While Xia Li was studying the Defense Chapter of Divine Sense Hacking.

  Ke Xiao was also carefully observing him. Xia Li's changes were indeed too dramatic—it was hard not to wonder just how many good things he had on him.

  "By the way, Xia Li, regarding the opportunities on you—sooner or later they'll be exposed to more people, especially after Heaven-path Foundation Establishment."

  "You'll face many crises. Many pairs of eyes will start watching you."

  Ke Xiao began giving Xia Li serious advice. Though Earth's cultivation tradition allowed everyone to walk the path of cultivation, those who could achieve Heaven-path Foundation Establishment were still pitifully rare.

  Though the Heavenly Dao Computer had lowered the difficulty of Heaven-path Foundation Establishment, even so, the probability was still far less than one in ten thousand.

  Therefore, activating the Heavenly Dao Computer for Heaven-path Foundation Establishment was an extremely attention-grabbing event.

  "I understand. It's impossible to grow stronger without attracting notice."

  Xia Li had once harbored such thoughts—wanting to secretly grow powerful and shock everyone. Unfortunately, reality proved it impossible.

  There were simply too many attention-grabbing things on the path to power. He couldn't hide every time.

  Since that was the case, he could only face those challenges head-on.

  It was the same in the other world when earning spirit stones, and the same on Earth when spending them.

  There would always be watchers, always be covetous eyes.

  Opportunity, opportunity!

  Gaining opportunity meant becoming an opportunity yourself—becoming a target for others to seize. If you couldn't protect it, it would only end up belonging to someone else.

  "Good that you understand. Work hard on your own. I'm just here to drink some soup off you—you don't mind, right?"

  "What are you saying, Sis Ke? Given all the help you've given me, even eating a piece of my meat would be deserved."

  Xia Li was still very grateful to Ke Xiao. She was his guide. Without Ke Xiao, he'd probably still be mining for the Company.

  Though Ke Xiao had also used him, at least she was honest about it. She'd kept her word and given him freedom, and had assigned him to the crucial Tunnel Three, where he'd found the mysterious ring that changed his fate.

  "Thanks. Now let's talk about the mission."

  "Most of our Hidden Wing missions involve infiltration, secret investigation, and assassination—staying out of sight as much as possible."

  "And this mission I've taken actually relates to you."

  "Me?"

  Xia Li was confused. How did an organization mission relate to him?

  "Take a look at the mission intel first."

  With that, Ke Xiao directly shared the mission intel with Xia Li.

  The mission target was to investigate a biological research institute.

  But not a modern one—an ancient research institute built around 2090, which was also where Xia Li had been unearthed.

  Qiming Mining Company had stationed numerous security personnel there.

  The mission objective was to find out why the Company was guarding this old research institute. Most of the people inside had already been awakened by the Company and sent to mine, so there seemed to be no value in continued surveillance.

  "I have a feeling... this Qiming Mining Company isn't simple."

  Xia Li had a premonition that Qiming Mining's activities went far beyond just digging up ancient people to mine. If it were just about saving money, they should have left after waking everyone up. Why keep guarding the place?

  "That's what we at Hidden Wing want to know too. Qiming Mining is just a small subsidiary under Silver Star Group, and Silver Star Group is a pioneering giant in Heaven Chip production."

  "We currently suspect this ancient research institute might contain secrets about the next generation of Heaven Chips."

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  "Next generation Heaven Chip? Sixth generation?"

  Xia Li knew the most advanced Heaven Chips on the market were fifth generation, but market products were never the best. This was true everywhere.

  "More than that. It might even be the still-conceptual seventh generation."

  "The sixth generation Heaven Chip has been around for over a decade—it just rarely circulates on the market. It only flows among high-level circles and within factions. The seventh generation Heaven Chip is what all major factions consider the top priority."

  "Ordinary people are still using third generation, and the seventh is already in development..."

  Xia Li was quite shocked by this news, but quickly understood. At the end of the day, it was about poverty. High-end products were destined to circulate only in small circles at the top initially.

  Once seventh generation Heaven Chip production technology matured enough, the sixth generation would probably enter the mass market, and fourth and fifth generation chips would finally drop in price for ordinary people.

  The upper class had to ensure they always stayed ahead of the lower class.

  And the generational gap in technology products was probably no less significant than the gap in cultivation realms.

  But would an old research institute really contain secrets for producing seventh generation Heaven Chips?

  "Let's go. We'll find out what's hidden there when we get there."

  With that, Ke Xiao stepped away from the automated turret and walked into the danger zone.

  Under Ke Xiao's guidance, they encountered no danger—she'd clearly already mapped out the route and environment.

  Before long, they arrived at the ruins of an ancient city.

  The remains of skyscrapers stood like tombstones. The barren land was deathly silent, with only bizarre irradiated creatures wandering about.

  Xia Li's Heaven Chip was now reporting that the current environment's radiation levels far exceeded safe limits. An ordinary person in this environment would have their entire genome destroyed by radiation in just seconds.

  Only with spiritual energy protection could one venture deep into such high-radiation ruins.

  "So this is what cities looked like in my era... I never imagined they'd become like this."

  Xia Li gazed at the building remains, lost in thought. These had been high-end office buildings, often forty or fifty stories tall. Now only the topmost sections remained.

  Finding where his family's old neighborhood had been would probably be difficult—the shorter buildings had likely all been destroyed and buried.

  "The research institute is right beneath our feet. The Company has probably set up material radar and spiritual energy radar. I'll use Earth-Burrowing Technique to take us down."

  "You have divine thought, so you deploy the anti-detection field from the Defense Chapter of Divine Sense Hacking."

  "Alright, I'll switch now. Give me a moment."

  Xia Li immediately began swapping the techniques in his technique slots, directly loading both Divine Sense Hacking and its Defense Chapter. The last slot he filled with Spirit Bow: Qi Arrow.

  Spirit Bow: Qi Arrow was a simple and practical attack method. Perhaps it was the simplicity of the great Dao—this technique could still be used even at Nascent Soul stage.

  After waiting in place for a short while, once the technique swap was complete, Xia Li immediately deployed the anti-detection field.

  With the Heaven Chip's assistance, his divine thought began expanding and contracting in a unique frequency, like ripples.

  "Good, I can feel the anti-detection field. A field deployed with divine thought really works well. Ready to descend."

  With that.

  The ground beneath their feet became soft as water, and their figures rapidly sank into the depths below.