored, and Taylor and others were waiting for him beneath the tree.
"We're already over five thousand ters above sea level. Do you need a break?"
Li Yu looked at the white research-institute-looking building ahead, gauged the distance, and decided to press on, shaking his head.
"Then let's continue."
Mr. Qin's voice erged from behind Li Yu as he too stepped out from the giant tree.
The six continued forward; as they neared the white building, a blurred afterimage flashed before Li Yu's eyes, and he witnessed an ice cone shooting towards his chest.
Li Yu looked down at the wound site, but there was nothing there.
"Dinsional intersection," Bernard explained, "The space here isn't as stable as outside, but no worries, they're rely shadows from other planes that won't truly affect us."
"Do you need oxygen?" asked Taylor, who was walking ahead.
"No, but a cup of hot tea would be nice."
A familiar voice chid in, "I'll go fetch it for you."
Hephaestus from the Equipnt Departnt was present too, alongside an Indian woman and a white man who appeared to be in his sixties or seventies.
The trio stood outside the research institute welcoming Taylor, the directors, and Li Yu.
The eldest of them seed to be the head of the institute.
He spread his arms wide, embracing each guest in turn, holding Li Yu the longest and most tightly, visibly emotional as he whispered words aloud.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
"New Testant, Book of Romans," Bernard introduced Dr. Robbin to Li Yu, "He firmly believes you are that person's incarnation, guiding us safely through the apocalypse."
"It's not just ; many others believe the sa," Dr. Robbin wiped his glasses, "You are our source of strength.
"Now it's the 21st century, with science more advanced than ever. We're used to approaching and analyzing the world with scientific rationality, so much so that many find faith unimportant.
"Yet, even setting aside our research, I still believe a person should have faith. Even if it can't help you overco illness or bring overnight riches, faith can at least ease your spirit when facing difficulties and pain.
"Misfortune is often just a subjective experience. I've t many formidable Cultivators, though they can't wield powerful secret techniques like you, they have trained their minds to such an extent that they maintain tranquility even amid hell."
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